This was the television schedule on all four networks for the fall season beginning in September 1988. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football.
Note: A writers' strike and the Seoul Olympics hindered the ability to start airing shows in a timely manner. New shows intended for a regular fall launch saw their debuts spread out between September and December. The debut month for each new series is noted as to when it actually premiered.
PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, was in operation but the schedule was set by each local station.
New series are highlighted in bold.
All times given are in U.S. Eastern Time and Pacific Time (except for some live events or specials). Subtract one hour for Central and Mountain times.
Each of the 50 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.
Lime indicates the #1 most watched program of the season. Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season. Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season. Magenta indicates the programs in the top 30 for the season. Orange indicates the programs in the top 40 for the season. Silver indicates the programs in the top 50 for the season.