TV Ratings : ‘Cheers’ Going Out With a Bang but CBS Takes Week

Heading into its final month, “Cheers” topped the ratings for last week in figures released Tuesday by the A.C. Nielsen Co. The NBC comedy was watched by about 27.5 million people last Thursday--a number that is sure to climb when the show checks out May 20.

It was CBS, however, that won the week overall--with strong help from a newcomer, “Walker, Texas Ranger.” The debut of the Chuck Norris Western on Wednesday finished seventh among the week’s 96 prime-time programs, and while the ratings dropped 31% when it moved to Saturday, it nearly doubled the audience of its lead-in show and won the time period. Indeed, CBS said the performance at 10 p.m. Saturday was 40% better than what the network had been averaging there this season.

The problem for CBS is that there is only one more episode of the series to broadcast, because the production company halted filming several weeks ago due to financial problems. Other financing will have to be found if CBS renews the show for next season.

In other interesting matchups last week, NBC’s “I Witness Video” beat ABC’s “Day One” on Sunday at 8 p.m. (though both trailed CBS’ “Murder, She Wrote”), an ABC News special about the Branch Davidian tragedy in Waco, Tex., outperformed “Dateline NBC” and the conclusion of CBS’ “The Fire Next Time” at 10 p.m. Tuesday, and CBS’ “Call of the Wild” outdrew ABC’s “Tightrope” with Clint Eastwood and NBC’s “Born Too Soon” in the Sunday movie slot.

Southland Ratings

Here are A. C. Nielsen’s Top 10 prime-time programs in the Los Angeles area during the same week. Each rating point equals 49,657 households.

Sta- Rat- Program tion ing 1. Roseanne KABC 21.4 2. Cheers KNBC 20.0 3. Seinfeld KNBC 18.8 4. Full House KABC 17.9 5. The Simpsons KTTV 17.8 6. 60 Minutes KCBS 17.6 7. Delta KABC 16.5 8. Martin KTTV 16.4 9. Married ... With Children KTTV 16.3 10. Home Improvement KABC 16.3

Weekly Averages

CBS: 11.4

ABC: 10.9

NBC: 10.4

FOX: 6.9

Season to Date

CBS: 13.2

ABC: 12.3

NBC: 10.9

FOX: 7.7