Prime-time TV rankings: Oscars are gold for ABC

The most-watched Oscar telecast since 2005 gave ABC its first weekly ratings victory during the official television season since September 2008, according to figures released by the Nielsen Co.

With Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony averaging 41.7 million viewers, the most for an entertainment program since the 2005 Academy Awards, ABC averaged 12.09 million viewers for its prime-time programming from March 1 through Sunday. That was its best showing since the week of Sept. 22-28, 2008, its last weekly victory during the official television season.

Barbara Walters’ final Academy Awards special was 11th for the week, averaging 14.99 million viewers, its most since 2002.

NBC’s two premieres last week, the scripted drama “Parenthood” and the documentary series about the family histories of celebrities, “Who Do You Think You Are?,” both finished second in their time slots.