One of the most important aspects of television is the ratings each show receives on a weekly basis. As I stated last year, many can argue that the Nielson ratings are flawed and in desperate need of an overhaul; yet the industry still greatly relies on these tallies every day. And while the industry continues to believe that the only numbers that matter are for the 18 to 49 year-old adults, I hold firm to the belief that the overall millions of viewers are what truly make a difference.
With that thought in mind, and as I have done for years, I conducted my own ratings research, covering dramatic programming on the major and cable networks from January to mid-December. Please note these numbers are the overall average of viewers for each show based on early overnight numbers divided by the number of episodes aired within the time frame, as referenced below. Please remember that I cover only dramatic programming.
First of all, the following is a list (from highest to lowest) of all the dramas from the major networks that aired during the last half of the 2010-2011 TV season, covering January through May 2011 (mainly from mid-season to the season finales in May):
NCIS (CBS) – 19.5 million
NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS) – 16.4 million
The Mentalist (CBS) – 14.4 million
CSI (CBS) – 12.7 million
Criminal Minds (CBS) – 12.4 million
Glee (FOX) – 11.6 million
The Good Wife (CBS) – 11.5 million
Body of Proof (ABC) – 11 million
Castle (ABC) – 10.9 million
Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) – 10.8 million
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) and Bones (FOX) (TIE) – 10.6 million
CSI: Miami (CBS) – 10.4 million
Desperate Housewives (ABC) – 10.3 million
Blue Bloods (CBS) – 10.1 million
CSI:NY (CBS) – 9.9 million
House (FOX) – 9.8 million
Harry’s Law (NBC) – 9.3 million
The Defenders (CBS) * and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC) (TIE) – 8.3 million
Private Practice (ABC) – 7.2 million
Brothers & Sisters (ABC) * and Medium * (CBS) (TIE) – 7.1 million
The Chicago Code (FOX) – 7 million *
Human Target (FOX) – 6.9 million *
Lie to Me (FOX) – 6.5 million *
V (ABC) * and Parenthood (NBC) (TIE) – 5.5 million
No Ordinary Family (ABC) – 5.4 million *
The Cape * (NBC) and Detroit 187 * (ABC) (TIE) – 5.3 million
Law & Order: Los Angeles (NBC) – 5.2 million *
Off the Map (ABC) – 5.1 million *
Chuck (NBC) – 5 million
The Event (NBC) – 4.3 million *
Fringe (FOX) – 3.8 million
Chase (NBC) – 3.6 million *
The Vampire Diaries (The CW) – 2.9 million
Smallville (The CW) – 2.3 million *
Supernatural (The CW) – 2.2 million
Nikita (The CW) – 2.1 million
One Tree Hill (The CW) – 1.7 million
90210 (The CW) – 1.6 million
Gossip Girl (The CW) – 1.4 million
Hellcats (The CW) – 1.2 million *
* denotes those shows that have since been cancelled or came to a planned ending
During that same approximate time period – January to roughly mid-June 2011 – a large number of cable dramas aired new episodes – and they are listed in order of their overall viewership (highest to lowest):
Royal Pains (USA) – 4.1 million
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA) – 3.8 million *
Army Wives (Lifetime) and Fairly Legal (USA) (TIE) – 3.6 million
White Collar (USA) – 3.5 million
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family) – 3.1 million
Justified (FX) – 2.6 million
The Secret Life of An American Teenager (ABC Family) and Game of Thrones (HBO) (TIE) – 2.5 million
The Killing (AMC) and Southland (TNT) (TIE) – 2 million
Breakout Kings (A&E) – 1.9 million
Being Human (Syfy) and Make It or Break It (ABC Family) (TIE) – 1.5 million
Merlin (Syfy) – 1.4 million
Spartacus (Starz) – 1.3 million
Big Love (HBO) – 1.1 million *
Sanctuary (Syfy) – 995,000 viewers
Greek (ABC Family) – 953,000 viewers *
Stargate Universe (Syfy) – 950,000 viewers *
Lights Out (FX) – 814,000 viewers *
Treme (Showtime) – 561,000 viewers
* denotes those shows that have since been cancelled or came to a planned ending
NOTE: Ratings for Camelot (which has been cancelled) and The Borgias were not complete so those cannot be included here.
As we move into the summer months, the following list shows all the dramas from both the major and cable networks that aired from approximately late May to mid-October in order of their overall viewership (highest to lowest):
The Closer (TNT) – 6.7 million
Rizzoli & Isles (TNT) – 6.4 million
Flashpoint (CBS) – 6.3 million
Royal Pains (USA) and Rookie Blue (ABC) (TIE) – 5.2 million
True Blood (HBO) – 5 million
Burn Notice (USA) – 4.9 million
Covert Affairs (USA) – 4.4 million
Suits and Necessary Roughness (Both on USA) (TIE) – 4.2 million
White Collar (USA) and Combat Hospital (ABC) * (TIE) – 3.9 million
Falling Skies (TNT) – 3.6 million
In Plain Sight (USA) – 3.5 million
Leverage (TNT) – 3.3 million
Friday Night Lights (NBC) – 3.1 million *
Memphis Beat (TNT) – 3 million *
Switched at Birth (ABC Family) – 2.7 million
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family), Franklin & Bash (TNT), The Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABC Family) and The Glades (A&E) (Four-Way TIE) – 2.6 million
Hawthorne (TNT) – 2.4 million *
Drop Dead Diva (Lifetime) – 2.2 million
Warehouse 13 and Eureka (Syfy) (TIE) – 2 million
Breaking Bad (AMC) – 1.9 million
Haven and Alphas (Syfy) (TIE) – 1.8 million
Against the Wall (Lifetime) * and Teen Wolf (MTV) (TIE) – 1.7 million
Men of a Certain Age (TNT) – 1.6 million *
Rescue Me (FX) – 1.5 million *
The Nine Lives of Chloe King * and The Lying Game (ABC Family) (TIE) – 1.3 million
* denotes those shows that have since been cancelled or came to a planned ending
Next, we have the ratings results for all of the dramas that aired on the major networks for the first part of the 2011-2012 TV season, covering September to approximately mid-December (highest to lowest):
NCIS (CBS) – 19.2 million
NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS) – 15.5 million
Criminal Minds (CBS) – 12.8 million
The Mentalist (CBS) – 12.7 million
Person of Interest (CBS) – 12.1 million
Unforgettable (CBS) – 11.7 million
Castle (ABC) – 11.5 million
Blue Bloods (CBS) – 11.4 million
CSI (CBS) – 11.2 million
Once Upon a Time (ABC) – 10.9 million
Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) – 10.8 million
CSI: NY (CBS) – 10.1 million
The Good Wife (CBS) – 10 million
CSI: Miami (CBS) – 9.9 million
Body of Proof (ABC) – 9.4 million
Bones (FOX) – 9.1 million
Desperate Housewives (ABC) – 8.9 million
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – 8.9 million
A Gifted Man (CBS) – 8.3 million
Revenge (ABC) – 8.2 million
Glee (FOX) – 7.7 million
Harry’s Law (NBC) – 7.7 million
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC) – 7.5 million
House (FOX) – 7.4 million
Private Practice (ABC) – 7 million
Pan Am (ABC) – 6.4 million
Terra Nova (FOX) – 6.3 million
Grimm (NBC) – 5.6 million
Parenthood (NBC) – 5.3 million
Chuck (NBC) – 3.3 million
Fringe (FOX) – 3.2 million
The Vampire Diaries (The CW) – 2.9 million
The Secret Circle (The CW) – 2.2 million
Ringer (The CW) – 1.9 million
Supernatural (The CW) – 1.7 million
Hart of Dixie (The CW) – 1.7 million
Nikita (The CW) – 1.6 million
90210 (The CW) – 1.5 million
Gossip Girl (The CW) – 1.4 million
NOTE: I did not include ratings for any new fall shows from the major networks that were subsequently canceled from September to December due to low ratings and/or poor performance.
Lastly, the cable networks aired a number of their summer shows during the fall as well as debuted a small handful of new shows, competing against the major network shows. The following is a list of how those shows performed in the overall ratings over the course of September to mid-December (highest to lowest):
The Walking Dead (AMC) – 6.5 million
The Closer (TNT) – 5.5 million
Rizzoli & Isles (TNT) – 4.9 million
Sons of Anarchy (FX) – 3.9 million
Hell on Wheels (AMC) – 3.2 million
Psych (USA) – 2.9 million
American Horror Story (FX) – 2.8 million
Burn Notice (USA) – 2.8 million
Covert Affairs (USA) – 2.7 million
Boardwalk Empire (HBO) – 2.7 million
Leverage (TNT) – 2 million
Dexter (Showtime) – 1.9 million
Homeland (Showtime) – 1.3 million
Sanctuary (Syfy) – 1.3 million *
* (REVISED: Sanctuary has one more episode to air on December 30; the ratings for that episode will be notated next week.)
NOTE: The ratings for the cable shows Boss, Strike Back, The Protector (which has been cancelled) and Torchwood were not complete so those cannot be included here.
It should be noted that the following cable series aired throughout 2011, but their overall ratings were difficult if not impossible to track down:
Bedlam, Being Human, Doctor Who, Luther, Outcasts, Primeval, State of Play, The Hour and Whitechapel (BBC America)
Damages (DirecTV)
Being Erica (SOAPNet)
The final analyses of all these ratings for the entire for both the major and cable networks are as follows:
1. CBS is the number one most watched network once again with NCIS and its spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles being the highest rated dramas for the entire year of 2011;
2. The top new drama of the fall season goes to CBS with Person of Interest clearly winning with Unforgettable not that far behind;
3. Castle has easily won the year as the top drama on ABC with Once Upon a Time being the top rated new fall drama for the network;
4. By the slimmest of margins, Harry’s Law is the top rated fall drama for NBC with Law & Order: Special Victims Unit just slightly behind. None of the new dramas on the network have fared well with most of them being canceled. Grimm is the only new drama that is still hanging in there at the network;
5. The once highly rated medical drama House has fallen even more overall this year and last year’s champ Glee has also seen a significant decline. The highest rated drama for FOX is now Bones. The clear winner for the new fall is Terra Nova (because it is the only new fall drama on the network);
6. The Vampire Diaries continues to be the top rated drama for The CW with newcomer The Secret Circle being the highest rated new fall drama on the network; and,
7. Royal Pains (USA Network) was the top cable drama for the first part of the year with The Closer (TNT) taking over the reins for the summer months and The Walking Dead (AMC) was the highest rated cable drama for the latter part of the year.
What shows have you enjoyed the most throughout the year? Please share.
FINAL NOTE: Please note that I do not include DVR ratings, online viewership (etc.) because those numbers – while helpful for the networks to know just how many people are actually watching their shows – are not seen as essential because none of these viewing options provide advertising money to the networks.
NOTE: I apologize in advance for any omissions, spelling errors or oversights I may have made, but I don’t apologize for any of the choices I made.
TOMORROW: The Faces of 2011
Rueben's Ramblings 
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