TV RATINGS : ABC Gives NBC a Run; CBS Doesn’t

ABC won the battle of big TV movies Sunday night, but didn’t come close to unseating NBC as the prime-time ratings champ last week, the A.C. Nielsen Co. reported Tuesday. The peacock network had eight series among the week’s 10 most-watched programs, including its entire Thursday night lineup. CBS ran third for the week, as it has been doing for the season, placing only three series, “60 Minutes” (No. 9), “Murder, She Wrote” (No. 15) and “Jake and the Fatman” (No. 30), among the Top 30. The full list of ratings is on F9.

*The first installment of ABC’s two-part “Small Sacrifices” was the favorite choice among viewers from 9 to 11 p.m. Sunday. The movie, with Farrah Fawcett playing a woman who shot her children, attracted viewers in about 16.7 million homes. NBC’s “Manhunt: Search for the Night Stalker” was seen in about 14.2 million homes, and CBS’ “The Return of Sam McCloud” drew an audience in about 11.9 million homes.

Show Points Share 1.”The Cosby Show”(NBC) 26.5 42 2.”Cheers”(NBC) 24.3 38 3.”A Different World”(NBC) 24.1 37 4.”Roseanne”(ABC) 23.3 35 5.”The Golden Girls”(NBC) 20.8 36 *”Small Sacrifices (Part 1)”(ABC) 18.1 28