The following is the 1979–80 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1979 through August 1980. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1978–79 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football.

New fall 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.

: Lime indicates the number-one watched program for the season.

: 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.

Other Legend

  • Light blue indicates local programming.
  • Gray indicates shows repeats or encore programming.
  • Blue-gray indicates news programming.
  • Light green indicates sporting events.
  • Red indicates series being burned off and other irregularly scheduled programs, including specials and movies.

PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, was in operation but the schedule was set by each local station.

Sunday

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto ;text-align:center;"

|-

! colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM

|-

! rowspan="5" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | ABC

! Fall

| Out of the Blue

| A New Kind of Family

| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#FF77FF" | Mork & Mindy

| rowspan="2" | The Associates

| colspan="4" rowspan="5" bgcolor="#FA8072" |

|-

! Mid-fall

| colspan="2" |Salvage 1

|-

! Winter

| colspan="2" rowspan="3" | Galactica 1980

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" bgcolor="#FF77FF" | Tenspeed and Brown Shoe

|-

! Spring

|-

! Summer

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" |When the Whistle Blows

|-

! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" | CBS

| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="2" bgcolor="#6699CC" |

| bgcolor="#00FFFF" | Archie Bunker's Place*

| bgcolor="#FFFF00" | One Day at a Time

| bgcolor="#FFFF00" | Alice

| bgcolor="#FFFF00" | The Jeffersons

| bgcolor="#00FFFF" colspan="2" | Trapper John, M.D.

|-

! rowspan="4" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | NBC

!Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="4" bgcolor="#FA8072" | The Wonderful World of Disney

| bgcolor="#FA8072" colspan="4" rowspan="3" | The Big Event

| bgcolor="#6699CC" colspan="2" rowspan="3" | Prime Time Sunday

|-

!Winter

|-

!Spring

|-

!Summer

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" |CHiPs

| colspan="4" bgcolor="#FA8072" |The Big Event

|}

(*) Served as a continuation/spin-off of All in the Family.

Monday

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto ;text-align:center;"

|-

! colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM

|-

! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" rowspan="5" | ABC

! Fall

| colspan="2" | 240-Robert

| bgcolor="lightgreen" colspan="4" | Monday Night Football

|-

! Winter

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" |

| colspan="4" bgcolor="#FA8072" |The ABC Monday Night Movie

|-

! Mid-winter

|Laverne & Shirley

|Angie

| colspan="2" |Stone

| colspan="2" |Family

|-

! Spring

| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="2" | That's Incredible!

| colspan="2" | Family

| colspan="2" | Stone

|-

! Summer

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | One in a Million

| bgcolor="lightgreen" colspan="5" | Monday Night Baseball

|-

! rowspan="5" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | CBS

! Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | The White Shadow

| rowspan="5" bgcolor="#FFFF00" | M*A*S*H

| bgcolor="#FF77FF" | WKRP in Cincinnati

| colspan="2" rowspan="5" | Lou Grant

|-

! Winter

| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#00FFFF"|House Calls

|-

!Mid-winter

| rowspan="3" bgcolor="#FF77FF" |WKRP in Cincinnati

|The Last Resort

|-

! Spring

| The Stockard Channing Show

| bgcolor="#FFFF00" | Flo

|-

! Summer

| Phyl & Mikhy

| bgcolor="#00FFFF"|House Calls

|-

! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" | NBC

| bgcolor="#00FFFF" colspan="2" | Little House on the Prairie

| bgcolor="#FA8072" colspan="4" | NBC Monday Night at the Movies

|}

Tuesday

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto ;text-align:center;"

|-

! colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM

|-

! rowspan="6" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | ABC

! Fall

| rowspan="6" bgcolor="#00FFFF" | Happy Days

| rowspan="2" | Angie

| rowspan="6" bgcolor="#FFFF00" | Three's Company

| rowspan="6" bgcolor="#00FFFF" | Taxi

| colspan="2" | The Lazarus Syndrome

|-

! Mid-fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="5" | Hart to Hart

|-

! Winter

|One in a Million

|-

! Mid-winter

|Goodtime Girls

|-

! Spring

| rowspan="2"|Laverne & Shirley

|-

! Summer

|-

! rowspan="6" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | CBS

! Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | California Fever

| colspan="4" bgcolor="#FA8072" | The CBS Tuesday Night Movie

|-

! Mid-fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Hawaii Five-O

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Paris

|-

! Winter

| colspan="2" rowspan="4" |The White Shadow

|-

! Mid-winter

| colspan="4" rowspan="3" bgcolor="#FA8072" |The CBS Tuesday Night Movie

|-

! Spring

|-

! Summer

|-

! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" rowspan="4" | NBC

! Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="4" | The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo

| bgcolor="#FA8072" colspan="4" rowspan="2"| NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies

|-

! Winter

|-

! Spring

| rowspan="2" colspan="3" | The Big Show

| rowspan="2" | United States

|-

! Summer

|}

Wednesday

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto ;text-align:center;"

|-

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center" colspan="2" | Network

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM

|-

! rowspan="5" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | ABC

! Fall

| bgcolor="#00FFFF" colspan="2" rowspan="3" | Eight Is Enough

| bgcolor="#00FFFF" colspan="2" rowspan="4" | Charlie's Angels

| bgcolor="#FF77FF" colspan="2" rowspan="4" | Vega$

|-

! Winter

|-

! Spring

|-

! Summer

| bgcolor="#FA8072" colspan="2"|Family

|-

! Mid-summer

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="4" |

| bgcolor="#6699CC" colspan="2" | 20/20

|-

! rowspan="6" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | CBS

! Fall

| rowspan="2" | The Last Resort

| Struck by Lightning

| colspan="4" rowspan="6" bgcolor="#FA8072" | The CBS Wednesday Night Movie

|-

! Mid-fall

| The Bad News Bears

|-

! Late fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Young Maverick

|-

! Winter

|-

! Spring

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Beyond Westworld

|-

! Summer

|-

! rowspan="4" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | NBC

!Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="4" bgcolor="#00FFFF" | Real People

| rowspan="4" bgcolor="#FF77FF" | Diff'rent Strokes

| rowspan="3" | Hello, Larry

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" rowspan="2"| The Best of Saturday Night Live

|-

!Winter

|-

!Spring

| colspan="2" |From Here to Eternity

|-

!Summer

| The Facts of Life

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" |Quincy, M.E.

|}

Thursday

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto ;text-align:center;"

|-

! colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM

|-

! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" rowspan="5" | ABC

! Fall

|Laverne & Shirley

| bgcolor="#FF77FF" rowspan="4" | Benson

| bgcolor="#00FFFF" rowspan="5" | Barney Miller

| bgcolor="#FF77FF" rowspan="2" | Soap

| bgcolor="#6699CC" colspan="2" rowspan="5" | 20/20

|-

! Winter

| bgcolor="#FF77FF" rowspan="4" | Mork & Mindy

|-

! Spring

| The Associates

|-

! Mid-spring

| The Ropers

|-

! Summer

| bgcolor="#FA8072"| Angie

| Nobody's Perfect

|-

! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" rowspan="4" | CBS

! Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | The Waltons

| colspan="2" | Hawaii Five-O

| colspan="2" | Barnaby Jones

|-

! Winter

| colspan="2" rowspan="3" | Barnaby Jones

| bgcolor="#FF77FF" colspan="2" | Knots Landing

|-

! Spring

| colspan="2" | Palmerstown, U.S.A.

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | The Contender

|-

! Summer

| colspan="2" | The Waltons

|-

! rowspan="5" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | NBC

! Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="4" | Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

| colspan="2" rowspan="3" | Quincy, M.E.

| colspan="2" | Kate Loves a Mystery*

|-

!Winter

| colspan="2" |Skag

|-

! Spring

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" |The Rockford Files

|-

!Summer

| colspan="4" rowspan="2" bgcolor="#FA8072" |NBC Thursday Night at the Movies

|-

!Mid-summer

| colspan="2" |'Games People Play'

|}

(*) Formerly known as Mrs. Columbo

Friday

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto ;text-align:center;"

|-

! colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM

|-

! rowspan="5" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | ABC

!Fall

| bgcolor="#FF77FF" colspan="2" | Fantasy Island

| colspan="4" rowspan="3" bgcolor="#FA8072" | The ABC Friday Night Movie

|-

!Winter

| colspan="2"|B.A.D. Cats

|-

!Spring

| colspan="2"|When the Whistle Blows

|-

!Summer

| colspan="4" bgcolor="#FA8072" |The ABC Friday Night Movie

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" |Tenspeed and Brown Shoe

|-

!Mid-summer

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|Benson

| bgcolor="#FA8072"|Goodtime Girls

| colspan="4" bgcolor="#FA8072" |The ABC Friday Night Movie

|-

! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" | CBS

| colspan="2" | The Incredible Hulk

| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="2" | The Dukes of Hazzard

| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="2" | Dallas

|-

! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" rowspan="7" | NBC

|-

! Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | Shirley

| colspan="2" | The Rockford Files

| colspan="2" | Eischied

|-

! Winter

| colspan="4" rowspan="2" bgcolor="#FA8072" |NBC Friday Night at the Movies

|-

! Mid-winter

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#FA8072" |

|-

! Spring

| rowspan="2" | Here's Boomer

| The Facts of Life

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" |

| colspan="2" | Pink Lady

|-

! Summer

| bgcolor="#FA8072"| Me and Maxx

| colspan="2" | The Rockford Files

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" |

|-

! Late summer

| colspan="4" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" |

| colspan="2"| Speak Up America

|}

Saturday

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto ;text-align:center;"

|-

! colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM

|-

! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" rowspan="7" | ABC

! Fall

| rowspan="3" | The Ropers

| rowspan="2" | Detective School

| colspan="2" rowspan="7" bgcolor="#FF77FF" | The Love Boat

| colspan="2" | Hart to Hart

|-

! Mid-fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="4" bgcolor="#FF77FF" | Fantasy Island

|-

! Late fall

|A New Kind of Family

|-

! Winter

|One in a Million

|The Ropers

|-

! Spring

|Angie

|Goodtime Girls

|-

! Summer

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" |

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#FA8072" |When the Whistle Blows

|-

! Mid-summer

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#FF77FF" | Fantasy Island

|-

! rowspan="8" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | CBS

! Fall

| Working Stiffs

| The Bad News Bears

| colspan="2" | Big Shamus, Little Shamus

| colspan="2" | Paris

|-

! Follow-up

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" |

| colspan="4" rowspan="2" bgcolor="#FA8072" |CBS Saturday Movie

|-

! Winter

| colspan="2" | The Chisholms

|-

! Spring

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | The Tim Conway Show

| colspan="2" | Hawaii Five-O

| colspan="2" | Hagen

|-

! Mid-spring

| colspan="4" rowspan="4" bgcolor="#FA8072" |CBS Saturday Movie

|-

! Summer

| bgcolor="#FA8072" | The Bad News Bears

| bgcolor="#FA8072" | The Stockard Channing Show

|-

! Mid-summer

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | One Day at a Time

| bgcolor="#FA8072" | The Bad News Bears

|-

! Late summer

| colspan="2" | Universe

|-

! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" rowspan="5" | NBC

! Fall

| bgcolor="#00FFFF" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | CHiPs

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | B. J. and the Bear

| colspan="2" | A Man Called Sloane

|-

! Winter

| bgcolor="#6699CC" colspan="2" rowspan="3" | Prime Time Saturday

|-

! Spring

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | B. J. and the Bear

| rowspan="2" | Sanford

| Me and Maxx

|-

! Mid-spring

| Joe's World

|-

! Summer

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" | Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" |

| bgcolor="#FA8072" | Joe's World

| Good Time Harry

|}

Note: In November 1979, CBS took Paris off their Saturday night lineup before scheduling it in the 10:00-11:00 pm time slot on Tuesdays beginning December 4.

By network

ABC

Returning Series

  • 20/20
  • The ABC Friday Night Movie
  • The ABC Monday Night Movie
  • ABC NFL Monday Night Football
  • The ABC Sunday Night Movie
  • Angie
  • Barney Miller
  • Charlie's Angels
  • Eight Is Enough
  • Family
  • Fantasy Island
  • Happy Days
  • Laverne & Shirley
  • The Love Boat
  • Monday Night Baseball
  • Mork & Mindy
  • The Ropers
  • Salvage 1
  • Soap
  • Taxi
  • Three's Company
  • Vega$

New Series

  • 240-Robert
  • The Associates
  • B.A.D. Cats *
  • Benson
  • Detective School
  • Galactica 1980 *
  • Goodtime Girls *
  • Hart to Hart
  • The Lazarus Syndrome
  • A New Kind of Family
  • Nobody's Perfect *
  • One in a Million *
  • Out of the Blue *
  • Stone *
  • Tenspeed and Brown Shoe *
  • That's Incredible! *
  • When the Whistle Blows *

Not returning from 1978–79:

  • 13 Queens Boulevard
  • Apple Pie
  • Battlestar Galactica
  • Carol Burnett & Company
  • Carter Country
  • Delta House
  • Doctors' Private Lives
  • Donny & Marie
  • Friends
  • The Hardy Boys Mysteries
  • How the West Was Won
  • Lucan
  • The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove
  • Makin' It
  • Operation Petticoat
  • Starsky & Hutch
  • Welcome Back, Kotter
  • What's Happening!!

CBS

Returning Series

  • 60 Minutes
  • Alice
  • The Bad News Bears
  • Barnaby Jones
  • The Chisholms
  • Dallas
  • The Dukes of Hazzard
  • Hawaii Five-O
  • The Incredible Hulk
  • The Jeffersons
  • Lou Grant
  • M*A*S*H
  • One Day at a Time
  • The Waltons
  • The White Shadow
  • WKRP in Cincinnati

New Series

  • Archie Bunker's Place
  • Beyond Westworld *
  • Big Shamus, Little Shamus
  • California Fever
  • The Contender *
  • Flo *
  • Hagen *
  • House Calls *
  • Knots Landing
  • The Last Resort
  • Palmerstown, U.S.A. *
  • Paris
  • Phyl & Mikhy *
  • The Stockard Channing Show *
  • Struck by Lightning
  • That's My Line *
  • The Tim Conway Show *
  • Trapper John, M.D.
  • Universe *
  • Walter Cronkite's Universe *
  • Working Stiffs
  • Young Maverick

Not returning from 1978–79:

  • All in the Family
  • The Amazing Spider-Man
  • The American Girls
  • Billy
  • Dorothy
  • Flatbush
  • Flying High
  • Good Times
  • Hanging In
  • In the Beginning
  • Just Friends
  • Kaz
  • Married: The First Year
  • Mary
  • The Mary Tyler Moore Hour
  • Miss Winslow and Son
  • Moses the Lawgiver
  • The New Adventures of Wonder Woman
  • The Paper Chase
  • Rhoda
  • Time Express

NBC

Returning Series

  • B.J. and the Bear
  • The Big Event
  • CHiPs
  • Diff'rent Strokes
  • Disney's Wonderful World
  • Hello, Larry
  • Kate Loves a Mystery
  • Little House on the Prairie
  • NBC Monday Night at the Movies
  • Quincy, M.E.
  • Real People
  • The Rockford Files

New Series

  • The Big Show *
  • Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
  • Eischied
  • The Facts of Life *
  • From Here to Eternity *
  • Good Time Harry *
  • Here's Boomer *
  • Joe's World *
  • A Man Called Sloane
  • Me and Maxx *
  • The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
  • Pink Lady
  • Sanford *
  • The Six O'Clock Follies *
  • Skag *
  • Shirley
  • United States *

Not returning from 1978–79:

  • Brothers and Sisters
  • Cliffhangers
  • Comedy Theatre
  • David Cassidy: Man Undercover
  • Dick Clark's Live Wednesday
  • The Eddie Capra Mysteries
  • Grandpa Goes to Washington
  • Harris and Company
  • Highcliffe Manor
  • Hizzonner
  • Joe & Valerie
  • Laugh-In
  • Lifeline
  • Presenting Susan Anton
  • Project U.F.O.
  • The Runaways
  • Supertrain
  • $weepstake$
  • Sword of Justice
  • Turnabout
  • W.E.B.
  • The Waverly Wonders
  • Weekend
  • Who's Watching the Kids
  • Whodunnit?
  • The Wonderful World of Disney

Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.

References

Additional sources

  • Castleman, H. & Podrazik, W. (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. New York: McGraw-Hill. 314 pp.
  • McNeil, Alex. Total Television. Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. .
  • Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1985). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. .