Top-rated United States television programs of 1980–81
# Top-rated United States television programs of 1980–81

This table displays the top-rated primetime television series of the 1980–81 season as measured by Nielsen Media Research.

| Rank | Program | Network | Rating |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Dallas | CBS | 34.5 |
| 2 | The Dukes of Hazzard | CBS | 27.3 |
| 3 | 60 Minutes | CBS | 27.0 |
| 4 | M*A*S*H | CBS | 25.7 |
| 5 | The Love Boat | ABC | 24.3 |
| 6 | The Jeffersons | CBS | 23.5 |
| 7 | Alice | CBS | 22.9 |
| 8 | House Calls | CBS | 22.4 |
| 8 | Three's Company | ABC | 22.4 |
| 10 | Little House on the Prairie | NBC | 22.1 |
| 11 | One Day at a Time | CBS | 22.0 |
| 12 | Real People | NBC | 21.5 |
| 13 | Archie Bunker's Place | CBS | 21.4 |
| 14 | Magnum, P.I. | CBS | 21.0 |
| 15 | Happy Days | ABC | 20.8 |
| 15 | Too Close for Comfort | ABC | 20.8 |
| 17 | Fantasy Island | ABC | 20.7 |
| 17 | Trapper John, M.D. | CBS | 20.7 |
| 17 | Diff'rent Strokes | NBC | 20.7 |
| 20 | Monday Night Football | ABC | 20.6 |
| 20 | Laverne & Shirley | ABC | 20.6 |
| 22 | That's Incredible! | ABC | 20.5 |
| 23 | Hart to Hart | ABC | 19.9 |
| 24 | ABC Sunday Night Movie | ABC | 19.4 |
| 24 | CHiPs | NBC | 19.4 |
| 26 | The Facts of Life | NBC | 19.3 |
| 27 | Lou Grant | CBS | 19.1 |
| 28 | Knots Landing | CBS | 19.0 |
| 29 | NBC Monday Night Movie | NBC | 18.8 |
| 30 | The Waltons | CBS | 18.6 |
