Most watched TV shows of 2010
The following TV shows had the highest overall rating in terms of total viewership in 2010, according to the Daily Beast. (Average number of weekly viewers in parentheses.)
10. America’s Got Talent (11.73 million on Wednesdays and 11.27 million on Thursdays)
9. The Mentalist (11.74 million)
8. Grey’s Anatomy (11.9 million)
7. Two and a Half Men (12.22 million)
6. NCIS: LA (12.23 million)
5. Survivor (12.5 million)
4. NCIS (14.5)
3. Dancing With the Stars (20.7 million)
2. Sunday Night Football (21 million)
1. American Idol (22.9 million viewers on Tuesdays and 21.9 million on Wednesdays)
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21 comments Add your comment
Clevelander
December 31st, 2010
10:53 pm
First!
Natalie
January 1st, 2011
1:49 pm
Where’s Glee?
NIKKI
January 1st, 2011
2:16 pm
Glee? One show that would make this list even more ridiculous.
gaqueen
January 1st, 2011
2:19 pm
My all time favorite is Carrie Underwood from American Idol…
reality check
January 1st, 2011
2:29 pm
what no cspan, mcneal hour? no wonder americans are stupid. Enjoy your politically-sponsored chinese-made crap america!!!!!
TK
January 1st, 2011
2:56 pm
Since only four of the 10 shows are reality shows, I still have hope for us as viewers.
@reality check, C-SPAN is not a show, it’s a network. If you are going to keep it real – as well as insult people – make sure that you keep it correct.
bitterpill
January 1st, 2011
3:07 pm
I wonder why there were no shows listed from the “Most Trusted News Organization on television” – Comedy Central?
Uncle Joe
January 1st, 2011
3:31 pm
What does this say about this country? What a waste of time!
KikiRodmcgua
January 1st, 2011
3:34 pm
Where was The Walking Dead on there!!!
Commonsenseagitator
January 1st, 2011
5:06 pm
Too many braindead shows on there, but thats no suprise Americans seem to want braindead tv
Ken
January 1st, 2011
7:01 pm
LAST!
jld
January 1st, 2011
8:47 pm
One of the many programs that our government uses on the average American is the dumbing down of joe the plumber types and from the top ten TV viewing choices, I’d say it is working.
daisym0m
January 1st, 2011
9:41 pm
Who do you ask about this? I think you forget about the really good shows like “Royal Pains”, “Law & Order” (all of them), “Masterpiece, Masterpiece Contemporary, and Masterpiece Mystery”. The reality shows are for the birds. They don’t really show reality.
Traffic Headache
January 1st, 2011
9:43 pm
Like Fred Allen once said, “Television is called a medium because nothing on it is rare or well done.” Holds true to this day.
HotlantaHobo
January 1st, 2011
11:28 pm
Nothing much changes over the decades:
Number 1,10 and 3: Major Bowes/Ted Mack/Lawrence Welk
Number 2: Sports
Number 4,6 and 9: Who done its
Number 5: uniquely current unpleasantness
Number 7: old school sitcom
Number 8: Ben Casey and Dr. Kildare in General Hospital
alan
January 2nd, 2011
1:47 am
4 out of the 10 shows are reality tv shows, they should be banned this year in 2011. The good shows that have been mentioned in previous comments dont attact viewers that reality tv shows can; short attention spans, shorter tempers, and mind numbling boring personalities. And while youre at it NCIS:LA might as well be banned too.
Kev
January 2nd, 2011
5:32 am
“Two and a half Men”
Why do, or ever did, so many people watch that drivel.
Highlander
January 2nd, 2011
5:44 am
I think this list is a bit suspect. 5 out of the 10 are on CBS, huh? Riiiiight!
NCIS and NCIS:LA? Why don’t they just call them Law & Order: CBS? You can comment on how “reality” TV is dumming down America all you want, but those 2 shows have so many storylines that the real NCIS would have no involvement or jurisdiction over is hilarious!
Answer
January 2nd, 2011
7:59 am
I would have thought the “Real Holes from Atlanta” would have been #1.
Johnny
January 2nd, 2011
8:33 am
Hey what happened to 24?
Joel Edge
January 2nd, 2011
9:34 am
Medical show, cop show, and non-reality. Two and half men, fairly funny. Pretty sad list.