Memorable TV Line-Up’s:ABC/NBC Tuesday Night (Fall 1995)

Today I wanted to do something a little different. I don’t know if it’s such a big deal anymore in our age of DVR’s and streaming shows, but back in the day networks would fiercely compete over time slots. Oh sure you had the “Cosby”‘s and “Seinfeld”‘s which nothing could beat no matter how hard the other networks tried. But once in awhile they would try and we’d get not one, but two solid line-up’s from two networks on the same night. Which did you watch? That was the question!

 

Let’s take a look at one of the more extreme network battles back in 1995. Tuesday night’s were not a blockbuster night, but NBC was working to make it a second night of “Must See TV”.  Since ABC always owned Tuesday’s (as I discussed elsewhere) it was easy to see why ABC would to counter NBC’s solid schedule. They did with  a move which was pretty controversial at the time. Both networks taking two of their best shows…and seeing which one wins!




8:00
ABC                                                  NBC

So which do you watch, the successful if underrated NBC comedy in its final years or the ABC hit which at the tome was at the prime of its run? In 1994 Roseanne was moved from its prime slot on Wednesday’s to Tuesday’s to make for a stronger competitor against what NBC was trying to build. Of course these were very different series and it really depended on your tastes to decide what to watch.









8:30
ABC                                                                  NBC

What the heck is Hudson Street? Yeah well not every show was a hit and this Tony Danza show was sure not! It was later replaced with Coach and then Drew Carey. NewsRadio had similar trouble  being bounced in and out of that slot for 3rd Rock from the Sun.










9:00
ABC                                                                      NBC

Now here’s the real toughie! The #1 Comedy vs the Emmy Award powerhouse? Can you imagine how the cast of Home Improvement felt being pitted against of the best comedies on the air at the time? Or for that matter how thw cast of Frasier felt being moved from their plum Thursday night slot to fight it out on Tuesday? It was the year before that ABC moved Home Improvement to counter Frasier’s move to Tuesday. And thankfully neither show really suffered. Technically Home Improvement won the ratings war but Frasier got the critical acclaim and awards. I guess it depends what you want to see, family fun or smart sophisticated. I picked Home Improvement.










9:30
ABC                                                                       NBC

Coach had flourished on Monday’s but did fine on Tuesday’s. And while “Pursuit of Happiness” (look it up) was in this slot when the season started it didn’t last there. John Larroquette was a little dark for me making my choice easy. Yeah the 9:30 slot was a hard one to get much to work, Grace Under Fire also was in an out of here. Which would you watch?









10:00
Finally, we had NYPD Blue or Dateline NBC which were both successful shows.

It’s important to note that these schedule were shuffled around a lot, especially NBC with 3rd Rock From the Sun and ABC with Drew Carey. There have been lots of rival line-ups over the years but this is one I always remembered having great trouble deciding which network I wanted to watch. And ABC was the winner. Ah, the good old days of television when if you missed something then you missed it!