1979–80 United States network television schedule

This was the television schedule on all three United States television networks for the fall season beginning in September 1979. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with a few exceptions, such as Monday Night Football.

New fall series are highlighted in bold. Series ending their original runs are highlighted in italics.

The highest-rated show for the year is colored in lime. The top ten highest-rated shows are colored in yellow. The top 20 highest-rated shows are colored in cyan. The top 30 highest-rated shows are colored in magenta. Ranking determined by Nielsen Media Research.

PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, was in operation, but the schedule was set by each local station. On ABC, its news brief, airs all seven nights at 9:58, pm.

Fall Schedule

Sunday

Network		7:00 PM	7:30 PM	8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC	official	Out of the Blue	A New Kind of Family	Mork & Mindy #27 20.2 rating	The Associates	The ABC Sunday Night Movie #30 20.0 rating
	follow-up (Oct. 28)	Salvage 1
	follow-up (Nov. 18)	specials	Out of the Blue
CBS		60 Minutes #1 28.4 rating		Archie Bunker's Place #11 22.9 rating	One Day at a Time #10 23.0 rating	Alice #4 25.3 rating	The Jeffersons #8 24.3 rating	Trapper John, M.D. #19 21.2 rating
NBC	official	Disney's Wonderful World		The Big Event				Prime Time Sunday
	follow-up (Dec. 30)							Eischied

Monday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC		240-Robert		ABC NFL Monday Night Football
CBS	official	The White Shadow		M*A*S*H #5 25.3 rating	WKRP in Cincinnati #22 20.7 rating	Lou Grant
	follow-up (Dec. 17)	WKRP in Cincinnati	The Last Resort		House Calls #14 22.1 rating
NBC		Little House on the Prairie #16 21.8 rating		NBC Monday Night at the Movies

Tuesday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC	official	Happy Days #17 21.7 rating	Angie	Three's Company #2 26.3 rating	Taxi #13 22.4 rating	The Lazarus Syndrome
	follow-up (Oct. 16)					Hart to Hart
CBS	official	California Fever		The CBS Tuesday Night Movies
	follow-up (Dec. 18)	The White Shadow		Hawaii Five-O		Paris
NBC		The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo		NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies

Wednesday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC		Eight Is Enough #12 22.8 rating		Charlie's Angels #20 20.9 rating		Vega$
CBS	official	The Last Resort (to Oct. 3)	Struck By Lightning (to Oct. 3)	The CBS Wednesday Night Movies
	follow-up (Nov. 28)	Young Maverick
NBC		Real People #15 22.1 rating		Diff'rent Strokes #26 20.3 rating	Hello, Larry	The Best of Saturday Night Live (repeats)

Thursday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC		Laverne & Shirley	Benson #23 20.6 rating	Barney Miller #21 20.9 rating	Soap #25 20.5 rating	20/20
CBS	official	The Waltons		Hawaii Five-O		Barnaby Jones
	follow-up (Dec. 27)			Barnaby Jones		Knots Landing
NBC		Buck Rogers in the 25th Century		Quincy, M.E.		Kate Loves A Mystery

Friday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC	official	Fantasy Island #28 20.1 rating		The ABC Friday Night Movie
	follow-up (Oct. 26)	Specials
CBS		The Incredible Hulk		The Dukes of Hazzard #9 24.1 rating		Dallas #6 25.0 rating
NBC		Shirley		The Rockford Files		Eischied

Saturday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC	official	The Ropers	Detective School	The Love Boat #24 20.6 rating		Hart to Hart
	follow-up (Oct. 13)					Fantasy Island
	follow-up (Dec. 1)		A New Kind of Family
CBS	official	Working Stiffs	The Bad News Bears	Big Shamus, Little Shamus		Paris
	follow-up (Oct. 13)	Specials		The CBS Saturday Night Movies
NBC		CHiPs #18 21.5 rating		B. J. and the Bear		A Man Called Sloane

Mid-Season Schedule

Sunday

Network		7:00 PM	7:30 PM	8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC		Galactica 1980		Tenspeed and Brown Shoe #29 20.0 rating		The ABC Sunday Night Movie
CBS		60 Minutes		Archie Bunker's Place	One Day at a Time	Alice	The Jeffersons	Trapper John, M.D.
NBC	official	Disney's Wonderful World		The Big Event
	follow-up (March)			CHiPs		The Big Event

Monday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC	official	Laverne & Shirley	Angie	Stone		Family
	follow-up (Mar. 24)	That's Incredible! (debut March 3) #3 25.8 rating		Monday Night Baseball
CBS	official	WKRP in Cincinnati	The Last Resort	M*A*S*H	House Calls	Lou Grant
	follow-up (Mar. 24)		The Stockard Channing Show		Flo #7 24.4 rating
NBC		Little House on the Prairie		NBC Monday Night at the Movies

Tuesday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC	official	Happy Days	Goodtime Girls	Three's Company	Taxi	Hart to Hart
	follow-up (Mar. 4)		Laverne & Shirley
CBS		The White Shadow		The CBS Tuesday Night Movies
NBC	official	The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo		NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies
	follow-up (Mar. 4)			The Big Show			United States (debut March 11)

Wednesday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC		Eight Is Enough		Charlie's Angels		Vega$
CBS	official	Specials/Beyond Westworld (debuts March 5)		The CBS Wednesday Night Movies
	follow-up (Mar. 26)	Specials
NBC	official	Real People		Diff'rent Strokes	Hello, Larry	The Best of Saturday Night Live (repeats)
	follow-up (Mar. 12)					From Here to Eternity

Thursday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC	official	Mork & Mindy	Benson	Barney Miller	Soap	20/20
	follow-up (Apr. 3)				The Associates
	follow-up (Apr. 24)				The Ropers
CBS		The Waltons Palmerstown, U.S.A.'(Mar. 20-May 1)		Barnaby Jones		Knots Landing
NBC	official	Buck Rogers in the 25th Century		Quincy, M.E.		Skag
	follow-up (Mar.)					The Rockford Files

Friday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC	official	B.A.D. Cats		The ABC Friday Night Movie
	follow-up (Mar. 14)	When the Whistle Blows
	follow-up (May)	Tenspeed and Brown Shoe
CBS		The Incredible Hulk		The Dukes of Hazzard		Dallas
NBC	official	Shirley		NBC Friday Night at the Movies
	follow-up (Mar. 14)	Here's Boomer	The Facts of Life	Pink Lady		The Best of Saturday Night Live (repeats)
	follow-up (Apr. 11)			NBC Friday Night at the Movies

Saturday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC	official	One in a Million	The Ropers	The Love Boat		Fantasy Island
	follow-up (Mar. 22)	Angie	Goodtime Girls
CBS	official	The Chisholms		The CBS Saturday Night Movies
	follow-up (Mar. 15)	The Tim Conway Show
NBC	official	CHiPs		B. J. and the Bear		Prime Time Saturday
	follow-up (Mar. 15)	B. J. and the Bear		Sanford	Me and Maxx (debut March 22)	Prime Time Saturday
	follow-up (Apr.)				Joe's World

Summer Schedule

Sunday

Network		7:00 PM	7:30 PM	8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC		Galactica 1980		When the Whistle Blows		The ABC Sunday Night Movie
CBS		60 Minutes		Archie Bunker's Place	One Day at a Time	Alice	The Jeffersons	Trapper John, M.D.
NBC		Disney's Wonderful World		CHiPs		The Big Event

Monday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC		That's Incredible!		Monday Night Baseball
CBS	official	WKRP in Cincinnati	Phyl and Mikhy	M*A*S*H	House Calls	Lou Grant
	follow-up (July 7)	Flo	WKRP in Cincinnati
NBC		Little House on the Prairie		NBC Monday Night at the Movies

Tuesday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC		Happy Days	Laverne & Shirley	Three's Company	Taxi	Hart to Hart
CBS		The White Shadow		The CBS Tuesday Night Movies
NBC		NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies

Wednesday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC		Eight Is Enough		Charlie's Angels		Vega$
CBS		Specials		The CBS Wednesday Night Movies
NBC	official	Real People		Diff'rent Strokes	The Facts of Life	Quincy, M.E.
	follow-up (Aug 6.)				Sanford

Thursday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC	official	Mork & Mindy	Benson	Barney Miller	Semi-Tough	20/20
	follow-up (Jun. 26)				Nobody's Perfect
CBS		The Waltons		Barnaby Jones		Knots Landing
NBC		Buck Rogers in the 25th Century		NBC Thursday Night at the Movies

Friday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC	official	Tenspeed and Brown Shoe		The ABC Friday Night Movie
	follow-up (Jul. 4)	Benson	Goodtime Girls
CBS		The Incredible Hulk		The Dukes of Hazzard		Dallas
NBC	official	Here's Boomer	Me and Maxx	The Rockford Files		A Man Called Sloane
	follow-up (Aug. 1)	Specials	The Facts of Life

Saturday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM	10:30 PM
ABC		240-Robert		The Love Boat		Fantasy Island
CBS	official	The Bad News Bears	The Stockard Channing Show	The CBS Saturday Night Movies
	follow-up (Jul. 5)	'Walter Cronkite's Universe	The Bad News Bears
	follow-up (Aug. 2)	That's My Line
NBC	official	Buck Rogers in the 25th Century		Sanford	Joe's World	Prime Time Saturday
	follow-up (Aug. 2)			NBC Saturday Night at the Movies			Good Time Harry

Pickups and Cancellations

Full Season Pickups

ABC

• 240-Robert (returns in mid-season)
• Barney Miller
• Benson
• Charlie's Angels
• Eight Is Enough
• Fantasy Island
• Happy Days
• Hart to Hart
• Laverne & Shirley
• The Love Boat
• Monday Night Football
• Mork & Mindy
• Soap
• Taxi
• That's Incredible!
• Three's Company
• Vega$

CBS

• 60 Minutes
• Alice
• Archie Bunker's Place
• Dallas
• The Dukes of Hazzard
• Flo
• House Calls
• The Incredible Hulk
• The Jeffersons
• Knots Landing
• Lou Grant
• M*A*S*H
• One Day at a Time
• Palmerstown, U.S.A." (returns in mid-season)
• The Tim Conway Show
• Trapper John, M.D.
• The Waltons
• The White Shadow

NBC

• B.J. and the Bear
• Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
• CHiPs
• Diff'rent Strokes
• Disney's Wonderful World
• The Facts of Life
• Little House on the Prairie
• The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
• Quincy, M.E.
• Real People
• Sanford

Cancellations and Endings

ABC

• Angie
• The Associates
• B.A.D. Cats
• Detective School
• Family
• Galactica 1980
• Goodtime Girls
• The Lazarus Syndrome
• A New Kind of Family
• Nobody's Perfect
• One in a Million
• Out of the Blue
• The Ropers
• Salvage 1
• Stone
• Tenspeed and Brown Shoe
• When the Whistle Blows

CBS

• The Bad News Bears
• Barnaby Jones
• Beyond Westworld
• Big Shamus, Little Shamus
• California Fever
• The Chisholms
• Hawaii Five-O
• The Last Resort
• Paris
• Phyl and Mikhy
• The Stockard Channing Show
• Struck By Lightning
• Working Stiffs
• Young Maverick

NBC

• The Big Show
• Eischied
• From Here to Eternity
• Good Time Harry
• Hello, Larry
• Here's Boomer (to return in 1981-1982 season)
• Joe's World
• Kate Loves a Mystery
• A Man Called Sloane
• Me and Maxx
• Pink Lady
• Prime Time Sunday/Saturday
• The Rockford Files
• Shirley
• The Six O'Clock Follies (irregularly scheduled)
• United States

Technically Considered Part of Next Season

CBS

• That's My Line
• Universe

NBC

• Speak Up, America

References

• Castleman, H. & Podrazik, W. (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. New York: McGraw-Hill. 314 pp.
• McNeil, Alex. Total Television. Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-024916-8.
• Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1985). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31864-1.
• Shapiro, Mitchell E (1989). "Television Network Prime-Time Programming, 1948-1988". Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 0-89950-412-4.