TV Ratings : Bells Ring for ‘Friends’ and NBC

If huge numbers of people were truly upset by the prospect of a lesbian wedding on “Friends� last week, it wasn’t reflected in the TV ratings. The NBC comedy was the most-watched show of the week, with an audience estimated at 31.6 million, according to figures released Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

The episode featured Ross (David Schwimmer) giving away his former wife to the woman for whom she left him, with the ceremony conducted by Candace Gingrich, the lesbian half-sister of House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.). Some conservative groups had protested the program’s theme.

Ratings leader NBC had plenty of other good news Tuesday, as six other programs finished in the Top 10, including the second installment of its comedy “3rd Rock From the Sun.� And its coverage of the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday also was well received, finishing 16th and outdrawing the movie offerings on CBS (“Lethal Weapon 2�) and ABC (“Innocent Victims�) and the premiere of “Savannah� on WB.

CBS’ “Touched by an Angel,� meanwhile, posted its best ratings ever, tying with “The Nanny� at No. 11.

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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.

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Program Network Rating 1. Friends KNBC 22.9 2. Seinfeld KNBC 22.0 3. Mad About You KNBC 21.6 4. Single Guy KNBC 18.4 5. “Golden Globe Awards� KNBC 18.1 6. ER KNBC 17.8 7. Frasier KNBC 17.6 8. 3rd Rock From the Sun KNBC 16.9 9. 60 Minutes KCBS 16.1 10. NYPD Blue KABC 15.7

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Weekly Averages

NBC: 11.6

ABC: 11.0

CBS: 10.0

FOX: 7.4

UPN: 3.7

WB: 3.1

Season to Date

NBC: 11.7

ABC: 11.3

CBS: 9.6

FOX; 7.5

UPN: 3.0

WB: 2.4

Source: A. C. Nielsen