This table displays the top-rated primetime television series of the 1978–79 season as measured by Nielsen Media Research.[1]
| Rank | Program | Network | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laverne & Shirley | 30.5 | ||
| 2 | Three's Company | 30.3 | ||
| 3 | Mork & Mindy | 28.6 | ||
| Happy Days | ||||
| 5 | Angie | 26.7 | ||
| 6 | 60 Minutes | 25.5 | ||
| 7 | M*A*S*H | 25.4 | ||
| 8 | The Ropers | ABC | 25.2 | |
| 9 | All in the Family | CBS | 24.9 | |
| Taxi | ABC | |||
| 11 | Eight Is Enough | 24.8 | ||
| 12 | Charlie's Angels | 24.4 | ||
| 13 | Alice | CBS | 23.2 | |
| 14 | Little House on the Prairie | 23.1 | ||
| 15 | ABC | 22.6 | ||
| Barney Miller | ||||
| 17 | The Love Boat | 22.1 | ||
| 18 | One Day at a Time | CBS | 21.6 | |
| 19 | Soap | ABC | 21.3 | |
| 20 | The Dukes of Hazzard | CBS | 21.0 | |
| 21 | NBC | 20.9 | ||
| 22 | Fantasy Island | ABC | 20.8 | |
| 23 | Vega$ | 20.6 | ||
| 24 | Barnaby Jones | CBS | 20.5 | |
| 25 | CHiPs | NBC | 20.3 | |
| 26 | Stockard Channing in Just Friends | CBS | 20.2 | |
| 27 | Diff'rent Strokes | NBC | 19.9 | |
| 28 | Monday Night Football | ABC | 19.8 | |
| What's Happening!! | ||||
| 30 | Lou Grant | CBS | 19.7 |