I definitely was. My parents (mom especially) just let me watch whatever she watched. This included movies. I saw so many movies in theaters that were really inappropriate for a kid under the age of 10.
Look at my beloved MacGyver, all the way down there at 63, midway through its first season (and before it become the stuff of Xennial legend). It's crazy to think that it was still pulling good enough ratings that executives were willing to stick with it and that it would ultimately air for seven seasons.
20 million viewers out of 125 million households with televisions. This list shows a percentage, 20/125 would put SNL at about 35 comparatively. There were only 86million homes with televisions in 1985.
Right. If 20 million people were watching Sunday night football in 1985 it would have around a 22-23% share. More because it would take away from the others.
I believe you misunderstood my point, although it isn't super relevant. If 16% of people with televisions currently watch SNL, that would be 20 million people. I don't believe 20 million people would have been watching in 1985, in fact the data (from tvratings.com) shows 1985 sitting at about 7% of HH.
Sunday Night Football. The point I’m making is that the amount of people watching SNF now would be the same performance in viewers as the top 10 shows from 1985. 12.8 in 2025 does not equal the same performance as a 12.8 in 1985.
Side story. I was briefly a “Nielsen Family” with my gf (now wife.) somehow it was attached to the apartment we lived in so when we moved in they offered the responsibility to us. They came and set up some boxes to our tv and that was pretty much that. Apparently what we watched counted for 50,000 people. So 50,000 people watched a lot of Frasier for a couple years in 2014 and 15 in Oklahoma.
I don’t even live in the United States and I recognize the majority. These shows were so popular that they were translated and sold all over the world, even in 1985.
OMG I just remembered that re-runs came on before Monday Night RAW on USA, then Monday Night RAW was immediately followed by Silk Stalkings. Such a weird fuckin time. All I wanted to watch was wrestling lol
I rewatched some Miami Vice recently. There was an episode where about a 2 minute montage was used to develop a serious relationship with Tubbs and a girl. Then when it went south it was trying to be dramatic about the loss of relationship. It felt so clunky - trying to create drama with a 2 minute romance, compared to today’s writing which generally spans seasons or multiple episodes.
I forgot all about that Alice in Wonderland tv special. Holy shit. Man, when the Jabberwoky came out of the present at the party scared the shit out of me as a kid.
It is crazy how big those numbers are! I wonder how different these ratings would have looked a month or so before this, since, if memory serves, most of these shows would have been in winter hiatus (I.e.: in reruns) at this time of the year
“According to Nielsen’s TV universe estimates for 2023-24, the U.S. has 125 million TV households, up 1% from the previous year. That means that just under 97% of U.S. households have at least one TV that is used to watch programming. These households are home to almost 315.3 million people.”
I loved Misfits of Science too! I guess I was always destined to be a scientist. Knight Rider was awesome, too. I remember being a kid and being fascinated by that brief stint when they tried to put verbal ques in cars.
Crazy how my brain recognizes 98% of these shows and I probably can’t name 3 current network shows.
And many (perhaps most) of us weren’t even watching prime time TV yet in 1985!
I definitely was. My parents (mom especially) just let me watch whatever she watched. This included movies. I saw so many movies in theaters that were really inappropriate for a kid under the age of 10.
I remember the made for tv special called Men Don't Tell starring Judith Light (from Who's the Boss) about a woman who beats her husband
100%
Rotfl I was watching St. Elsewhere and Miami Vice wayyyy too young!
I definitely was. I remember that Alice in Wonderland special. And probably watched that week’s episode of Cosby Show.
The power of the rerun and the theme song.
Pretty much!
Look at my beloved MacGyver, all the way down there at 63, midway through its first season (and before it become the stuff of Xennial legend). It's crazy to think that it was still pulling good enough ratings that executives were willing to stick with it and that it would ultimately air for seven seasons.
I refuse to believe MacGyver was that far down the list!
It's crazy, isn't it? Per Wikipedia, it never actually got higher than 42nd for a given season. )
This is blasphemy lol
Right under the show with the best theme song of all time
A third of the country watched regular episodes of Cosby and Family Ties. Totally different world.
Pun intended? 😎
lol, Different World wasn’t until 1987
Sorry. I'll ask again in two years.
How I learned about AA as a child😳
OMG, what is this? That looks like a brutal stage fall, or maybe I’m just realizing my xennial body would shatter into dust if I fell like that
Drunk uncle Ned batters Alex
That moment in time before Fox started and where cable was around but not significant enough to make a dent.
Meanwhile - the top rated show last week was Sunday night football with a 12.8 rating. That performance would have ranked just 55th in 1985.
SNF gets 20 million viewers easy, that number in 1985 is firmly in the top 10.
20 million viewers out of 125 million households with televisions. This list shows a percentage, 20/125 would put SNL at about 35 comparatively. There were only 86million homes with televisions in 1985.
Right. If 20 million people were watching Sunday night football in 1985 it would have around a 22-23% share. More because it would take away from the others.
I believe you misunderstood my point, although it isn't super relevant. If 16% of people with televisions currently watch SNL, that would be 20 million people. I don't believe 20 million people would have been watching in 1985, in fact the data (from tvratings.com) shows 1985 sitting at about 7% of HH.
Sunday Night Football. The point I’m making is that the amount of people watching SNF now would be the same performance in viewers as the top 10 shows from 1985. 12.8 in 2025 does not equal the same performance as a 12.8 in 1985.
Side story. I was briefly a “Nielsen Family” with my gf (now wife.) somehow it was attached to the apartment we lived in so when we moved in they offered the responsibility to us. They came and set up some boxes to our tv and that was pretty much that. Apparently what we watched counted for 50,000 people. So 50,000 people watched a lot of Frasier for a couple years in 2014 and 15 in Oklahoma.
👍🏻
That 1985 Alice in Wonderland was creep AF.
That Jabberwocky was so scary…I should watch it again, see if it still has the power to terrify me 40 years later.
The only thing I remember is Ringo as the Mock Turtle.
And Carol Channing turning into a goat.
I remember that so vividly! I didn’t realize it was 85.
I don’t even live in the United States and I recognize the majority. These shows were so popular that they were translated and sold all over the world, even in 1985.
👍🏻
Murder She Wrote… pfft her nosy ass 🤣
She was from the most dangerous small town in America. Murders happened every week in Cabot Cove!
🤣🤣🤣
I know that opening theme so well and yet I don't remember anyone in my family sitting watching it haha
Murder She Wrote got my family through Covid lockdown, just sayin’. 🕵🏻♀️
My family watched the whole series, too!
OMG I just remembered that re-runs came on before Monday Night RAW on USA, then Monday Night RAW was immediately followed by Silk Stalkings. Such a weird fuckin time. All I wanted to watch was wrestling lol
What show did it come after? I remember the theme as well but never saw it. Was it something kid friendly?
60 Minutes. There was a time where going against 60 Minutes might as well have been a death sentence.
And who can forget Pat Summerall’s dramatic pause when promoting Murder, She Wrote:
https://youtu.be/qnzP1W2vSQI?si=bu2iCUW5gh8jUYzX
NBC was driving the bus
Cosby might be disgraced now, but that show was single-handedly responsible for the start of NBC’s dominance on Thursday nights.
Also quite the turnaround for the network considering how dire things were earlier that decade.
True
CBS truly was a sitcom wasteland back then.
I know all the ABC and NBC shows because those are the networks we watched the most in my household growing up.
https://i.redd.it/sigal2okfz6g1.gif
I rewatched some Miami Vice recently. There was an episode where about a 2 minute montage was used to develop a serious relationship with Tubbs and a girl. Then when it went south it was trying to be dramatic about the loss of relationship. It felt so clunky - trying to create drama with a 2 minute romance, compared to today’s writing which generally spans seasons or multiple episodes.
😜
I forgot all about that Alice in Wonderland tv special. Holy shit. Man, when the Jabberwoky came out of the present at the party scared the shit out of me as a kid.
😜
"Cabbage Patch Kids Special"
Blows my mind that most networks would kill to have about show #60’s viewership today
Currently watching Murder She Wrote!
back then def watching A-team (and saw the live action show at Universal Studios!
Cozy show
It is crazy how big those numbers are! I wonder how different these ratings would have looked a month or so before this, since, if memory serves, most of these shows would have been in winter hiatus (I.e.: in reruns) at this time of the year
The most telling this is how low Monday night football is. It took awhile before football was such a big deal.
Murder She Wrote!!!! Love that show!
"...of the 85.9 million homes that have TV."
I'd love to know the current number.
“According to Nielsen’s TV universe estimates for 2023-24, the U.S. has 125 million TV households, up 1% from the previous year. That means that just under 97% of U.S. households have at least one TV that is used to watch programming. These households are home to almost 315.3 million people.”
I don’t appreciate Murder, She Wrote back then but I sure do now!
Amazing Stories was top-notch TV.
Twilight zone and Amazing Stories were some of my faves!
Fucking Webster.
Who wouldn't win in a fight: Emmanuel Lewis or Gary Coleman?
Bob Hope really sucked but knew how to keep an audience let me tell ya (Bob Hope growl)
I fucking loved Misfits of Science. It's a shame they didn't have more merchandise. Though I was pretty happy with all my Knight Rider stuff.
I loved Misfits of Science too! I guess I was always destined to be a scientist. Knight Rider was awesome, too. I remember being a kid and being fascinated by that brief stint when they tried to put verbal ques in cars.
Oh because of y’all’s nostalgia for childhood. Ok
Y’all just keep your trap shut. Ya hear?
Yes, correct. That’s what we do here.