The single best Must See TV line-up on NBC (1993-2006) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 03-31-2023, 04:40 AM

The Must See TV slogan or branding wasn't officially used until the fall 1993 season. This is so nobody can ask why The Cosby Show or Cheers aren't going to be highlighted. The official branding that NBC used for their Thursday night line-up before Must See TV was "The Best Night of Television on Television". Just like in my previous TGIF schedule thread, this will only focus on the fall line-ups and not midseason replacements.

1993-94

Mad About You
Wings
Seinfeld
Frasier
L.A. Law

1994-95

Mad About You
Friends
Seinfeld
Madman of the People
ER

1995-96

Friends
The Single Guy
Seinfeld
Caroline in the City
ER

1996-97

Friends
The Single Guy
Seinfeld
Suddenly Susan
ER

1997-98

Friends
Union Square
Seinfeld
Veronica's Closet
ER

1998-99

Friends
Jesse
Frasier
Veronica's Closet
ER

1999-00

Friends
Jesse
Frasier
Stark Raving Mad
ER

2000-01

Friends
Cursed (renamed The Weber Show)
Will & Grace
Just Shoot Me!
ER

2001-02

Friends
Inside Schwartz
Will & Grace
Just Shoot Me
ER

2002-03

Friends
Scrubs
Will & Grace
Good Morning, Miami
ER

2003-04

Friends
Scrubs
Will & Grace
Coupling
ER

2004-05

Joey
Will & Grace
The Apprentice
ER

2005-06

Joey
Will & Grace
The Apprentice
ER

icecream · 03-31-2023, 02:22 PM

1993-1994 was by far the best year of Must See TV. Mad About You, Wings, Seinfeld, and Frasier are one amazing quartet of all time classics. Anyone who has seen my posts knows I am not a fan of Friends, plus a lot of short-lived shows or shows that could not survive on their own aired in the 8:30 and 9:30 slots after Friends moved to the lead-off slot.

AMackII · 03-31-2023, 05:01 PM

1993-1994 TV season was a A+ before Friends debuted at the start of the 1994-1995 TV season.

Reinhold_Weege · 04-10-2023, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icecream

1993-1994 was by far the best year of Must See TV. Mad About You, Wings, Seinfeld, and Frasier are one amazing quartet of all time classics. Anyone who has seen my posts knows I am not a fan of Friends, plus a lot of short-lived shows or shows that could not survive on their own aired in the 8:30 and 9:30 slots after Friends moved to the lead-off slot.

Mad About You was never one of my favorites but Wings, Seinfeld and Frasier all together cemented my vote for 1993-1994

James28 · 05-16-2023, 01:02 PM

My vote also would go for Fall 1993, but what would put a damper on that schedule? LA Law being cancelled so abruptly at the end of that season at the last minute with no proper send-off or wrapping up storylines in favor of ER. I know LA Law should've already ran its course by that point, but still, it would have been even better if LA Law had been given advance warning to wrap its storylines and Mad About You finished in the Top 30 (it ranked 31st that season).

I guess my second-best choice would be either Fall 1995 or Fall 1998. It's a real shame that there were so many 8:30 and 9:30 shows on that Thursday lineup that finished in the Nielsen Top 10 that just couldn't become long-term players for NBC. And if there had existed a lineup of Friends/Just Shoot Me!/Frasier/Will & Grace/ER, and all of those shows finished in the Nielsen Top 10, that would have been my undisputed option.

View Poll Results: Which year had the absolute best "Must See TV" line-up on NBC
1993-94	4	100.00%
1994-95	0	0%
1995-96	0	0%
1996-97	0	0%
1997-98	0	0%
1998-99	0	0%
1999-00	0	0%
2000-01	0	0%
2001-02	0	0%
2002-03	0	0%
2003-04	0	0%
2004-05	0	0%
2005-06	0	0%
Voters: 4. You may not vote on this poll

03-31-2023, 04:40 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,387	The single best Must See TV line-up on NBC (1993-2006) The Must See TV slogan or branding wasn't officially used until the fall 1993 season. This is so nobody can ask why The Cosby Show or Cheers aren't going to be highlighted. The official branding that NBC used for their Thursday night line-up before Must See TV was "The Best Night of Television on Television". Just like in my previous TGIF schedule thread, this will only focus on the fall line-ups and not midseason replacements. 1993-94 Mad About You Wings Seinfeld Frasier L.A. Law 1994-95 Mad About You Friends Seinfeld Madman of the People ER 1995-96 Friends The Single Guy Seinfeld Caroline in the City ER 1996-97 Friends The Single Guy Seinfeld Suddenly Susan ER 1997-98 Friends Union Square Seinfeld Veronica's Closet ER 1998-99 Friends Jesse Frasier Veronica's Closet ER 1999-00 Friends Jesse Frasier Stark Raving Mad ER 2000-01 Friends Cursed (renamed The Weber Show) Will & Grace Just Shoot Me! ER 2001-02 Friends Inside Schwartz Will & Grace Just Shoot Me ER 2002-03 Friends Scrubs Will & Grace Good Morning, Miami ER 2003-04 Friends Scrubs Will & Grace Coupling ER 2004-05 Joey Will & Grace The Apprentice ER 2005-06 Joey Will & Grace The Apprentice ER

03-31-2023, 02:22 PM	#2
icecream Cat-tastic and Whiskerlicious Forum Celebrity Join Date: Sep 01, 2006 Location: The Catacombs Posts: 20,606	1993-1994 was by far the best year of Must See TV. Mad About You, Wings, Seinfeld, and Frasier are one amazing quartet of all time classics. Anyone who has seen my posts knows I am not a fan of Friends, plus a lot of short-lived shows or shows that could not survive on their own aired in the 8:30 and 9:30 slots after Friends moved to the lead-off slot.
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05-16-2023, 01:02 PM	#5
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,967	My vote also would go for Fall 1993, but what would put a damper on that schedule? LA Law being cancelled so abruptly at the end of that season at the last minute with no proper send-off or wrapping up storylines in favor of ER. I know LA Law should've already ran its course by that point, but still, it would have been even better if LA Law had been given advance warning to wrap its storylines and Mad About You finished in the Top 30 (it ranked 31st that season). I guess my second-best choice would be either Fall 1995 or Fall 1998. It's a real shame that there were so many 8:30 and 9:30 shows on that Thursday lineup that finished in the Nielsen Top 10 that just couldn't become long-term players for NBC. And if there had existed a lineup of Friends/Just Shoot Me!/Frasier/Will & Grace/ER, and all of those shows finished in the Nielsen Top 10, that would have been my undisputed option.
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03-31-2023, 05:01 PM	#3
AMackII Member Forum Star Join Date: Oct 23, 2015 Location: St. Louis Posts: 17,198	1993-1994 TV season was a A+ before Friends debuted at the start of the 1994-1995 TV season.