The following is the 2004–05 network television schedule for the six major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 2004 through May 2005. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 2003–04 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football.

Beginning this season, the major networks were no longer producing original dramatic content for Saturday broadcast (an exception being ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney, although it often featured rebroadcast material). Saturday schedules consisted instead of nonfiction reality-based programming and rebroadcasts of dramatic series episodes from earlier in the week, or new episodes of series previously scheduled on other nights that had been de facto cancelled and were "burning off" unaired episodes.

New series are highlighted in bold.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.^[1]

Rankings determined by Nielsen Media Research.

PBS is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary.

NOTES: At mid-season, Fox was supposed to start Sundays with Kelsey Grammer Presents: The Sketch Show at 7:00, King of the Hill at 7:30, Malcolm in the Middle at 8:30, Arrested Development at 9, and American Dad! at 9:30, but it was changed at the last minute. On ABC, Alias was supposed to have aired mid-season in the time slot, but the network had to stick with Desperate Housewives at the last minute.

NOTE: On Fox, Athens was supposed to have started the night at 8-9 at mid-season, but it was cancelled at the last minute.

NOTES: On NBC, Average Joe was supposed to have started the night at 8-9, but it was delayed to summer, and The Contender was supposed to premiere in the timeslot on March 1, 2005, but it was delayed to March 9, 2005, before switching places with American Dreams and landed on its Sunday slot. On Fox, The Jury was supposed to have stayed on the night prior to November, but low ratings canned the show at a last minute.

NOTE: On Fox, Method & Red was supposed to have stayed at 9:30-10, but it was cancelled at the last minute due to low ratings of the show from last season and at midseason, Life on a Stick would've been aired at 8:30-9, and The Bernie Mac Show would've been concluded the night at 9:30-10, but it was changed at a last minute.

NOTE: On Fox, Tru Calling would've supposed to have stayed at 9-10, but it was pushed up to spring and place North Shore at fall instead.

NOTES: On Fox, The Jury was supposed to have remained on Fridays, and that The Next Great Champ was supposed to have started the night at 8-9, but due to low ratings of The Jury, it was cancelled, and The Complex: Malibu was signed on at the last minute, and at midseason, The Inside would've started the night at 8-9, followed by Jonny Zero. On The WB, Commando Nanny would've been aired at 9:30-10, but it was cancelled due to production difficulties.