Viewers Go for Laughs

Americans turned to television in droves last week for laughs. Ten of the 11 most-watched programs on TV were comedies, the A.C. Nielsen Co. reported Tuesday, with NBC’s Thursday-night duo of “The Cosby Show” and “A Different World” leading the way. Only CBS’ serious-minded “60 Minutes” interrupted the flow of humor at the top of the ratings chart, placing sixth. NBC was laughing most among the networks as it placed first for the 37th week in a row. The full ratings list is on page 10.

* Not so funny from CBS’ standpoint was the debut performance of “Hard Time on Planet Earth.” The new Wednesday-night series placed 65th among the week’s 81 prime-time programs.

TV RATINGS

Show Points Share 1.”The Cosby Show” 26.2 41 NBC 2.”Different World” 25.0 39 NBC 3.”Roseanne” 24.8 36 ABC 4.”Cheers” 24.3 37 NBC 5.”Golden Girls” 23.2 39 NBC *”A Hard Time on Planet Earth” 9.0 14 CBS