TV Ratings : Newton-John’s ‘Romance’ Wins the Sunday Race

Last Sunday’s showdown of powerhouse network movies left Woody Allen for waste on ABC, Kirk Douglas reeling on NBC and Olivia Newton-John dancing in victory at CBS. Her snowy “Christmas Romance” with co-star Gregory Harrison ranked No. 7 in the weekly ratings.

But ABC got the last laugh, finishing the week as the top-rated network again with the potent one-two punch of “Home Improvement” and “Grace Under Fire,” according to A.C. Nielsen Co. figures released Tuesday.

ABC’s “Don’t Drink the Water,” adapted from Allen’s 1966 stage play and co-starring Michael J. Fox, finished at No. 85 out of 96 prime-time programs. ABC’s Sunday movies are averaging 16.5 million viewing households each week; “Don’t Drink” attracted 6.6 million homes, among the lowest ever for an “ABC Sunday Night Movie.”

Douglas’ father-and-son journey with Craig T. Nelson in NBC’s well-reviewed “Take Me Home Again” fared better, but not great, finishing No. 30.

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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.

Program Station Rating 1. Home Improvement KABC 22.1 2. Grace Under Fire KABC 20.9 3. Seinfeld KNBC 19.8 4. Roseanne KABC 19.0 5. ER KNBC 17.6 6. Married ... With Children KTTV 17.4 7. Ellen KABC 17.4 8. Beverly Hills, 90210 KTTV 17.3 9. “Barbara Walters Special” KABC 16.5 10. The Simpsons KTTV 15.2

Weekly Averages

ABC: 11.8 CBS: 11.4 NBC: 11.0 FOX: 7.5

Season to Date

ABC: 12.2 CBS: 11.9 NBC: 11.5 FOX: 7.8