Abc Blitzes Fall Short In Ratings

Last week’s most-hyped programs were on ABC, yet all the buildup didn’t translate into top ratings.

Neither the final two installments of “The Beatles Anthology” nor Princess Diana’s interview cracked the Nielsen Top 10, as NBC edged out ABC for the week, Nielsen Media Research reported Tuesday.

Airing last Wednesday, the second two-hour block of the much-promoted Beatles documentary gave ABC a not-so-fab 13.5 rating and 23 share, ranking 13th for the week out of 93 shows. Part 3 was trounced by NBC’s Thursday lineup to rank 36th with a 10.4 rating and 19 share.

Then, the next day, the BBC-produced interview with Princess Diana, which aired as a “Turning Point” special, gave ABC a 13.3 rating and 23 share, to rank 16th.

For the week of Nov. 20-26, NBC won in prime time with a 12.3 rating and 21 share. ABC had an 11.7 rating and 20 share.

Third-ranked CBS logged a puny 9.3 rating and 16 share. And Fox, programming 15 hours, scored a 6.9 rating and 11 share.

The top 10 ranking, with each program’s network and rating:

1. “NFL Monday Night Football,” ABC, 18.5.

2. “ER,” NBC, 17.3.

3. “Home Improvement,” ABC, 16.3.

4. “20/20,” ABC, 16.0.

5. “Friends” (special time), NBC, 15.5.

6. “NYPD Blue,” ABC, 15.5.

7. NBC Sunday Night Movie: “Jurassic Park,” NBC, 15.3.

8. NBC Monday Night Movie: “Dead By Sunset” (Part 2), NBC, 14.9.

9. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 14.6.

10. NBC Thursday Night Movie: “Home Alone,” NBC, 14.5.