View Full Version : Why did the Nielsen ratings start going down after Season 5 (1988-89)


TMC
09-19-2023, 05:40 AM
I was watching and listening to this review (https://youtu.be/jjKh8ioa5qM) of Tony Danza's feature film from 1989, She's Out of Control (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She%27s_Out_of_Control). It was at one point in the review, noted that Who's the Boss' ratings after that film was released in April 1989, coincidentally started to go down. I went to look just to make sure, and according to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who%27s_the_Boss%3F#Episodes), Who's the Boss? was a top ten rated show for its second-fifth seasons (1985-89). It was the sixth highest rated (http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/1991/08/1987-88-ratings-history.html) show on TV in 1987-88 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-rated_United_States_television_programs_of_1987%E2%80%9388) and the seventh highest rated (http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/1991/08/written-protesting-program-preemptions.html) show the following season (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-rated_United_States_television_programs_of_1988%E2%80%9389).

Season 6 (1989-90 (http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/1991/08/1989-90-ratings-history.html)) was the first season since the first one (1984-85) that Who's the Boss? didn't crack the top ten in the Nielsen ratings (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-rated_United_States_television_programs_of_1989%E2%80%9390) (it finished at #12 (https://www.classic-tv.com/features/ratings/1989-1990-tv-show-ratings)). The following season (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-rated_United_States_television_programs_of_1990%E2%80%9391), it slid down (http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/1991/08/written-torn-between-cosbys-simpsons-by.html) to 19th place and for its eighth and final year, Who's the Boss? was ranked at 76th place (http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/1991/08/1991-92-ratings-history.html). In fairness, if I remember correctly, ABC moved Who's the Boss? (https://www.tvtango.com/series/whos_the_boss_1984/episodes?page=4) to a Saturday night (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGIF_(TV_programming_block)#I_Love_Saturday_Night_(1992)) timeslot for its final year (1991-92).

icecream
09-19-2023, 12:04 PM
12 and 19 are still strong ratings inside the top 20. Who's the Boss? didn't tumble until moved to Saturdays.

James28
09-21-2023, 08:56 PM
Why did Who's the Boss move from Tuesdays to Saturdays to make room for Full House (which itself had relocated from Fridays)? Two simple reasons:

1. Creative exhaustion
2. An abundance of newer and fresher sitcoms on the ABC schedule

TMC
11-13-2023, 01:41 AM
Why did Who's the Boss move from Tuesdays to Saturdays to make room for Full House (which itself had relocated from Fridays)? Two simple reasons:

1. Creative exhaustion
2. An abundance of newer and fresher sitcoms on the ABC schedule

Some ABC promos (https://youtu.be/0_ewx5ehS1Y?t=176) for Who's the Boss? on Saturday (https://youtu.be/F3uOHdqHUSw?t=218) nights (https://youtu.be/cLweFzo6T7k?t=803) circa 1991 (https://youtu.be/LsR8mi5W2dE?t=571)-92:
AGiJT2zTpIE

UICldAJ9X4c

oZeGmmN6Ezc

25yGZ0MgrH4

ZviYnLFIrKU

o3gE0_I_TXw

TMC
04-20-2025, 11:25 PM
12 and 19 are still strong ratings inside the top 20. Who's the Boss? didn't tumble until moved to Saturdays.

I read on the Who's the Boss? subreddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/WhosTheBossSitcom/comments/1ivpccc/i_nearly_gave_up_on_the_show_at_the_end_of_season/) that the ratings didn't really start to go down significantly or noticeably until the end of Season 6. It really began (https://www.reddit.com/r/WhosTheBossSitcom/comments/1jichln/comment/mo6j7mc/) with the "All-Nighter" (http://reviewingeverytvshowiown.blogspot.com/2017/05/whos-boss-all-nighter.html) episode (https://www.reddit.com/r/WhosTheBossSitcom/comments/1duhqfl/how_do_you_guys_feel_about_the_season_6_finale/), when Tony impulsively slept with Kathleen. From there, the ratings went down in Seasons 7 and 8 because the producers alienated a large percentage of their audience.