1985–86 United States network television schedule

Legend

• Light blue indicates local programming.
• Gray indicates 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.
• Light gold indicates programming produced outside of the United States.
• Lime highlights indicates the number-one most watched program of the season.
• Yellow highlights indicates the top-10 most watched programs of the season.
• Cyan highlights indicates numbers 11-20 most watched programs of the season.
• Magenta highlights indicates numbers 21-30 most watched programs of the season.
• Highlights indicates that it falls in multiple of the above categories.

Schedule

• New series are highlighted in bold.
• Repeat airings or same-day rebroadcasts are indicated by (R).
• 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.

Sunday ===

Monday ===

Tuesday ===

Notes:

• The premiere episode of Melba and a new episode of Charlie & Co. aired at 8 and 8:30 p.m. respectively on January 28, 1986 (the day of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster), but both shows were put on hiatus immediately afterwards. The former was burned off during the summer and the latter resumed airing in a different slot during the spring.
• Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer consisted on repeats of the 1983–84 series.
• 1986 aired as a "preview" series in advance of the 1986–87 season.

Wednesday ===

Thursday ===

Friday ===

Note:

• Diff'rent Strokes aired a one-hour season premiere on September 27 at 9:00pm.

Saturday ===

Notes:

• Due to the death of Samantha Smith and her father in a plane crash, ABC ceased production on Lime Street and was forced to move Lady Blue into its slot.
• The Love Boat had a number of 2-hour episodes throughout the season, airing from 9 to 11 p.m. Assorted repeats from previous seasons aired on the 9 p.m. slot during the spring.

By network

[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]

Returning series

• 20/20
• The ABC Friday Night Movie
• ABC Monday Night Movie
• The ABC Sunday Night Movie
• The ABC Thursday Night Movie
• Benson
• Diff'rent Strokes (moved from NBC)
• Dynasty
• The Fall Guy
• Hardcastle and McCormick
• Hotel
• Life's Most Embarrassing Moments
• The Love Boat
• Mr. Belvedere
• Monday Night Baseball
• Monday Night Football
• Moonlighting
• Ripley's Believe It or Not!
• Webster
• Who's the Boss?

New series

• The Colbys *
• The Disney Sunday Movie *
• Fortune Dane *
• Growing Pains
• He's the Mayor *
• Hollywood Beat
• The Insiders
• Joe Bash *
• Lady Blue
• Lime Street
• MacGyver
• Mr. Sunshine *
• Our Family Honor
• Perfect Strangers *
• The Redd Foxx Show *
• Shadow Chasers *
• Spenser: For Hire

Not returning from 1984–85:

• Call to Glory
• Eye to Eye
• Finder of Lost Loves
• Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders
• Glitter
• Hawaiian Heat
• Jessie
• MacGruder and Loud
• Matt Houston
• Me and Mom
• Off the Rack
• Paper Dolls
• People Do the Craziest Things
• Rock 'n' Roll Summer Action
• Street Hawk
• T. J. Hooker @
• Three's a Crowd
• Wildside

[[CBS]]

Returning series

• 60 Minutes
• Airwolf
• Cagney & Lacey
• CBS Sunday Movie
• Crazy Like a Fox
• Dallas
• Falcon Crest
• Kate & Allie
• Knots Landing
• Magnum, P.I.
• Murder, She Wrote
• Newhart
• Scarecrow and Mrs. King
• Simon & Simon
• Trapper John, M.D.

New series

• Bridges to Cross *
• Charlie & Co.
• The Equalizer
• Fast Times *
• Foley Square *
• George Burns Comedy Week
• Hometown
• Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills *
• Mary *
• Melba *
• Morningstar/Eveningstar *
• Stir Crazy
• Tough Cookies *
• The Twilight Zone
• West 57th *

Not returning from 1984–85:

• AfterMASH
• Alice
• Charles in Charge (Moved to Syndication)
• Cover Up
• Detective in the House
• Double Dare
• Dreams
• The Dukes of Hazzard
• E/R
• I Had Three Wives
• The Jeffersons
• The Lucie Arnaz Show
• Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer +
• Otherworld

[[NBC]]

Returning series

• The A-Team
• Cheers
• The Cosby Show
• The Facts of Life
• Family Ties
• Gimme a Break!
• Highway to Heaven
• Hill Street Blues
• Hunter
• Knight Rider
• Miami Vice
• NBC Sunday Night Movie
• NBC Monday Night at the Movies
• Night Court
• Punky Brewster
• Remington Steele
• Riptide
• St. Elsewhere
• Silver Spoons
• TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes

New series

• 1986 *
• 227
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents
• All Is Forgiven *
• Amazing Stories
• Blacke's Magic *
• Dalton's Code of Vengeance *
• Fathers and Sons *
• The Golden Girls
• Hell Town
• The Last Precinct *
• Me & Mrs. C *
• Misfits of Science
• Stingray *
• Valerie *
• You Again? *

Not returning from 1984–85:

• Berrenger's
• The Best Times
• Code Name: Foxfire
• Diff'rent Strokes (moved to ABC)
• Double Trouble
• Half Nelson
• Hot Pursuit
• It's Your Move
• Motown Revue
• OceanQuest
• Our Time
• Partners in Crime
• Sara
• Spencer/Under One Roof
• V

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

^ Diff'rent Strokes switched networks for the 1985–1986 season.

• Mike Hammer abruptly ended production after series star Stacy Keach was sentenced to six months in prison for cocaine possession. Production resumed during the 1986–1987 season.

@ T. J. Hooker continued production for CBS' late night schedule for the 1985–1986 season.

Notes

References

References

1. Highest-rated series is based on the annual top-rated programs list compiled by [[Nielsen Media Research]] and reported in: Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows'' (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. {{ISBN. 978-0-345-49773-4.
2. (April 28, 1986). "Broadcasting Magazine". Broadcasting.
3. de Moraes, Lisa. "David Cook Wasn't the Only Winner on Wednesday, as 'Idol' Ratings Spike". The Washington Post.