Jump to content

Top-rated United States television programs by season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article presents the top-rated American primetime broadcast network television series by season from 1950 to the present according to Nielsen Media Research.

1950s

[edit]

1960s

[edit]

1970s

[edit]

1980s

[edit]

1990s

[edit]

2000s

[edit]

2010s

[edit]

September 2019–May 2020[1]

Rank Program Network Rating
1 Sunday Night Football NBC 6.0
2 Thursday Night Football Fox 4.5
3 The Masked Singer Fox 3.2
5 This Is Us NBC 2.9
7 The Bachelor ABC 2.4
8 Grey's Anatomy ABC 2.3
9-1-1 Fox
10 Chicago PD NBC 2.0
11 Survivor CBS 1.9
Chicago Fire NBC
Modern Family ABC
Lego Masters Fox
16 The Good Doctor ABC 1.8
9-1-1: Lone Star Fox
The Voice NBC
19 Chicago Med NBC 1.7
NCIS CBS
American Idol (Monday) ABC
New Amsterdam NBC
23 Young Sheldon CBS 1.6
The Conners ABC
The Voice (Tuesday) NBC
A Million Little Things ABC
28 Station 19 ABC 1.5
American Idol ABC
Manifest NBC
31 The Masked Singer: After the Mask Fox 1.4
Law & Order: SVU NBC
Criminal Minds CBS
America's Got Talent Champions NBC
FBI CBS
Saturday Night Football ABC
Prodigal Son Fox

September 2020–May 2021[2]

Rank Program Network Rating
1 Sunday Night Football NBC 4.8
2 Thursday Night Football Fox 3.9
4 This Is Us NBC 2.0
The Masked Singer Fox
5 Grey's Anatomy ABC 1.9
Thursday Night Football Fox
Equalizer CBS
9 9-1-1 Fox 1.8
The Bachelorette ABC
The Bachelor ABC
12 Law & Order: Organized Crime NBC 1.7
13 Chicago PD NBC 1.6
Chicago Fire NBC
15 9-1-1: Lone Star Fox 1.5
17 Law & Order: SVU NBC 1.4
Chicago Med NBC
19 FBI CBS 1.3
I Can See Your Voice Fox
The Good Doctor ABC
Station 19 ABC
NCIS CBS
24 60 Minutes CBS 1.2
The Voice-Tuesday NBC
Big Sky ABC
The Voice-Monday NBC
Dancing with the Stars ABC
Young Sheldon CBS
30 American Idol ABC 1.1
The Conners ABC
The Amazing Race CBS
Hell's Kitchen Fox
The Neighborhood CBS

September 2021–May 2022[3]

Rank Program Network Rating
1 Sunday Night Football NBC 5.0
2 Thursday Night Football Fox 4.3
3 This Is Us NBC 1.6
4 Chicago PD NBC 1.3
9-1-1 Fox
Chicago Fire NBC
Survivor CBS
8 Grey's Anatomy ABC 1.2
Law & Order: SVU NBC
The Masked Singer Fox
11 Chicago Med NBC 1.1
American Idol-Monday ABC
The Bachelor ABC
Dancing with the Stars ABC
Saturday Night Football ABC
16 Law & Order: Organized Crime NBC 1.0
The Amazing Race CBS
Ghosts CBS
9-1-1: Lone Star Fox
American Idol-Monday ABC
The Bachelorette ABC
FBI CBS
Young Sheldon CBS
Next Level Chef Fox
The Voice-Monday NBC
The Voice-Tuesday NBC
60 Minutes CBS
28 FBI: Most Wanted CBS 0.9
Station 19 ABC
Equalizer CBS
NCIS CBS
La Brea NBC

September 2022–May 2023[4]

Rank Program Network Rating
1 Sunday Night Football NBC 4.90
2 Thursday Night Football Fox 2.46
3 Survivor CBS 1.04
4 9-1-1 Fox 1.00
Chicago PD NBC
6 Chicago Fire NBC 0.99
7 Law & Order: SVU NBC 0.95
8 Saturday Night College Football ABC 0.94
Ghosts CBS
10 American Idol-Sunday ABC 0.92
The Masked Singer Fox
12 Young Sheldon CBS 0.88
13 60 Minutes CBS 0.87
Next Level Chef Fox
15 Chicago Med NBC 0.84
16 Grey's Anatomy ABC 0.83
17 Fire Country CBS 0.81
18 Abbott Elementary ABC 0.80
The Voice-Monday NBC
20 Fox College Football Fox 0.79

September 2023–May 2024[5]

Rank Program Network Rating
1 Sunday Night Football NBC 5.31
2 Monday Night Football ABC 2.57
3 Survivor CBS 1.06
4 Saturday Night College Football ABC 0.92
5 Law & Order: SVU NBC 0.83
9-1-1 ABC
Chicago PD NBC
8 The Bachelor ABC 0.82
9 The Golden Bachelor ABC 0.80
Tracker CBS
Chicago Fire NBC
12 Big Brother- Thursday CBS 0.78
13 60 Minutes CBS 0.77
14 Grey's Anatomy ABC 0.75
Young Sheldon CBS
16 Ghosts CBS 0.74
17 Dancing with the Stars ABC 0.72
WWE Smackdown Fox
19 Chicago Med NBC 0.71
Abbott Elementary ABC
21 Big Brother- Tuesday CBS 0.70
22 Big Brother- Sunday CBS 0.69
23 The Amazing Race CBS 0.68
24 American Idol-Sunday ABC 0.66
25 FBI CBS 0.64
Next Level Chef Fox
27 The Masked Singer Fox 0.63
Fire Country CBS
29 NCIS CBS 0.62
30 Law & Order: Organized Crime NBC 0.61

Multiple rankings in the Top 30

[edit]
2 seasons
  • The Adventures of Robin Hood (CBS)
  • The Alan Young Show (CBS)
  • All Star Revue (NBC)
  • The Amazing Race (CBS)
  • America's Funniest People (ABC)
  • Amos 'n' Andy (CBS)
  • The Ann Sothern Show (CBS)
  • The Apprentice (NBC)
  • Armstrong Circle Theatre (NBC)
  • The Bachelorette (ABC)
  • Baretta (ABC)
  • Ben Casey (ABC)
  • The Big Event (NBC)
  • Big Town (CBS)
  • The Bionic Woman (ABC)
  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (NBC)
  • Body of Proof (ABC)
  • Cagney & Lacey (CBS)
  • Caroline in the City (NBC)
  • Chicago P.D. (NBC)
  • Chico and the Man (NBC)
  • Climax! (CBS)
  • Code Black (CBS)
  • Cosby (CBS)
  • Cybill (CBS)
  • Daktari (CBS)
  • Dave's World (CBS)
  • Dear John (NBC)
  • The Defenders (CBS)
  • Diagnosis: Murder (CBS)
  • Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (CBS)
  • The Donna Reed Show (ABC)
  • Doogie Howser, M.D. (ABC)
  • Ellen (ABC)
  • Flipper (NBC)
  • 48 Hours (CBS)
  • The Fugitive (ABC)
  • Gangbusters (NBC)
  • The George Gobel Show (NBC)
  • Get Smart (NBC)
  • Gilligan's Island (CBS)
  • The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (CBS)
  • The Good Doctor (ABC)
  • Grand (NBC)
  • The Guardian (CBS)
  • Hee Haw (CBS)
  • Heroes (NBC)
  • Hogan's Heroes (CBS)
  • Hopalong Cassidy (NBC)
  • How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)
  • I Dream of Jeannie (NBC)
  • Jesse (NBC)
  • The Jim Nabors Hour (CBS)
  • Julia (NBC)
  • Kung Fu (ABC)
  • Little Big Shots (NBC)
  • The Loretta Young Show (NBC)
  • Lou Grant (CBS)
  • Love & War (CBS)
  • Lux Video Theatre (NBC)
  • Major Dad (CBS)
  • Man Against Crime (NBC)
  • The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (CBS)
  • Martin Kane, Private Eye (NBC)
  • Maverick (ABC)
  • McHale's Navy (ABC)
  • Miami Vice (NBC)
  • Mike & Molly (CBS)
  • Mork & Mindy (ABC)
  • My Favorite Martian (CBS)
  • The Naked Truth (ABC/NBC)
  • Name That Tune (CBS)
  • The Nanny (CBS)
  • 9-1-1 (FOX)
  • Our Miss Brooks (CBS)
  • The Patty Duke Show (ABC)
  • Peter Gunn (NBC)
  • The Phil Silvers Show (CBS)
  • Police Woman (NBC)
  • Private Practice (ABC)
  • The Red Buttons Show (CBS)
  • Rescue 911 (CBS)
  • Riptide (NBC)
  • Robert Montgomery Presents (NBC)
  • Route 66 (CBS)
  • The Roy Rogers Show (NBC)
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS)
  • Shark (CBS)
  • The Single Guy (NBC)
  • The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (CBS)
  • Still Standing (CBS)
  • Strike It Rich (CBS)
  • Sugarfoot (ABC)
  • Tales of Wells Fargo (NBC)
  • Taxi (ABC)
  • 3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC)
  • To Tell the Truth (CBS)
  • Too Close for Comfort (ABC)
  • Treasury Men in Action (NBC)
  • TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes (NBC)
  • 2 Broke Girls (CBS)
  • Undercover Boss (CBS)
  • The Unit (CBS)
  • Vega$ (ABC)
  • Veronica's Closet (NBC)
  • Wanted: Dead or Alive (CBS)
  • Webster (ABC)
  • What's Happening!! (ABC)
  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (ABC)
  • Young Sheldon (CBS)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Schneider, Michael (May 21, 2020). "100 Most-Watched TV Shows of 2019-20: Winners and Losers". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
  2. ^ Schneider, Michael (May 25, 2021). "100 Most-Watched TV Shows of 2020-21: Winners and Losers". Variety. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  3. ^ Porter, Rick (June 9, 2022). "2021-22 TV Ratings: Final Seven-Day Numbers for Every Network Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  4. ^ Porter, Rick (June 7, 2023). "TV Ratings 2022-23: Final Seven-Day Averages for Every Network Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  5. ^ Porter, Rick (June 11, 2024). "TV Ratings 2023-24: Final Numbers for (Almost) Every Network Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 4, 2025.