TV Ratings : Cybill Shepherd Sitcom Makes Strong Debut for CBS

The new year didn’t automatically ratchet up the public’s desire for new TV shows. Ratings released Tuesday by the A.C. Nielsen Co. showed that of six network series introduced during the first week of 1995, only one finished among the top 40: Cybill Shepherd’s CBS sitcom “Cybill,” at No. 19.

Not that CBS was displeased with the performance of Delta Burke’s comedy “Women of the House”: It ranked 41st among the week’s 94 prime-time network programs but won its Wednesday time period. That was more than could be said for the other series that CBS introduced the same night, “Double Rush,” which came in at No. 71.

Of the three series that Fox premiered Sunday, “House of Buggin”’ did best at No. 58, followed by “Dream On” at No. 78 and “Get Smart” at No. 89. Still, Fox said its ratings for the night were 14% better than what it has been averaging.

Meanwhile, CBS’ “Northern Exposure” suffered enormously in its move from Mondays to Wednesdays, attracting 24% fewer viewers than usual.

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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. Seinfeld KNBC 23.7 2. Home Improvement KABC 23.3 3. ER KNBC 20.3 4. Grace Under Fire KABC 19.9 5. Roseanne KABC 19.7 6. The Simpsons KTTV 19.4 7. House of Buggin’ KTTV 18.7 8. Married ... With Children KTTV 18.2 9. 60 Minutes KCBS 18.1 10. Friends KNBC 17.6

Weekly Averages ABC: 13.3 NBC: 12.7 CBS: 11.7 FOX: 8.0

Season to Date ABC: 12.1 CBS: 11.6 NBC: 11.4 FOX: 7.6

Source: A.C. Nielsen Ratings