1997–98 United States network television schedule

This was the United States broadcast television schedule on all six commercial television networks for the fall season beginning in September 1997. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football.

New series highlighted in bold.

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

     Lime indicates the #1 most watched program of the season.
     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.
     Orange indicates the programs in the top 40 for the season.
     Silver indicates the programs in the top 50 for the season.

PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, was in operation, but the schedule was set by each local station.

From February 7 to 22, 1998, all of CBS' primetime programming was preempted in favor of coverage of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.

For new series debuting during the season, it would ultimately prove to be one of the weakest in television history, as only seven shows would be picked up for a second season. Of those seven, only Dharma & Greg, Two Guys and a Girl, Dawsons Creek, and Ally McBeal would last beyond three seasons, and would all end their run within five years.

For its tenth and final season, onetime CBS powerhouse Murphy Brown was moved from its lifelong home of Monday nights to Wednesday, where it lost a significant number of viewers. For its last block of episodes in the spring, the show was put back into the familiar timeslot that it had once used to anchor the CBS Monday night lineup.

From this season on, the number of viewers will be shown instead of the number of households.

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 (#31/13.5 million) The ABC Sunday Night Movie (#38/12.8 million)
CBS 60 Minutes (#8/19.8 million) Touched by an Angel (#5/21.8 million) CBS Sunday Movie(#9/19.4 million)
Fox Fall The World's Funniest! The Simpsons (#18/15.3 million) King of the Hill (#15/16.3 million) The X-Files (#11/17.1 million) Local
Spring Damon
Follow-up King of the Hill (#15/16.3 million)
NBC Dateline Sunday Men Behaving Badly Jenny NBC Sunday Night Movie (#22/14.2 million)
The WB Fall Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher The Parent 'Hood The Jamie Foxx Show Unhappily Ever After The Tom Show Alright Already Local
Winter The Tom Show The Parent 'Hood The Jamie Foxx Show Unhappily Ever After
Spring The Parent 'Hood Sister, Sister You're the One

Monday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Timecop Monday Night Football (#6/21.0 million)
Follow-up Various programming
Winter America's Funniest Home Videos 20/20 (#27/13.9 million) The Practice
Spring Push
Follow-up America's Funniest Home Videos
CBS Fall Cosby (#28/13.8 million) Everybody Loves Raymond (#33/13.3 million) Cybill George & Leo Brooklyn South
Winter George & Leo Style & Substance
Follow-up The Closer George & Leo
Spring Murphy Brown
Fox Fall Melrose Place Ally McBeal Local
Spring Damon Getting Personal
NBC Suddenly Susan Fired Up Caroline in the City The Naked Truth Dateline Monday (#16/15.4 million)
UPN In the House Malcolm & Eddie Good News Sparks Local
The WB Fall 7th Heaven Buffy the Vampire Slayer Local
Winter Three
Spring Kelly Kelly Alright Already

Tuesday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Soul Man (#29/13.6 million) Over the Top Home Improvement (#10/18.4 million) Hiller and Diller (#30/13.5 million) NYPD Blue (#19/15.0 million)
Follow-up Grace Under Fire Soul Man (#29/13.6 million) Various programming
Winter Various repeats Grace Under Fire
Spring Home Improvement repeats Something So Right (#50/11.9 million) That's Life
Follow-up Soul Man (#29/13.6 million) Something So Right (#50/11.9 million)
CBS Fall JAG (#36/12.9 million) Michael Hayes Dellaventura
Winter CBS Tuesday Movie
Follow-up Various programming Four Corners
Spring Public Eye with Bryant Gumbel Various programming
Fox Fox Tuesday Night Movie Local
NBC Fall Mad About You (#32/13.4 million) NewsRadio Frasier (#14/16.7 million) Just Shoot Me! (#12/17.0 million) Dateline Tuesday (#17/15.3 million)
Spring For Your Love LateLine (#44/12.3 million)
Follow-up Just Shoot Me! NewsRadio
UPN Clueless Moesha Hitz Head over Heels Local
The WB Winter (began Jan. 20th) Buffy the Vampire Slayer Dawson's Creek Local

Wednesday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Spin City (#47/12.0 million) Dharma & Greg (#25/13.9 million) The Drew Carey Show (#13/16.7 million) Ellen (#42/12.4 million) Primetime Live (#23/14.2 million)
Spring Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place (#37/12.9 million)
CBS Fall The Nanny Murphy Brown Public Eye with Bryant Gumbel Chicago Hope (#45/12.1 million)
Spring Cybill Michael Hayes
Summer The Simple Life Public Eye with Bryant Gumbel
Follow-up Style & Substance
Fox Fall Beverly Hills, 90210 Party of Five Local
Spring Significant Others
Follow-up Party of Five
NBC Fall The Tony Danza Show Built to Last 3rd Rock from the Sun (#43/12.3 million) Working Law & Order (#24/14.1 million)
Winter 3rd Rock from the Sun repeats Seinfeld repeats
Spring NewsRadio
UPN The Sentinel Star Trek: Voyager Local
The WB Sister, Sister Smart Guy The Wayans Bros. The Steve Harvey Show Local

Thursday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Nothing Sacred Cracker 20/20 Thursday
Winter Prey The ABC Thursday Night Movie
Spring Various programming
CBS Promised Land (#35/13.1 million) Diagnosis: Murder (#26/13.9 million) 48 Hours
Fox Living Single Between Brothers 413 Hope St. Local
NBC Fall Friends (#4/24.0 million) Union Square (#7/19.9 million) Seinfeld (#1/34.1 million) Veronica's Closet (#3/24.4 million) ER (#2/30.2 million)
Spring Just Shoot Me! (#12/17.0 million)

Note: On FOX, World's Wildest Police Videos premiered on April 2, 1998, at 8 p.m.

Friday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (#41/12.5 million) Boy Meets World You Wish Teen Angel 20/20 Friday (#20/15.0 million)
Winter Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (#41/12.5 million)
Spring Hiller and Diller (#30/13.5 million)
Follow-up Boy Meets World
CBS Fall (Until Oct. 24) Family Matters Meego The Gregory Hines Show Step by Step Nash Bridges
Follow-up (Until Dec. 19) Various programming Family Matters
Winter (Until Jan. 30) Kids Say the Darndest Things The Gregory Hines Show
Spring Candid Camera Unsolved Mysteries
Fox Fall The Visitor Millennium Local
Winter Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
NBC Players Dateline Friday (#34/13.2 million) Homicide: Life on the Street

Saturday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall C-16 Total Security The Practice
Follow-up Various programming
Winter Nothing Sacred Cracker ABC News Saturday Night
Follow-up The ABC Saturday Night Movie
CBS Fall Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Early Edition Walker, Texas Ranger (21/14.4 million)
Winter The Magnificent Seven
Follow-up Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman The Magnificent Seven
Spring Early Edition
Fox COPS COPS 2 America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back Local
NBC Sleepwalkers The Pretender Profiler

Pickups and Shows

Full Season Shows

ABC

CBS

Fox

NBC

UPN

The WB

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.
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