Nbc Expects ‘Seinfeld’ To Top Season’s Ratings

Meet the new king of the network hill: NBC’s “Seinfeld” will be named the top-rated show of the 1994-95 season early next week.

While the season ends Sunday and “Seinfeld’s” final numbers will include Thursday night’s repeat episode, NBC is confirming that its 5-year-old hit has finally grabbed the kewpie doll.

And NBC’s freshman medical drama, “ER,” which has set all kinds of ratings records this season, is going to finish the season in the No. 2 spot, making it the highest-ranked firstseason drama ever, according to NBC researchers.

In finishing second, the program beats the previous high-water rookie mark set by ABC’s “Charlie’s Angels,” which was No. 5 in its debut season, 1976-77.

Meanwhile, the producers of ABC’s “Home Improvement” were right when they predicted, before the start of the season, that the show wouldn’t repeat as the No. 1 show for the season. It will finish No. 3.

It wasn’t an easy win for “Seinfeld”: “ER” is breathing down its neck and is expected to finish a mere half a rating point behind.