Sitcom Showdowns in a Slow-Starting Season
The 1988-89 television season was delayed by the longest writers’ strike in the history of the Writers Guild of America. Production of prime-time series didn’t ramp up until after the strike was settled in August of 1988. Most shows didn’t premiere until October or November. Once the season started, there were a few (mostly one-sided)…
ABC tries to take a Sledge Hammer! to The Cosby Show
In the fall of 1987, The Cosby Show was entering its fourth season after finishing the last two years as the overall ratings champ. Desperate for something, anything, to compete with NBC’s ratings juggernaut, ABC dared to challenge it with another sitcom. This was just one of three nights that fall that featured sitcom showdowns,…
Lucy Was Back, And So Were Sitcom Showdowns
Though The Cosby Show helped revive the sitcom in the 1984-85 season, the fall of 1985 featured no sitcom showdowns. By the fall of 1986, though, the networks had enough sitcoms on their schedules that it was inevitable some would be scheduled opposite each other. Kate & Allie vs. Alf on Monday at 8:00 p.m.…