New Tuesday Series Keeps NBC Rock-Solid

NBC solidified its hold on the prime-time ratings last week with help from something other than its skyrocketing Thursday lineup. The comedy “3rd Rock From the Sun” premiered Tuesday to what NBC said were the network’s best ratings with regular programming in the 8:30 p.m. slot since at least 1987.

The sitcom, starring John Lithgow and Jane Curtain, ranked 10th among the week’s 111 prime-time network programs, according to figures released Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

“Seinfeld,” which NBC announced this week will be returning for another season, was No. 1.

Fox, meanwhile, bolstered by the Dallas Cowboys-Green Bay Packers NFC championship game running into prime time in much of the country Sunday, recorded what it said was its highest weekly rating in history--27% above its average this season. The network also finished second behind NBC in the 18- to 49-year-old group that advertisers prize.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Southland Ratings

Here are A.C. Nielsen’s Top 10 prime-time programs in the Los Angeles area during the same week. Each rating point equals 50,064 households.

*--*

Program Network Rating 1. Seinfeld KNBC 20.3 2. Friends KNBC 20.0 3. Home Improvement KABC 18.8 4. Frasier KNBC 18.5 5. 60 Minutes KCBS 17.4 6. The Single Guy KNBC 17.3 7. ER KNBC 17.2 8. 3rd Rock From the Sun KNBC 16.1 9. Caroline in the City KNBC 16.0 10. Melrose Place KTTV 15.3

*--*

Weekly Averages

NBC: 11.2

ABC: 10.8

CBS: 10.2

FOX: 9.4

WB: 2.7

UPN: 2.3

Season to Date

NBC: 11.7

ABC: 11.3

CBS: 9.6

FOX: 7.5

UPN: 3.0

WB: 2.3

Source: A. C. Nielsen