Once again and via TV Guide...

The 1991-92 television season is something to remember and yet easily forgotten, as this was one of the weakest seasons for new major hits.

The highlights of the year include the long goodbyes:

"The Cosby Show" ends it's glorious run with somewhat of a whimper, #16 although the final episode is viewed by over 44 million viewers and easily lands #1 as Cosby and Rashad dance off the set for the final time.

(or did they (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=54)?)

[and will TV pundits ever be able to explain how "A, Different World" topped "The Cosby Show" in it's final year?]

Meanwhile, on ABC:

"Who's the Boss?" (#80), "Growing Pains (#82) and MacGyver (#64) all end their long respective runs on the network.

After being shifted to the Saturday wasteland, the long running classic ABC shows got the last laugh (screw you NBC!).

"Who's the Boss" ends it's run with 20.5 million viewers (#26 for the week)
"Growing Pains" ends it's run with 21.1 million viewers (#22 for the week)

Also of note, MacGyver finished at 22.3 million viewers to finish at #15.

All three ended the same night, April 25th, 1992...

And the long-running trio easily helped ABC defeat NBC just before the all important MAY Sweeps period.

Also, over on the peacock, the once mega hit show "Dear John" ends it's run at near the bottom (#86)

Maybe, ABC knew what they were doing after all?

Meanwhile, we get very few hits...

The big breakout smash is "Home Improvement", which debuts at #5 but shockingly the next largest viewed show features former TV Superstars (Suzanne Somers of "Three's Company" and Patrick Duffy of "Dallas") in "Step by Step" which debuts at #29.

This is the year "Unsolved Mysteries", "Murphy Brown" and "Full House" all peaked.

Some semi popular shows debut:

"Nurses" on NBC & "The Commish" on ABC.

And Bob Saget get's the distinction of "top star", as he does just that:

Star of two separate shows in the top twenty!

Quite an achievement...

In other news, Redd Foxx collapses on the set of "The Royal Family" and sadly dies, Carol Burnett bombs in the 90's for CBS, and Johnny Carson says his final goodbye to 30 years of late night viewers on "The Tonight Show".

..."Who's the Boss?" (#80), "Growing Pains (#82) and MacGyver (#64) all end their long respective runs on ABC.

After being shifted to the Saturday wasteland, the long running classic ABC shows get the last laugh.

"Who's the Boss" ends it's run with 20.5 million viewers (#26 for the week)
"Growing Pains" ends it's run with 21.1 million viewers (#22 for the week)

Also of note, MacGyver finished at 22.3 million viewers to finish at #15.

All three ended the same night, April 25th, 1992...

Thought I should most definitively reference this via some article in print for factual purposes.

I remember watching April 25, 1992...and I know I wasn't the only one that night!

Via USA Today (kudos to : TV-AHOLIC (http://tvaholics.blogspot.com/))

I've enjoyed A Differant World more than The Cosby Show.

I wonder why shows on The WB and UPN were not included in the ratings.

I wonder why shows on The WB and UPN were not included in the ratings.

This was 4 years before the WB or UPN (CW) premiered...

Thanks for the list, it's hard to imagine that 22 yrs ago 20 million viewers wasn't enough to get you into top 20.

Good stuff here. What was so great about Apr. 25, 1992? Sorry I'm a little dense on the matter.

Good stuff here. What was so great about Apr. 25, 1992? Sorry I'm a little dense on the matter.
Long running favorites like Who's The Boss?, Growing Pains and MacGyver ended, it was a night of farewell's. :wave:

Yep, that was a good night of television. Me, my sister and my mom, watched the Who's the Boss? and Growing Pains finales. Meanwhile, over on the Golden Girls, Rose had a heart attack in part 1 of a two part episode.

That spring also saw the end of The Golden Girls and The Cosby Show. I also watched those finales too. It was a sad time.

Long running favorites like Who's The Boss?, Growing Pains and MacGyver ended, it was a night of farewell's. :wave:

Didn't "The Golden Girls" also end that year (1992?)

I think in a weird way the year 1992 signaled the end of everything from the 1980's, all the big TV stars from the 80's took a back seat to the Urkel's, Seinfeld's, and little cute Olsen twins.

Didn't "The Golden Girls" also end that year (1992?)

Yes, that was a glaring big mistake on my part. I guess in the back of my mind, I always mistake "The Golden Palace" as "The Golden Girls" which is most definitely is not.

So yes, it did end that year and in a very big way, finishing #4 with almost 30 million viewers on May 9th, 1992.

I see that TV Guide didn't release numbers for Sunday and Monday movie nights.

I'm glad that Cosby ended. I thought it would never leave. It went 2 years too long.

Long running favorites like Who's The Boss?, Growing Pains and MacGyver ended, it was a night of farewell's. :wave:

Oh wow. I will say that Growing Pains should've ended maybe a year or two earlier. Who's the Boss was pretty good and I never saw MacGyver.

I liked Home Improvement in the 1991-1992 season which was the first season of the series!!!

...bumping my own thread here for @ALLguyinKY

Bump...

FOX had four shows in the Nielsen Top 50 during the 1991-92 season:
* The Simpsons at #31 with a 13.0/21
* Married...with Children at #37 with a 12.5/18
* In Living Color at #42 with a 12.2/18
* Beverly Hills, 90210 at #48 with an 11.3/17

So they were starting to make their presence known, but it would be another decade or so before they became a ratings powerhouse.