NEW YORK, Dec. 20 -- Nielsen TV ratings released Tuesday showed the ABC sitcom 'Home Improvement' was the nation's most-watched television show for the second week in a row. 'Home Improvement' star Tim Allen is undoubtedly having a happy holiday season as 'The Santa Clause,' Allen's first feature film, also passed the $100 million mark at the box office last week.
Additionally, Allen's first book, 'Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man,' has been among the nation's top 10 biggest-sellers since its release last fall. 'Home Improvement' garnered an 22.1 rating and a 32 percent share of the viewing audience. Another ABC sitcom, 'Grace Under Fire,' landed in the No. 2 slot with a 21.6 rating and a 32 percent share. 'E.R.,' NBC's popular new medical drama, placed third, with a 19.8 rating and a whopping 34 share. In all, ABC captured half of the top 10. Other NBC programs to reach the top 10 were 'Seinfeld' and its Sunday night broadcast of Game 2 of the National Football League. CBS scored hits with its mainstay '60 Minutes' and the holiday TV movie 'A Christmas Romance.' Each rating point represents about 942,000 households. A share is the percentage of TV sets in use that are tuned into a particular show or network. ------
The top 10 programs for the past week, according to Nielsen, were: 1. 'Home Improvement' (ABC) 22.1-32. 2. 'Grace Under Fire' (ABC) 21.6-32. 3. 'E.R.' (NBC) 19.8-34. 4. 'Monday Night Football,' Kansas City vs. Miami (ABC) 19.5-32. 5. 'Seinfeld' (NBC) 18.1-28. 6. 'The 10 Most Intriguing People of 1994' (ABC) 17.8-29. 7. 'A Christmas Romance' (CBS) 17.3-28. 8. 'Roseanne' (ABC) 16.6-26. 9. National Football League, Game 2, Various teams (NBC) 16.4-29. 10. '60 Minutes' (CBS) 16.2-27.
