Top-rated United States television programs of 1987–88

This table displays the top-rated primetime television series of the 1987–88 season as measured by Nielsen Media Research.^[1]

Rank	Program	Network	Rating
1	The Cosby Show	NBC	27.8
2	A Different World		25.0
3	Cheers		23.4
4	The Golden Girls		21.8
5	Growing Pains	ABC	21.3
6	Who's the Boss?	ABC	21.2
7	Night Court	NBC	20.8
8	60 Minutes	CBS	20.6
9	Murder, She Wrote	CBS	20.2
10	ALF	NBC	18.8
10	The Wonder Years	ABC	18.8
12	Moonlighting	ABC	18.3
12	L.A. Law	NBC	18.3
14	Matlock		17.8
15	Amen		17.5
16	Monday Night Football	ABC	17.4
17	Family Ties	NBC	17.3
18	CBS Sunday Night Movie	CBS	17.2
19	In the Heat of the Night	NBC	17.0
20	My Two Dads		16.9
20	Valerie's Family		16.9
22	Dallas	CBS	16.8
23	NBC Sunday Night Movie	NBC	16.7
23	Head of the Class	ABC	16.7
25	Newhart	CBS	16.5
26	NBC Monday Night Movie	NBC	16.4
27	227		16.3
28	Day by Day		16.2
29	Hunter		16.1
30	Aaron's Way		16.0

References

^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (Ninth Edition). Ballantine Books. p. 1691. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.

v t Top-rated United States television programs by season
Nielsen ratings
1950s	1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60
1960s	1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70
1970s	1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80
1980s	1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90
1990s	1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000
2000s	2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10
2010s	2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19