Burnett, Miniseries Lift CBS

A combination of nostalgia and voices from beyond unearthed another ratings win for CBS, as the miniseries “Living With the Dead” and a pair of Carol Burnett specials buoyed the network’s performance over the weekend, based on viewing estimates issued Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

ABC, meanwhile, opened the four-week rating sweeps that officially began Thursday with stellar numbers from “The Bachelor.” The two-hour conclusion of the unscripted series took its toll on competitors, dropping “Friends” to its lowest rating in a year and “Survivor: Marquesas” to its worst performance during the current edition of that franchise.

Burnett, meanwhile, again ruled Saturday night for CBS as host of “CBS: 50 Years From TV City,” while a repeat of “Carol Burnett Show Stoppers”--the surprise hit of a few months ago that helped fuel the current wave of reunion specials--also won its time slot. Not surprisingly, those specials skewed to a somewhat older audience.

ABC’s sweeps charge was led by Bruce Willis, as the network scored respectable ratings with a rerun of “Armageddon,” while “The Sixth Sense” built steadily Sunday but proved no match for CBS’ similarly themed exercise in talking with the dead. ABC fared less well last week with the special “Contact: Talking With the Dead,” though the show did exceed “Once and Again’s” average in that hour.

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National Nielsen Viewership

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