From USA Today
Only three ABC sitcoms have ever topped the seasonal ratings: Roseanne, Laverne & Shirley (the network's highest-rated ever) and the show that spawned Laverne, Happy Days.

Apparently Home Improvement came close, but lost on a technicality to 60 Minutes at the time.

I find it hard to believe CBS and NBC have so much more #1 ratings winners than ANC ever had.

Hasn't there always been a dispute that "Three's Company" beat "Laverne & Shirley" in the 1979-1980 season?

Hasn't there always been a dispute that "Three's Company" beat "Laverne & Shirley" in the 1979-1980 season?

Laverne & Shirly wasn't even in the top 30 ratings in the 1979-1980 season. Three's Company was #2 behind 60 Minutes. 60 Minutes averaged 28.4 million viewers that season and Three's Comapany averaged 26.3 million viewers that season.

Hasn't there always been a dispute that "Three's Company" beat "Laverne & Shirley" in the 1979-1980 season?
Some books (like Total Television by Alex McNeil) list TC as being #1 in the 1978-1979 season; however, the majority of books and other sources list L&S as being #1 with TC as #2.

Some books (like Total Television by Alex McNeil) list TC as being #1 in the 1978-1979 season; however, the majority of books and other sources list L&S as being #1 with TC as #2.

Yea they were practically tied for number 1. The same thing happened between HI and 60 Minutes in 1993-1994 and Roseanne and The Cosby Show in 1989-1990.

CBS and NBC beat ABC by only 1 show each:

Sitcoms that have ranked #1 (by network)

ABC [3]
Happy Days (1976-1977)
Laverne & Shirley (1977-1978, 1978-1979)
Roseanne (1989-1990, tied with Cosby Show)

CBS [4]
I Love Lucy (1952-1953, 1953-1954, 1954-1955, 1956-1957)
The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1963, 1963-1964)
The Andy Griffith Show (1967-1968)
All in the Family (1971-1972, 1972-1973, 1973-1974, 1974-1975, 1975-1976)

NBC [4]
The Cosby Show (1985-1986, 1986-1987, 1987-1988, 1988-1989, 1989-1990)
Cheers (1990-1991)
Seinfeld (1994-1995, 1997-1998)
Friends (2001-2002)

CBS and NBC beat ABC by only 1 show each:

Sitcoms that have ranked #1 (by network)

ABC [3]
Happy Days (1976-1977)
Laverne & Shirley (1977-1978, 1978-1979)
Roseanne (1989-1990, tied with Cosby Show)

CBS [4]
I Love Lucy (1952-1953, 1953-1954, 1954-1955, 1956-1957)
The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1963, 1963-1964)
The Andy Griffith Show (1967-1968)
All in the Family (1971-1972, 1972-1973, 1973-1974, 1974-1975, 1975-1976)

NBC [4]
The Cosby Show (1985-1986, 1986-1987, 1987-1988, 1988-1989, 1989-1990)
Cheers (1990-1991)
Seinfeld (1994-1995, 1997-1998)
Friends (2001-2002)

America had great taste.
Now we get American Idol.... blah.

Some books (like Total Television by Alex McNeil) list TC as being #1 in the 1978-1979 season; however, the majority of books and other sources list L&S as being #1 with TC as #2.

I think TC was #1 in total viewers or households, while L&S was #1 in total viewers or households. One of them won one each. I think TC won that season, if you ask me.

During the 1978-1979 season, Laverne & Shirley averaged a 30.5 rating whereas Three's Company averaged a 30.3 rating. However, both shows were tied with households.

L&S's estimated audience was 22,722,500
TC's estimated audience was 22,573,500

http://www.chez.com/fbibler/tvstats/ratings_us_index.html

so now it's been proven that Roseanne was #1. I remember a long time ago when Friends and Frasier were ending, I pointed out that NBC does a better job at sending high-profile shows out, and mentioned Roseanne is a case of a ABC show they could've sent off with more promotion, and somebody replied with "surely you can't compare Roseanne with Friends, it's not like it was ever a #1 hit", so now I'm glad to know that I was INDEED right.

what caused the big L&S backlash of the 1979-1980 season? it's kinda weird how it spent 4 seasons in the top 3, with the last 2 at #1, and then suddenly fell out of the top 35 the fifth season. What caused it to plummet so badly over one season? Granted, no show stays at #1 forever, unless they end it early like Seinfeld or I Love Lucy, but I don't understand why the ratings dropped so drastically that year, especially since the #2 show of the 78-79 season, TC, was still #2 in 79-80.

'Roseanne' was basically tied for #1 with 60 Minutes during the 1992-1993 season as well.

Damn '60 Minutes' had a good run...

'Roseanne' was basically tied for #1 with 60 Minutes during the 1992-1993 season as well.

Damn '60 Minutes' had a good run...

the fifth season of Roseanne was probably the best year, so it's not too shocking that it would've been so strong in the ratings that year.

what caused the big L&S backlash of the 1979-1980 season? it's kinda weird how it spent 4 seasons in the top 3, with the last 2 at #1, and then suddenly fell out of the top 35 the fifth season. What caused it to plummet so badly over one season? Granted, no show stays at #1 forever, unless they end it early like Seinfeld or I Love Lucy, but I don't understand why the ratings dropped so drastically that year, especially since the #2 show of the 78-79 season, TC, was still #2 in 79-80.
It was moved to Thursday nights at the start of the 1979-1980 season and the audience didn't follow them.

what caused the big L&S backlash of the 1979-1980 season? it's kinda weird how it spent 4 seasons in the top 3, with the last 2 at #1, and then suddenly fell out of the top 35 the fifth season. What caused it to plummet so badly over one season? Granted, no show stays at #1 forever, unless they end it early like Seinfeld or I Love Lucy, but I don't understand why the ratings dropped so drastically that year, especially since the #2 show of the 78-79 season, TC, was still #2 in 79-80.


Maybe these reasons

Couldn;t compete with the Waltons
Setting of the show moved to California

Maybe these reasons

Couldn;t compete with the Waltons
Setting of the show moved to California
L&S moved to California in the 1980-1981 season. ABC's big three sitcoms (HD, L&S, TC) all hit a little rough patch in 1980 it seems, with HD losing Ritchie and Ralph, L&S moving to California and TC losing Chrissy...

L&S moved to California in the 1980-1981 season. ABC's big three sitcoms (HD, L&S, TC) all hit a little rough patch in 1980 it seems, with HD losing Ritchie and Ralph, L&S moving to California and TC losing Chrissy...


Ok well maybe the Thursday slot is what killed it then.

Ok well maybe the Thursday slot is what killed it then.
Yea and then in 1980 ABC tried to fix the show by moving them to California and that was a mistake although their ratings stabilized some when they moved back to Tuesday. It never was a top 20 show again though.

L&S moved to California in the 1980-1981 season. ABC's big three sitcoms (HD, L&S, TC) all hit a little rough patch in 1980 it seems, with HD losing Ritchie and Ralph, L&S moving to California and TC losing Chrissy...

Jump
Jump
and Jump

Although, I prefer the Terri episodes of TC to the Chrissy episodes.