1998–99 United States network television schedule

The following is the 1998–99 network television schedule for the six major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1998 through August 1999. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1997–98 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football.

New series highlighted in bold.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.Highest-rated series is based on the annual top-rated programs list compiled by Nielsen Media Research and reported in: Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. {{ISBN|978-0-345-49773-4}}.

:{{Color box|yellow|border=darkgray}} Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season.

:{{Color box|cyan|border=darkgray}} Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season.

:{{Color box|FF66FF|border=darkgray}} Magenta indicates the programs in the top 30 for the season.

Other Legend

{{Color box|#abbfff|border=darkgray}} Light blue indicates local programming.
{{Color box|#C0C0C0|border=darkgray}} Gray indicates encore programming.
{{Color box|#77AACC|border=darkgray}} Blue-gray indicates news programming.
{{Color box|lightgreen|border=darkgray}} Light green indicates sporting events.
{{Color box|#bf8fef|border=darkgray}} Light Purple indicates movies.
{{Color box|#FA8072|border=darkgray}} Red indicates series being burned off and other regularly scheduled programs, including specials.

PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary. Also not included is Pax TV (now Ion), a venture of Paxson Communications (now Ion Media) that debuted on August 31, 1998; although Pax carried a limited schedule of first-run programs in its early years, its schedule otherwise was composed mainly of syndicated reruns.

Sunday

class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"
colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| Network ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 7:00 PM ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 7:30 PM ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 8:00 PM ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 8:30 PM ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 9:00 PM ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 9:30 PM ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 10:00 PM ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 10:30 PM
rowspan="5" \| ABC ! Fall \| colspan="4" bgcolor="#CF9FFF" rowspan="5" \| The Wonderful World of Disney \| colspan="2" bgcolor="#77AACC" rowspan="4" \| 20/20 \| colspan="2" rowspan="5" \| The Practice
Winter
Spring
Summer
August \| colspan="2" \| *Who Wants to Be a Millionaire*
colspan="2" \| CBS \| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="2" \| 60 Minutes (#7/13.2) \| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="2" \| Touched by an Angel (#8/13.1) \| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="4" \| CBS Sunday Movie (#9/12.0)
rowspan="6" \| Fox ! Fall \| rowspan="2" \| The World's Funniest! \| *Holding the Baby* \| rowspan="6" \| The Simpsons \| rowspan="3" \| *That '70s Show* \| bgcolor="#FF66FF" rowspan="6" colspan="2" \| The X-Files (#28/9.1) (Tied with the NBC Sunday Night Movie) \| bgcolor="#abbfff" rowspan="6" colspan="2" \| Local Programming
Follow Up \| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" \| The World's Funniest! / The Simpsons (Repeats)
Winter \| rowspan="3" colspan="2" \| The World's Funniest!
Spring \| *Futurama*
Follow Up \| *Family Guy*
Summer \| The World's Funniest! \| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" \| King of the Hill (Repeats) \| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" \| *Futurama* (Repeats)
rowspan="5" \| NBC ! Fall \| colspan="2" bgcolor="#77AACC" rowspan="2" \| Dateline NBC \| colspan="2" bgcolor="#77AACC" rowspan="4" \| Dateline NBC \| rowspan="5" bgcolor="#FF66FF" colspan="4" \| NBC Sunday Night Movie (#28/9.1) (Tied with The X-Files)
Winter
Spring \| colspan="2" bgcolor="lightgreen" \| NBA on NBC
Summer \| colspan="2" \| *World's Most Amazing Videos*
August \| colspan="2" bgcolor="#77AACC" \| Dateline NBC \| colspan="2" \| *You Asked For It*
rowspan="5" \| The WB ! Fall \| colspan="2" rowspan="3" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" \| 7th Heaven Beginnings (Repeats) \| rowspan="5" \| Sister, Sister \| rowspan="4" \| Smart Guy \| Unhappily Ever After \| *The Army Show* \| bgcolor="#abbfff" rowspan="5" colspan="2" \| Local Programming
Winter \| rowspan="3" \| *Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane* \| rowspan="4" \| Unhappily Ever After
Spring
Summer \| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" \| The Parent 'Hood (Repeats) \| The Parent 'Hood
Follow Up \| The Parent 'Hood \| Smart Guy \| *Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane* \| *Movie Stars*

class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"

colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM

! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM

rowspan="5" | ABC

! Fall

| colspan="4" bgcolor="#CF9FFF" rowspan="5" | The Wonderful World of Disney

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#77AACC" rowspan="4" | 20/20

| colspan="2" rowspan="5" | The Practice

Winter

Spring

Summer

August

| colspan="2" | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

colspan="2" | CBS

| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="2" | 60 Minutes (#7/13.2)

| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="2" | Touched by an Angel (#8/13.1)

| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="4" | CBS Sunday Movie (#9/12.0)

rowspan="6" | Fox

! Fall

| rowspan="2" | The World's Funniest!

| Holding the Baby

| rowspan="6" | The Simpsons

| rowspan="3" | That '70s Show

| bgcolor="#FF66FF" rowspan="6" colspan="2" | The X-Files (#28/9.1)
(Tied with the NBC Sunday Night Movie)

| bgcolor="#abbfff" rowspan="6" colspan="2" | Local Programming

Follow Up

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | The World's Funniest! / The Simpsons (Repeats)

Winter

| rowspan="3" colspan="2" | The World's Funniest!

Spring

| Futurama

Follow Up

| Family Guy

Summer

| The World's Funniest!

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | King of the Hill (Repeats)

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | Futurama (Repeats)

rowspan="5" | NBC

! Fall

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#77AACC" rowspan="2" | Dateline NBC

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#77AACC" rowspan="4" | Dateline NBC

| rowspan="5" bgcolor="#FF66FF" colspan="4" | NBC Sunday Night Movie (#28/9.1)
(Tied with The X-Files)

Winter

Spring

| colspan="2" bgcolor="lightgreen" | NBA on NBC

Summer

| colspan="2" | World's Most Amazing Videos

August

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#77AACC" | Dateline NBC

| colspan="2" | You Asked For It

rowspan="5" | The WB

! Fall

| colspan="2" rowspan="3" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7th Heaven Beginnings (Repeats)

| rowspan="5" | Sister, Sister

| rowspan="4" | Smart Guy

| Unhappily Ever After

| The Army Show

| bgcolor="#abbfff" rowspan="5" colspan="2" | Local Programming

Winter

| rowspan="3" | Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane

| rowspan="4" | Unhappily Ever After

Spring

Summer

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | The Parent 'Hood (Repeats)

| The Parent 'Hood

Follow Up

| The Parent 'Hood

| Smart Guy

| Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane

| Movie Stars

Monday

class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"
colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| Network ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 8:00 PM ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 8:30 PM ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 9:00 PM ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 9:30 PM ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 10:00 PM ! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"\| 10:30 PM
rowspan="4"\| ABC ! Fall \| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="6"\| Monday Night Football (#4/14.9)
Winter \| colspan="2" rowspan="3" bgcolor="#77AACC" \| 20/20 \| colspan="4" rowspan="3" bgcolor="#CF9FFF" \| The ABC Monday Night Movie
Spring
Summer
rowspan="6" \| CBS ! Fall \| rowspan="5" \| Cosby \| rowspan="5" \| *The King of Queens* \| bgcolor="#00FFFF" rowspan="6" \| Everybody Loves Raymond (#11/10.6) \| *The Brian Benben Show* \| colspan="2" rowspan="4" \| *L.A. Doctors*
November \| bgcolor="#00FFFF" rowspan="5" \| *Becker* (#19/9.7) (Tied with Dateline NBC and the CBS Tuesday Movie)
Winter
Spring
Summer \| colspan="2" bgcolor="#77AACC" rowspan="2" \| 48 Hours
August \| *The King of Queens* \| *Thanks*
rowspan="4" \| Fox ! Fall \| colspan="2" rowspan="3" \| Melrose Place \| bgcolor="#FF66FF" colspan="2" rowspan="4" \| Ally McBeal (#23/9.6) \| bgcolor="#abbfff" colspan="2" rowspan="4" \| Local Programming
Winter
Spring
Summer \| *That '70s Show* \| bgcolor="#C0C0C0" \| *That '70s Show* (Repeats)
rowspan="7" \| NBC ! Fall \| rowspan="7" \| Suddenly Susan \| *Conrad Bloom* \| Caroline in the City \| *Will & Grace* \| bgcolor="#00FFFF" rowspan="4" colspan="2"\| Dateline NBC (#19/9.7) (Tied with Becker and The CBS Tuesday Movie)
Follow Up \| rowspan="3" \| Caroline in the City \| rowspan="2" \| Mad About You \| *Conrad Bloom*
Winter \| Working
Spring \| colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" \| Law & Order (Repeats)
Follow Up \| Mad About You \| bgcolor="#CF9FFF" colspan="4" \| The NBC Monday Movie
Summer \| Suddenly Susan \| Mad About You \| Mad About You \| bgcolor="#00FFFF" rowspan="2" colspan="2"\| Dateline NBC (#19/9.7) (Tied with Becker and The CBS Tuesday Movie)
Mid-Summer \| Veronica's Closet \| colspan="2" \| Law & Order
rowspan="9" \| UPN ! Fall \| *Guys Like Us* \| *DiResta* \| *The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer* \| Malcolm & Eddie \| bgcolor="#abbfff" rowspan="16" colspan="2" \| Local Programming
Follow Up \| Malcolm & Eddie \| *Guys Like Us* \| Malcolm & Eddie \| *DiResta*
Winter \| rowspan="5" \| *Dilbert* \| *DiResta* \| rowspan="3" colspan="2" \| The Sentinel
March \| *Redhanded*
April \| rowspan="2" \| *Home Movies*
June \| colspan="2"\| *Power Play*
Follow Up \| *Dilbert* \| *Redhanded* \| *Redhanded*
July \| colspan="2" \| The Sentinel \| colspan="2" \| *Seven Days*
August \| Moesha \| Malcolm & Eddie \| Moesha \| Between Brothers
rowspan="7" \| The WB ! Fall \| rowspan="7" colspan="2" \| 7th Heaven \| colspan="2" \| *Hyperion Bay*
Follow Up \| colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" \| Various Drama Repeats
Winter \| colspan="2" \| *Hyperion Bay*
Spring \| colspan="2" \| *Rescue 77*
May \| colspan="2" \| Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Summer \| colspan="2" \| *Rescue 77*
Mid-Summer \| *Movie Stars* \| *Katie Joplin*