‘George & Leo’ Most-Watched Among Premiere Shows

With the new television season getting under way in earnest, viewers opted for the familiar last week - “Seinfeld,” a Monday night football game and Bob Newhart.

Veteran comedian Newhart’s new CBS sitcom, “George & Leo,” was the top-rated new show to premiere on last week’s schedule, Nielsen Media Research said.

NBC won what was technically the 53rd and last week of the 1996-97 season. The new season officially began Monday, delayed a week by Nielsen at the request of the networks.

NBC finished the week with a 9.1 rating and 16 share. CBS finished with an 8.8 rating and 15 share, ABC had an 8.7 rating and 15 share, and Fox had a 7.4 rating and 12 share.

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

An “X” in parentheses denotes one-time-only presentation. A rating measures the percentage of the nation’s 98 million TV homes. Each ratings point represents 980,000 households.

1. (3) “NFL Monday Night Football: Philadelphia at Dallas,” ABC, 17.4, 17.1 million homes.

2. (1) “Seinfeld,” NBC, 15.7, 15.4 million homes.

3. (8) “Touched By An Angel,” CBS, 15.4, 15.1 million homes.

4. (X) “Frasier,” NBC, 13.8, 13.5 million homes.

4. (10) “60 Minutes,” CBS, 13.8, 13.5 million homes.

6. (2) “ER,” NBC, 13.7, 13.4 million homes.

7. (13) “Dateline NBC,” (Tuesday) NBC, 13.6, 13.3 million homes.

8. (17) “CBS Sunday Movie: All The Winters That Have Been,” CBS, 12.8, 12.5 million homes.

9. (18) “Frasier,” NBC, 12.4, 12.2 million homes.

10. (5) “Friends,” NBC, 11.9, 11.7 million homes.

10. “Mad About You,” NBC, 11.9, 11.7 million homes.

10. (15) “NFL Monday Showcase” ABC, 11.9, 11.7 million homes.

10. (12) “PrimeTime Live,” ABC, 11.9, 11.7 million homes.

14. (X) “3rd Rock From The Sun,” NBC, 11.4, 11.2 million homes.

15. (13) “20/20,” (Friday) ABC, 11.2, 11.0 million homes.

16. (8) “Home Improvement,” ABC, 10.9, 10.7 million homes.

17. “Cybill,” CBS, 10.8, 10.6 million homes.

18. “Simpsons,” Fox, 10.7, 10.5 million homes.

19. (19) “George & Leo,” CBS, 10.6, 10.4 million homes.

20. “King Of The Hill,” Fox, 10.5, 10.3 million homes.