The following is the 1981–82 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1981 through August 1982. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1980–81 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.[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.
Note: A Writers Guild of America 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 premiered between September and early December. The debut month for each new series that had been intended for a fall premiere is noted as to when it actually appeared.
PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, was in operation but the schedule was set by each local station.
| 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 | Code Red (Nov.) | Today's FBI (Nov.) | The ABC Sunday Night Movie (22/19.5) | ||||||
| CBS | 60 Minutes (2/27.7) | Archie Bunker's Place (12/21.6) | One Day at a Time (10/22.0) | Alice (5/22.7) | The Jeffersons (3/23.4) | Trapper John, M.D. (15/21.1) (Tied with Hart to Hart) | |||
| NBC | Fall | Local | CHiPs | NBC Sunday Night Movie (Oct.) | |||||
| Spring | Father Murphy | ||||||||
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | That's Incredible! (28/18.4) (Tied with T.J. Hooker) | Monday Night Football (11/21.8) | |||||
| Winter | ABC Monday Night Movie (8/22.5) | |||||||
| Summer | Best of the West | Monday Night Baseball | ||||||
| CBS | Fall | Private Benjamin | The Two of Us | M*A*S*H (9/22.3) | House Calls (23/19.2) | Lou Grant | ||
| Winter | Mr. Merlin | Private Benjamin | ||||||
| Spring | Private Benjamin | Report to Murphy | Making the Grade | |||||
| Summer | WKRP in Cincinnati | House Calls | ||||||
| Follow-up | Filthy Rich | |||||||
| NBC | Little House on the Prairie (24/19.1) (Tied with The Facts of Life) | NBC Monday Night at the Movies | ||||||
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | Happy Days (18/20.6) | Laverne & Shirley (20/19.9) | Three's Company (4/23.3) | Too Close for Comfort (6/22.6) | Hart to Hart (15/21.1) (Tied with Trapper John, M.D.) | |
| Spring | Joanie Loves Chachi | ||||||
| CBS | Preliminary | Local | The CBS Tuesday Night Movies | ||||
| Fall | Simon & Simon (Nov.) | ||||||
| Spring | Q.E.D. | ||||||
| NBC | Preliminary | NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies | Local | ||||
| Fall | Father Murphy (Nov.) | Bret Maverick (Dec.) | Flamingo Road | ||||
| Spring | Bret Maverick | Flamingo Road | Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters | ||||
| March | The Shape of Things | ||||||
| Follow-up | Various | ||||||
| Summer | Cassie & Co. | Flamingo Road | |||||
| Follow-up | Father Murphy | Bret Maverick | McClain's Law | ||||
Note: On ABC, Joanie Loves Chachi premiered March 23, 1982, at 8:30 pm, in place of Laverne & Shirley. On CBS, Q.E.D. ran for 6 weeks at 8pm, from March 23 to April 27.[2]
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Preliminary | The Greatest American Hero | Specials | Dynasty (19/20.2) | |||
| Fall | The Fall Guy (Nov.) (26/19.0) | ||||||
| CBS | Preliminary | Mr. Merlin (Oct.) | WKRP in Cincinnati | The CBS Wednesday Night Movies | |||
| Fall | Nurse | Shannon (Nov.) | |||||
| Winter | WKRP in Cincinnati | The Two of Us | The CBS Wednesday Night Movies | ||||
| Spring | Herbie, the Love Bug | WKRP in Cincinnati | Baker's Dozen | Shannon | |||
| NBC | Fall | Real People (21/19.7) | The Facts of Life (24/19.1) (Tied with Little House on the Prairie) | Love, Sidney (Oct.) | Quincy, M.E. | ||
| Spring | Teachers Only | ||||||
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | Mork & Mindy | Best of the West | Bosom Buddies | Taxi | 20/20 | |
| November | Barney Miller | ||||||
| Spring | Police Squad! | Bosom Buddies | 9 to 5 | ||||
| Follow-up | No Soap, Radio | Mork & Mindy | Barney Miller | ||||
| Summer | Darkroom | ||||||
| CBS | Fall | Magnum, P.I. (17/20.9) | Nurse | Knots Landing | |||
| November | Knots Landing | Jessica Novak | |||||
| Spring | Cagney & Lacey | Knots Landing | |||||
| NBC | Fall | Harper Valley | Lewis & Clark (Oct.) | Diff'rent Strokes | Gimme a Break! (Oct.) | Hill Street Blues (27/18.6) | |
| Winter | Fame | ||||||
Note: On CBS, Nurse aired at 9-10 p.m. and Knots Landing at 10-11 p.m., both in September and October. On ABC, Bosom Buddies aired at 9-9:30 p.m. in October.
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | Benson | Bosom Buddies | Darkroom (Nov.) | Strike Force (Nov.) | ||
| Winter | Barney Miller | Best of the West | Making a Living | ||||
| Spring | The Phoenix | ||||||
| Follow-up | Maggie | The ABC Friday Night Movie | |||||
| CBS | Fall | The Incredible Hulk | The Dukes of Hazzard (6/22.6) (Tied with Too Close for Comfort) | Dallas (1/28.4) | |||
| Winter | The Dukes of Hazzard (6/22.6) (Tied with Too Close for Comfort) | Dallas (1/28.4) | Falcon Crest (13/21.4) | ||||
| Summer | Nurse | ||||||
| NBC | Fall | NBC Magazine | McClain's Law (Nov.) | Local | |||
| Winter | Cassie & Co. | ||||||
| Follow-up | NBC Friday Night at the Movies | ||||||
| Spring | Jokebook | Chicago Story | McClain's Law | ||||
| Summer | Lewis & Clark | Cassie & Co. | |||||
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | Maggie (Oct.) | Making a Living | The Love Boat (14/21.2) | Fantasy Island (30/18.3) | ||
| November | Open All Night | ||||||
| January | King's Crossing | ||||||
| Spring | T.J. Hooker (28/18.4) (Tied with That's Incredible!) | ||||||
| CBS | Walt Disney | The CBS Saturday Night Movies | |||||
| NBC | Fall | Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters | Nashville Palace | Fitz and Bones | |||
| Follow-up | Harper Valley PTA | Lewis & Clark | Billy Crystal Comedy Hour | ||||
| Winter | One of the Boys | Harper Valley PTA | Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters | Television: Inside and Out | |||
| Follow-up | Chicago Story | McClain's Law | |||||
| Spring | Harper Valley PTA | The Facts of Life | Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters | NBC Magazine | |||
| Summer | One of the Boys | Lewis & Clark | NBC Saturday Night at the Movies | ||||
(*) Also known as It's a Living.
Note: On ABC, Maggie was replaced by Open All Night, effective November 28; King's Crossing, which was supposed to have aired 8-9 p.m., was delayed until January, 1982, as an indirect result of the Writers Guild of America strike. On NBC, The Devlin Connection was supposed to have aired at 10:00 p.m., but Rock Hudson's heart surgery forced the delay into next season.[3]
Returning Series
New Series
Not returning from 1980–81:
Returning Series
New Series
Not returning from 1980–81:
Returning Series
New Series
Not returning from 1980–81:
Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.