Jim Williams: This just in: D.C. loves watching Skins

The game was the second most watched telecast in cable TV history. CNN’s NAFTA debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot in November of 1993 brought in a little over 11 million viewers.

The WDCA MY20 broadcast of the Redskins-Vikings game was the most watched show in Washington this week with a stunning 29 rating.

FOX 5 was also a big winner locally. FOX NFL Sunday was the area’s top rated pre-game show. The grand experiment of taking the show on the road worked for FOX with Joe Buck doing a nice job alongside Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson from Jacksonville.

NBC 4 shared in the NFL pre-game wealth as “Sunday Night Football” was Washington’s second most watched show this week with a solid 16.9 rating and a 27-percent share of D.C. area homes.

The Manning Bowl that followed on NBC drew over 23 million viewers, making it the highest-rated NFL game since the Sept. 4, 2000 debut of Dennis Miller on Monday Night Football.

Therapy via the dial

Triple X ESPN and SportsTalk 980AM WTEM have each crafted staffs capable of handling the post-game phones following a disturbing loss.

Triple X ESPN Redskins Radio has a new and entertaining team with Kevin Sheehan and former Hog Joe Jacoby offering three-hours plus of free post-game therapy for Skins fans. The station has access to a number of coaches and players because of its Redskins affiliation, i.e. Dan Snyder owns both the station and the team.

Meanwhile at WTEM, Andy Pollin, the resident Dr. Frazier Crane of Redskins post-game chatter, continues with his calming voice. He has a new post-game partner in Rick “Doc” Walker, who calls it straight even when it’s not necessarily the most popular stance. When they sign off, Scott Jackson is there for the “5th Quarter” to make sure patients in even the deepest recess of the waiting room are heard.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.