TV Ratings : Stephen King’s ‘Tommyknockers’ Pushes ABC to Top

Last week it was a gentle relationship movie, “Fried Green Tomatoes,” that helped propel NBC to the top of the TV ratings. This week, viewers turned instead to Stephen King and sent ABC to the front of the pack.

According to figures released Tuesday by the A.C. Nielsen Co., the initial installment of ABC’s two-part adaptation of King’s “The Tommyknockers,” starring Marg Helgenberger, Jimmy Smits and Joanna Cassidy, on Sunday night ranked fourth in the prime-time ratings for the week. Since two of the shows ahead of it were also on ABC--”Home Improvement” and “Coach”--and four more ABC programs were in the Top 12, the network was able to win the weekly race against CBS, NBC and Fox.

But for the current sweeps period, which helps stations set their advertising rates for the months ahead, NBC continues to lead, with ABC second.

Other highs and lows: NBC’s news special last Friday about President Clinton ran fourth in its time period and ranked 83rd among the week’s 88 prime-time programs; Fox’s “The Simpsons” beat NBC’s hot “Seinfeld” in an 8 p.m. Thursday matchup; CBS’ “Women of Country” drew more viewers than the ABC salute to Elizabeth Taylor that ran opposite it (but “Cheers” beat both).

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. Cheers KNBC 20.4 2. Home Improvement KABC 19.0 3. Beverly Hills, 90210 KTTV 18.2 4. 60 Minutes KCBS 17.4 5. The Simpsons KTTV 17.4 6. Roseanne KABC 17.4 7. Married ... With Children KTTV 16.0 8. Coach KABC 15.6 9. Full House KABC 15.4 10. “The Tommyknockers” Part 1 KABC 15.3

Weekly Averages

ABC:11.7

CBS:11.0

NBC:11.0

FOX:7.0

Season to Date

CBS:13.1

ABC:12.2

NBC:11.0

FOX:7.6