As reported by TV.com, Nielsen has released a list of all the shows on broadcast networks this past season, ranked by average number of viewers in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic… and the list is surprising on many counts. I’ve transposed the complete list below, but in case you want the abridged version (you impatient ingrates!), I readily relinquish my reflections and ruminations on the ratings ranking.
- The most-watched scripted show is Modern Family (ABC, #4), and that fact makes me damn proud of America. Good on you, viewers!
- CBS sitcoms continue to dominate, especially The Big Bang Theory (#6), Two and a Half Men (#7), and 2 Broke Girls (#9). And, against all rational thought, Rules of Engagement (#35) is still surprisingly popular. I mean, I don’t know anyone who watches it, but…
- Grey’s Anatomy (#10) is doing remarkably well for a show entering its ninth season.
- Way more people watched the performance shows of The Voice (NBC, #3) and Dancing with the Stars (ABC, #28) than the results shows (#14 and #40, respectively). Also, in the case of the latter, it seems like less viewers are tuning into the ballroom nowadays.
- Of all of this season’s crop of cancelled shows, Rob (CBS, #22) is the highest-rated… and rated surprisingly high. Still, no skin of my back.
- Terra Nova (FOX, #24) and Alcatraz (FOX, #30) were also highly-rated one-season wonders. I can understand cancelling Terra Nova, due to the logistics and budget of its production; but Alcatraz seems like a cheaper, easier show to produce.
- Considering all the buzz around it, I thought Revenge (ABC, #45) was doing much better, ratings-wise.
- It’s no wonder CBS killed CSI: Miami (#62); and I have to assume its Friday-night berth is the only reason CSI: NY (CBS, #94) lives to see another season.
- The Good Wife (CBS, #65), however, ranks even lower than CSI: Miami amongst 18-to-49-year-olds, though I wonder if older viewers buoy up the ratings. (And come to think of it, it also faced stiff competition in its Sunday-night time slot this season.)
- It’s interesting that The CW cancelled Ringer (#146) while keeping Nikita (#149), a show with lower ratings. And it’s not like Nikita is that much more on-brand than Ringer. But Nikita does have younger cast members, if memory serves, so maybe that was a factor in the decision.
- Mobbed (FOX, #78), Who’s Still Standing (NBC, #103), You Deserve It (ABC, #125), and My Extreme Affliction (ABC, #128)… ¿Qué? Did I miss these shows? Does anyone know what they were?
- I have actually heard of Escape Routes (NBC, #154)—not because I knew it was televised on a broadcast network but because of ubiquitous ads for the show on Hulu.
- And I’ve heard of The L.A. Complex (CW, #155), too, by virtue of the sad fact that it had the lowest-rated series debut in the history of, like, anything.
1. NBC NBC Sunday Night Football
2. Fox American Idol Performance Show
3. NBC The Voice
4. ABC Modern Family
5. Fox American Idol, Results Show
6. CBS The Big Bang Theory
7. CBS Two And A Half Men
8. Fox The X Factor, Performance Show
9. CBS 2 Broke Girls
10. ABC Grey’s Anatomy
11. NBC Football Night in America Pt. 3
12. Fox New Girl
13. Fox The X Factor, Results Show
14. NBC The Voice, Results Show
15. CBS How I Met Your Mother
16. ABC Once Upon A Time
17. CBS NCIS
18. CBS Survivor: South Pacific
19. Fox Family Guy
20. CBS Mike & Molly
21. CBS Criminal Minds
22. CBS Rob
23. Fox Glee
24. Fox Terra Nova
25. ABC Desperate Housewives
26. CBS Survivor: One World
27. CBS NCIS: Los Angeles
28. ABC Dancing With The Stars
29. NBC The Office
30. Fox Alcatraz
31. Fox House
32. CBS Person Of Interest
33. Fox The Simpsons
34. CBS The Amazing Race 19
35. CBS Rules Of Engagement
36. CBS Hawaii Five-0
37. CBS CSI
38. NBC Smash
39. CBS The Mentalist
40. ABC Dancing With the Stars Results Show
41. CBS The Amazing Race 20
42. ABC Happy Endings
43. ABC Private Practice
44. ABC The Bachelor
45. ABC Revenge
46. Fox Bones
47. ABC Castle
48. NBC Fear Factor
49. CBS How To Be A Gentleman
50. Fox Napoleon Dynamite
51. Fox Touch
52. Fox American Dad
53. ABC Don’t Trust The B—- in Apt. 23
54. ABC GCB
55. ABC Last Man Standing
56. NBC Parenthood
57. Fox Raising Hope
58. Fox The Cleveland Show, Sunday 8:30p
59. NBC The Biggest Loser 13
60. NBC The Biggest Loser 12
61. ABC Suburgatory
62. CBS CSI: Miami
63. ABC The Middle
64. CBS Unforgettable
65. CBS The Good Wife
66. ABC Scandal
67. ABC Pan Am
68. ABC The River
69. NBC Up All Night
70. NBC Celebrity Apprentice
71. ABC Celebrity Wife Swap
72. CBS 60 Minutes
73. NBC Law And Order:SVU
74. NBC Parks And Recreation
75. Fox The Finder
76. NBC Whitney
77. NBC Football Night in America Pt 2
78. Fox Mobbed
79. CBS Undercover Boss
80. Fox Allen Gregory
81. NBC Grimm
82. NBC 30 Rock
83. Fox I Hate My Teenage Daughter
84. ABC Saturday Night Football
85. ABC Man Up!
86. ABC Body Of Proof
87. Fox Bob’s Burgers
88. CBS Blue Bloods
89. Fox The Cleveland Show
90. ABC Work It
91. NBC Community
92. ABC Cougar Town
93. NBC Are You There Chelsea?
94. CBS CSI: NY
95. ABC Wipeout, Thursday
96. NBC The Playboy Club
97. NBC The Sing Off
98. ABC Missing
99. ABC Shark Tank
100. NBC Fashion Star
101. NBC Betty White’s Off Their Rockers
102. NBC Prime Suspect
103. NBC Who’s Still Standing
104. NBC Awake
105. Fox Fringe
106. Fox Kitchen Nightmares
107. ABC Charlie’s Angels
108. Fox Breaking In
109. ABC 20/20, Friday
110. ABC Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, 9pm
111. CBS NYC 22
112. ABC America’s Funniest Home Videos
113. NBC Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, 8:30pm
114. ABC Primetime:What Would You Do?
115. NBC Dateline, Friday
116. ABC Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
117. Fox Cops
118. NBC Harry’s Law
119. CBS A Gifted Man
120. NBC Free Agents
121. NBC Chuck
122. CW The Vampire Diaries
123. CBS 48 Hours Mystery
124. Fox Cops
125. ABC You Deserve It
126. NBC Dateline, Sunday 7pm
127. NBC Bent, 9pm
128. ABC My Extreme Affliction
129. CW America’s Next Top Model
130. ABC Missing, Wednesday
131. NBC Who Do You Think You Are?
132. ABC 20/20, Friday
133. NBC Best Friends Forever
134. ABC ABC Sat Movie Of The Week
135. NBC The Firm
136. CW One Tree Hill
137. NBC Bent, 9:30pm
138. NBC Rock Center With Brian Williams
139. CW The Secret Circle
140. CW Supernatural
141. CBS Crimetime Saturday
142. NBC Law & Order: SVU, Saturday
143. NBC Law & Order: SVU, Wednesday 9pm
144. CW 90210
145. CW Gossip Girl, Monday
146. CW Ringer
147. CW Hart Of Dixie
148. CW America’s Next Top Model, British Invasion
149. CW Nikita
150. Fox Q’Viva
151. CW H8R
152. NBC The Firm, Saturday
153. CW Remodeled
154. NBC Escape Routes
155. CW LA Complex