TV RATINGS : The Winner Is . . . ABC and Academy Awards

ABC’s telecast of the Academy Awards helped propel the network to first place in the Nielsen ratings last week, breaking NBC’s string of 23 consecutive triumphs. NBC still placed six shows in the Top 10 and finished second overall, ahead of CBS. ABC also got strong performances from the Barbara Walters special that aired in conjunction with the Academy Awards and from its new series “Equal Justice,” which won its time period on Wednesday. NBC’s new comedy “Carol & Company,” starring Carol Burnett, did even better in its first time out on Saturday, placing ninth among the week’s 84 prime-time programs. The full list of ratings is on F9.

* It was a good week for series premieres. The CBS comedy “Bagdad Cafe,” starring Jean Stapleton and Whoopi Goldberg, won its Friday night time slot (knocking off ABC’s “Perfect Strangers”), as did the show that premiered in its wake, “Sugar & Spice.” CBS said that “Bagdad Cafe” turned in the best ratings the network has received between 9 and 9:30 on a Friday night this season.

Show Points Share 1.”Academy Awards”(ABC) 27.9 48 2.”Cheers”(NBC) 23.8 38 3.”Funniest Home Videos”(ABC) 21.7 36 4.”The Cosby Show”(NBC) 21.4 35 5.”Golden Girls”(NBC) 20.4 34 *”Bagdad Cafe”(CBS) 16.0 27