"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
The Cosby Show,
Cheers,
Seinfeld,
ER,
Will & Grace and
Friends, NBC dominated the ratings during the competitive Thursday night prime time timeslots.
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
Hill Street Blues,
The Cosby Show,
Family Ties,
Cheers,
A Different World,
Wings,
Night Court,
L.A. Law,
Frasier,
Seinfeld,
ER,
Friends, 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.
