TV Ratings : NBC Bounces Back

Defending ratings champion NBC, trailing CBS thus far this season, showed some muscle last week and won the network competition, the A.C. Nielsen research firm reported Tuesday. With a well-balanced mix of comedy and drama and three of the Top 10 shows--”Cheers,” “Unsolved Mysteries” and the first part of Kenny Rogers’ miniseries, “The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw”--NBC averaged a 12.9 rating, topping CBS’ 12.5 and ABC’s 12.1 as the November sweeps began. (One rating point equals 921,000 homes.) The complete ratings list is on F11.

ABC, however, displayed an increasingly potent Tuesday lineup, with four of its series on that night--”Roseanne,” “Coach,” “Home Improvement” and “Full House”--all finishing in the Top 10. “Roseanne,” steadily increasing in popularity, drew 35% of the audience, topping all entertainment shows.

* With “The Golden Girls” falling off since its switch to 8 p.m., “Empty Nest” has become NBC’s bellwether in its long-successful Saturday lineup. It finished 16th last week.

Show Points Share 1. “60 Minutes” (CBS) 23.3 36 2. “Roseanne” (ABC) 23.1 35 3. “Coach” (ABC) 19.8 30 4. “Cheers” (NBC) 19.3 30 5. “Unsolved Mysteries” (NBC) 18.2 29 * “Empty Nest” (NBC) 15.0 26