My question is there a source on the internet that lists year-by-year when networks shows were available to be syndicated to local stations? I was interested in series from the 1980s specifically.

I think the closest you may find is this extensive archive of Broadcasting magazines. They have trade ads for shows headed to syndication.

http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Broadcasting_Individual_Issues_Guide.htm#80s

My question is there a source on the internet that lists year-by-year when networks shows were available to be syndicated to local stations? I was interested in series from the 1980s specifically.

Roughly for shows prior to 1980, they were syndicated either right after they ended or a year later if the reruns were being shown on daytime TV. At that point except for Room 222, it was unheard of for any sitcom to go to syndication if original episodes were still airing at night. Some shows like I Love Lucy didn't get syndicated until quite a while after they left prime time because they were still being shown in the daytime or on the weekend of either CBS, ABC or NBC. ILL wasn't syndicated until 10 years after it stopped production.

MASH broke the mold for this pattern in 1979. Then in 1980 (a year when no sitcom with enough episodes to syndicate had been cancelled or ended) the rule was further relaxed and Happy Days (Again) and Barney Miller were released. A year later, we got The Jeffersons, Laverne and Shirley (and Company), What's Happening, One Day at a Time and Soap. 1982 brought Here's Lucy, Three's Company, Alice, Diff'rent Strokes, WKRP and Mork and Mindy. From then on, the general rule of thumb was the 100 episode pattern: once a show has about 4 full seasons, it gets syndicated, although some like Cheers got syndicated in 1987 after 5 seasons.

My source for all of this is either my own memory or various sites which I can't recall now. I'd like to see a site that has this info all in one spot as well.

My question is there a source on the internet that lists year-by-year when networks shows were available to be syndicated to local stations? I was interested in series from the 1980s specifically.

More data for the 1980s: (from memory):

1983- Don't remember - I think Private Benjamin- if not this year, then 1984. It flopped because there weren't enough episodes. Maybe Taxi

1984- Facts of Life and Benson

1985- Not sure- maybe Gimme A Break!

1986- Not sure

1987- Cheers, Family Ties, Newhart (? not sure) and Silver Spoons (this last one was syndicated from first run syndication- NBC cancelled it with 88 episodes so they did an additional 13 to round out the number. This and Too Close for Comfort were I think the first sitcoms to go to off network syndication from first run syndication

1988- Kate and Allie, Night Court, Who's the Boss, What's Happening Now, Cosby Show (a BIG deal was made out of Cosby- it was the most expensive sitcom sold into local reruns up to that point- remember it was the #1 show on TV at the time)

1989-Growing Pains, Golden Girls, 227

1990- Amen, ALF

1991- Different World, Designing Women (only the first 5 season episodes with the original 4 actresses)

1992- Dear John, Roseanne, Murphy Brown, Empty Nest

1993- Family Matters, Saved By the Bell

1994- Fresh Prince, Blossom?, The Simpsons

1995- Seinfeld, Home Improvement

1996- Hangin with Mr. Cooper, Mad About You, Martin

1997- Frasier, Living Single, The Nanny, Grace Under Fire

1998- Friends, Sister Sister (first sitcom syndicated from the net-lets WB or UPN), Newsradio

1999- 3rd Rock from the Sun, Caroline in the City, Wayans Brothers, Hang Time, the Parent Hood, Unhappily Ever After, Drew Carey

Facts of Life was fall '86, I believe. NBC still aired daytime reruns up until the mid-80s.

http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1984/BC-1984-06-04.pdf (page 19)

Mama's Family was another sitcom to go from network to syndication...that was in summer 1986.

Webster went into syndication in 1988.

Married...with Children, 1991. First FOX sitcom to go into syndication.

Doogie Howser was 1993 or '94, I believe the former.

More data for the 1980s: (from memory):

1983- Don't remember - I think Private Benjamin- if not this year, then 1984. It flopped because there weren't enough episodes. Maybe Taxi

1984- Facts of Life and Benson

1985- Not sure- maybe Gimme A Break!

1986- Not sure

1987- Cheers, Family Ties, Newhart (? not sure) and Silver Spoons (this last one was syndicated from first run syndication- NBC cancelled it with 88 episodes so they did an additional 13 to round out the number. This and Too Close for Comfort were I think the first sitcoms to go to off network syndication from first run syndication

1988- Kate and Allie, Night Court, Who's the Boss, What's Happening Now, Cosby Show (a BIG deal was made out of Cosby- it was the most expensive sitcom sold into local reruns up to that point- remember it was the #1 show on TV at the time)

1989-Growing Pains, Golden Girls, 227

1990- Amen, ALF

1991- Different World, Designing Women (only the first 5 season episodes with the original 4 actresses)

1992- Dear John, Roseanne, Murphy Brown, Empty Nest

1993- Family Matters, Saved By the Bell

1994- Fresh Prince, Blossom?, The Simpsons

1995- Seinfeld, Home Improvement

1996- Hangin with Mr. Cooper, Mad About You, Martin

1997- Frasier, Living Single, The Nanny, Grace Under Fire

1998- Friends, Sister Sister (first sitcom syndicated from the net-lets WB or UPN), Newsradio

1999- 3rd Rock from the Sun, Caroline in the City, Wayans Brothers, Hang Time, the Parent Hood, Unhappily Ever After, Drew Carey
i can remember when in Western NC the following:
1986- Facts Of Life was on WHNS
1987- Cheers, Too Close for Comfort and Family Ties were on WHNS. Sliver Spoons was on WYFF after the soap opera Santa Barbara
1988- WLOS had Night Court and Who's the Boss while WYFF had Kate and Allie and Cosby. Cosby always seemed to follow Santa Barbara or Classic Concentration with Alex Trebek. Cosby and Concentration both left WYFF's lineup in 93(the later did so on New Years Eve.)

More data for the 1980s: (from memory):

1983- Don't remember - I think Private Benjamin- if not this year, then 1984. It flopped because there weren't enough episodes. Maybe Taxi

1984- Facts of Life and Benson

1985- Not sure- maybe Gimme A Break!

1986- Not sure

1987- Cheers, Family Ties, Newhart (? not sure) and Silver Spoons (this last one was syndicated from first run syndication- NBC cancelled it with 88 episodes so they did an additional 13 to round out the number. This and Too Close for Comfort were I think the first sitcoms to go to off network syndication from first run syndication

1988- Kate and Allie, Night Court, Who's the Boss, What's Happening Now, Cosby Show (a BIG deal was made out of Cosby- it was the most expensive sitcom sold into local reruns up to that point- remember it was the #1 show on TV at the time)

1989-Growing Pains, Golden Girls, 227

1990- Amen, ALF

1991- Different World, Designing Women (only the first 5 season episodes with the original 4 actresses)

1992- Dear John, Roseanne, Murphy Brown, Empty Nest

1993- Family Matters, Saved By the Bell

1994- Fresh Prince, Blossom?, The Simpsons

1995- Seinfeld, Home Improvement

1996- Hangin with Mr. Cooper, Mad About You, Martin

1997- Frasier, Living Single, The Nanny, Grace Under Fire

1998- Friends, Sister Sister (first sitcom syndicated from the net-lets WB or UPN), Newsradio

1999- 3rd Rock from the Sun, Caroline in the City, Wayans Brothers, Hang Time, the Parent Hood, Unhappily Ever After, Drew Carey

Add Mr. Belvedere to 1989.

More-

1983- Archie Bunker's Place (House Calls must've been syndicated around this time as well), Laugh-In (not a sitcom, but I distinctly remember watching this - it was in 1/2 hour format and a very strange show to watch in the 80s- no wonder it flopped in reruns). SWAT was another non-sitcom that showed up this year

1990- Hogan Family, Perfect Strangers

1997- Boy Meets World, Dave's World

I don't know about these: Charles in Charge, Bosom Buddies, 9 to 5, Small Wonder, It's A Living/Making a Living, Full House (91 I think?), Major Dad (I think this one was never syndicated locally but was sold to s cable network - same with Ellen and Hearts Afire?)

More-

1983- Archie Bunker's Place (House Calls must've been syndicated around this time as well), Laugh-In (not a sitcom, but I distinctly remember watching this - it was in 1/2 hour format and a very strange show to watch in the 80s- no wonder it flopped in reruns). SWAT was another non-sitcom that showed up this year

Laugh In aired for a few years on Nickelodeon in the late-80s, in the half-hour format.


I don't know about these: Charles in Charge, Bosom Buddies, 9 to 5, Small Wonder, It's A Living/Making a Living, Full House (91 I think?), Major Dad (I think this one was never syndicated locally but was sold to s cable network - same with Ellen and Hearts Afire?)
Bosom Buddies, I remember seeing in Dallas c. 1989 or '90. It aired on an independent station on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Full House was indeed 1991. Major Dad and Hearts Afire, I only remember airing on USA. Ellen, I believe, aired on Lifetime in the late-90s.