The 1983–84 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers primetime hours from September 1983 through August 1984. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1982–83 season.

PBS is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows released in May 1984 is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.

New series are highlighted in bold.

Repeat airings or same-day rebroadcasts are indicated by .

All times are U.S. Eastern and Pacific Time (except for some live sports or events). Subtract one hour for Central, Mountain, Alaska and Hawaii–Aleutian times.

Legend

Sunday

<!-- Any show that is added to the schedule needs to have aired in a particular slot consecutively for a minimum of three weeks in the case of fresh episodes and four weeks in the case of encore repeats. Thank you. -->

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"

|-

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

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|7:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|7:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:30&nbsp;p.m.

|-

! colspan="2"|ABC

| colspan="2"|Ripley's Believe It or Not!

| colspan="2" style="background:#FF66FF;"|Hardcastle and McCormick

| style="background:#FA8072;" colspan="4"|

|-

! rowspan="8"|CBS

! Fall

| style="background:#6699CC;" rowspan="8" colspan="2"|

| style="background:#FF66FF;"|Alice

| rowspan="2"|One Day at a Time

| bgcolor="#00FFFF" rowspan="8"|The Jeffersons

| Goodnight, Beantown

| colspan="2" rowspan="8"|Trapper John, M.D.

|-

! Winter

| style="background:#FF66FF;"|The Four Seasons

| rowspan="7" style="background:#FF66FF;"|Alice

|-

! Late winter

| rowspan="2" | Maggie Briggs

| style="background:#FF66FF;"|The Four Seasons

|-

! Spring

| Domestic Life

|-

! Mid-spring

| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#00FFFF"|AfterMASH

| rowspan="3" style="background:#FF66FF;"|The Four Seasons

|-

! Summer

|-

! Mid-summer

| Goodnight, Beantown

|-

! Late summer

| One Day at a Time

| Goodnight, Beantown

|-

! rowspan="6"|NBC

! Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="3"|First Camera

| colspan="2" rowspan="6" style="background:#FF66FF;"|Knight Rider

| colspan="4" rowspan="6" style="background:#FA8072;"|NBC Sunday Night at the Movies

|-

! Winter

|-

! Spring

|-

! Mid-spring

| style="background-color:#C0C0C0;" rowspan="2" colspan="2"|Father Murphy

|-

! Summer

|-

! Mid-summer

| colspan="2"|Summer Sunday U.S.A.

|}

  • Note: On NBC, Father Murphy consisted entirely of reruns of the 1981–83 series.

Monday

<!-- Any show that is added to the schedule needs to have aired in a particular slot consecutively for a minimum of three weeks in the case of fresh episodes and four weeks in the case of encore repeats. Thank you. -->

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"

|-

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

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:30&nbsp;p.m.

|-

! rowspan="6" | ABC

! Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="2"|That's Incredible!

| colspan="4" style="background:lightgreen;"|

|-

! Winter

| style="background:#FA8072;" colspan="4" rowspan="5"|

|-

! Spring

| colspan="2"|Automan

|-

! Mid-spring

| style="background:#FA8072;" colspan="2" rowspan="2"|

|-

! Summer

|-

! Late summer

| colspan="2"| Call to Glory

|-

! rowspan="6"|CBS

! Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="6" style="background:#00FFFF;"| Scarecrow and Mrs. King

| rowspan="2" style="background:#00FFFF;"| AfterMASH

| rowspan="6" style="background:#FF66FF;"|Newhart

| colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Woman To Woman

|-

! Winter

|-

! Spring

| style="background:#FFFF00;"| Kate & Allie

| colspan="2" rowspan="4" style="background:#FFFF00;"| Cagney & Lacey

|-

! Mid-spring

| rowspan="2" | One Day at a Time

|-

! Summer

|-

! Late summer

| style="background:#FFFF00;"| Kate & Allie

|-

! rowspan="4"|NBC

! Fall

| colspan="2"|Boone

| style="background:#FA8072;" colspan="4" rowspan="4"|

|-

! Winter

| colspan="2" rowspan="3" style="background:#00FFFF;"|TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes

|-

! Spring

|-

! Summer

|}

Tuesday

<!-- Any show that is added to the schedule needs to have aired in a particular slot consecutively for a minimum of three weeks in the case of fresh episodes and four weeks in the case of encore repeats. Thank you. -->

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"

|-

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

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:30&nbsp;p.m.

|-

! rowspan="6"|ABC

! Fall

| Just Our Luck

| rowspan="2"|Happy Days

| rowspan="4"|Three's Company

| rowspan="2"|Oh Madeline

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

|-

! Winter

| rowspan="5"|Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders

|-

! Spring

| a.k.a. Pablo

| Shaping Up

|-

! Mid-spring

| Happy Days

| Oh Madeline

|-

! Summer

| rowspan="2" | Three's Company

| style="background:#C0C0C0;" colspan="2"|Hotel

|-

! Late summer

|style="background:#FA8072;" colspan="4"|The ABC Tuesday Night Movie

|-

! rowspan="4"|CBS

! Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="2"|The Mississippi

| rowspan="4" colspan="4" style="background:#FA8072;"|

|-

! Winter

|-

! Spring

| colspan="2"|The American Parade

|-

! Summer

| style="background:#C0C0C0;" |AfterMASH

| style="background:#C0C0C0;" | Domestic Life

|-

! rowspan="5"|NBC

! Fall

| style="background:#FFFF00;" colspan="2" rowspan="5"|The A-Team

| colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Remington Steele

| colspan="2"|Bay City Blues

|-

! Late fall

| colspan="2"|For Love and Honor

|-

! Winter

| style="background:#00FFFF;" colspan="2" rowspan="3"| Riptide

| colspan="2" rowspan="3"|Remington Steele

|-

! Spring

|-

! Summer

|}

Wednesday

<!-- Any show that is added to the schedule needs to have aired in a particular slot consecutively for a minimum of three weeks in the case of fresh episodes and four weeks in the case of encore repeats. Thank you. -->

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"

|-

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

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:30&nbsp;p.m.

|-

! rowspan="6"|ABC

! Early fall

| style="background:#00FFFF;" colspan="2" rowspan="6"|The Fall Guy

| colspan="2"|Two Marriages

| style="background:#FFFF00;" colspan="2" rowspan="4"|Hotel

|-

! Fall

| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="2" rowspan="3"|Dynasty

|-

! Winter

|-

! Spring

|-

! Summer

| style="background:#FA8072;" colspan="4" |The ABC Wednesday Night Movie

|-

! Late summer

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

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

|-

! rowspan="4"|CBS

! Fall

| colspan="2"|Whiz Kids

| style="background:#FA8072;" colspan="4" rowspan="4"|The CBS Wednesday Night Movie

|-

! Winter

| Domestic Life

| Empire

|-

! Spring

| One Day at a Time

| Mama Malone

|-

! Summer

| colspan="2"|The American Parade

|-

! rowspan="5"|NBC

! Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="3"|Real People

| rowspan="5" style="background:#FF66FF;"|The Facts of Life

| Family Ties

| colspan="2" rowspan="5"|St. Elsewhere

|-

! Winter

| Night Court

|-

! Spring

| Double Trouble

|-

! Summer

| rowspan="2" | Double Trouble

| rowspan="2" style="background:#C0C0C0;" | Jennifer Slept Here

| style="background:#FA8072;" | The Duck Factory

|-

! Mid-summer

| style="background:#C0C0C0;" |

|}

Thursday

<!-- Any show that is added to the schedule needs to have aired in a particular slot consecutively for a minimum of three weeks in the case of fresh episodes and four weeks in the case of encore repeats. Thank you. -->

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"

|-

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

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:30&nbsp;p.m.

|-

! rowspan="6"|ABC

! Fall

| colspan="2"|Trauma Center

| 9 to 5

| It's Not Easy

| style="background:#6699CC;" colspan="2" rowspan="5"|20/20

|-

! Winter

| colspan="2" |Automan

| colspan="2"|Masquerade

|-

! Spring

| colspan="2"|Two Marriages

| colspan="2"|Lottery!

|-

! Mid-spring

| colspan="2"|That's Incredible!

| colspan="2"|Two Marriages

|-

! Summer

| style="background:#FA8072;"|Happy Days

| style="background:#C0C0C0;"|

| colspan="2"|Lottery!

|-

! Late summer

| style="background:#6699CC;" colspan="2"|20/20

| style="background:#C0C0C0;" colspan="4"|

|-

! colspan="2"|CBS

| colspan="2" style="background:#FFFF00;"|Magnum, P.I.

| colspan="2" style="background:#FFFF00;"|Simon & Simon

| colspan="2" style="background:#00FFFF;"|Knots Landing

|-

! rowspan="5"|NBC

! Fall

| rowspan="5"|Gimme a Break!

| rowspan="2"| Mama's Family

| We Got It Made

| Cheers

| colspan="2" rowspan="5"|Hill Street Blues

|-

! Late fall

| rowspan="4"|Cheers

| rowspan="2"| Buffalo Bill

|-

! Winter

| rowspan="3"|Family Ties

|-

! Spring

| The Duck Factory

|-

! Summer

| style="background:#C0C0C0;"| Night Court

|}

Friday

<!-- Any show that is added to the schedule needs to have aired in a particular slot consecutively for a minimum of three weeks in the case of fresh episodes and four weeks in the case of encore repeats. Thank you. -->

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"

|-

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

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:30&nbsp;p.m.

|-

! rowspan="5" | ABC

! Fall

| rowspan="5"|Benson

| rowspan="5" style="background:#FF66FF;"|Webster

| colspan="2"|Lottery!

| colspan="2" rowspan="5"|Matt Houston

|-

! Winter

| colspan="2"|Blue Thunder

|-

! Spring

| colspan="2"|Masquerade

|-

! Mid-spring

| rowspan="2" colspan="2"|Blue Thunder

|-

! Summer

|-

! colspan="2"|CBS

| colspan="2"|The Dukes of Hazzard

| style="background:lime;" colspan="2"|Dallas

| style="background:#FFFF00;" colspan="2"|Falcon Crest

|-

! rowspan="6" | NBC

! Fall

| rowspan="2"| Mr. Smith

| rowspan="2"| Jennifer Slept Here

| colspan="2"|Manimal

| colspan="2"|For Love and Honor

|-

! Late fall

| style="background:#FA8072;" colspan="4"|NBC Friday Night at the Movies

|-

! Winter

| colspan="2"|Legmen

| colspan="2"|The Master

| colspan="2" rowspan="2"|The New Show

|-

! Late winter

| colspan="2" rowspan="3"|The Master

| colspan="2" |Legmen

|-

! Spring

| style="background:#FA8072;" colspan="4" rowspan="2"|NBC Friday Night at the Movies

|-

! Summer

|}

Saturday

<!-- Any show that is added to the schedule needs to have aired in a particular slot consecutively for a minimum of three weeks in the case of fresh episodes and four weeks in the case of encore repeats. Thank you. -->

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"

|-

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

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|8:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|9:30&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:00&nbsp;p.m.

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"|10:30&nbsp;p.m.

|-

! colspan="2"|ABC

| colspan="2"|T. J. Hooker

| style="background:#00FFFF;" colspan="2" |The Love Boat

| colspan="2"|Fantasy Island

|-

! rowspan="5"|CBS

! Fall

| colspan="2"|Cutter to Houston

| style="background:#FA8072;" colspan="4"|The CBS Saturday Night Movie

|-

! Winter

| colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Whiz Kids

| colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Airwolf

| colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer

|-

! Spring

|-

! Summer

| style="background:#FA8072;"|Mama Malone

| style="background:#FA8072;" colspan="6"|The CBS Saturday Night Movie

|-

! Late summer

| colspan="2" |Airwolf

| style="background:#C0C0C0;" colspan="4"|

|-

! rowspan="6"|NBC

! Fall

| rowspan="6"|Diff'rent Strokes

| rowspan="3"|Silver Spoons

| colspan="2"|The Rousters

| colspan="2" rowspan="4"|The Yellow Rose

|-

! Late fall

| colspan="2"|Manimal

|-

! Winter

| We Got It Made

| rowspan="2"|Mama's Family

|-

! Spring

| Jennifer Slept Here

| People Are Funny

|-

! Summer

| rowspan="2"|Silver Spoons

| Mama's Family

| People Are Funny

| style="background:#FA8072;" colspan="2"|The Rousters

|-

! Mid-summer

| style="background:#C0C0C0;"|Bosom Buddies

| Mama's Family

| style="background:#FA8072;" colspan="2"|Boone

|}

Note: Starting January 7, 1984, Whiz Kids replaced Cutter to Houston at 8:00/7:00 CST due to the latters cancellation. After airing the two-hour pilot episode of Airwolf on January 22, 1984, following Super Bowl XVIII, CBS ran Airwolf in its first season at 9:00 EST/8:00 CST Saturdays starting with the episode "Daddy's Gone A Hunt'n" on January 28, 1984. Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer starring Stacy Keach as Mike Hammer also premiered on CBS on January 28, 1984, at 10:00 EST/9:00 CST. On NBC, Bosom Buddies consisted of reruns of the 1980–1982 series.

By network

ABC

Returning Series

  • 20/20
  • 9 to 5
  • The ABC Monday Night Movie
  • The ABC Sunday Night Movie
  • Benson
  • Dynasty
  • The Fall Guy
  • Fantasy Island
  • Happy Days
  • Hart to Hart
  • Life's Most Embarrassing Moments
  • The Love Boat
  • Matt Houston
  • Monday Night Baseball
  • Monday Night Football
  • Ripley's Believe It or Not!
  • T. J. Hooker
  • That's Incredible!
  • Three's Company

New Series

  • The ABC Wednesday Night Movie
  • a.k.a. Pablo *
  • Automan *
  • Blue Thunder *
  • Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders *
  • Hardcastle and McCormick
  • Hotel
  • It's Not Easy
  • Just Our Luck
  • Lottery!
  • Masquerade *
  • Oh Madeline
  • Shaping Up *
  • Trauma Center
  • Two Marriages
  • Webster

Not returning from 1982–83:

  • The ABC Friday Night Movie
  • Amanda's
  • At Ease
  • Baby Makes Five
  • Condo
  • The Greatest American Hero
  • High Performance
  • It Takes Two
  • Joanie Loves Chachi
  • Laverne & Shirley
  • The New Odd Couple
  • The Quest
  • The Renegades
  • Ryan's Four
  • Star of the Family
  • Tales of the Gold Monkey
  • Too Close for Comfort ^

CBS

Returning Series

  • 60 Minutes
  • Alice
  • Cagney & Lacey *
  • Dallas
  • The Dukes of Hazzard
  • Falcon Crest
  • Goodnight, Beantown
  • The Jeffersons
  • Knots Landing
  • Magnum, P.I.
  • The Mississippi
  • Newhart
  • One Day at a Time
  • Simon & Simon
  • Trapper John, M.D.

New Series

  • Airwolf *
  • The American Parade *
  • AfterMASH
  • Cutter to Houston
  • Domestic Life *
  • Empire *
  • The Four Seasons *
  • Kate & Allie *
  • Maggie Briggs
  • Mama Malone *
  • Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer *
  • Scarecrow and Mrs. King
  • Whiz Kids

Not returning from 1982–83:

  • Ace Crawford, Private Eye
  • Archie Bunker's Place
  • Bring 'Em Back Alive
  • Filthy Rich
  • Foot in the Door
  • Gloria
  • Gun Shy
  • M*A*S*H
  • Private Benjamin
  • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
  • Small & Frye
  • Square Pegs
  • Tucker's Witch
  • Walt Disney
  • Wizards and Warriors
  • Zorro and Son

NBC

Returning Series

  • The A-Team
  • Buffalo Bill *
  • Cheers
  • Diff'rent Strokes
  • The Facts of Life
  • Family Ties
  • Gimme a Break!
  • Hill Street Blues
  • Knight Rider
  • Mama's Family
  • NBC Monday Night at the Movies
  • Real People
  • Remington Steele
  • St. Elsewhere
  • Silver Spoons

New Series

  • Bay City Blues
  • Boone
  • Comedy Zone *
  • Double Trouble *
  • The Duck Factory *
  • First Camera
  • For Love and Honor
  • Jennifer Slept Here
  • Legmen *
  • Manimal
  • The Master *
  • Mr. Smith
  • The New Show *
  • Night Court *
  • People Are Funny *
  • Riptide *
  • The Rousters
  • Summer Sunday U.S.A. *
  • TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes *
  • We Got It Made
  • The Yellow Rose

Not returning from 1982–83:

  • Bare Essence
  • CHiPs
  • The Devlin Connection
  • Fame ^
  • The Family Tree
  • Father Murphy
  • Gavilan
  • Little House: A New Beginning
  • Love, Sidney
  • Monitor
  • The News is the News
  • The Powers of Matthew Star
  • Quincy, M.E.
  • Taxi
  • Teachers Only
  • Voyagers!

Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason. An ^ indicates a show that came back in first-run syndication after a network cancellation.

References