Top-rated United States television programs of 1988–89

This table displays the top-rated primetime television series of the 1988–89 season as measured by Nielsen Media Research.

Rank	Program	Network	Rating
1	The Cosby Show	NBC	25.6
2	Roseanne	ABC	23.8
3	A Different World	NBC	23.0
4	Cheers		22.3
5	60 Minutes	CBS	21.7
6	The Golden Girls	NBC	21.4
7	Who's the Boss?	ABC	20.8
8	Murder, She Wrote	CBS	19.9
9	Empty Nest	NBC	19.2
10	Anything but Love	ABC	19.0
11	Dear John	NBC	18.5
12	Matlock		17.7
13	L.A. Law		17.6
	Growing Pains	ABC
15	ALF	NBC	17.5
	Monday Night Football	ABC
17	Unsolved Mysteries	NBC	17.4
18	In the Heat of the Night		17.3
19	Hunter		17.2
20	Head of the Class	ABC	17.1
21	Night Court	NBC	16.9
22	The Hogan Family		16.3
	NBC Sunday Night Movie
	The Wonder Years	ABC
25	Amen	NBC	16.2
	NBC Monday Night Movie
27	Knots Landing	CBS	16.1
	CBS Sunday Movie
29	ABC Mystery Movie	ABC	15.4
	Dallas	CBS