Top-rated United States television programs of 1981–82

This table displays the top-rated primetime television series of the 1981–82 season as measured by Nielsen Media Research.^[1]

Rank	Program	Network	Rating
1	Dallas	CBS	28.4
2	60 Minutes		27.7
3	The Jeffersons		23.4
4	Three's Company	ABC	23.3
5	Alice	CBS	22.7
6	The Dukes of Hazzard	CBS	22.6
6	Too Close for Comfort	ABC	22.6
8	ABC Monday Night Movie	ABC	22.5
9	MASH*	CBS	22.3
10	One Day at a Time	CBS	22.0
11	Monday Night Football	ABC	21.8
12	Archie Bunker's Place	CBS	21.6
13	Falcon Crest	CBS	21.4
14	The Love Boat	ABC	21.2
15	Hart to Hart	ABC	21.1
15	Trapper John, M.D.	CBS	21.1
17	Magnum, P.I.	CBS	20.9
18	Happy Days	ABC	20.6
19	Dynasty		20.2
20	Laverne & Shirley		19.9
21	Real People	NBC	19.7
22	ABC Sunday Night Movie	ABC	19.5
23	House Calls	CBS	19.2
24	The Facts of Life	NBC	19.1
24	Little House on the Prairie	NBC	19.1
26	The Fall Guy	ABC	19.0
27	Hill Street Blues	NBC	18.6
28	That's Incredible!	ABC	18.4
28	T.J. Hooker		18.4
30	Fantasy Island		18.3

References

^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (Ninth Edition). Ballantine Books. p. 1689. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.

v t e 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