How "popular" was Family Ties exactly, during its orginal run on NBC (1982-89) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 12-29-2025, 02:43 AM

I was reading a comment elsewhere that said that Family Ties during its first two years, was a modest hit. It wasn't until it followed The Cosby Show on Thursday nights on NBC that Family Ties really "blew up" in viewership and the Nielsen ratings. But when A Different World took over the Thursday night, 8:30 p.m. timeslot in 1987-88 and Family Ties was moved over to 8 p.m. on Sundays for its final two seasons, the viewers didn’t follow and the ratings subsequently fell.

icecream · 12-29-2025, 02:47 AM

Even counterprogramming like Family Ties didn't do well against red hot Murder, She Wrote. Now if NBC had tried Family Ties an hour later Sundays at 9:00 it probably would have done better.

merlinjones · 12-29-2025, 03:36 AM

IMHO, Family Ties popularity was entirely driven by the appeal of Michael J Fox. It peaked around the same time Back to the Future opened (1985).

12-29-2025, 02:43 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,493	How "popular" was Family Ties exactly, during its orginal run on NBC (1982-89) I was reading a comment elsewhere that said that Family Ties during its first two years, was a modest hit. It wasn't until it followed The Cosby Show on Thursday nights on NBC that Family Ties really "blew up" in viewership and the Nielsen ratings. But when A Different World took over the Thursday night, 8:30 p.m. timeslot in 1987-88 and Family Ties was moved over to 8 p.m. on Sundays for its final two seasons, the viewers didn’t follow and the ratings subsequently fell.

12-29-2025, 02:47 AM	#2
icecream Cat-tastic and Whiskerlicious Forum Celebrity Join Date: Sep 01, 2006 Location: The Catacombs Posts: 20,614	Even counterprogramming like Family Ties didn't do well against red hot Murder, She Wrote. Now if NBC had tried Family Ties an hour later Sundays at 9:00 it probably would have done better.
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12-29-2025, 03:36 AM	#3
merlinjones Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 30, 2019 Location: los ángeles Posts: 931	IMHO, Family Ties popularity was entirely driven by the appeal of Michael J Fox. It peaked around the same time Back to the Future opened (1985).