TV RATINGS : ‘Roseanne,’ ‘Empty Nest’ Filling Top 10

Was it something the politicians said? America’s television viewers were in a mood to laugh last week: Eight of the 10 most-watched programs were comedies. Topping the A. C. Nielsen charts released Tuesday were long-time favorite “The Cosby Show” on NBC and ABC’s newcomer “Roseanne.” The only other first-year show to crack the Top 10 was NBC’s “Empty Nest,” at No. 9.

* Not all returning series were enthusiastically welcomed back, however. “Miami Vice,” in its season premiere on NBC, finished third in its time slot Friday night, attracting viewers in about 11 million homes, compared to about 13.5 million for ABC’s “20/20” and 11.6 million for CBS’ “Falcon Crest.”

Show Points Share 1. “The Cosby Show” 25.9 41 (NBC) 2. “Roseanne” 24.1 36 (ABC) 3. “A Different World” 22.7 35 (NBC) 4. “60 Minutes” 22.7 34 (CBS) 5. “The Golden Girls” 22.6 39 (NBC) * “Miami Vice” 12.2 21 (NBC) (premiere)