NBC Network Stays on Top of the Ratings

NEW YORK — The mystery of “Caroline?” proved more popular than the fall of Jim and Tammy Faye, “America’s Funniest Home Videos” was the most watched show of the week, “and NBC remained the top network,” it was reported today.

“Caroline?”--a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation that was the CBS Sunday movie--was the fourth-ranked show of the week in the Nielsen ratings, while NBC’s Sunday movie, “Fall From Grace” about the Bakkers, tied for 8th place with NBC’s “Wings,” the most watched of the new spring shows.

The ABC Sunday movie, “Summer Dreams: The Beach Boys,” came in 48th.

Fox proved again it had a pair of hits in “The Simpsons,” in 13th place, right behind ABC’s “Tim Conway’s Funny America,” which had the big advantage of following “Home Videos,” the No. 1 show. Fox’s “Married . . . With Children,” which follows “The Simpsons,” was 18th.

Among the new spring shows, “Wings” was tops, holding on well to the audience from its lead-in, “Cheers,” the No. 2 show of the week.

The next batch of new shows in the ratings were all NBC--”Carol & Company” tied for 23rd, not too far down from its lead-in, “Golden Girls,” which was in 17th. “Down Home,” which follows “Carol,” was in 43th place.

“The Marshall Chronicles” (ABC) was in 44th, followed by the slipping “Twin Peaks” in 45th place, down from 28th the previous week.

Other new spring shows: “Sidney” (CBS) in a special Monday showing after “Major Dad” was 49th, but in its regular time period tied for 79th with its schedule-mate, “Normal Life.”

“Shannon’s Deal” (NBC) was 52nd; “Equal Justice” (ABC), tied for 53rd; “Bagdad Cafe” (CBS), 56th; “His & Hers” (CBS) tied for 57th; “Sugar & Spice” (CBS) and “Capital News” (ABC), tied for 64th; “A Family for Joe” (NBC), tied for 66th; “Working Girls” (NBC), 75th; “In Living Color” (Fox), 82nd and “Sunset Beat” (ABC), 85th.

NBC was the most-watched network on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, while CBS took Monday and Sunday and ABC had Friday.

NBC won the week ending April 29 with a 12.9 rating and a 23 share. ABC came in second with an 11.4 rating and a 20 share, while CBS had an 11.1 rating and a 19 share.

TOP 10 SHOWS

The top 10 regular series for the week ending Sunday according to the A. C. Nielsen Co., were:

1. Funniest Videos (ABC): 22.0

2. Cheers (NBC): 21.2

3. A Different World (NBC): 19.5

4. Caroline? (CBS): 19.4

5. The Cosby Show (NBC): 19.2

6. (tie) 60 Minutes (CBS): 18.4

Roseanne (ABC): 18.4

8. (tie) Wings (NBC): 17.6

Fall From Grace (NBC): 17.6

10. Unsolved Mysteries (NBC): 17.5