SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1993-1994 Mondays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Mondays in the 1993-94 season!

ABC	8:00	9:00	10:00
Sep	Day One	Monday Night Football
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan		Monday Night Movie
Feb
Mar
Apr
May

ABC needed to figure out something for the 8pm hour leading into Monday Night Football and then the Monday Night Movie. After years of MacGyver in the slot, they struck out with The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in 1992-93. It's no surprise they turned to a newsmagazine and those were all the rage in the mid-90s. Day One moved over to the night after launching on Sundays the previous March. Hosted by Diane Sawyer and Forrest Sawyer (no relation), the show aired the entire season at 8pm to modest ratings. Monday Night Football continued to be a Top 10 show and the movie that replaced it was a placeholder as usual.

CBS	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00
Sep	Evening Shade	Dave’s World	Murphy Brown	Love & War	Northern Exposure
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr		704 Hauser		Hearts Afire
May				Love & War

CBS continued to have a successful Monday lineup even though it lost one of its anchors at the end of the season. Evening Shade continued at 8pm. The series, which was in its fourth season, was still a successful performer in the ratings, but it was becoming a very expensive series with its top tier cast. Star Burt Reynolds was also a tabloid fixture following his divorce from Loni Anderson so that may have played a factor as well with some rumors that Reynolds himself wanted to end it. It ended after four seasons and 98 episodes. Though it was quite popular in its day, it hasn't had much of a life in syndication. At 8:30pm was the new Dave's World starring Harry Anderon as a columnist based on Dave Barry. The series marked Anderson's first return to TV since Night Court and received some of the better reviews of the fall season. Nestled in a very comfortable slot, it was an easy renewal. It was replaced late in the season by 704 Hauser, a series from Norman Lear with a very unique premise. It was set in the same house owned by Archie and Edith Bunker in All in the Family but there was now a black family living there. Starring John Amos, it was not nearly as successful as Family and was cancelled quickly. Check back Wednesday for a One Season Wonder post on 704 Hauser! Murphy Brown continued to be the centerpiece at 9pm with high ratings though it was slowly starting to slip even with an acclaimed recurring role for Scott Bakula. Love & War continued at 9:30pm but it underwent a major cast change. Susan Dey and the producers had a mutual split after the first season and Annie Potts joined the cast. Considering this show was about a couple, losing one half of the couple was a pretty big deal but Potts was well received and even earned an Emmy nomination for her performance. Love & War was briefly replaced by Hearts Afire but aired most of the year at 9:30pm. Northern Exposure continued to end the night at 10pm. The series was still a ratings draw but had lost some of its critical luster.

NBC	8:00	8:30	9:00	10:00
Sep	The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air	Blossom	Monday Night Movie
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr		Someone Like Me
May		Blossom

For much of the 1993-94 season, NBC had the same lineup they had for the previous three seasons: a comedy block of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Blossom leading into a modestly rated movie. The shows were continuing to do well but NBC did put Blossom on hiatus for a short time to make room for a new comedy. Someone Like Me was a Family Ties-esque generation gap starring Gabby Hoffmann as an 11 year old clashing with her mom, played by Patricia Heaton. It lasted just five episodes before it was pulled with one episode unaired and Blossom returned to the lineup.

FOX	8:00	9:00
Sep	Monday Night Movie
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May

FOX continued to turn Mondays over to a movie night but that was set to change for the 1994-95 season. In 1993-94, there were movies on three of the four networks on Monday night from January to May.

Top Rated Monday Show of 1993-94: Monday Night Football (#8)

Lowest Rated Monday Show of 1993-94: FOX Monday Night Movie (#94)

What would I have watched on Mondays in 1993-94?

Monday Night Football of course and most of the CBS lineup, though I would have been more interested in Murphy Brown and Northern Exposure than the rest of the lineup.

Tomorrow: Top 10 Roseanne Characters!

Next Monday: A look at Tuesdays in the 1993-94 season!