Still On Top Nbc Maintains Grip On TV Ratings; Fox Puts Two Shows On Hold
NBC aced the first week of the season, while the ratings Top 10 welcomed five new series to its ranks, according to Nielsen Media Research figures released Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Nielsen bell tolled for the season’s first two casualties: Fox Broadcasting’s Monday sitcoms “Party Girl” and “Lush Life.”
A fourth of the networks’ total crop of 40 new series remained in the wings at week’s end (including the Steven Bocho sitcom “Public Morals” on CBS and Fox’s “Millennium,” from the creator of “The X-Files”).
But a hefty 16 shows premiered during the official season kickoff, Sept. 16-22 - and many scored big.
Settling into NBC’s Thursday hit lineup, Brooke Shields’ “Suddenly Susan” debuted in second place (its lead-in, “Seinfeld,” took the week’s top spot).
CBS’ high hopes for “Cosby” came true as this new Monday sitcom grabbed fifth place. Michael J. Fox returned to series television with ABC’s “Spin City,” and that Tuesday sitcom captured No. 6.
CBS’ Rhea Perlman-starring “Pearl” (temporarily on Mondays after “Cosby”) took eighth place, and a Thursday preview of NBC’s Saturday-bound drama “Pretender” claimed ninth.
Not so lucky were two Fox newcomers. On his first day on the job, Entertainment President Peter Roth announced a hiatus for “Party Girl” (which ranked 88th) after next Monday’s broadcast, though he promised a “major re-launch later this season.” Its companion sitcom, “Lush Life,” which tied for 93rd, was canceled outright after next week. Both debuted Sept. 9.
Overall, last season’s reigning champ, NBC, logged an 11.8 household rating and 20 share for the week, winning two nights: Tuesday and Thursday.
Last season’s third-place CBS began the new season in second, with a 10.8 rating and 18 share - up 10 percent from the 1995-96 premiere week. CBS won three nights: Monday, Saturday and Sunday.
ABC had a 9.9 rating and 17 share (and claimed Wednesday and Friday), while Fox scored a 6.3 rating and 10 share for its 15-hour prime-time week.
Prime-time ratings as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Sept. 16-22. Top 20 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 97.0 million TV homes. Each ratings point represents 970,000 households.
1. (1) “Seinfeld,” NBC, 22.2, 21.5 million homes
2. (2) “Suddenly Susan,” NBC, 20.4, 19.8 million homes
3. (3) “Friends,” NBC, 18.7, 18.1 million homes
4. (4) “Home Improvement,” ABC, 18.2, 17.6 million homes
5. (5) “Cosby,” CBS, 17.3, 16.8 million homes
6. (6) “Spin City,” ABC, 17.0, 16.5 million homes
7. (8) “Single Guy,” NBC, 16.8, 16.3 million homes
8. (9) “Pearl,” CBS, 16.7, 16.2 million homes
9. (X) “Pretender,” NBC, 16.2, 15.7 million homes
10. (10) “Murphy Brown,” CBS, 15.5, 15.0 million homes
11. (7) “NFL Monday Night Football,” ABC, 15.2, 14.7 million homes
12. (11) “Frasier,” NBC, 14.7, 14.3 million homes
13. “Mad About You,” NBC, 14.6, 14.2 million homes 14.
(12) “Cybill,” CBS, 14.4, 14.0 million homes
15. (13) “Something So Right,” NBC, 14.2, 13.8 million homes
16. (14) “Touched by an Angel,” CBS, 14.0, 13.6 million homes
17. “3rd Rock From The Sun,” NBC, 13.8, 13.4 million homes
18. (15) “60 Minutes,” CBS, 13.4, 13.0 million homes
19. “Caroline in the City,” NBC, 13.2, 12.8 million homes
20. (16) “Dateline NBC,” (Tuesday) NBC, 13.1, 12.7 million homes
20. (16) “Grace Under Fire,” ABC, 13.1, 12.7 million homes
22. “NBC Monday Night Movies: Sweet Dreams,” NBC, 13.0
23. “Roseanne,” ABC, 12.8
24. “Chicago Hope,” CBS, 12.6
25. “Drew Carey Show,” ABC, 12.5
25. (X) “Touched by an Angel,” CBS, 12.5
25. “20/20,” ABC, 12.5
28. “NBC Sunday Night Movies: On Deadly Ground,” NBC, 12.4
29. “PrimeTime Live,” ABC, 12.2
30. “CBS Tuesday Movie: Undue Influence: Part 2 of 2,” CBS, 11.8
31. “Life’s Work,” ABC, 11.7
32. “Law & Order,” NBC, 11.2
32. “Walker, Texas Ranger,” CBS, 11.2
34. “CBS Sunday Movie: What Love Sees,” CBS, 11.1
35. “ABC Sunday Night Movie: Two Mothers for Zachary,” ABC, 10.9
35. “Dateline NBC,” (Friday) NBC, 10.9
35. “Nanny,” CBS, 10.9
38. “Men Behaving Badly,” NBC, 10.5
39. “Family Matters,” ABC, 9.8
39. (X) “Pearl,” CBS, 9.8
39. “Promised Land,” CBS, 9.8
42. (X) “All Star-TV Censored Bloopers,” NBC, 9.7
42. (X) “High Incident,” ABC, 9.7
44. “Townies,” ABC, 9.6
45. “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” CBS, 9.5
46. “Nash Bridges,” CBS, 9.3
47. “Clueless,” ABC, 9.2
47. “Profiler,” NBC, 9.2
49. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC, 9.1
49. “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” CBS, 9.1
51. “CBS Wednesday Movie: Rockford Files: Punishment & Crime,” CBS, 9.0
52. “Ellen,” ABC, 8.9
53. “NewsRadio,” NBC, 8.8
54. “Homicide,” NBC, 8.6
55. “Boy Meets World,” ABC, 8.4
55. “Diagnosis Murder,” CBS, 8.4
55. “Turning Point,” ABC, 8.4
55. “Unsolved Mysteries,” NBC, 8.4
59. “John Larroquette Show,” NBC, 8.3
60. “Dark Skies,” NBC, 8.1
60. “Melrose Place,” Fox, 8.1
62. “Beverly Hills, 90210,” Fox, 8.0
63. “Wings,” NBC, 7.8
64. “Lois & Clark,” ABC, 7.7
65. “48 Hours,” CBS, 7.5
66. “Dave’s World,” CBS, 7.4
67. (X) “Fox NFL Sunday Bonus,” Fox, 7.3
68. “X-Files,” Fox, 7.2
69. “Everybody Loves Raymond,” CBS, 7.1
69. “Moloney,” CBS, 7.1
69. “New York Undercover,” Fox, 7.1
72. “High Incident,” ABC, 6.7
72. “Party of Five,” Fox, 6.7
72. “Saturday Night at The Movies: Naked Gun 33 1/3,” ABC, 6.7
75. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC, 6.6