1993-1994: THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

In a few weeks, the broadcast fall schedules will be announced.  We will be able to watch what we want, when we want as these new series debut.  25 years ago this fall, an amazing amount of historic television events occurred within one month.  Instead of watching online, we were setting our vcrs, especially at 11:35, where the "Late Night Wars" began. David Letterman moved from NBC to CBS, only to be replaced by a former "Simpsons" writer, Conan O'Brien on NBC.  Fox introduced its first late-night show to compete with Letterman and Leno, but "The Chevy Chase Show" turned out to be a historic blunder. 

"Frasier" was spun off from "Cheers" which ended on May 20th, becoming the 2nd most-watched television episode ever in 1993.  "Seinfeld" picked up the slack on Thursdays at 9:00 to become TV's #1 comedy.  Sophomore sitcom "Mad About You" along with "Wings" lead off the Thursday line-up that regained NBC's dominance.  The following year, Fox moved "The Simpsons" away from Thursdays back to Sundays to follow its acquisition of NFL football.  "L.A. Law" course-corrected for its final season in 1993 to provide stability as CBS had ended its long-running "Knots Landing" at 10:00.  NBC later gave "Homicide: Life on the Street" a try-out in the time-slot and it was expected that this show would be the successor to "L.A. Law."  "Homicide" did return to continue until 1999 on Fridays, since "ER" inherited the slot, giving NBC two long-running dramas.  And, of course, "Friends" debuted that year but I am getting ahead of myself.

The network drama was dying.  Steven Bochco argued that to compete with cable, there needed to be more adult content on broadcast television.  "NYPD Blue" premiered that year to much controversy.  Its ratings were hugely successful enabling a 12-year run and until recently, ABC's longest-running drama.   "Law & Order" on NBC entered season 4 and, at the network's request, added female cast members which contributed to that series' longevity.  Fox remembered Friday night sci-fi series of the past such as "Kolchak the Night Stalker" and "The Six Million Dollar Man" so they quietly launched "The X-Files" at 9:00, which grew into a phenomenon.

There were other long-running hits that year such as "The Nanny" and "Boy Meets World." or those that started out big such as "Dave's World," "Living Single" and "Grace Under Fire" which had respectable runs.  "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" premiered at a time when there were no super-hero shows on television and only The Batman in theaters every few years.  It beat out Steven Spielberg's highly-anticipated "Seaquest DSV" to run four years.

While there were hits, there was also increased competition leading to quickly-cancelled shows.  "South of Sunset" starring singer Glenn Frey was cancelled after one episode (which was pre-empted in Los Angeles for news coverage of wildfires) and comedy-reality experiment "The Paula Poundstone Show" was a casualty after two episodes.  Saturday nights were proving to be incapable of sustaining original programming on four networks.  CBS had newcomers "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" and "Walker, Texas Ranger" which became long-running hits.  "Poundstone" aired at 9:00, not even directly against these two, but instantly tanked. It was highly unusual for shows to die so quickly back then.  For CBS, the missing puzzle piece was found the following season with "Touched by an Angel" at 9:00 in 1995.

"Melrose Place" became a hit in its second season at a time where this series as well as "Beverly Hills 90210" were producing 33 or 34 hours of original episodes each year!

Smaller broadcast networks The WB and UPN were still in the planning stages in 1993, and original cable series weren't much more than HBO's "Dream On" and "The Larry Sanders Show."  With that in mind, set your vcrs for this timeline of events that we will likely never see again.

MON 8/30: LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN Premieres on CBS  (22 seasons)

(NBC reruns the first ten 1982 episodes of LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN at 12:35 beginning tonight.)

TUE 9/7: THE CHEVY CHASE SHOW Premieres on FOX (39 shows before cancellation!)

FRI 9/10: THE X-FILES Premieres on FOX (9 seasons + movies + 2 revivals)

SUN 9/12: LOIS & CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN Premieres on ABC against SEAQUEST DSV premiere on NBC  (L&C: 4 seasons, SEAQUEST: 3)

MON 9/13: LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O’BRIEN Premieres on NBC (25 years in late night on NBC and TBS)

TUE 9/14: SAVED BY THE BELL attempts a primetime run with THE COLLEGE YEARS on NBC.  (1 season)

THU 9/16: SEINFELD assumes the Thursday at 9 slot, FRASIER premieres on NBC (11 seasons)

TUE 9/21: NYPD BLUE premieres on ABC (12 seasons)

FRI 9/24: BOY MEETS WORLD premieres on ABC (7 seasons)

SAT 9/26: After a 3-week spring run, WALKER, TEXAS RANGER begins its first full season on CBS (9 seasons)

WED 9/29: GRACE UNDER FIRE premieres on ABC (4 seasons, begins as a Top 10 show).