NEW YORK -- NBC and CBS tied for first place in last week's prime time ratings race, but the real news for CBS was the encouraging performance of 'Hometown,' the first of the 1985-86 fall season shows to premiere.
Ratings for the week ending Aug. 25, according to the A.C. Nielsen Co., saw CBS with a 12.6 rating and a 23 percent share of the audience and NBC also with a 12.6 rating but with a 22 percent share. ABC placed third with an 11.8 rating and a 21 share.
'Hometown' made its debut in a special summer preview run on Thursday nights at 10 p.m., taking the place of 'Knots Landing,' which CBS always puts on hiatus rather than rerun the nighttime soap opera during the summer.
The new show, inspired by the theatrical movie 'The Big Chill,' tied for 23rd in the ratings and came in second in its time period, right behind ABC's '20-20' but ahead of NBC's 'Hill Street Blues.'
For ABC, the best news was the 12th place showing of 'Moonlighting,' just behind the top 10 and edging out NBC's 'Riptide' in its time period, with 'The In-Laws' on CBS in third.
NBC's limited-run 'oceanQuest' tied for 21st, winning its time period against 'The Sting' on ABC and a repeat of 'The Blue and the Gray' on CBS.
'West 57th,' the new CBS news magazine, placed 48th on a list of 60 shows.
'CBS Evening News with Dan Rather' -- which was without Dan Rather Thursday and Friday because of illness -- again was theNo. 1 news show for the week, with a 10.3 rating and a 22 share. ABC's 'World News Tonight' was second with a 9.1 rating and 19 share. 'NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw' was third with an 8.5 rating and a 18 share.
The top prime time shows for the week ending Aug. 25 according to the A.C. Nielsen Co., were:
1. The Cosby Show (NBC)
2. Family Ties (NBC)
3. Kate & Allie (CBS)
4. Newhart (CBS)
5. Miami Vice (NBC)
6. Cheers (NBC)
7. 60 Minutes (CBS)
8. Night Court (NBC)
9.
