TV Ratings : ABC Finishes 1, 2, 3

Cultural elite? One can only wonder what Vice President Dan Quayle would make of the A.C. Nielsen ratings released Tuesday. At the top of the list of prime-time shows last week was Roseanne Arnold in ABC’s “Roseanne,” seen in about 15.6 million homes. At the bottom, No. 93, was Julie Andrews in ABC’s “Julie,” seen in about 2.8 million. The week, meanwhile, went to Murphy Brown’s network, CBS, even though ABC captured the top three spots. CBS averaged a 9.8 rating, compared to ABC’s 9, NBC’s 8.2 and Fox’s 6.6.

Points Share 1. “Roseanne” (ABC) 16.9 30 2. “Coach” (ABC) 15.3 27 3. “Home Improvement” (ABC) 14.9 28 4. “60 Minutes” (CBS) 14.5 32 5. “Murphy Brown” (CBS) 13.5 24 * “On the Air” (ABC) 3.9 8

* The David Lynch-Mark Frost comedy “On the Air” began where their “Twin Peaks” ended: Near the bottom of the ratings. The debut of their latest TV venture on ABC last Saturday ranked No. 89, attracting only 8% of the available audience. Other summer series checking in last week fared considerably better. “Grapevine,” benefiting from a position in CBS’ strong Monday night lineup, tied for No. 9; CBS’ “Bodies of Evidence” tied for No. 19 and Fox’s “Down the Shore” tied at No. 26. Only CBS’ “Hollywood Game” gave “On the Air” a run for its money, placing No. 82.