TV Ratings : Sunday Night Lineup Helps CBS Win the Week

CBS bounced back into the No. 1 spot in the prime-time ratings last week, the A.C. Nielsen Co. reported Wednesday, thanks to the network’s usual strong Sunday night lineup. “60 Minutes” was the second highest-rated show of the week, “Murder, She Wrote” was fourth and sandwiched between them was CBS’ Sunday movie, “Jane’s House,” starring Anne Archer and James Woods.

NBC finished second for the week, fueled by the Orange Bowl on Saturday and the debut of its action series “Viper” on Sunday. The Orange Bowl, featuring the nail-biting showdown between Florida State and Nebraska, was seen in about 16.8 million households, while ABC’s simultaneous coverage of the Sugar Bowl--in which Florida rolled over West Virginia--drew only about 4.9 million.

Despite finishing third for the week, ABC had five of the Top 10 programs, including No. 1 “Home Improvement,” and it remains a close second behind CBS in the season-to-date standings.

Southland Ratings

Here are A. C. Nielsen’s Top 10 prime-time programs in the Los Angeles area during the same week. Each rating point equals 50,064 households.

Program Station Rating 1. 60 Minutes KCBS 20.6 2. Home Improvement KABC 18.4 3. “Jane’s House” KCBS 16.5 Prime Suspect KNBC 16.5 5. In Your Dreams KNBC 15.8 6. The Crusaders KNBC 15.7 “Viper” KNBC 15.7 8. Grace Under Fire KABC 15.0 9. Murder, She Wrote KCBS 14.8 10. The Simpsons KTTV 14.0 Seinfeld KNBC 14.0

Weekly Averages

CBS 12.2

NBC 11.7

ABC 11.2

FOX 6.4

Season to Date

CBS 12.8

ABC 12.5

NBC 11.2

FOX 7.1