NEW YORK -- Any way you look at it, ABC's 'Roseanne' looms as the biggest hit of the season.
The sitcom starring comedienne Roseanne Barr came in second in last week's Nielsen ratings, but it wasn't enough to overcome NBC's lead, it was reported Tuesday.
NBC also has two new shows in the hit category -- 'Empty Nest,' which came in ninth, and 'Dear John,' in 16th place -- as well as a respectable 32nd ranking for 'Unsolved Mysteries.' 'Dear John' is part of the network's blockbuster Thursday lineup and 'Empty Nest' follows 'Golden Girls' on Saturday.
The best showing for a new series on CBS was 'Paradise,' in 51st place on the list of 71 shows.
The results on the rest of the new series ranged from poor to disastrous: 'Baby Boom' (NBC) was 48th; 'Mission Impossible' (ABC), 49th; 'Murphy's Law' (ABC), 53rd; 'Tattinger's' (NBC), 54th; 'Incredible Sunday' (ABC), 55th, 'Something Is Out There' (NBC), 57th; 'Dirty Dancing' (CBS), 60th; 'The Van Dyke Show' (CBS) and 'Police Story' (ABC), tied for 61st; 'Annie McGuire' (CBS), 64th, and 'Raising Miranda' (CBS), 68th.
At the very bottom of the list was ABC's 'Cary Grant: A Celebration,' which couldn't compete with 'L.A. Law' and 'Knots Landing.' The guy who said fame is fleeting knew what he was talking about.
CBS was the winner in the Sunday movie battle, with 'Internal Affairs' part 1 in 17th place. 'Down and Out In Beverly Hills' (ABC) was in 21st place and NBC's 'Great Escape: The Untold Story' ranked 27th.
The CBS soaps continue to thrive, with 'Dallas' in 18th, 'Knots Landing' tied for 19th and weakening 'Falcon Crest' still a respectable 36th. ABC's 'Dynasty,' reportedly in its last year, tied for 37th.
NBC won the week with a 14.6 rating and a 24 share. ABC was second with a 13.0 rating and a 21 share, and CBS had a 12.7 rating and a 21 share.
As for the television season to date, NBC claims it is seven weeks old and ABC and CBS say it began on Oct. 24.
In the NBC version, NBC leads with a 16.7 rating and a 27 share. ABC is second with a 13.1 rating and a 22 share and CBS comes in last with an 12.1 rating and a 20 share.
In the shorter season view, NBC has a 15.5 rating and a 25 share, ABC has a 13.4 rating and a 22 share and CBS a 12.8 rating and a 21 share.
Either way, NBC is way ahead.
CBS was back on top in the tight news ratings race, as 'CBS Evening News' with Dan Rather scored an 11.7 rating and a 21 share. ABC's 'World News Tonight' with Peter Jennings was second with a 10.9 rating and a 20 share, while 'NBC Nightly News' with Tom Brokaw was right behind with a 10.2 rating and a 19 share.
Each ratings point represents about 887,000 households and a share is the percentage of TV sets tuned to a particular show.
The top 10 prime time shows for the week ending Nov. 6, according to the A.C. Nielsen Co., were:
1. The Cosby Show (NBC)
2. Roseanne (ABC)
3. (tie) A Different World (NBC)
60 Minutes (CBS)
5. Golden Girls (NBC)
6. Who's The Boss? (ABC)
7. Cheers (NBC)
8. Murder, She Wrote (CBS)
9. Empty Nest (NBC)
10.
