Bart vs. Bill: ‘Cosby’ Takes the First Round

It’s still only summer and still only reruns, but “The Simpsons” were no match for a fresh bloopers episode of “The Cosby Show” in their first head-to-head battle, according to ratings from the nation’s 24 largest markets released today by the A. C. Nielsen Co.

The repeat broadcast about mischievous Bart Simpson’s decapitating the statue of his hometown’s founder managed a strong second place overall in the 8 p.m. Thursday time slot, handily beating “The Father Dowling Mysteries” on ABC and “48 Hours” on CBS.

But in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Fox Broadcasting’s “The Simpsons” beat NBC’s heavily promoted “Cosby” special, which was filled with outtakes and blunders from the show’s six previous seasons.

“The Cosby Show,” the highest-rated series of the 1980s, was seen in 29% of the homes watching television at the time in the 24 markets, while “The Simpsons” was seen in 19% of those homes. In Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest market, “The Simpsons” beat “Cosby” by more than 182,000 households.

“Cosby” will begin airing original episodes early next month, but “The Simpsons” will not get a new episode on the air until late October because of the animated series’ complicated production process.