'Dueling Shows' That Battled It Out On The Airwaves

Before Grey's Anatomy took the lead, ER was the longest-running medical drama series, and it all began in 1994. The show continued for an impressive 15 seasons - consisting of 331 episodes - so it dominated the airwaves in its niche for a long time. Chicago Hope also premiered in 1994, and while it didn't run for as long as ER, it managed six seasons of 141 episodes.

Both series were medical dramas that focused more on the characters than the medicine itself. For the first six years, people were divided over which series was better, but both were excellent when you get down to it. One key difference was the focus of each show - ER was more about the patients than the doctors, while Chicago Hope focused on the doctors themselves.

That's not to say ER wasn't about doctors - they were the central players. Still, key differences made it possible for both series to shine on their own merit. The shows did battle for viewers, thanks to sharing time slots (for a while): ER was always shown at 10 pm on Thursdays, which was the same timeslot Chicago Hope took in its premiere season.

Chicago Hope jumped around after that, staying at the same time, but shifted to Monday for seasons 2 and 3, Wednesday for the fourth and fifth seasons, and finally settling on the 9 pm timeslot on Thursday for its sixth season. This allowed fans to watch both shows after the first season, which likely helped keep attention focused on them throughout their runs.

While most of the dueling series on this list have indications of one influencing or ripping off the other, that isn't true of Matlock and Murder, She Wrote. In fact, there's plenty of evidence that the success of Murder, She Wrote directly influenced the creation of Matlock. 

As author and journalist Daniel de Visé explained:

The success of Murder, She Wrote for aging film star Angela Lansbury had set the networks to wonder what other graying thespians might be ready to pilot their own murder mysteries… [Matlock creator Dean Hargrove] was assigned, along with fellow producer Fred Silverman, to create a new show for Andy. They called it Matlock.

That pretty much sums it up. The unlikely premise of an aging detective/investigator that worked with Lansbury in Murder, She Wrote gave the studios confidence that another aging star, Andy Griffith, could be just as successful. Ultimately, Matlock ran for nine seasons, while its inspiration managed an impressive 12.

Columbo followed the adventures of the eponymous Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective lieutenant portrayed by Peter Falk from 1971 to 1978 on NBC. The series was revived(ish) and aired on ABC from 1989 to 2003. Columbo is an intelligent detective who became known for his unorthodox look and the catchphrase “Just one more thing,” which surprised people with a final critical question.

The series was very popular, though hardly the only crime drama on TV. Another series, The Rockford Files, shared airwaves with Kojak when it aired from 1974 to 1980. In The Rockford Files, James Garner played Jim Rockford, a private investigator working in Los Angeles.

While similarities exist between the series, they differ enough to make them distinct entries in the genre. Interestingly, there was talk of a crossover, but that never happened. Still, in one episode of Columbo, the title character strolled by Jim Rockford's trailer, though it was a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment.

Ultimately, the two shows are often compared because of their strong leads and the case-of-the-week format. Natasha Lyonne, who plays a Kojak-like character in Poker Face, discussed the format similarities with her series and those 1970s greats Kojak and The Rockford Files in an interview with Time:

There’s a whole bunch of shows from that era that are just the idea, really, of a case-of-the-week puzzle box. It’s such an iconic character that we’ve seen permutations on that idea for, I don’t know, probably seven decades now, whether it’s Humphrey Bogart or Elliott Gould or Jack Nicholson, and so many others - or Peter Falk.

Married… with Children was an overtly crass, hyper-sexualized, and anger-inducing show that bucked the traditional sitcom motif. This wasn't a series about a wholesome family living in middle America; it was about a bunch of people with love/hate relationships who constantly insulted and demeaned one another - and it worked.

Roseanne similarly takes a look at everyday blue-collar Americans who constantly insult one another but, in the end, clearly love one another. Similar in premise but different in tone (Married… was a much broader sort of comedy), both shows were successful. Roseanne aired from 1988 to 1997, while Married… with Children was on the air from 1987 to 1997, so there was a ton of overlap.

As it happens, the producers initially wanted Roseanne Barr for the role of Peg Bundy on Married… with Children, but it didn't work out. That was a good thing for Barr, due to the popularity Roseanne enjoyed - and it even landed a revival in 2018. Granted, the network killed it after Barr made nasty comments online, but it continued as The Conners.

Neither show truly stood above the other in terms of fame because both were major successes. People who enjoyed one often enjoyed the other, and while they are alike in many ways, they stand apart far enough that they can be enjoyed independently.

Sketch comedy shows have been around for decades, but one tends to dominate the conversation: Saturday Night Live. It's essentially a comedy institution, and has launched dozens of successful performers' careers on TV. As such, comparing any sketch comedy series aired during its 48+ years on the air is unfair, but that doesn't mean it didn't compete.

Back in 1990, the Wayans brothers got together and threw everything they had at SNL via In Living Color, and they were incredibly successful. Keenen Ivory Wayans and Damon Wayans created the series, which premiered in 1990 and ran through 1994. In an interview with The Comic's Comic, Damon explained how he left SNL to do his own thing:

What happened was Eddie Murphy had just left. And so, Lorne Michaels was trying to - he thought - protect me from being compared to Eddie Murphy. And I’m like, “Look. You give me the ball or let me go. Fire me from the team.” So, he wouldn’t give me the ball, so I just switched characters during a live taping. I wanted to get fired.

In addition to boosting the Wayans' career, In Living Color was instrumental in launching the careers of Jennifer Lopez, Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier, Tommy Davidson, and many others.

Neither series truly compares to the other, as they had their niches. SNL has always been good at creating unique content, and the early 1990s saw the likes of Julia Sweeney, Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Space dominate the airwaves. It's unfair to compare the two series outside their format, as both remain incredibly popular.

Rock ultimately left SNL for In Living Color, primarily over creative differences. He came up with skits that weren't picked up, which frustrated him. In Living Color was designed to be edgier and had no problems taking on Rock's content.

Diff’rent Strokes premiered on NBC in 1978 and continued on ABC to conclude eight seasons of 189 episodes. The series centered around two Black children from Harlem adopted by a Park Avenue businessman and his daughter. The primary focus was on Arnold, played by Gary Coleman.

Webster hit the airwaves on ABC in 1983, running for six seasons of 150 episodes. The show centered around Webster, an orphan played by Emmanuel Lewis. Webster is adopted by his godfather, an NFL pro, and his socialite wife. The trope is the same: poor Black child is taken in by wealthy White family, and various hijinks ensue.

Both shows have clear similarities, and the focus on young Black actors placed in an unfamiliar environment ties them together. It's not uncommon to encounter people who believe Webster ripped off Diff’rent Strokes, and it's probably true. After all, both series did well on ABC, so recreating a popular format wasn't a bad call for the network.