Full House’s first season finished 71st in the Nielsen ratings. That modest result is striking in hindsight because the sitcom later became a dependable ABC hit and eventually ranked among the network’s most visible family comedies.
The show debuted in September 1987 and initially faced an unfavorable scheduling situation. It was placed at 8 p.m. Eastern, a slot where new programs often lacked the protection of a powerful lead-in. ABC also moved the series around during its first season, including Tuesday and Friday broadcasts, making it harder to build a consistent audience.
The turnaround began in season two, when Full House was scheduled immediately after Perfect Strangers, an established hit produced by the same Tom Miller and Bob Boyett team. From season three onward, Full House regularly reached Nielsen’s Top 30, and it later became a flagship of ABC’s TGIF programming block.
The 71st-place finish refers specifically to the first season, not the show’s eventual peak. Seasons five and six reached the Top 10.