2001–02 United States network television schedule
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The following is the 2001–02 network television schedule for the six major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 2001 through August 2002. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 2000–01 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football.
New fall series are highlighted in bold.
From February 8 to 24, 2002, all of NBC's primetime programming was preempted in favor of coverage of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
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.
Other Legend
- Light grey indicates local programming.
- Gray indicates encore programming.
- Blue-gray indicates news programming.
- Light green indicates sporting events.
- Light Purple indicates movies.
- Red indicates series being burned off and other regularly scheduled programs, including specials.
PBS is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary.
Impact of the September 11 attacks[]
During the week of September 11, 2001, the major television networks aired continuous news coverage of the September 11 attacks. The news coverage preempted the networks' primetime schedules between September 11 and September 15, with regular programming resuming on September 16. As a result of the preemptions, the programs that were set to begin airing new seasons in mid-September had their premieres delayed until late September and early October. The Amazing Race was the first program to premiere in the 2001–02 season; the show's first season premiered on September 5, but had its second episode postponed from September 12 to September 19 due to the aforementioned news coverage. As a result of the scheduling oddities that were necessitated by the news coverage, the 2001–02 season was the second of three instances where the start of the season was delayed due to issues outside of the control of the major television networks; the other instances were the 1988–89 season (due to the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike) and the 2020–21 season (due to a suspension of television productions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic). The next major disruption to the primetime television schedules of the major television networks would not occur until the 2007–08 season, which was affected by the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike.
The 53rd Primetime Emmy Awards, which were planned for September 16, were initially postponed to October 7, but news coverage of the United States invasion of Afghanistan prompted the awards to be postponed for a second time; the awards would be eventually held on November 4.
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 | The Wonderful World of Disney | Alias | The Practice (#23/8.3) (tied with NYPD Blue) | ||||||
CBS | Fall | 60 Minutes (#13/10.1) | The Education of Max Bickford | CBS Sunday Movie | |||||
Summer | Touched by an Angel | ||||||||
Mid-Summer | Everybody Loves Raymond | Becker | |||||||
Fox | Fall | Futurama | King of the Hill | The Simpsons | Malcolm in the Middle | The X-Files | Local programming | ||
Summer | |||||||||
Mid-Summer | Greg the Bunny | King of the Hill | Malcolm in the Middle | Malcolm in the Middle | |||||
NBC | Fall | Dateline NBC | The Weakest Link | Law & Order: Criminal Intent (#27/7.9) (Tied with Fear Factor and Providence) |
UC: Undercover | ||||
Spring | NBA on NBC | Various Encore Programming | |||||||
Summer | Dateline NBC | Law & Order: Crime & Punishment | |||||||
Mid-Summer | Various Encore Programming | ||||||||
The WB | Fall | Ripley's Believe It or Not! | The Steve Harvey Show | Men, Women & Dogs | Nikki | Off Centre | Local Programming | ||
Follow Up | Off Centre | Nikki | |||||||
December | Nikki | Men, Women & Dogs | |||||||
Winter | The Steve Harvey Show | The Steve Harvey Show | The Jamie Kennedy Experiment | For Your Love | |||||
Spring | No Boundaries | The Jamie Kennedy Experiment | |||||||
Follow Up | Flix from the Frog | The Jamie Kennedy Experiment | Off Centre | ||||||
Summer | Angel | ||||||||
Follow Up | For Your Love | For Your Love | Charmed |
NOTE: FOX aired 2 episodes of The Chamber in mid-January 2002. During the fall, Futurama and King of the Hill were preempted by overruns of NFL games. On The WB, Lost in the USA was supposed to air at 7–8, but it was cancelled due to 9/11 problems.
Monday[]
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | NFL Monday Showcase | Monday Night Football (#7/11.5) | |||
Winter | The ABC Monday Night Movie | ||||||
Spring | My Wife & Kids(Repeats) | The Wayne Brady Show | The Runner | Once and Again | |||
Follow Up | America's Funniest Home Videos | The Bachelor | |||||
May | ABC Monday Night Movie | ||||||
August | NFL Monday Night Preseason Football | ||||||
CBS | Fall | The King of Queens (#19/8.9) | Yes, Dear (#20/8.8) (Tied with Crossing Jordan) |
Everybody Loves Raymond (#4/12.8) | Becker (#11/10.7) | Family Law (#30/7.7) (Tied with 60 Minutes II) | |
December | The Ellen Show | ||||||
January | Yes, Dear (#20/8.8) (Tied with Crossing Jordan) | ||||||
Spring | Yes, Dear (#20/8.8) (Tied with Crossing Jordan) |
Baby Bob (#25/8.1) (Tied with Dateline NBC) | |||||
Follow Up | The King of Queens (#19/8.9) | Yes, Dear (#20/8.8) (Tied with Crossing Jordan) |
48 Hours | ||||
Fox | Fall | Boston Public | Ally McBeal | Local Programming | |||
Spring | The American Embassy | ||||||
Follow Up | Ally McBeal | ||||||
Mid-July | Titus | Titus | |||||
Mid-August | Boston Public | ||||||
NBC | Fall | The Weakest Link | Dateline NBC | Crossing Jordan (#20/8.8) (Tied with Yes, Dear) | |||
Follow Up | Third Watch | ||||||
Winter | Fear Factor (#27/7.9) (Tied with Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Providence) | ||||||
Summer | Dog Eat Dog | ||||||
Mid-Summer | Meet My Folks | ||||||
UPN | The Hughleys | One on One | The Parkers | Girlfriends | Local Programming | ||
The WB | 7th Heaven | Angel |
Note: On ABC, The Runner was supposed to start when ESPN Monday Night Football concludes, but it was cancelled due to production problems.
Tuesday[]
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | Dharma & Greg | What About Joan? | Bob Patterson | Spin City | Philly | |
Follow Up | Spin City | NYPD Blue (#23/8.3) (Tied with The Practice) | |||||
Winter | The Chair | ||||||
Spring | Dharma & Greg | Spin City | |||||
Follow Up | The Court | ||||||
Mid-Spring | Philly | ||||||
May | Various Specials | NYPD Blue (#23/8.3) (Tied with The Practice) | |||||
June | Spin City | Spin City | The Mole | Houston Medical | |||
July | According to Jim | According to Jim | |||||
August | Monk | Widows | |||||
CBS | JAG (#14/9.9) (Tied with Frasier) |
The Guardian (#22/8.4) | Judging Amy (#16/9.8) (Tied with Inside Schwartz) | ||||
Fox | Fall | That '70s Show | Undeclared | Love Cruise | Local Programming | ||
Follow Up | 24 | ||||||
Spring | Andy Richter Controls the Universe | ||||||
May | That '70s Show(Repeats) | ||||||
Summer | American Idol: The Search for a Superstar | ||||||
August | Grounded for Life | ||||||
NBC | Fall | Emeril | Three Sisters | Frasier (#14/9.9) (Tied with JAG) |
Scrubs | Dateline Tuesday | |
Winter | Imagine That | ||||||
Follow Up | Frasier (Repeats) | ||||||
Spring | Watching Ellie | ||||||
May | Various Specials | ||||||
Summer | Spy TV | Spy TV | |||||
August | Just Shoot Me | The Rerun Show | |||||
UPN | Fall | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Roswell | Local Programming | |||
Spring | As If | The Random Years | |||||
Follow Up | Various Encore Programming | ||||||
Late Spring | Roswell | ||||||
June | Various Comedy Encores | Various Comedy Encores | |||||
July | Under One Roof | ||||||
August | Various Comedy Encores | Various Comedy Encores | |||||
The WB | Gilmore Girls | Smallville |
Note: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Roswell moved to UPN from The WB this season.
Wednesday[]
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | My Wife & Kids | According to Jim | The Drew Carey Show | Whose Line is it Anyway? | 20/20 Downtown | |
Mid October | Bob Patterson | ||||||
Follow Up | Whose Line is it Anyway? | ||||||
Winter | The Job | ||||||
Spring | George Lopez | Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central) | |||||
Follow Up | According to Jim | The Job | |||||
Summer | The Drew Carey Show | ||||||
Mid-Summer | My Wife & Kids | ||||||
CBS | Fall | 60 Minutes II (#30/7.7) (Tied with Family Law) |
The Amazing Race | Wolf Lake | |||
November | Various Specials | ||||||
Winter | CBS Wednesday Movie | ||||||
Spring | The Amazing Race | 48 Hours | |||||
Summer | CBS Wednesday Movie | ||||||
Mid-Summer | Big Brother | 48 Hours | |||||
Fox | Fall | Malcolm in the Middle | Grounded for Life | The Bernie Mac Show | Titus | Local Programming | |
Winter | That '80s Show | ||||||
Spring | Greg the Bunny | ||||||
May | That '70s Show | The Bernie Mac Show | |||||
Summer | Various Comedy Repeats | American Idol: The Search for a Superstar | |||||
Mid-Summer | 30 Seconds to Fame | Meet the Marks | |||||
Follow Up | 30 Seconds to Fame | ||||||
NBC | Fall | Ed | The West Wing (#8/11.4) | Law & Order (#5/12.6) | |||
Mid-Summer | Various Specials | ||||||
UPN | Fall | Star Trek: Enterprise | Special Unit 2 | Local Programming | |||
Mid-February | Various Specials | ||||||
Spring | Wolf Lake | ||||||
May | Star Trek: Enterprise | ||||||
June | Wolf Lake | ||||||
Mid-Summer | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | ||||||
The WB | Fall | Dawson's Creek | Felicity | ||||
Winter | Glory Days | ||||||
Spring | Felicity | ||||||
Summer | Dawson's Creek | ||||||
Mid-Summer | WB Wednesday Movie |
NOTES: 1. When ABC announced their 2001 Fall Schedule, originally the plan was for The Job to air after The Drew Carey Show starting in mid-September and NYPD Blue would air in the 10pm ET timeslot after 20/20 Downtown returned to Friday nights in late December.[2] However, after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, ABC decided to not air The Job until mid-season because the show was set in New York City. In October, when the sitcom Bob Patterson was not doing well in the ratings on Tuesday nights, they moved the show to the Wednesday 9:30pm ET timeslot and put NYPD Blue in the Tuesday 9pm ET timeslot.
2. That '80s Show premiered midseason on January 23 on Fox in the 8:00pm ET timeslot.
Thursday[]
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | Primetime | ||
Mid-Summer | ABC Big Picture Show | ||||||
CBS | Fall | Survivor: Africa (#6/11.8) | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (#2/14.5) | The Agency | |||
Winter | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (Repeats) / CBS Special Presentations | ||||||
Spring | Survivor: Marquesas (#6/11.8) | ||||||
Summer | The Price is Right Salutes | ||||||
Mid-Summer | Big Brother | ||||||
Fox | Fall | Family Guy | The Tick | Temptation Island | Local Programming | ||
February | Family Guy(Repeats) | ||||||
March | King of the Hill(Repeats) | Futurama(Repeats) | |||||
April | Greg the Bunny(Repeats) | Andy Richter Controls the Universe(Repeats) | |||||
Follow Up | Fox Thursday Night Movie | ||||||
Mid-Summer | Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction | The Pulse | |||||
NBC | Fall | Friends (#1/15.0) | Inside Schwartz (#16/9.8) (Tied with Judging Amy) |
Will & Grace (#9/11.0) (Tied with Leap of Faith) |
Just Shoot Me! (#18/9.3) | ER (#3/14.2) | |
November | Friends(Repeats) | ||||||
December | Inside Schwartz (#16/9.8) (Tied with Judging Amy) | ||||||
January | Will & Grace(Repeats) | ||||||
March | Leap of Faith (#9/11.0) (Tied with Will & Grace) | ||||||
Follow Up | Friends(Repeats) | ||||||
Summer | Scrubs | ||||||
August | The Rerun Show | ||||||
UPN | WWF SmackDown | Local Programming | |||||
The WB | Fall | Popstars | Elimidate Deluxe | Charmed | |||
Follow Up | Popstars | ||||||
December | Popstars | Maybe It's Me(Repeats) | |||||
Winter | Various Drama Encores | ||||||
March | My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star | My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star | |||||
Spring | Gilmore Girls(Repeats) | ||||||
Follow Up | Charmed(Repeats) | ||||||
Summer | The Jamie Kennedy Experiment | The Jamie Kennedy Experiment | |||||
Mid-Summer | Reba | The Jamie Kennedy Experiment | Off Centre |
Friday[]
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | The Mole: The Next Betrayal | Thieves | Once and Again | ||||||
Follow Up | America's Funniest Home Videos | |||||||||
December | Various Specials | |||||||||
Winter | Once and Again | Vanished | ||||||||
Follow Up | Various Specials | 20/20 | ||||||||
Summer | America's Funniest Home Videos | |||||||||
Mid-Summer | Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Whose Line Is It Anyway? | ||||||||
CBS | Fall | The Ellen Show | Danny | That's Life | 48 Hours | |||||
Follow Up | The King of Queens | |||||||||
November | Yes Dear | The Ellen Show | ||||||||
December | Various Specials | |||||||||
January | JAG (Repeats) | First Monday | ||||||||
Spring | AFP: American Fighter Pilot | |||||||||
May | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation(Repeats) | |||||||||
Summer | 48 Hours | CBS Friday Night Movie | ||||||||
Mid-Summer | Various Specials & Encore Programming | |||||||||
Fox | Fall | Dark Angel | Pasadena | Local Programming | ||||||
Follow Up | 24 (Repeats) | |||||||||
Spring | That '70s Show(Repeats) | Various Comedy Encores | Dark Angel | |||||||
Summer | Dark Angel | The X-Files | ||||||||
Mid-Summer | Invasion of the Hidden Cameras | Invasion of the Hidden Cameras | ||||||||
NBC | Fall | Providence (#27/7.9) (Tied with Fear Factor and Law & Order: Criminal Intent) |
Dateline NBC (#25/8.1) (Tied with Baby Bob) |
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (#12/10.4) | ||||||
Summer | Dateline Friday(#25/8.1) (Tied with Baby Bob) | |||||||||
August | Dateline NBC (#25/8.1) (Tied with Baby Bob) |
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | ||||||||
UPN | Fall | UPN's Night at the Movies | Local Programming | |||||||
Spring | Under One Roof | As If | As If | |||||||
Follow Up | UPN's Night at the Movies | |||||||||
The WB | Fall | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Maybe It's Me | Reba | Raising Dad | |||||
Winter | Raising Dad | Maybe It's Me | ||||||||
Mid-Summer | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Raising Dad |
NOTE: Fox aired The Chamber on January 25, 2002, after two preview airings on past Sunday nights. The show was cancelled after its Friday night airing.
Saturday[]
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | ABC Saturday Night Movie | ||||||
CBS | Fall | Touched by an Angel | Citizen Baines | The District | |||
Follow Up | Various encore programs | ||||||
Mid-summer | Big Brother | The District | The Agency | ||||
Fox | COPS | America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back | Local programming | ||||
NBC | Various programming | NBC Saturday Night Movie |
By network[]
ABC[]
Returning series
|
New series
|
Not returning from 2000–01:
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CBS[]
Returning series
|
New series
|
Not returning from 2000–01:
|
Fox[]
Returning series
|
New series
|
Not returning from 2000–01:
|
NBC[]
Returning series
|
New series
|
Not returning from 2000–01:
|
UPN[]
Returning series
|
New series
|
Not returning from 2000–01:
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The WB[]
Returning series
|
New series
|
Not returning from 2000–01:
|
Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.
References[]
- ^ 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.
- ^ Carter, Bill (16 May 2001). "TV NOTES; '20/20' Bouncing and Vanishing". The New York Times.
- United States primetime network television schedules
- 2001 in American television
- 2002 in American television
- Impact of the September 11 attacks on television