Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee Celebration Takes A Ratings Bow

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. split from Great Britain is history, but the monarchy still has a hold on its former colony’s heart.

Two specials about Queen Elizabeth II and the celebration of her 70th year on the throne broke into last week’s top 20 highest-rated programs in primetime, according to Nielsen figures out Tuesday.

ABC’s “Party at the Palace,” a star-laden concert that included Elton John, Diana Ross and Queen with Adam Lambert, ranked No. 15. The CBS News documentary “Her Majesty the Queen,” hosted by Gayle King, came in at No. 18.

A skit of the queen taking tea with an animated Paddington Bear charmed the throng of spectators at the Platinum Jubilee pop concert outside Buckingham Palace. The taped video also proved widely irresistible online.

The first two games of the Golden State Warriors-Boston Celtics NBA finals topped the ratings, but viewers also had time for a special primetime episode of “The Price Is Right” honoring first responders.

Powered by basketball, ABC led the week in primetime, averaging 4.4 million viewers. CBS had 3.1 million, NBC had 2.5 million, Fox had 1.5 million, Univision had 1.3 million, Telemundo had 890,000 and Ion Television had 870,000.

ABC’s “World News Tonight” won the evening news competition with an average of 7.2 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” had 6.1 million and the “CBS Evening News” tallied 4.3 million.

The weekly cable network averages were not available Tuesday.

For the week of May 30 to June 5, the 20 most-watched shows, their networks and viewerships:

1. NBA Finals Game 2: Boston at Golden State (Sunday), ABC, 11.9 million.

2. NBA Finals Game 1: Boston at Golden State, (Thursday), ABC, 11.4 million.

3. “60 Minutes Presents,” CBS, 6.8 million.

4. “America’s Got Talent, (Tuesday)” NBC, 6.3 million.

5. NBA Finals Post-Game 2, ABC, 6.27 million.

6. “FBI,” CBS, 4 million.

7. “The Price is Right,” CBS, 3.98 million.

8. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 3.9 million.

9. NBC Countdown Game 1, ABC, 3.8 million.

10. “Equalizer,” CBS, 3.6 million.

11. “Let’s Make a Deal,” CBS, 3.5 million.

12. “FBI: International,” CBS, 3.45 million.

13. “20-20 (Friday),” ABC, 3.44 million.

14. “Party at the Palace,” ABC, 3.44 million.

15. “FBI: Most Wanted,” CBS, 3.4 million.

16. “NCIS,” CBS, 3.2 million.

17. “Chicago Fire,” NBC, 3.14 million.

18. “Her Majesty the Queen,” CBS, 3.13 million.

19. “United States of Al,” CBS, 3.12 million.

20. “Jimmy Kimmel Live: NBA Finals Game Night,” ABC, 3.11 million.