Ratings Archives: Week of Oct. 6, 1997

FOX gets a boost from its MLB Playoff package and challenges both ABC and CBS for the #2 spot for the week. The 10 year old network was within a single ratings point of the two elder networks.

FOX has four nights of baseball between a game 5 of the AL divisional series, the ALC series. Its best showing for the week was Game #4 of the ALCS on Sunday night. The game drew 13.6 million viewers.

NBC covered the NLCS and Game #1 of the series drew the best number from any of the games on the two networks, with 14 million viewers. 

The ups and downs of the coverage seemed dependent on the competition it would face from night to night. On Thursday night, the ratings were down because it had to face the MUST SEE TV line up of NBC. Saturday nigh, the lowest rated, would actually be sign of the night becoming a void for programming as not a singe show from the night cracked the top 20.

Your weekly TV movie race was once again won by CBS. FINAL DECENT (Starring Robert Urich, Annette O'Toole and John de Lancie) is the story of an airline pilot whose years of flying are put to the test after his jumbo jet is damaged in a mid-air collision. You can catch a scene from the movie on YouTube HERE.

Show already on the bubble for cancellation were:
TONY DANZA SHOW (NBC) at #73
BUILT TO LAST (NBC) at #83
CRACKER (ABC) #75
The CBS "TGIF" comedy line up (Average around #70)

Nielsen Broadcast ratings charts for the week of October 6, 1997