"Must See TV" is an advertising
slogan used by the
NBC television network to brand its
prime time blocks of
sitcoms during the 1990s, and most often applied to its Thursday night lineup. With shows such as
Cheers,
Seinfeld,
ER,
Will & Grace,
Mad About You,
Frasier, and
Friends, NBC dominated the ratings during the competitive Thursday night prime time timeslots. The slogan made its first appearance in NBC promotion in August 1993, and included the day of the week: "Must See TV Thursday." By the late summer of 1993, Seinfeld, moved to 9 p.m., had become appointment television for millions of Americans. But NBC wanted viewers to begin their tune in commitment an hour earlier, and created the "Must See TV" slogan to brand the comedy block. The first "Must See TV" block promo aired during late summer repeats and promoted "Mad About You," "Wings," and "Seinfeld" only, as "Frasier" had not yet premiered. It ended with the announcer copy, "Get home early for Must See TV Thursday." The "Must See TV" slogan continued in every NBC Thursday night comedy promo throughout the 1993 television season and sold the 8 - 10 p.m. comedy block. With the successful first year of "Must See TV Thursday" and Frasier and Mad About You moving to Tuesday nights, NBC expanded the second season of the "Must See TV" brand to include the Tuesday night comedy block: "Must See TV Tuesday."
Usage
In popular culture the phrase is most strongly associated with the network's entire Thursday night lineup, including both sitcoms and dramas, which dominated the ratings from the 1980s through late 1990s. Over the course of two decades, NBC's Thursday lineup featured such popular shows as
Friends,
Hill Street Blues,
The Cosby Show,
Family Ties,
Cheers,
A Different World,
Wings,
Night Court,
L.A. Law,
Frasier,
Seinfeld,
ER and
Will & Grace.
However, contrary to popular belief, "Must See TV" originally applied to sitcoms only (dramas would normally be promoted separately), and for much of the 1990s the phrase was used several nights a week as an attempt at
brand extension. At one point in fall 1997, the brand was used five nights a week, with four sitcoms a night from Monday to Thursday, and two on Sunday.
