6th Straight CBS Win

CBS tapped into the holiday spirit for its sixth consecutive ratings victory, as “A Town Without Christmas” unwrapped the network’s highest Sunday movie rating since the miniseries “Jesus” in May 2000, based on viewing estimates issued Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

In addition to the movie, which starred “Everybody Loves Raymond’s” Patricia Heaton, CBS received a boost from running “Touched by an Angel” in its old Sunday time slot--a temporary move that may not bode well for “The Education of Max Bickford,” which has struggled in the hour after “60 Minutes.”

Eriq La Salle also checked out of “ER” last week, helping lift the medical drama to its biggest audience since May. Viewing, though, fell short of the 32.7 million who tuned in for original cast member Julianna Margulies’ final appearance in May 2000 or the 35.7 million who watched George Clooney make his exit the year before.

Part of that had to do with facing CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” which didn’t approach “ER’s” lofty heights but did draw the highest rating for a competing drama in that time slot since 1994.

Holiday specials also made their mark, as “A Charlie Brown Christmas” topped all programs among children while “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” set a Friday-night ratings record for the WB. The new year, meanwhile, may not bode well for ABC: The network’s most-watched regular prime-time program, “Monday Night Football,” at No. 12, ends its season in January.

Brian Lowry