Why Couldn't "Newhart" Have Inherited Mondays at 9 After "M*A*S*H" Ended? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

James28 · 04-30-2024, 01:57 AM

During its first season, Newhart aired on the Mondays-at-9:30 timeslot following M*A*S*H (then in its eleventh and final season). After M*A*S*H's epic series finale, Newhart swapped nights with One Day at a Time, airing on Sundays to 9:30 for the past five episodes of its first season. In the fall of 1983, AfterMASH inherited the Mondays at 9:00 anchor slot from the show that it was a direct continuation of, then in March 1984, once AfterMASH wrapped its first season, Kate & Allie started occupying that same anchor slot, remaining there until its season 3.

It's hard to believe CBS never got around to putting Newhart on the Mondays-at-9 anchor slot until season five. Why couldn't this have been done as early as season 2? Did anyone other than CBS executives believe that AfterMASH was going to be a credible top sitcom for CBS with its behind-the-scenes and creative problems and ratings declines over its 30-episode run? Who is to blame for Newhart not getting an anchor slot starting in season two: AfterMASH or Scarecrow and Mrs. King?

Duster76 · 05-16-2024, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James28

During its first season, Newhart aired on the Mondays-at-9:30 timeslot following M*A*S*H (then in its eleventh and final season). After M*A*S*H's epic series finale, Newhart swapped nights with One Day at a Time, airing on Sundays to 9:30 for the past five episodes of its first season. In the fall of 1983, AfterMASH inherited the Mondays at 9:00 anchor slot from the show that it was a direct continuation of, then in March 1984, once AfterMASH wrapped its first season, Kate & Allie started occupying that same anchor slot, remaining there until its season 3.

It's hard to believe CBS never got around to putting Newhart on the Mondays-at-9 anchor slot until season five. Why couldn't this have been done as early as season 2? Did anyone other than CBS executives believe that AfterMASH was going to be a credible top sitcom for CBS with its behind-the-scenes and creative problems and ratings declines over its 30-episode run? Who is to blame for Newhart not getting an anchor slot starting in season two: AfterMASH or Scarecrow and Mrs. King?

I'm not sure what you find hard to believe about CBS not moving Newhart into the 9pm slot after MASH ended. It seemed like a solid strategy, AfterMASH inherited the slot held by MASH, the series fans could still tune in at the same time to see the follow-up series. The problems with the series wouldn't become evident until the series started to roll out. Keep in mind the series had 5 top 10 finishes (including 3 number 1's) in the first 10 weeks!

With respect to what happened next, Kate & Allie was a perfect fit for the 9pm slot. CBS was very effectively counterprogramming against Monday Night Football with a strong female leaning line-up, Scarecrow and Mrs. King followed by another strong female leaning series Kate and Allie and finishing the night with Cagney and Lacey. Newhart (a female friendly comic) was a bridge between the early evening and late evening programming.

James28 · 05-29-2024, 09:26 AM

I would've preferred it if AfterMASH (a huge mistake that network's today still aren't willing to learn from) had never been created at all, and maybe then, the CBS Monday lineup of 1984-85 and 1985-86 would have been like this:

Scarecrow and Mrs. King at 8 pm
Newhart at 9 pm
Kate & Allie at 9:30 pm
Cagney & Lacey at 10 pm

But what else would CBS have slotted on Mondays at 9 for Fall '83 if AfterMASH didn't exist? Alice? I think Alice would've been the best option (it occupied that half-hour in the last couple of months of the 1982-83 season after M*A*S*H's grand finale). If not, then how about renewing either Archie Bunker's Place or Gloria? Or would a videotaped sitcom still have been bad because of Newhart's switch to film before season 2?

I'm thinking the producers of Newhart were left having to fight to get an anchor slot before it reached syndication minimums. It only took Scarecrow and Mrs. King moving to Fridays for that to happen. When Newhart finally did get the Mondays-at 9-pm half-hour in Fall 1986 (Kate & Allie was bumped to 8pm to make room for Designing Women), was it too little too late? This was after CBS's comedy division had been in its poorest-ever state up to that point in the 1985-86 season, with only Newhart and K&A returning from 1984-85.

04-30-2024, 01:57 AM	#1
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,967	*Why Couldn't "Newhart" Have Inherited Mondays at 9 After "MASH" Ended?** During its first season, Newhart aired on the Mondays-at-9:30 timeslot following MASH* (then in its eleventh and final season). After MASH's epic series finale, Newhart* swapped nights with One Day at a Time, airing on Sundays to 9:30 for the past five episodes of its first season. In the fall of 1983, AfterMASH inherited the Mondays at 9:00 anchor slot from the show that it was a direct continuation of, then in March 1984, once AfterMASH wrapped its first season, Kate & Allie started occupying that same anchor slot, remaining there until its season 3. It's hard to believe CBS never got around to putting Newhart on the Mondays-at-9 anchor slot until season five. Why couldn't this have been done as early as season 2? Did anyone other than CBS executives believe that AfterMASH was going to be a credible top sitcom for CBS with its behind-the-scenes and creative problems and ratings declines over its 30-episode run? Who is to blame for Newhart not getting an anchor slot starting in season two: AfterMASH or Scarecrow and Mrs. King?
	__________________ "When the run of a network TV show has ended, some go out with a bang, some with a whimper, but all are...Future Endeavored." "Stay Safe"? More like "Stay Sad". #2020Hurts

05-29-2024, 09:26 AM	#3
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,967	I would've preferred it if AfterMASH (a huge mistake that network's today still aren't willing to learn from) had never been created at all, and maybe then, the CBS Monday lineup of 1984-85 and 1985-86 would have been like this: Scarecrow and Mrs. King at 8 pm Newhart at 9 pm Kate & Allie at 9:30 pm Cagney & Lacey at 10 pm But what else would CBS have slotted on Mondays at 9 for Fall '83 if AfterMASH didn't exist? Alice? I think Alice would've been the best option (it occupied that half-hour in the last couple of months of the 1982-83 season after MASH's grand finale). If not, then how about renewing either Archie Bunker's Place* or Gloria? Or would a videotaped sitcom still have been bad because of Newhart's switch to film before season 2? I'm thinking the producers of Newhart were left having to fight to get an anchor slot before it reached syndication minimums. It only took Scarecrow and Mrs. King moving to Fridays for that to happen. When Newhart finally did get the Mondays-at 9-pm half-hour in Fall 1986 (Kate & Allie was bumped to 8pm to make room for Designing Women), was it too little too late? This was after CBS's comedy division had been in its poorest-ever state up to that point in the 1985-86 season, with only Newhart and K&A returning from 1984-85.