NBC Scores Solid Primetime Ratings Victory

By Tom Bierbaum

NEW YORK (Variety) - The latest ratings for NBC's Tuesday and Thursday "must-see" lineups have propelled the network to a solid victory in the primetime Nielsens race for Nov. 18-24.

NBC was also headed for its most dominant November sweep win in adults 18-49 (the demographic that most strongly reflects advertiser demand) since at least 1975.

Last week, NBC's Tuesday lineup tied ABC's in adults 18-49 for a second consecutive week -- pushing ABC's sweep-month losses to 21%, compared to last year, on its strongest night.

NBC's Thursday team wrapped up what NBC calls "the most dominant November sweep night on record" by quadrupling the 18-49 average of its closest pursuer.

The big November loser has been ABC, suffering double-digit losses vs. last year by virtually all important measures. However, ABC rallied last week to finish second in homes, adults 18-49 and adults 25- 54. ABC's highest-rated Monday gridcast in four years played the key role, reminding the network how tough things will be in four weeks when the football season ends.

NBC holds an unassailable lead through Monday of this week, with two nights left to count in the four-week November sweep. NBC averaged an 11.4 rating 18 share (down 4% compared to its rating for the same period last year) in homes and a 7.3 rating (down 4%) in adults 18-49.

In households, CBS (10.2/16, up 2%) is involved in a down-to-the- wire race with ABC (10.0/16, down 12%) for second, while Fox is fourth (7.9/12, up 4%).

In adults 18-49 it's ABC (5.8, down 17%) and Fox (5.7, up 4%) battling down to the wire for second-place honors, while CBS (4.6, down 2%) is far behind in fourth.

MONDAY

On Monday of this week, ABC again ruled with football (Pittsburgh- Miami, 16.8 rating, 28 share). Fox was a competitive second in adults 18-49, as Melrose Place (9.0/14 in homes) and Close Call: Cheating Death (9.6/14) beat everything but football in that demo.

SUNDAY

Fox breezed in adults 18-49 and 25-54 while CBS prevailed in homes. With X-Files taking to its new Sunday slot in a big way, Fox is up 34% on Sundays this sweep in adults 18-49, the biggest increase for any network on any night of the week.

With part one of In Cold Blood, CBS won the Sunday 9-11 p.m. film race among adults 18-49 for the first time since June 16 (though X-Files easily beat all three movies on Sunday in all key demos).

At 7 p.m., 60 Minutes beat rival Dateline NBC (suffering some football preemptions) by 5 shares in adults 25-54.

With no NBC sitcom in the 8:30-9 half-hour, Fox's Ned and Stacey held a stellar 98% of its 18-49 leadin from The Simpsons. WB earned its best Sunday teen rating ever.

SATURDAY

CBS' Cyclone Saturday (which featured tornado devastation on each of its three dramas) lifted the network 6 shares above its closest rival among adults 25-54. Only once before this season has CBS won a Saturday in the 25-54 demo by more than 2 shares (again on a night when NBC rested its regulars). Leading the CBS surge was the highest-rated Walker, Texas Ranger since Feb. 10.

Bob Hope's 60 years at NBC didn't exactly end with a Nielsen bang, though Hope did manage his top rating since Christmas '94. From 9-11 p.m., NBC's Gold Championship scored the best skating marks of the season to date, slipping by a minor 3% compared to 1995 results.

FRIDAY

Fox is getting just enough Millennium momentum to stay ahead in adults 18-49 for its 8-10 p.m. block. Last week, Millennium led its slot by 2 shares in that demo, though the rookie thriller was down 33% compared to that hour's X-Files a year ago. ABC led the night in 8-11 p.m. averages.

A season-high Homicide, featuring guest star Elijah Wood, boosted NBC within a half-point of ABC for the night in the 18-49 demo. An extra Nash Bridges in the 9-10 p.m. hour did worse there than the canceled Mr. & Mrs. Smith. While Smith had averaged a 4.0/10 in adults 25-54, Bridges fell to a 3.7/10.

THURSDAY

The highest-rated ER since Feb. 15, plus season highs for Friends and Seinfeld, led NBC to another easy Thursday win. Fox's three regulars hit season highs, helping keep it second for the night in young-adult demos.

ABC's woeful Thursday schedule (High Incident, Murder One, Turning Point) has plunged by 37% this month among adults 18-49 vs. November '95, the worst drop for any night on any network during the sweep.

WEDNESDAY

A record 18-49 rating for sophomore hit Drew Carey led ABC to another comfortable Wednesday win. NBC continues to struggle to establish a Wednesday "must-see" foothold: last week, Wings fluttered to the worst firstrun rating in its eight seasons.

A special Boston Common, though, demonstrated how a competitive 8:30 show might perk things up for NBC. Common built on its 18-49 lead in by 23%, compared to an average 9% drop by scrubbed slot regular Larroquette.

Against Boston, struggling rookies Townies (ABC) and Pearl (CBS) settled for poor 81% retentions of their 18-49 leadins. CBS got its second-best Wednesday 9-11 p.m. rating this season from the movie For My Daughter's Honor.

TUESDAY

NBC tied ABC in adults 18-49, led by another big Mad About You win over fading Roseanne (which fell to a second-straight record-low firstrun rating) and the first households victory ever for Dateline over a firstrun NYPD Blue.

While Mad About You is sizzling, Something So Right loses lots of heat at 8:30, last week holding a lowest-yet 75% of its 18-49 leadin from Mad.

At 9:30, NBC's Caroline in the City again outfoxed ABC's Spin City, retaining 95% of its 18-49 leadin compared to a lowest-yet 76% for Spin.

Speed bused in Fox's highest Tuesday theatrical-pic rating ever. Viewers gave CBS' Titanic an icy reception: a two-night 10.5/16, lower than 12 of 15 firstrun multiple-parters aired on the Big Three last season. UPN suffered season lows for Moesha and The Burning Zone.

MONDAY

Green Bay-Dallas football amassed the best Monday Night Footballstats since Oct. 5, 1992. Melrose Place hit its highest 18-49 rating since April 1.

Each rating point represents an estimated 970,000 households, or 1% of the country's TV homes. The share is the same sort of percentage, except that it's measured against only the households in which TV is being watched during the timeslot involved.

Reuters/Variety