# Best single-network one-night primetime lineup? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 23, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-network-one-night-primetime-lineup/345710 "2006-02-23T00:08:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-network-one-night-primetime-lineup/345710/1 "2006-02-23T00:08:17Z")
What was the best single network one-night primetime lineup ever? That is, you could tune to channel X at 8pm and watch straight through to 11pm without once being bored or wanting to flip over to another channel? (Adjust hours for Central, etc.) My nominee is the [CBS Saturday night lineup in 1973](http://www.superseventies.com/primetime_73.html) : 8:00 All in the Family 8:30 M_A_S\*H 9:00 Mary Tyler Moore Show 9:30 Bob Newhart Show 10:00 Carol Burnett ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-network-one-night-primetime-lineup/345710/2 "2006-02-23T00:41:29Z")
_Monday. Night. Football_ It’s not even a contest. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-network-one-night-primetime-lineup/345710/3 "2006-02-23T01:17:19Z")
I don’t think the CBS Saturday Night lineup has ever been beaten. NBC Thursdays have come close a few times in the 80s and 90s, but there always seemed to be one less-than-Grade A sitcom in there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-network-one-night-primetime-lineup/345710/4 "2006-02-23T02:10:08Z")
Hard to argue with the OP. Second place? Thursdays, NBC, 1984-85 (and a couple of years thereafter): Cosby Family Ties Cheers Night Court Hill Street Blues ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-network-one-night-primetime-lineup/345710/5 "2006-02-23T02:38:52Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > My nominee is the [CBS Saturday night lineup in 1973](http://www.superseventies.com/primetime_73.html) : The weird thing is that today the networks air throw-away stuff on Saturday nights, and then they were broadcasting some of their best shows. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-network-one-night-primetime-lineup/345710/6 "2006-02-23T02:57:50Z")
> [@Dewey Finn](#): > > The weird thing is that today the networks air throw-away stuff on Saturday nights, and then they were broadcasting some of their best shows. The demographics have changed. Or, I should say, the demographic groups the networks are trying to woo have changed. In 1973, the people the networks loved were the middle-aged 40ish to 60ish folks, who stayed home on Saturday nights. So they programmed well on Saturdays. Today, it’s the 18-30ish demographic the networks can’t get enough of, and that demo is typically NOT home on Saturday nights. The networks aren’t going to waste a powerhouse show (and the advertising draw it could be) on a night when their most desirable demographic isn’t even home to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-network-one-night-primetime-lineup/345710/7 "2006-02-23T16:33:25Z")
Seeing as how the OP did not disqualify radio from consideration, I’d argue for Thursday nights from 8 to 11 PM on the NBC Red network during the 1932-1933 season, at least in pure rating terms. All three shows that made up that time slot (_The Jack Pearl Show_, _The Maxwell House Show Boat_, and _The Fleischmann’s Yeast Hour_) finished in the Top 5 for their season, and received 30 or more rating points from the CAB. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-network-one-night-primetime-lineup/345710/8 "2006-02-23T16:40:43Z")
I’d have to cast my vote for Sci Fi Fridays: _Stargate SG1, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica_. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-network-one-night-primetime-lineup/345710/9 "2006-02-23T16:47:50Z")
> [@Governor Quinn](#): > > All three shows that made up that time slot (_The Jack Pearl Show_, _The Maxwell House Show Boat_, and _The Fleischmann’s Yeast Hour_) finished in the Top 5 for their season, and received 30 or more rating points from the CAB. The Fleicshmann’s Yeast Hour must have been a rising star. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-network-one-night-primetime-lineup/345710/10 "2006-02-23T16:51:59Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > _Monday. Night. Football_ > > It’s not even a contest. Especially when they had McGuyver leading into it! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-network-one-night-primetime-lineup/345710/11 "2006-02-23T17:04:22Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > The Fleicshmann’s Yeast Hour must have been a rising star. Well, it made a lot of dough, but it was just riding a bubble.