‘Home Alone’ Helps Nbc To Easy Win

Holiday movies from different generations and the dependable Thursday-night regulars led NBC to an easy victory in the prime-time television ratings last week.

The network’s airing of Macaulay Culkin’s “Home Alone” was the most-watched show last Friday night. The once-a-season showing of “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Saturday did well on a night that CBS usually dominates.

“ER” and “Seinfeld” were, as usual, the week’s top shows. But except for “ER,” NBC’s Thursday night lineup drew a smaller audience than normal, perhaps because people were busy with shopping and parties.

NBC finished the week with a 10.5 rating and 18 share, Nielsen Media Research said Tuesday. ABC was second with an 8.4 rating and 14 share, CBS had an 8.1 rating and 14 share, and Fox had a 6.2 rating and 10 share.

Jerry Rice’s brief return to the lineup during an enticing matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos was a ratings winner for ABC’s “Monday Night Football.” The show pulled in 26.9 million viewers, up from its season average of 20.8 million, just as the NFL was getting close to deciding which networks will air football in the coming years.

Here are prime-time ratings as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Dec. 15-21. Top 10 listings include the week’s ranking, with rating for the week, season-to-date rankings in parentheses, and total homes.

A rating measures the percentage of the nation’s estimated 97 million TV homes. Each ratings point represents 980,000 households.

1. (1) “E.R.,” NBC, 22.0, 21.6 million homes.

2. (2) “Seinfeld,” NBC, 20.2, 19.8 million homes.

3. (5) “NFL Monday Night Football: Denver at San Francisco,” ABC 18.0, 17.6 million homes.

4. (3) “Veronica’s Closet,” NBC 16.8, 16.5 million homes.

5. (4) “Friends,” NBC, 15.2, 14.9 million homes.

6. (18) “NFL Monday Showcase,” ABC, 13.1, 12.8 million homes.

6. (5) “Touched By An Angel,” CBS, 13.1. 12.8 million homes.

8. (11) “Frasier,” NBC, 13.0, 12.7 million homes.

9. (9) “Union Square,” NBC 12.8, 12.5 million homes.

10. (8) “Home Improvement,” ABC, 12.6, 12.3 million homes.

11. (17) “Drew Carey Show,” ABC, 12.5, 12.2 million homes.

12. (9) “60 Minutes,” CBS 12.4, 12.2 million homes.

13. (15) “Mad About You,” NBC, 12.3, 12.1 million homes.

14. (13) “Dateline NBC-Tuesday,” NBC, 11.8, 11.6 million homes.

15. (16) “Dateline NBC-Monday,” NBC, 11.5, 11.3 million homes.

15. (22) “Just Shoot Me,” NBC, 11.5, 11.3 million homes.

17. (7) “CBS Sunday Movie: A Christmas Memory,” CBS, 11.2, 11.0 million homes.

18. (14) “NYPD Blue,” ABC, 11.1, 10.9 million homes.

19. (27) “Dharma & Greg,” ABC, 10.6, 10.4 million homes.

20. (24) “King of the Hill,” FOX, 10.3, 10.1 million homes.