Classic TV Ratings and Rankings: 1979-80

It is rare that you have a series that is the #1 program in one season, then falls out of the top 30 the next season. This happened to LAVERNE & SHIRLEY this season. A move from Tuesdays to Thursdays, and without lead in HAPPY DAYS, the sitcom last more than 1/3 of its audience. At mid season, ABC would move the series again to Mondays, for a month. In mid-February, the series was back in its original time slot, behind HAPPY DAYS. ABC apparently did not learn anything from earlier in the decade when CBS started moving its hit TV series all around the schedule. If it isn't broke, don't fix it.

CBS took advantage of the ABC movies to climb back up in the ratings. It once again, had the #1 show on TV, with 60 MINUTES. The hard hitting investigative news program drew an average of a 28.4 household rating. That is nearly one of every three homes watching the program every week, at 7pm, ET. Along with the #1 program, CBS captured eight of the top ten spots on the chart, and a total of 13 in the "top 30" (includes a 4 way tie for 29th).

ABC still produced 15 shows in the top 30 chart, but 10 of those spots are at #20 or lower. The network did claim the top new show with the reality program THAT'S INCREDIBLE! ABC's answer to NBC's hit reality program REAL PEOPLE. Both series looked at achievements by average people.

NBC is still in its dark years, producing just four top 30 series.

Notable freshmen series not making the chart were spin-off series GALACTICA 1980, THE MISADVENTURES OF SHERIFF LOBO, science fiction series BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY, and HART TO HART.

Top 30 Programs, by household ratings
(households with TVs - 76.3 million)

1. 28.4 - 60 Minutes (CBS) 
2. 26.3 - Three's Company (ABC) 
3. 25.8 - That's Incredible! (ABC)
4. 25.3 - Alice (CBS)  
5. 25.3 - M*A*S*H (CBS)  
6. 25.0 - Dallas (CBS) 
7. 24.4 - Flo (CBS) 
8. 24.3 - The Jeffersons (CBS) 
9. 24.1 - The Dukes of Hazzard (CBS) 
10. 13.0 - One Day at a Time (CBS) 
11. 22.9 - Archie Bunker's Place (CBS) 
12. 22.8 - Eight is Enough (ABC)
13. 22.4 - Taxi (ABC)
14. 22.1 - House Calls (CBS) 
15. 22.1 - Real People (NBC) 
16. 21.8 - Little House on the Prairie (NBC)
17. 21.7 - Happy Days (ABC)
18. 21.5 - CHiPS (NBC)
19. 21.2 - Trapper John, M.D. (CBS) 
20. 20.9 - Charlie's Angels (ABC)
21. 20.9 - Barney Miller (ABC)
22. 20.7 - WKRP in Cincinnati (CBS) 
23. 20.6 - Benson (ABC)
24. 20.6 - The Love Boat (ABC)
25. 20.5 - Soap (ABC)
26. 20.3 - Diff'rent Strokes (NBC)
27. 20.2 - Mork & Mindy (ABC)
28. 20.1 - Fantasy Island (ABC)
29. 20.0 - Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (ABC)
30. 20.0 - ABC Sunday Night Movie (ABC)
31. 20.0 - Vega$ (ABC)
32. 20.0 - Knotts Landing (CBS)