• by Wayne Friedman , December 6, 2010

Moving away from some reruns and other lackluster programming of a week ago, all four major broadcast networks showed improvement on Sunday, Dec. 5 versus the previous week. 

NBC posted the best results again, getting bigger ratings from its "Sunday Night Football" battle between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. It earned a Nielsen average 5.8 rating/14 share among 18-49 viewers versus a 4.9 rating the week before.

Fox moved up to a 4.7 rating from a 4.3. It ran full originals of its comedy lineup; a week ago, it aired a repeat of its big "Family Guy" show. It also took in better NFL ratings of its own earlier in the evening, a runover from its afternoon football coverage. It pulled in a big 9.3 rating/26 share among 18-49 viewers for its Indianapolis Colts-Dallas Cowboys contest, which was the highest-rated half-hour (7 p.m to 7:30 p.m) on Sunday night among all networks.

CBS also took on a few more 18-49 viewers this Sunday, rising to a 2.6/6 from a 2.3 rating the week before. A combination of "Amazing Race" and "Undercover Boss" posted a 2.7/6 -- bettering the movie, "November Christmas" a week earlier, which earned a 2.1 rating.

ABC grew almost a full rating point to a 2.5/6 among 18-49 viewers from a 1.5 rating. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "Desperate Housewives" and "Brothers & Sisters" were all in originals -- with "Housewives" getting the best numbers, at a 3.6/8.

Among younger 18-34 viewers, the race was much closer between NBC and Fox -- with NBC scoring a 4.7/13 and Fox taking a 4.4/12. Every other network was below the two-rating mark.