ABC again claimed 1st Place as their three comedy blocks reigned in stellar ratings. However, the eyeballs were on NBC, who made a creative comeback after 3 years in 3rd Place with Seinfeld taking 1st Place, as well as the debut of successful entries ER and Friends. CBS slid back to 3rd Place as their Monday comedy block softened, and feel-good television entries like Diagnosis: Murder,

Touched

by an Angel, Northern Exposure and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman ranked toward the middle of the pack. FOX rode the soap wave with Beverly Hills, 90210 leading another year with mild gains. The Simpsons and Married... With Children began to age, but they sought extraterrestrial help from increasingly popular X-Files. And January marked the debut of WB and UPN, who covered two nights each. Throughout the season, the greatest villain to take over television was OJ Simpson, as his scandalous murder trial was everywhere, leading to the spawn of several news outlets and NBC to quadruplicate Dateline NBC.





To check out other years' ratings, visit the Ratings History Library .