NEW YORK -- NBC was undisputed winner of the prime time ratings race last week, with a hit TV movie and the World Series giving the network its best ratings week since Sept. 15-21, 1980, when it aired the miniseries 'Shogun.'
The A.C. Nielsen prime time ratings for the week ending Oct. 14 gave NBC a 22.1 rating and a 35 percent share of the audience, CBS a 15.3 rating with a 24 share and ABC a 15.0 rating with a 24 share.
For the first three weeks of the new TV season, NBC leads with an 18.0 rating and a 29 share. CBS is second, with a 17.1 rating and a 27 share, while ABC brings up the rear with a 15.2 rating and a 25 share.
The most-watched show of the week was NBC's 'The Burning Bed,' starring Farrah Fawcett as an abused wife. It was the network's highest-rated made-for-TV movie ever, and the fourth highest rated in network competition.
The only new series to make the top 10 also carried the NBC logo - 'The Bill Cosby Show.' Angela Lansbury's CBS series, 'Murder, She Wrote,' made a fine showing in 12th place. Most of the other new series that weren't knocked off by specials, politics or baseball nestled cozily near the bottom of the ratings list.
The CBS analysis following the vice presidential debate was the most popular, as was its analysis after the first presidential debate. CBS had a 14 rating and a 23 share, compared to ABC's 12.4 rating and 21 share and NBC's 11.9 rating and a 20 share.
In the evening news category, 'CBS Evening News with Dan Rather' was No. 1 with an 11.5 rating and 22 share. ABC's 'World News Tonight' had a 10.1 rating and a 20 share, while 'NBC Nightly News' had an 9.2 rating and a 19 share.
Top 10 prime time shows for the week ending Oct. 14, according to the A.C. Nielsen Co., were:
1. NBC Monday Night Movie, 'The Burning Bed'
2. World Series -- Game 5 (NBC)
3. World Series -- Game 1 (NBC)
4. World Series -- Game 2 (NBC)
5. Dynasty (ABC)
6. World Series -- Postgame 5 (NBC)
7. Dallas (CBS)
8. World Series -- Game 3 (NBC)
9. The Bill Cosby Show (NBC)
10. Magnum, P.I.
