TV Ratings : John Larroquette Show’ Gets Off to a Blazing Start

Four-time Emmy Award winner John Larroquette got off to a dynamite start with his new NBC comedy series last week, finishing No. 2 among all network prime-time programs. According to figures released Tuesday by the A.C. Nielsen Co., “The John Larroquette Show,” in which he plays the night manager at a bus station, was seen in about 13.5 million homes, second only to ABC’s “Home Improvement.”

Of course, the Larroquette show was helped by the fact that it premiered on Thursday after NBC’s popular “Seinfeld.” Its normal time slot will be Tuesdays at 9 p.m., against the formidable competition of ABC’s “Roseanne.”

Another new series, ABC’s “Missing Persons,” also premiered strongly last week, winning its Monday night time period and placing 14th among the week’s 91 prime-time entries. Fox’s “Daddy Dearest,” which bowed on Sunday with Don Rickles and Richard Lewis, ranked 62nd among all programs but won its time period among adults 18-49, the network said.

Meanwhile, “In a New Light ‘93,” ABC’s two-hour special to create awareness about AIDS and engender sympathy for its victims, finished at No. 87, attracting only 8% of the available audience Saturday night.

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 50,064 households.

Sta- Rat- Program tion ing 1. Home Improvement KABC 16.9 2. Roseanne KABC 15.5 3. Coach KABC 13.6 4. 20/20 KABC 13.3 John Larroquette Show KNBC 13.3 6. Seinfeld KNBC 12.8 7. Daddy Dearest KTTV 12.6 8. PrimeTime Live KABC 12.1 The Simpsons KTTV 12.1 10. Married ... With Children KTTV 12.0