TV Ratings : Lansbury Brings CBS a Happy Holiday

CBS found another ratings win under its Christmas tree last week, with Angela Lansbury providing much of the holiday cheer.

The double-dose of Lansbury last Sunday with her usually high-rated “Murder, She Wrote” followed by “Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris,” featuring Lansbury as a Cockney maid, were two of the network’s five shows that placed in the Top 10. The movie ranked third for the week; a repeat of “Murder, She Wrote” came in sixth.

With CBS’s “60 Minutes” again coming in first, it was an unbeatable Sunday night for the network, which also scored with Tuesday night’s showing of “Parenthood,” starring Steve Martin. A Monday night tryout for CBS’ “Bob,” also did well, finishing 14th and winning its time period.

Viewers also mixed football with their shopping, as ABC’s Monday Night game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons came in second. And, while a repeat of ABC’s “Roseanne,” starring Roseanne Arnold, finished fifth, husband Tom Arnold’s “The Jackie Thomas Show,” placed far below at No. 18.

NBC’s main reason to be jolly came fron “Dateline NBC.” The newsmagazine scored its highest rating ever, coming in seventh with an in-prison interview with Amy Fisher and an investigative report on the Wal-Mart chain.

Several holiday specials failed to draw viewers. CBS’ “ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “A Wish for Wings That Work” and “A Christmas Carol” and ABC’s “Santa Claus: The Movie,” all on Christmas Eve, did not fare well; NBC’s “An Olympic Christmas” on Christmas Day finished near the bottom of the rankings.

CBS averaged an 11.6 rating for the week, ABC 9.7, NBC 8.9 and Fox 6.2. CBS also continues to lead the season-to-date ratings.

* The first installment of “Lincoln,” the ABC documentary tracing Abraham Lincoln’s life in his own words, scored respectable ratings in its Saturday night outing. The program placed 37th out of 90 shows. The special beat out its first-hour competition of CBS’ “Miracles and Other Wonder” and the NBC sitcoms “Here and Now” and “The Powers That Be.”

Part 2 of “Lincoln” tied for 59th Sunday night.

TV Ratings

Points Share 1. “60 Minutes” (CBS) 20.9 35 2. “Monday Night Football” (ABC) 17.0 29 3. “Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris” (CBS) 16.8 28 4. “Home Improvement” (ABC) 16.2 27 5. “Roseanne” (ABC) 16.0 26 * “Lincoln” (ABC) 8.9 17

Complete list, F13 (Each rating point represents 931,000 homes.

Share is the percentage of viewing audience.)