What a difference one year makes. In the wake of Seinfeld ending in May 1998, NBC's stranglehold on 1st place softened. CBS took a solid second, with ABC holding third, the same pattern and configuration of the last two seasons. FOX was a softer 4th, as expected, and WB and CW trailed so far behind the two combined still underrated Fox. The 1998-99 season seemed tired as the hits faded and networks/showrunners scrambled to locate the next trend or hit. Instead of pressing more effort into locating the next "it" show, the networks relied on lazy tactics such as plastering 20/20 and Dateline across their schedule to plug holes.





To check out other years' ratings, visit the Ratings History Library .