The network season officially ended last night. The good news? The “American Idol” finale was down 32 percent from last year’s finale, and the show overall was down 29 percent this season. The bad? 21.5 million people still watched it. It wasn’t enough, however, to make “American Idol” the highest rated program of the year. For the first time in many years, they’ve lost the title.
Here are some facts and figures about this network television season: CBS was the most watched network of the year, averaging more than 3 million viewers per week than any other network. CBS also had four of the top ten shows of the year (and the top four scripted shows). Reality competitions were responsible for half of the top 10. Even in the 18-49 demographic, CBS had more scripted shows than any other network: “Big Bang Theory,” “Two and a Half Men,” and “2 Broke Girls.” The only other sitcom in the top 10 in the 18-49 demo was “Modern Family.”
There are some positives: “American Idol” was down 6 million viewers a week, while “Dancing with the Stars” was down four million viewers. On the flipside, “Two and a Half Men” was up 16 percent over last year. Criminy.
Here’s the 10 highest rated shows of the year and, for comparison’s sake, the top 10 shows from 2002.
1. “NBC Sunday Night Football” — 20.7 million viewers
2. “American Idol” — 19.7 million viewers
3. “NCIS” — 19.5 million viewers
4. “American Idol” results show — 18 million viewers
5. “Dancing with the Stars” — 18 million viewers
6. “NCIS: Los Angeles” — 16 million viewers
7. “Dancing with the Stars” results show — 16 million viewers
8. “Big Bang Theory” — 15.9 million viewers
9. “The Voice” — 15.8 million viewers
10. “Two and a Half Men” — 15 million viewers
Just for comparison’s sake, here are the top ten shows of the 2002 season.
1. “Friends”
2. “CSI”
3. “ER”
4. “Everybody Loves Raymond”
5. “Law & Order”
6. “Friends” (rerun)
7. “Survivor” Africa”
8. “Survivor: Marquesas
9. “NFL Monday Night Football”
10. “West Wing”
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Silver lining: 1.7 million people gave up on Idol in two days.
Also, I assume NCIS: Los Angeles gets 3.5 million fewer viewers because it stars a black person.
Old white ladies do not love cool James
The fact that football is #1 is the only thing keeping me from driving over to Hollywood and going on a murderous rampage.
That’s not a decent reason.
Gas the car up, you’re losing daylight.
So the only thing that changed in ten years is a political drama dropped out? Sports, reality, safe sitcoms and procedurals still ruled then.
Oh and ER. God I miss you, head of surgery with the cane.
I only miss William H Macy’s d1ck of a chief surgeon character.
Poll Question (Hairy Ethnic Women Edition): Julliana Marguiles vs. Kim Kardashian.
Which is better? A solid 8 with acting ability and who, by all accounts, is a genuinely nice person or a somewhat hotter woman who has no identifiable talents and is a total bitch.
Ha, from the current list the only one I watch is Sunday Night Football.
BREAKING NEWS: The majority of Americans have terrible taste.
Wasn’t a list almost identical to this posted just two weeks ago? There is nothing left of this dead horse.
They really should count the 25 million illegal downloads to Game of Thrones total. Just trying to figure out a way to get it on this list.
Old people love crap TV. I actually enjoy it when both my mother and mother-in-law are in the same room together because they cancel each other out and don’t try to talk to, say, my husband or I about what’s going on with American Idol/Dancing with the Stars.
To wit: Last week my mom told me she voted for an American Idol semi-finalist fifty times in one night. FIFTY.
Your mom needs an intervention.
That was only part of the story out of context, too. The “hilarious” part was that she was talking on the phone to a friend who was rooting for another contestant. So she was all, “How many times did you vote?” and her friend was all, “Um, like a DOZEN” so then my mom was all, “BOOYAH! You lose because I totally voted fifty times. IN YOUR FACE, JUDY.”
My mom also keeps track of contestants in a notebook and one time I saw a copy of “Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul” in their home.
Why we can’t have nice things, sign of the apocalypse, etc.
If MNF was still on ABC and not on ESPN I bet it would also be in the top 10.
Yup. Sunday Night Football was a brilliant stratagem to fill that gap in the hearts and minds of NFL fans.
At least NFL was #1 over Idol otherwise I’d be moving to Canada…and watch whatever they call football up there.
You know, I always hear people talk about how immigrants are taking over our country and are after our jobs. Then I see this, the WASPiest list of TV shows achievable.
None of my worst fears involve anything to do with the television viewing habits of the country.
Apparently they involve a TV blog posting TV things?
Nope.
Is it a bad thing that I actually like NCIS? I like it in the way people like USA programming. It’s light but not crappy entertainment that is fine to have on while you’re multitasking.
I catch it whenever I visit my dad, he loves those shows. They’re entertaining and have some quality tail (not even accounting for the fine piece of Summer School ass the ladies get to watch).
My favorite part is whenever there’s an episode about the Israelis and NCIS feuding. Over what, one of our checks to them bouncing?
That banner pic makes me want to hurt someone.
So today it’s CBS + lots of reality shit.
Ten years ago it was NBC + a little reality shit + CSI.
I’m a little surprised at how well this matches up with what I would’ve guessed.
Dustin, this is too easy to read. Can you turn this into a slideshow?
I was just over on HuffPo. Everyone was gushing over how great TBBT is. That’s one reason I’m not registered on that site.
America – loving shitty things since 1992.
Or 2002. We’re not good at math either.
Just goes to prove, there really is no accounting for taste.
Look Chrissy, Kate (you swear to God you’re 18 right), and Brooklyn, you’re just going to have to entertain yourselves for about an hour. I gotta see how Cool J and Al Pacino’s seeing eye Robin crack this caper.
Edna Mode will step to any muthafucka! Gibbs, DiNozo, whoever.