Riding high in the ratings during the 1978-79 season, ABC made shocking changes to its fall 1979 schedule. Though the network was dominant in the ratings, its executives were unhappy with the numbers it achieved in the 8:00 hour on Friday through Monday.

Perhaps the most surprising timeslot switch on the new schedule was the move of Mork & Mindy from Thursday at 8:00 (ET) to Sunday at 8:00. Premiering in September 1978, the Robin Williams series was an instant hit that only got stronger as the season progressed, as the series hit number one several weeks in early 1979. Mork & Mindy’s first season was good for 3^rd place overall in the Nielsen ratings.

ABC moved Mork because the network thought CBS was vulnerable on Sunday at 8:00. All in the Family had just finished its final season in 9^th place, despite Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers no longer appearing regularly. The ratings were particularly strong after CBS moved the show from 9:00 to 8:00 early in the season, where it benefited from its highly rated lead-in, 60 Minutes (6^th place). All in the Family would be replaced in fall 1979 by a new version called Archie Bunker’s Place. The new show would only feature occasional appearances by Jean Stapleton, and the focus would shift to Archie’s bar and restaurant. Martin Balsam and Anne Meara signed on as new regulars.

Though Mork & Mindy had great youth appeal, ABC pushed for changes that saw Mindy’s father and grandmother disappear in the second season, and three new (and younger) regulars — Jay Thomas, Gina Hecht, and Jim Staahl — come aboard.

Archie Bunker’s Place vs. Mork & Mindy

Most experts predicted Mork would continue to thrive in its new timeslot. In TV Guide,

television consultant Mike Dann thought Mork & Mindy, The Associates, the new sitcom

from the producers of Taxi, which was scheduled behind Mork, and the Sunday movie

that was scheduled at 9:00 on ABC, and would all make the top 15. 60 Minutes was the

only CBS Sunday series he thought would land in the top 15, snubbing Archie Bunker’s

Place and the returning hits, One Day at a Time, and Alice, which were scheduled behind

Archie.

Mork & Mindy’s season premiered on September 16, a week before Archie Bunker’s

Place debuted. Its success appeared to continue as Mork & Mindy finished in 5^th place

that week. But the next week was a shocker. The one-hour Archie Bunker’s Place opener

was good for 17^th place, while Mork & Mindy dropped to 27^th for the week. The

Associates began in a disappointing 41^st place.

NBC took the timeslot the next week with a Gary Coleman TV movie, The Kid From

Left Field (15^th). Mork remained in 27^th place, while Archie dropped all the way to 36^th.

At 8:30, One Day at a Time easily beat The Associates, finishing 19^th to its

competitor’s 43^rd.

The next few weeks, Archie Bunker’s Place and Mork & Mindy went back and forth for

the timeslot lead, with both shows landing in the top ten for the week of October 28. One

Day at a Time widened its lead over The Associates, culminating in a 2^nd-place finish on

October 28, with The Associates falling to 51^st place. After that episode, ABC pulled The

Associates from the schedule, promising it would return in the spring on Thursdays

following Barney Miller. It flopped again in its return, and several of its episodes

remained unaired. After The Associates left the Sunday schedule, the Sunday night movie

often started at 8:30.

Both shows did well on their November 4 airings, with Mork 6^th and Archie 11^th.

However, the next week, the back-and-forth battle became one-sided. November

11 saw Archie Bunker’s Place in 6^th place, with Mork & Mindy falling into 29^th. Archie

finished 6^th again the next week, while a silly episode of Mork & Mindy with guest star

Raquel Welch finished 27^th. Airing at 8:30 the next week, Mork reached its Sunday nadir

by falling into 40^th with a widely criticized episode about Mork becoming a Denver

Broncos cheerleader.

In the shows’ three remaining battles, Archie Bunker’s Place finished in the top 10 each

time. Mork did finish one place above Archie one week, but otherwise continued with its

disappointing ratings. ABC threw in the towel and moved Mork & Mindy back to

Thursday at 8:00. Viewers welcomed the series back with a top ten finish on January 3.

However, it dipped back to 26^th the next week and continued to draw good, but not great

ratings, the rest of the season.

ABC replaced Mork & Mindy with an hour-long series, Tenspeed & Brown Shoe, on

Sunday at 8:00 at mid-season. After a couple of weeks of strong ratings, that series fell

fast, and Archie Bunker’s Place remained in control of the timeslot.

For the season, Archie was good for 11^th place, while Mork & Mindy ended in 26^th place. ABC underestimated the loyalty of the All in the Family/Archie Bunker’s Place viewers. In addition, CBS’ other Sunday night shows had big seasons. 60 Minutes took the season’s top spot in the ratings, while Mork’s Sunday night lead-ins, Out of the Blue and A New Kind of Family, finished 98^th and 96^th, respectively. One Day at a Time (10^th) easily topped The Associates (59^th). CBS’ Alice (4^th), The Jeffersons (8^th), and Trapper John, M.D. (19^th), trounced ABC’s Sunday movie (45^th).  

Thanks to CBS’ Sunday ratings and the dynamic duo of The Dukes of Hazzard and

Dallas on Friday night, the network upset previous ratings champ ABC for 1979-80.

ABC’s aggressive scheduling moves killed former hits The Ropers and Angie,

while damaging Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley, and Fantasy Island. The latter three

returned to their original timeslots after disappointing numbers elsewhere.

Archie Bunker’s Place continued to do well for the next three seasons, even after losing

Jean Stapleton after its first season, Martin Balsam after its second year, and Anne Meara

after its third. A brief move to Monday in the spring of 1983 was unsuccessful, and CBS

shockingly cancelled Archie Bunker’s Place at the end of its fourth season.

Mork & Mindy continued to shuffle its cast in an unsuccessful attempt to recapture the

magic of the first season. It dropped to 49^th place in the 1980-81 season and returned for

one last year with new cast member Jonathan Winters and a marriage for Mork and

Mindy. The final episode aired in 1982.

Winner: Archie Bunker’s Place