1980–81 United States network television schedule

none March 2025 1980 The following is the 1980–81 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1980 through August 1981. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1979–80 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football. New series are highlighted in bold. Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.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. 978-0-345-49773-4. yellow darkgray Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season. cyan darkgray Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season. FF22FF darkgray Magenta indicates the programs in the top 30 for the season. PBS is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary. Note: An actors' strike hindered the ability to start airing shows in a timely manner. The shows in the schedule were the first to air new episodes in their respective time periods as they bowed in between late August and December 31, 1980. Some of the new shows intended for a fall launch did not debut until 1982 or 1983, if at all. 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 Fall Those Amazing Animals Local and paid political programming The ABC Sunday Night Movie (24/19.4)(Tied with CHiPs) #FF00FF November Charlie's Angels Winter SpringSpecials Summer CBS 60 Minutes (3/27.0) #FFFF00 Archie Bunker's Place (13/21.4) One Day at a Time (11/22.0) Alice (7/22.9) The Jeffersons (6/23.5) Trapper John, M.D. (17/20.7)(Tied with Fantasy Island and Diff'rent Strokes) NBC Disney's Wonderful World CHiPs (24/19.4)(Tied with The ABC Sunday Night Movie) The Big Event Note: On ABC, local and paid political programming aired in the 8-9 p.m. hour from September till November. Monday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall That's Incredible! (22/20.5) Monday Night Football (20/20.6)(Tied with Laverne & Shirley) 00FFFF Winter Dynasty Foul Play Spring Soap Summer Specials Monday Night Baseball CBS Fall Flo Ladies' Man (Oct.) M*A*S*H (4/25.7) House Calls (8/22.4)(Tied with Three's Company) Lou Grant (27/19.1) Winter Spring Private Benjamin Follow-up The Two of Us Summer The Tim Conway Show NBC Fall Little House on the Prairie (10/22.1) NBC Monday Night at the Movies (29/18.8) #FF00FF Winter Spring Summer Flamingo Road The Last Convertible Note: Private Benjamin premiered April 6, 1981, at 8:00-8:30 pm on CBS. Soap ran for three-and-a-half seasons on ABC in a 30-minute format. It was pulled from the Wednesday night schedule in January 1981 and returned on Mondays from March to April, when the final 12 episodes of the series ran as six 60-minute installments. Tuesday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall Happy Days (15/20.8)(Tied with Too Close for Comfort) Laverne & Shirley (20/20.6)(Tied with Monday Night Football) Three's Company (8/22.4)(Tied with House Calls) Too Close for Comfort (Nov.) (15/20.8)(Tied with Happy Days) Hart to Hart (23/19.9) Winter Spring Summer It's a Living CBS Fall Local and paid political programming The CBS Tuesday Night Movies November The White Shadow Winter That's My Line Spring Palmerstown, U.S.A. Summer Checking In Flo NBC Fall NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies The Steve Allen Comedy Hour (Oct.) November Lobo B. J. and the Bear Winter Flamingo Road Spring Nero Wolfe Note: On CBS, local and paid political programming aired in the 8-9 p.m. hour between September and November. On NBC, NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies aired 8-10 p.m. from September till November. Wednesday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PMABC Fall Eight Is Enough Taxi Soap Vega$ Winter Spring The Greatest American Hero (Mar.) Aloha Paradise (Feb.) American Dream (May)SummerCharlie's AngelsThe ABC Summer MovieFollow-upVega$Dynasty CBS Enos (Nov.) The CBS Wednesday Night Movies NBC Fall Real People (12/21.5) Movie of the Week November Diff'rent Strokes (17/20.7)(Tied with Fantasy Island and Trapper John, M.D.) The Facts of Life (26/19.3) Quincy, M.E. Winter Spring Summer Note: The Greatest American Hero debuted on March 18 at 8:00pm on ABC. Note: NBC's Movie of the Week aired 9-11 p.m. between September and November. Note: The Facts of Life Season 2 began on November 19 at 9:30 on NBC. Thursday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall Mork & Mindy Bosom Buddies (Nov.) Barney Miller It's a Living (Oct.) 20/20 Winter Taxi Spring Summer CBS Fall The Waltons (30/18.6) CBS Thursday Movie Special December Magnum, P.I. (14/21.0) Knots Landing (28/19.0) Winter Spring Checking In Park Place Mid-spring Nurse May The Waltons (30/18.6) Knots Landing (28/19.0) Summer NBC Fall Games People Play NBC Thursday Night at the Movies WinterBuck Rogers in the 25th Century Spring Summer Note: CBS Thursday Movie Special aired 9-11 p.m. from September till the end of November. Magnum, P.I. had a 2-hour premiere on December 11, 1980. Friday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall Benson I'm a Big Girl Now (Oct.) The ABC Friday Night Movie Winter Spring SummerThe Krypton Factor CBS The Incredible Hulk The Dukes of Hazzard (2/27.3) Dallas (1/34.5) NBC Fall NBC Friday Night at the Movies NBC Magazine with David Brinkley (Sep.) December Marie Number 96 Winter Harper Valley PTA Sanford Nero Wolfe Follow-up The Brady Brides Spring Sanford Follow-up Specials Summer Comedy Theater Note: NBC Friday Night at the Movies aired 8-10 p.m. during October and November. Saturday Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABCFallLocal and paid political programming The Love Boat (5/24.3) Fantasy Island (17/20.7)(Tied with Trapper John, M.D. and Diff'rent Strokes)November Breaking AwayWinterCharlie's AngelsFollow-up240-RobertSpringEight Is Enough CBS Fall WKRP in Cincinnati The Tim Conway Show The CBS Saturday Night Movies December Freebie and the Bean Secrets of Midland Heights Follow-up Flo Ladies' Man Concrete Cowboys Spring Flo Concrete Cowboys Riker Follow-up Enos The CBS Saturday Night Movies NBC Fall Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters (Nov.) NBC Saturday Night at the Movies WinterWalking TallHill Street Blues Follow-up The Gangster ChroniclesSpring B.J. and the Bear Walking TallSummer Games People Play Note: The CBS Saturday Night Movies aired 9-11 p.m. through the end of November. By network ABC Returning Series 20/20 240-Robert The ABC Friday Night Movie The ABC Sunday Night Movie Barney Miller Benson Charlie's Angels Eight Is Enough Fantasy Island Happy Days Hart to Hart Laverne & Shirley The Love Boat Monday Night Baseball Monday Night Football Mork & Mindy Soap Taxi That's Incredible! Three's Company Vega$ New Series ABC Summer Movie Aloha Paradise * American Dream * Bosom Buddies Breaking Away Dynasty * Foul Play * The Greatest American Hero * The Krypton Factor * I'm a Big Girl Now Making a Living Those Amazing Animals Too Close for Comfort Not returning from 1979–80: The ABC Monday Night Movie 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 Returning Series 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. That's My Line The Tim Conway Show Trapper John, M.D. Walter Cronkite's Universe The Waltons The White Shadow WKRP in Cincinnati New Series Checking In * Concrete Cowboys * Enos Freebie and the Bean Ladies' Man Magnum, P.I. Nurse * Park Place * Private Benjamin * Riker * Secrets of Midland Heights The Two of Us * Not returning from 1979–80: The Bad News Bears Barnaby Jones Beyond Westworld Big Shamus, Little Shamus California Fever The Chisholms Hagen Hawaii Five-O The Last Resort Paris Phyl & Mikhy The Stockard Channing Show Struck by Lightning Universe Working Stiffs Young Maverick NBC Returning Series B.J. and the Bear The Big Event Buck Rogers in the 25th Century CHiPs Diff'rent Strokes Disney's Wonderful World The Facts of Life Little House on the Prairie Lobo NBC Monday Night at the Movies Quincy, M.E. Real People Sanford New Series Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters The Brady Brides * Comedy Theater * Flamingo Road * Games People Play The Gangster Chronicles * Harper Valley PTA * Hill Street Blues * Marie NBC Magazine Number 96 * Nero Wolfe * The Steve Allen Comedy Hour Walking Tall Not returning from 1979–80: The Big Show Eischied From Here to Eternity Good Time Harry Hello, Larry Here's Boomer Joe's World A Man Called Sloane Me and Maxx Kate Loves a Mystery Pink Lady The Rockford Files Skag Shirley United States Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason. References Category:United States primetime network television schedules Category:1980 in American television Category:1981 in American television