TV Ratings : ABC’s ‘Fisher’ Is King

Being first is not necessarily best. ABC wound up winning the Amy Fisher TV movie ratings derby, even though its version was broadcast six days after NBC’s--and even though there was another depiction of the same events airing at the same time on CBS. According to figures released Tuesday by the A. C. Nielsen Co., ABC’s “The Amy Fisher Story” last Sunday was seen in about 18.2 million homes, while about 13.3 million were tuned to CBS’ “Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story.” The preceding Monday, about 17.8 million had turned to NBC for “Amy Fisher: My Story.” ABC proclaimed that its version ranks as the top-rated TV movie of the season. Nevertheless, CBS won the week, averaging a 13.2 rating in prime time, compared to 13 for ABC, 10.1 for NBC and 6.9 for Fox.

Points Share 1. “60 Minutes” (CBS) 27.3 42 2. “Murder, She Wrote” (CBS) 20.5 30 3. “The Amy Fisher Story” (ABC) 19.5 30 4. “Monday Night Football” (ABC) 19.1 31 “Amy Fisher: My Story” (NBC) 19.1 30 * “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” (CBS) 18.2 29

(Each rating point represents 931,000 homes. Share is the percentage of viewing audience.)

* “Dr. Quinn” delivered a strong dose of ratings medicine to CBS. The premiere of the frontier drama last Friday ran a strong second to the Sugar Bowl football game on ABC, and the second installment in its regular 8 p.m. slot Saturday not only finished first but also registered what CBS said was the highest rating for any network in that time period this season (except for baseball). CBS responded by ordering four more episodes of the series, which stars Jane Seymour as a doctor living in a Colorado town in the 1860s.