1990–91 United States network television schedule

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The following is the 1990–91 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1990 through August 1991. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1989–90 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football.

PBS is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary.

  • New series are highlighted in bold.
  • All times given are in U.S. Eastern Time and Pacific Time (except for some live events or specials). Subtract one hour for Central and Mountain times.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.[1]

  Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season.
  Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season.
  Magenta indicates the programs in the top 30 for the season.
  Blue-grey indicates a news program.
  Light green indicates a sports program.
  Orange indicates a movie.

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 Life Goes On America's Funniest Home Videos (#7/16.7)
(Tied with Empty Nest) 		America's Funniest People (#13/16.3) The ABC Sunday Night Movie
CBS Fall 60 Minutes (#2/20.6) Murder, She Wrote (#12/16.4) CBS Sunday Movie (#19/15.0)
(Tied with Who's the Boss?)
Summer All in the Family (repeats) Sunday Dinner Murder, She Wrote The Trials of Rosie O'Neill
Fox Fall True Colors Parker Lewis Can't Lose In Living Color Get a Life Married... with Children Good Grief Against the Law
Follow-up Comic Strip Live
Spring Top of the Heap The Sunday Comics
NBC Fall Hull High Lifestories NBC Sunday Night Movie
Winter Sunday Best Real Life with Jane Pauley Expose
Spring The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage Expose Real Life with Jane Pauley

Monday[]

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall MacGyver Monday Night Football (#9/16.6)
Winter The ABC Monday Night Movie
CBS Fall Uncle Buck Major Dad (#21/14.9)
(Tied with In the Heat of the Night) 		Murphy Brown (#6/16.9) Designing Women (#10/16.5)
(Tied with The Golden Girls) 		The Trials of Rosie O'Neill
Follow-up Evening Shade
Spring Northern Exposure
Summer Major Dad The Family Man
Fox Fox Night at the Movies Local Programming
NBC Fall The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Ferris Bueller NBC Monday Night at the Movies
Winter Blossom

Tuesday[]

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Who's the Boss? (#19/15.0)
(Tied with The CBS Sunday Movie) 		Head of the Class (#26/14.5) Roseanne (#3/18.1) Coach (#18/15.3) Thirtysomething
Winter Davis Rules (#27/14.3)
(Tied with Growing Pains and Baby Talk)
Spring Eddie Dodd
Follow-up Baby Talk (#27/14.3)
(Tied with Growing Pains and Davis Rules) 		Who's the Boss? (#19/15.0)
(Tied with The CBS Sunday Movie) 		Stat Thirtysomething
Summer Who's the Boss? (#19/15.0)
(Tied with The CBS Sunday Movie) 		Head of the Class (#26/14.5) Coach (#18/15.3)
Follow-up Full House (#14/15.9) Who's the Boss? (#19/15.0)
(Tied with The CBS Sunday Movie)
CBS Rescue 911 CBS Tuesday Night Movie
NBC Fall Matlock (#17/15.5) In the Heat of the Night (#21/14.9)
(Tied with Major Dad) 		Law & Order
Spring Shannon's Deal
Summer Law & Order

Wednesday[]

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall The Wonder Years (#30/14.2) Growing Pains (#27/14.3)
(Tied with Baby Talk and Davis Rules) 		Doogie Howser, M.D. (#24/14.7) Married People Cop Rock
Winter Equal Justice
Follow-up Anything but Love
Spring My Life and Times Gabriel's Fire
Follow-up Anything but Love American Detective
Summer The Man in the Family
Follow-up Davis Rules (#27/14.3)
(Tied with Growing Pains and Baby Talk)
Follow-up
(Began Aug 21) 		Dinosaurs The Wonder Years (#30/14.2) Anything but Love Married People
CBS Fall Lenny Doctor Doctor Jake and the Fatman WIOU
Late fall 48 Hours
Winter Northern Exposure
Summer The Hogan Family The Family Man 48 Hours
Follow-up Police Squad! Morton & Hayes
NBC Fall Unsolved Mysteries (#16/15.7) The Fanelli Boys Dear John Hunter
Follow-up Dear John The Fanelli Boys
Follow-up Working It Out
Winter Night Court Seinfeld
Spring Dear John Quantum Leap

Note: Top Cops aired at 10:00 PM on CBS from July to October 1990. Police Squad! on CBS consisted of reruns of the 1982 ABC series.

Thursday[]

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Father Dowling Mysteries Gabriel's Fire Primetime Live
Spring Twin Peaks
CBS Fall Top Cops The Flash Doctor Doctor Knots Landing
Winter Good Sports
Follow-up Top Cops The Flash
Spring The Antagonists
Fox The Simpsons Babes Beverly Hills, 90210 Local Programing
NBC Fall The Cosby Show (#5/17.1) A Different World (#4/17.5) Cheers (#1/21.3) Grand (#25/14.6) L.A. Law (#23/14.8)
Mid-season Wings
Spring Seinfeld

On CBS, Sons and Daughters was supposed to premiere on October 25, 1990, while The Flash is supposed to start at 8:00-9:00 p.m., but the show was shelved.[2]

Friday[]

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Full House (#14/15.9) Family Matters (#15/15.8) Perfect Strangers Going Places 20/20
Spring Baby Talk (#27/14.3)
(Tied with Growing Pains and Davis Rules)
Follow-up Dinosaurs Family Matters (#15/15.8) Perfect Strangers
Summer
began May 31 		Family Matters (#15/15.8) Perfect Strangers Going Places
Follow up Hi Honey, I'm Home!
Follow up Family Matters (#15/15.8) Growing Pains (#27/14.3)
(Tied with Baby Talk and Davis Rules)
CBS Fall Evening Shade Bagdad Café Over My Dead Body Dallas
Follow-up Uncle Buck
Winter Guns of Paradise Dallas Sons and Daughters
Spring True Detectives
Fox Fall America's Most Wanted DEA Local Programming
Follow-up Against the Law
Spring DEA
NBC Fall Quantum Leap Night Court Wings Midnight Caller
Winter Dark Shadows
Spring Hull High Hunter Dark Shadows
Follow-up The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage Midnight Caller

Saturday[]

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall The Young Riders China Beach Twin Peaks
Winter Under Cover
Spring The ABC Saturday Night Movie
CBS Fall The Family Man The Hogan Family E.A.R.T.H. Force 48 Hours
Late fall Northern Exposure Broken Badges Wiseguy
You Take the Kids Lenny CBS Saturday Movie
Winter Uncle Buck
Spring The Flash
Fox Totally Hidden Video Haywire Cops American Chronicles Local Programming
NBC Fall Parenthood Working It Out The Golden Girls (#10/16.5)
(Tied with Designing Women) 		Empty Nest (#7/16.7)
(Tied with America's Funniest Home Videos) 		Carol & Company American Dreamer
Winter Amen The Fanelli Boys
Follow-up Dear John
Spring Down Home
Summer American Dreamer Sisters

By network[]

ABC[]

CBS[]

Fox[]

NBC[]

Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.

References[]

  1. ^ Highest-rated series is based on the annual top-rated programs list compiled by Nielsen Media Research and reported in: Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
  2. ^ "Top of the Week" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1990-10-08. Retrieved 2021-09-12.
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