
I’m a television critic, so it is therefore my job to watch as much television as possible. I only watch television shows that I like or that I think are relevant to the two audiences for which I write, Warming Glow and Pajiba. Still, on an average week, I watch between 25 and 30 television shows, not including “The Daily Show.” It’s not as much as you’d think — it breaks down to a little more than three hours a day, which is the amount of television the average American watches.
What I’m often confounded by, however, is this: Despite all of the television that both myself and the average television viewer watches, our programming choices rarely intersect. I’m one of the four million people — according to Nielsen — that watches “Parks and Recreation.” How is that the other 296 million American or so can watch 25 shows a week, and fail so spectacularly to watch quality shows? “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” have about 3 million viewers, “The Walking Dead” is watched by about 8 million people per week, about 10 million watch “How I Met Your Mother.” What are the other 290 million people who watch 25 shows a week watching besides “Jersey Shore”?
Then I see the Nielsen Top 25, and it all starts to make sense. These were the Top 25 shows from the week before last.
1. NCIS
2. American Idol — Wednesday
3. American Idol — Thursday
4. Voice
5. NCIS: Los Angeles
6. Big Bang Theory
7. The Mentalist
8. Person of Interest
9. Two and a Half Men
10. Criminal Minds
11. 60 Minutes
12. Modern Family
13. CSI
14. Unforgettable
15. Mike and Molly
16. Blue Bloods
17. Survivor
18. Undercover Boss
19. Rob
20. 2 Broke Girls
21. Amazing Race
22. CSI: Miami
23. Once Upon a Time
24. The Good Wife
25. Hawaii Five-O
I watch exactly three of those shows. If you take into account only the Top 25 Shows in the 18-49 demo, there’s not that much change.
1. American Idol (Wednesday)
2. VOICE
3. The Big Bang Theory
4. American Idol (Thursday)
5. Modern Family
6. Two and a Half Men
7. NCIS
8. 2 Broke Girls
9. How I Met Your Mother
10. Mike & Molly
11. NCIS: Los Angeles
12. Grey’s Anatomy
13. Rob
14. New Girl
15. Criminal Minds
16. Once Upon a Time
17. Survivor
18. Person of Interest
19. Glee
20. Amazing Race
21. Smash
22. Family Guy
23. The Mentalist
24. Hawaii Five-O
25. CSI
So, four shows among the 18-49 demo. Note, too, this unusual fact: Around 4 million viewers among the 18-49 demo watch a show like “NCIS: Los Angeles,” but 16 million people watch it overall, so around 12 million of those viewers are over the age of 50. That is to say, 75 percent of its audience is over 50. Most of the top 25 reflect a similar breakdown, which suggest that viewership for most network programs is controlled by old people.
It still doesn’t answer what the other 290 million people are watching. It must be cable, right? Here’s that week’s top 25 Cable programs.
1. The Walking Dead
2. Pawn Stars
3. Jersey Shore
4. Gold Rush
5. Whitney Houston: Her Life
6. Whitney Houston: Her Life
7. Pawn Stars
8. Whitney Houston: Her Life
9. Whitney Houston: Her Life
10. Swamp People
11. Radio Rebel
12. WWE
13. NCIS
14. WWE
15. Whitney Houston: Her Life
16. Spongebob Squarepants
17. NCIS
18. Spongebob Squarepants
19. Monsters, Inc.
20. Austin & Alley
21. Victorious
22. The Big Bang Theory
23. Spongebob Squarepants
24. Shake It Up
25. Teen Mom
OK. So, I’ve only seen one of those shows, and I haven’t even heard of many of them. All of this is to say, there is a vast world of television viewers with whom most of us have very little in common, at least where it concerns our television habits.
Today’s Discussion Question: How many of the top rated shows on networks and on cable do you watch?



I watch ‘em all! I’m the perfect American!
Burnsy, you’re the reason the terrorists haven’t won yet. United we stand/catch reruns of Two and a Half Men.
Basically, if you want a hit show just combine singing and a police procedural. I’ll call it this new ratings blockbuster “Cop Rock”
Sheesh…
First list:
-Person of Interest
-Unforgettable
-If you want to include catching some of the episodes when they repeat later in the week on E! then you can add The Voice
Second list:
-New Girl can be added in
Third List:
-Walking Dead
-Gold Rush
What week was this taken from? I think it’s odd that people who watch Gold Rush aren’t watching Bering Sea Gold which comes on right after it. Seems like a natural progression, yet one is in the top give and the other didn’t make the list. I see lots of Whitney Houston, so I’m guessing it is indeed recent.
Modern Family and The Mentalist, I guess I’ll watch Criminal Minds re-runs if I’m bored.
30 year old male. I watch 2 shows in my demo. But, I watch a lot of NBC and FX, so yeah.
A man’s gotta have a code.
I’ve got five: The Voice, Modern Family, New Girl, The Walking Dead and Smash.
And none of those are even my absolute favorite shows.
How is Smash, Patty? My wife was morbidly curious. I bet it’s SASSY!
Further evidence to support my theory that every nielson box is through a series of never-ending extension cords plugged into the television set of a nuclear family in a rural Indiana trailer park.
Of the cable ratings, I watch Pawn Stars.
wow, that is awful:
I watch 0 shows from the first list, only 1 from the second (New Girl) and 1 from the third (Walking Dead).
I must confess……
….I’ve seen a lot of Octonauts in the past week or so….
Jesus Christ. I watch none on the top list. On the bottom list, I half-heartedly watch Walking Dead and occasionally pawn stars at 1 AM when I’m drunk and desperate. Seriously Parks and Rec doesn’t crack the network top 25? Sons of Anarchy and Justified don’t make the Cable list? What the hell is wrong with people?
It’s CBS and singing competitions. I’m not over 60, therefore I don’t watch CBS or singing competitions.
3 from the first list, which says a lot because I watch a frankly ridiculous amount of television.
I only watch TV through the Internet (Netflix, Hulu, individual networks, etc.), and I watch exactly none of any of those.
Modern Family, HIMYM though both are not must see. I used to watch Walking Dead and sometimes watch 60 minutes.
The only two shows on that list I watch on the reg are Modern Family and The Walking Dead. But I’m probably a bad case because a) I have the huge premium package (treat yo self!) which means I don’t get penned in by crummy shows during a bad timeslot if I just wanna watch TV and b) I watch a ton of sports, which often fall during primetime.
Also if there’s nothing good on I have every Party Down on my DVR. That does the trick.
3 from the first list (MF, Amazing Race and The Good Wife)
4 from the second (+New Girl and HIMYM, – Good Wife)
0 from the cable list
The only of those that I watch absolutely every week is the Amazing Race.
Of all on this list, New Girl, The Walking Dead and SpongeBob (with the kid.)
1,2 and 1. My wife has the DVR cluttered with about half of the first list. You can see who controls live TV in our house.
Why does America love cop shows so much? They all have the same formula, except for the lead character always has some stupid knack/ability/quirk
6. Big Bang Theory
12. Modern Family
19. Rob (about to stop…..or at least watch on mute)
20. 2 Broke Girls (mute from time to time…..much of each episode)
23. Once Upon a Time
14. New Girl (VerrrySlowwwly getting better….frequently delete half-way throug)
19. Glee (fast forward through any song less than 25 years old)
16. Spongebob Squarepants
18. Spongebob Squarepants (so good I said it twice)
21. Victorious (fucking deliciious)
HIMYM, The Good Wife, The Walking Dead are the only above I faithfully watch. Don’t tune in to modern family every week, tried Smash and New Girl & gave up.
Nielsen has to be losing relevance every week. Not only does the 18-49 demographic no longer make sense (how much does someone born in 1994 have in common with anyone in their 40s?), streaming takes up such a big chunk at this point.
I’m 20 for 25 on this list [www.imdb.com]
That IMDB list is a pretty good godamn list! Red Dwarf would be higher if more nerds voted, but I was busy sharpening my pencils.
Poor Firefly.
list 1 = 4 (CSI, Criminal Minds, Hawaii Five-O, Amazing Race — the procedurals are habit forming for me if I like the characters)
list 2 = 5 (add New Girl)
list 3 = 1 (Walking Dead – although I did watch Monsters, Inc. on DVD for the eleventieth time last week)
I watched the first couple of seasons of CSI: Miami, but I can’t take Caruso anymore. I tried watching Once Upon a Time, but it’s just not good. I will watch Jersey Shore from time to time.
Why are you here!?
Because I also really enjoy shows that are actually good. My enjoyment of bad stuff does not preclude my ability to watch/appreciate good stuff. Sometimes, I just want to see Shemar Moore kick down a door and/or take his shirt off. It’s the simple things…
She likes TV?
Wow, none on the first two lists, Walking Dead on the third.
Of Top 25: Big Bang, Five-O and Modern Family. My wife watches Blue Bloods. Of top demo, add in HIMYM and New Girl. Of top cable, Big Bang reruns when we are bored and my 11-year-old watches Victorious and Spongebob. We’ll watch with her usually too. Add iCarly when that’s airing too.
Old people be watchin some CSI, right after the 4PM early bird buffet
Of the Nielson top 25 I watch 1 show regularly (Modern Family) and sometimes I watch 60 minutes and CSI.
Of the target demo, I watch Modern Family and Family Guy.
Of the last list, I watch The Walking Dead.
I am the 1%!
If you exclude the shows that Mrs. HoC makes me watch, then zero. I don’t know if I’m strange or if its everyone else
Out of those I watch Persons of Interest, Modern Family, Walking Dead (scans list, facepalms). I guess that is basically it. I haven’t heard of most of the crap on this list. Swamp People? WTF is Shake it Up? NCIS, I’m not on Social Security so my TV blocks it.
You forgot to mention “Whitney Houston: Her Life”
Seriously, that list is depressing. Of all three, the only one I watch is “Modern Family.”
I watch a ton of TV, and yet I watched zero of the top 25, and only one of the top 25 on cable. I religiously watch Walking Dead, Justified, Southland, Parks & Rec, Community, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Shameless, 30 Rock, Happy Endings, New Girl, Archer, will likely watch Veep & the Judd Apatow HBO show. These are great fucking shows, really funny or in the case of the dramas, compelling as hell, and it seems like no one is watching them except the people who read this website. Crazy fucking world.
Sorry – flame away – I only watch one show on the list – NCIS
I’ve watched Pauley Perette, but only through a telescope.
0, but I used to watch Modern Family. I gotta catch up on season 3.
Walking Dead and Modern Family (though not every week). That’s it.
First list: NCIS..yes, I like it, sorry. Person of Interest and Hawaii 5-0. Second list: same shows and Family Guy. Third list, just Walking Dead.
Wish I was a Nielson person.
I watch on One show in the top 25 – Modern Family. 3 in the top 25 for 18-49 – MF, New Girl and Smash. On the cable list, I watch Walking Dead and WWE.
Out of all the shows listed, Modern Family is the only one I watch regularly.
I’ll watch 60 Minutes if the subject is good. I stare at the tv while the girlfriend watches How I Met Your Mother
0. Seriously 99% of these shows suck huge donkey dick. I use to watch Modern Family and The Walking Dead but neither really hold my attention anymore (Only because I have kept with the comic of TWD). Nielson can suck my dick, they are ass backwards like the southern half of South Carolina.
I can’t get over how many people in the comments watch shows that they don’t like. It’s almost as sad as the lists above.
Spongebob when i’m stoned. That is it. Terrible lists.
Walking Dead is the only show I watch across all of these lists. And I consider it a guilty pleasuer.
pleasure. Although I guess pleasuer works
The snob factor of this blog seems to have gone off the charts of late. Like, seriously, what is the point of this post?
The point is that the majority of Americans watch crappy shows with repetitive plot devices or gimmicks.
Mind. Blown.
Adding on the The Evil Twin…it also brings up a discussion of the Nielsen rating system as whole and whether it’s actually a legitimate bellwether by which shows should be renewed or cancelled as evidenced by the posts juxtaposition of top Nielsen rated shows and shows that those in this particular web community gravitate towards. Also…boobies!
I follow these and only these shows:
1 Archer
2 Game of Thrones
3 Community
4 Justified (sometimes, I missed the first two seasons so I need to catch up)
5 Fringe
6 Alcatraz
7 New Girl (it has been getting better)
8 Bob’s Burgers (soon)
9 Happy Endings
10 Cougar Town
SoA and Breaking Bad I watch on DVD only because it makes little sense to fight to catch up when it’s clearly a movie style viewing experience.
The “I watch them but I’m not proud of it”
Once Upon A TIme…I don’t know why. I make no excuses.
2 Broke Girls for the big ole’ titties.
True Blood…ditto.
Also the River but it’s kind of hitting a wall with the “Pirates of the Caribbean” on the Amazon bullshit the pulled this week.
1. the voice. only because my buddy got me watching the first season and i only keep this year’s on in the background cos its the only show i can talk with my mom about on the phone.
neilsen should track how many times i re-watch venture bros and arrested development and party down and archer and childrens hospital full series on repeat
Rob is in there? Seriously?
I’ve noticed that TV gets an increasing smaller amount of my time. This list shows why.
I pretty much watch anything original on FX, NBC on Thursday nights (honestly Thursdays is the only night I regularly still set aside to watch television), and I’ll give the original stuff on AMC or TNT a chance.
Wow, I’m at the very end of the 18-49 demo and watch exactly 3 shows across all the lists, none of which are on CBS! Then again, when you have access to On-Demand for HBO, Showtime and Starz why watch the pablum (NBC Thursday excluded) the networks are force feeding ‘Murrica?!
This is a joke right?
Modern Family and The Walking Dead are the only two shows out of any of those that I go out of my way to catch each episode. Modern Family is pretty overrated, but I enjoy it and The Walking Dead is the most frustrating show on TV, but I’ll never give up out of principle alone. I still watch Weeds and Dexter for this same “you started it, you finish it” mentality I have.
I pride myself on following an obnoxious amount of television, but the problem with these three lists is one thing – the Reality/CBS:normal television ratio. TWENTY-TWO (22) of the TOP TWENTY-FIVE (25) are either a reality show or on CBS, the two biggest no-no’s in choosing what to watch. The 18-49 demo is 18 of the 25 are no-no shows.
I don’t even wanna talk about the cable ratings.
I don’t see “Happy Endings” on any of those lists. That essentially tells me that every Nielsen viewer is stupid.
I just assumed that the Cable list would be filled with Law and Order SVU episodes. I seriously watch like 3 a week.
I watch 1 of the most popular from last week (Modern Family), 3 of the top in the 18-49 demo (MF, HIMYM, New Girl – although my household watches 4, if you include my wife watching Gray’s Anatomy), and Walking Dead is the only cable show on that list I watch. Also, isn’t it strange that they count different re-airings of the same show, Whitney Houston: Her Life, as separate shows? Or was it a five part mini-series or something? People apparently REALLY needed they Whitney info last week….
I watch The Mentalist, HIMYM, The Good Wife and Walking Dead.
First two I watch because I know they are not great but it’s a guilty pleasure. The Good Wife is one of the best shows on television. Finally, The Walking Dead is beginning to get on my nerves so will probably stop watching it.
Honestly, on the cable side of things, I watch all top four. Surprised you guys don’t! Pawn Stars is great marathon-watching material (don’t watch weekly). Gold Rush and Beiring Sea Gold are amazing weekly shows I DVR for lazy Sundays. Also, Ax Men is awesome and missing from this list. Jersey Shore is crap but I still watch it – as well as The Challenge on MTV (very surprised this didn’t make the list).
I’m only mildly shocked that I don’t watch a single show in any of the lists.
Voice
Modern Family
Amazing Race
Not listed: Daily Show, Archer, 30Rock, Parks, Middle
Full
6. Big Bang Theory
9. Two and a Half Men (So sue me)
12. Modern Family
18-49
3. Big Bang Theory
5. Modern Family
6. Two and a Half Men
9. HIMYM
14. New Girl
22. Family Guy
Cable
I watch absolutely none of these shows. (Though I plan to watch Walking Dead on Netflix).
“9. Two and a Half Men (So sue me)”
I think we actually can!
It burns so deep.
I’m not surprised at all by the Networks’ Top 25… but how can so many people pay cable to watch Pawn Stars and friggin’ Swamp People? Da fuck man?!
(I still watch 9 shows out of the 18-49 demo list… Person of Interest is good, people, I swear… and I just can’t stop watching stupid reality competition. Survivor is stupidly addictive.)
None of them, from any of the list. I really don’t watch a lot of TV, apparently.
Out of this entire post: 3. Fuck Nielsen households.
I don’t watch any of those shows. Not currently anyway. I used to watch Family Guy, and that’s it.
Sheeit… I occasionally watch #12 form the first list, 5 and 14 from the second, and nothing from the third.
*from. Bah. And neither of those regularly, mind you. In fact I shouldn’t include New Girl, since, although I would watch it weekly if it were in a different timeslot, I think I’ve only watched the pilot. So, Modern Family. Which is far from my favorite sitcom, but compared to the other stuff on these lists, it’s just sublime. (Says the guy who’s never watched any of that other stuff, talking out of his ass.)
Man, back in the 90s I feel like I watched at least a few top-rated shows. Friends, Frasier… umm… probably a few others I can’t think of right now. Before the big reality craze and the big procedural craze. Fucking crazes.
Oh, and the Simpsons was another.
Zero. None. One.
Zilch, sorry Modern Family I’m sure you are a good show
I watch 3 of them, all from the cable list.
With the exception of “the walking dead”, every show on both of those lists is a piece of shit.
32 year old white male, college graduate, income 50-90K.
None from the first, one(HIMYM) from the second, three (Walking dead, jersey shore WWE) from the third.
I’m 29.
From the lists: Big Bang, Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother, Family Guy, Walking Dead.
What I actually watch?
Justified
Tosh.0
Suburgatory
Happy Endings
Cougar Town
Alcatraz
Parks and Rec
Archer
Fringe
Sons of Anarchy
Out of all those, the only thing I watch is HIMYM and Spongebob.
Other than than (INPO)
Justified
Archer
Parks and Rec
Community
Game of Thrones
…
Huh, I guess I don’t watch a lot of (non Hulu or Netflix) TV. Never really realized that.
Also, I’d like to blame Spongebob on my two-year-old, but that wouldn’t be completely accurate. Case in point: in the episode we just watched, he was failed by his boating instructor and told her “See you next Tuesday!” Censor-skirting FTW.
I am “over 50″ and occasionally watch The Walking Dead and… OK that is it on those lists.
I watch: Justified, Game of Thrones, Tosh.0, Robot Chicken, several Science and Military Channel shows at times, Hell on Wheels, Homeland, Strike Back, Archer, some NFL shows, The Borgias. I just can’t do sitcoms anymore, even the good ones like Community, P&R, etc.
I really do apologize for not fitting my demographic, really.
Godamnit; forgot Dave’s Old Porn which was snubbed for the Emmy.
I’m very proud of saying I only watch big bang theory and two and a half men out of that list.
I love it that I’m dumb enough to enjoy those shows but I’m also smart enough to enjoy community and 30 rock but not dumb enough to think that 2 broke girls and mike & molly are not terrible.
Duck now!
Hey, humor is subjective; you enjoy what you enjoy, right? Fuck the police! When people are pretentious about comedy, it strikes me as a bit ironic.
I feel like I watch a ton of TV. Yet, on those lists, I only watch:The Walking Dead; Modern Family; Amazing Race (it’s really the only reality show I like even a little bit); New Girl (sporadically); How I Met Your Mother.
The rest: Justified; Archer; Fringe; Walking Dead; Daily Show/Colbert; Community; Parks and Rec; The Office (kind of out of habit, at this point); Happy Endings; An Idiot Abroad; Top Chef; Project Runway (ok…I watch some reality shows); The Soup; Drinking Made Easy; Psych; Game of Thrones. I definitely catch more shows than this, but these are the ones I actively follow.
Person of Interest, Amazing Race, New Girl, and The Walking Dead are the only shows on any of those lists that I watch.
The others? Doctor Who, Parks and Rec, The Office, Community, 30 Rock, Archer, Top Chef, Psych, Spartacus, SVU, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, The League, Always Sunny, Southpark, The Simpsons, Fringe, Game of Thrones, Deadliest Catch, Eastbound and Down, Top Gear UK, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Homeland, Boardwalk, Workaholics, Daily Show/Colbert
RIP: How to Make It In America, Bored to Death, Chuck
I have Showtime lol peasants (Dennis Reynolds).
(C) Dennis Reynolds
Out of all of those lists they only shows I watch are HIMYM and The Walking Dead. Other TV I see that didn’t make the list are: Justified, Archer, Always Sunny, Community, Louie, Suburgatory, Wilfred, Being Human and Raising Hope.
From the full list and the 18-49 demo, I don’t watch ANY of those shows on a regular basis, but I will watch the following if I happen to see that it’s on:
Modern Family
Survivor
Family Guy
How I Met Your Mother
Hawaii Five-O
Grey’s Anatomy
In that order. Hawaii 5-0 is only on the list because I used to live in Hawaii and love seeing the on location shoots. Grey’s Anatomy, because I’m married and my wife has a vagina. That said, I actually enjoyed the show until they Britta’d Kathrine Hiegel’s character.
Cable:
The Walking Dead, first show on the list I do watch on a regular basis followed by the Talking Dead after. I usually skip the first airing so that I can watch them back to back.
On occasion I’ll watch Gold Rush, and I’ll not immediately change the channel if I accidentally land on Pawn Stars or WWE, but I wouldn’t tune into them on purpose.
I watch nothing on the Top25 or Cable lists but I watch HIMYM, Modern Family (bc it is on) and New Girl on the Demo list.
I occasionally will watch Criminal Minds at 2 am on Saturdays because I’m baffled that it is still on the air.
I have a set TV schedule (because I use an antenna) for the most part:
Monday- HIMYM, Alcatraz, Castle
Tuesday- Cougar Town, New Girl, Raising Hope, Parenthood (though bc of schedule changes will be Raising Hope, Cougar Town, New Girl, Breaking In)
Wednesday- The Middle, Suburgatory, Modern Family, Happy Endings
Thursday- NBC Thursday now that Awake is on and Community is coming back
Friday- Fringe, Supernatural (my local CW has new at seven central so it is at nine.)
Saturday- SNL
Sunday- American Dad
I also watch a lot of old shows and Breaking Bad on Netflix.
Im 22 and the only thing I watch off those lists regularly is Survivor. Sometimes I’ll catch an ep of Spongebob…
I shall double the number of shows I watch from these lists (Walking Dead) by now watching Modern Family. The GloMos have won me over.
Soooooo late.
I watch precisely 0 of those shows on the regular.
I will catch the occasional (occasional as in, twice in a year so far) re-run of HIMYM on one of the 8 channels it’s re-running on currently
My DVR records
Justified, Archer, Tosh.0, and South Park. The rest of my TV time is either movies, Netflix watching shows that are done or have multiple seasons for me to absorb. HBO or Showtime series that I’ve missed, or I read, play my Xbox or just screw around on the net and then go to bed.
I loathe commercials, and watch virtually nothing when it’s on in a given timeslot
Oh, and Game of Thrones.
I’m 34
Wwe representin’
Just HIMYM, Walking Dead, and WWE. And on occasion I’ll watch Modern Family.
Suprised by the number of people hear that do not watch Family Guy, however it has dropped in quality the past few seasons.
Other shows I watch that are not on the nielsen lists or in the comments section are Jerseylicous (I have a problem) and The Ultimate fighter. Can you believe that I am a pale fat bald guy from Boston and not a juicehead?
The Neilsens are a joke. How anyone can maintain a straight face whilst proclaiming them as an accurate slice of American viewing habits is a total mystery to me.
I happily cut the cord a while ago, but out of these lists the only show I ever followed regularly would be The Walking Dead and I’ve seen maybe two or three episodes of pawn stars on Hulu. The rest of the crap on those lists holds little interest to me.
Anyone shocked by the popularity of stupid crap should go back and watch a few episodes of “My Mother the Car”. TV has been flinging poop into the public’s eyes for a very long time. And that wont be changing anytime soon.
HIMYM but I’ve stopped watching until they finally reveal how Teddy Westside finally met his wife. It’s like a fuckin never ending story with that show.
Just watched Criminal Minds Suspect Behaviour. Goodness what a mess. No chemistry between any of the actors’ characters and no effort to make their personalities interesting. No wonder the series got canned.