The 1987-1988 television season is the 42nd network season in United States television history. It began on Monday, September 21, 1987 and ended on Sunday, April 24, 1988. The effective start date of the 1987-88 season for the purposes of audience measurement was Monday, September 21, 1987 through Sunday, September 18, 1988.
Universe estimates used to calculate a program or network's rating within that particular demographic for the 1987-88 TV season. See the extended 1987-1988 universe estimates.
| Demographic | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Households | 88,600,000 | |
| Persons 2+ | 229,120,000 | |
| Persons 2-11 | 34,360,000 | 15.0% |
| Persons 2-5 | 14,170,000 | 6.18% |
| Persons 6-11 | 20,190,000 | 8.81% |
| Persons 6-8 | 10,410,000 | 4.54% |
| Persons 9-11 | 9,780,000 | 4.27% |
| Persons 12-14 | 9,700,000 | 4.23% |
| Persons 12-17 | 19,880,000 | 8.68% |
| Persons 15-17 | 10,180,000 | 4.44% |