Harris Poll: Favorite all-time TV show is ‘NCIS,’ bumping ‘CSI’
CBS promotion
A recent Harris Poll asked people for their favorite TV shows of all time, unprompted with any choices. In 2009, the top show was CBS’s “CSI.’ That procedural has been supplanted this year by sister show “NCIS.”
That’s not surprising. “NCIS” has been the most popular scripted program in overall audience the past three seasons, averaging about 20 million viewers a week this year. In its eighth season, the show is having its best year ever in terms of popularity.
But you do have to give credit to Hawk Eye, Hot Lips and the gang on “M*A*S*H.” The first “dramedy” of its era aired its last original episode more than 30 years ago yet it ranked No. 3. And “Star Trek” still has a hold on the populace: it moved from 13 to 7. Plus, Lucille Ball’s universal appeal has yet to fade: “I Love Lucy” and any reference to her subsequent “Lucy” shows landed at No. 10.
Ousted actor Charlie Sheen should be thrilled to know that CBS’s “Two and a Half Men” moved from 8 to 4 over two years. (The poll was done about the time he had been fired from the show and was bad-mouthing the creator.) “Seinfeld,” which ended its run in 1997 but remains a staple on the syndication circuit, edged up to 5 from 6. And though ABC’s “Lost” ended its run last year, people still have fond memories of it, as the show moved from 9 to 6.
The top four shows were all CBS shows. And younger people’s tastes vary much more than older folks, making it harder for most younger-skewing shows to make the grade. The only show I’d say brings in primarily younger viewers that made the top 15 is Fox’s “Family Guy,” tied for 12th.
Three shows that fell out of the top 15: Fox’s “24″ (No. 5), NBC’s “ER” (No. 10) and Fox’s “The Simpsons (No. 14).
Favorite show among men and women was “NCIS.” Favorite show 18-34 was “Friends.” Favorite for 35-44: “NCIS,” “Seinfeld” and “Lost.” “NCIS’ dominated the 47+ crowd. Republicans were more “NCIS” fans while “Two and a Half Men” was the favorite for Democrats. High school educated people preferred “NCIS” while college grades liked “Seinfeld” the most. “NCIS” was tops in every region of the country.
The top 15 shows are all broadcast network shows.
Here’s the top 15: 1. NCIS 2. CSI 3. M*A*S*H 4. Two & a Half Men 5. Seinfeld 6. Lost 7. Star Trek 8. (tie) Friends, Criminal Minds 10. (tie) I Love Lucy/Lucy Show,, Law & Order 12. (tie) Family Guy, Bones, House 15. Grey’s Anatomy
This poll was conducted online within the United States between March 7 to 14, 2011 among 2,379 adults (aged 18 and over) and weighted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income.
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By Rodney Ho, rho@ajc.com, AJCRadioTV blog
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71 comments Add your comment
Dave in Marietta
May 6th, 2011
2:49 pm
High school grads chose NCIS. I am so shocked. It’s like Murder She Wrote for the 21st century.
Renee
May 6th, 2011
2:53 pm
I’ll forever be a “Lostie”. I just discovered that I can view Netflix through my Wii so I’ve been watching “LOST” again from the start. Oh how I miss Sawyer, Sayid & of course Hurley!
reader
May 6th, 2011
3:04 pm
LOST was great and needs to come back. I miss it too!
Cobb Woman of Color
May 6th, 2011
3:44 pm
The Cosby Show, A Different World (the years without Lisa Bonet)
atlnative
May 6th, 2011
4:02 pm
NBC’s ER (The first five years) is the best television show I’ve ever seen.The episode when Dr.Doug Ross frantically saved a kid from a rain swollen storm drain is the most compelling television ever on any network.Happy 50th birthday,George Clooney!
hoodtechie
May 6th, 2011
4:10 pm
the wire is by far one of the best shows on t.v.
bubbica
May 6th, 2011
7:35 pm
48 hours/dateline/3 stooges/married with children/sanford and son/rockford files/and last HeeHaw
Browncoat
May 6th, 2011
7:51 pm
Cheers.
PressmanDr.
May 6th, 2011
8:15 pm
Dr. John Becker and Associates were awfully good.
tim williams
May 6th, 2011
8:18 pm
what happened to Gunsmoke-the longest running series of all time
Brian
May 6th, 2011
8:28 pm
I’ll take Homicide: Life on the Street, The Wire, Friday Night Lights, and Arrested Development
Kristy
May 6th, 2011
9:26 pm
The original Law & Order hands down.
tvBoy
May 6th, 2011
10:28 pm
yes to ‘friday night lights’, ‘fringe’, ‘the middle’. all-time best show on tv tho from back in the day was ’st. elsewhere’. great show, what more can you say?
old teach
May 6th, 2011
10:44 pm
The original Law & Order–especially the ones with Lennie–were awesome! I still watch them almost every day. (And it’s offtopic, but I’m still disappointed that The Unit was cancelled. I thought the chemistry and serial stories were too good to be scrapped. I hope that Dennis Haysbert will do more than Allstate commercials!)
jan brady
May 6th, 2011
10:44 pm
Check out From Larkrise to Candleford on PBS. It’s a wonderful period piece. Great family viewing. Entertaining stories with inspirational meaning, heartfelt drama and a healthy dose of humor.
jan brady
May 6th, 2011
11:07 pm
I would also be remiss not to get a plug in for All My Children and One Life to Live. Been watching or rather keeping up with them since Erica Kane was a teenager living with her Mom, Mona. It’s like losing family. Sad to see them go Supposedly Brian Frons head of ABC thinks we want more reality TV and talk shows. I want to know who the “we” is that wants them? US Daytime Drama has missed the mark. They should globalize and offer subtitles in other languages to draw in a larger audience and a wider variety of sponsors. South Koreans got that one right a long time ago. Check out Boys Before Flowers, My Lovely Sam Soon and Playful Kiss just to name a few on Hulu. I’m absolutely hooked and not even Korean. Korean Dramas Rock!
ann gilbert
May 6th, 2011
11:10 pm
Of all times…..Gotta be Northern Exposure and China Beach.
nycguy
May 7th, 2011
3:12 am
The all-time best TV show is also the longest-running one: “The Simpsons.” Since 1989, its satirical look at American family life has provided a much-needed dose of laughter on Sunday nights. All of the characters have their own zany appeal, but my favorites are Grandpa Simpson and Ralph Wiggum. May “The Simpsons” continue along its hilarious path for many more years to come!
nycguy
May 7th, 2011
3:12 am
Enter your comments here
grrrr arrrgh
May 7th, 2011
7:38 am
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
M915
May 7th, 2011
7:41 am
The “popeye” club
JDA
May 7th, 2011
7:50 am
Not even close. The Andy Griffith Show.
gsjjs1
May 7th, 2011
7:53 am
Barney Miller
ww
May 7th, 2011
8:05 am
It would have to be Andy Griffith show.
Mr Herbert
May 7th, 2011
8:06 am
Brady Bunch.
That Bobby Brady sure was handsome.
Peter Griffin
May 7th, 2011
8:07 am
Gumbel to Gumbel
ww
May 7th, 2011
8:08 am
Belverly hillbillies.
John Smith
May 7th, 2011
8:35 am
Hogans Hero’s
ROY
May 7th, 2011
8:36 am
Right WW ….. The Beverly Hillbillies British Avengers no. 2
LT
May 7th, 2011
8:47 am
Can’t take any poll serious that has Family Guy in it as one of the “All Time” TV shows, not bad, but come on, “All Time” Favorite. Seems like there needs to be 2 polls, current favorites and Favorites that are no longer on the air because when 2/3’s or 10 out of 15 are current shows, seems like that is just what people are watching right now, not “All Time.” These are good to great shows, but come on, Family Guy (where’s The Simpsonn’s, if animation is included) and Two and Half Men, seems like it is just about familiarity, and what is on people’s minds right now, not a real poll of this kind. Doubt 30 years from now, Two and Half Men is even a show people will be able to say the name, Charlie Sheen, yes, for all his crazy antics, but not the show, like MASH is. Bottom Line: Not a poll to be taken seriously, at all, pretty much a joke.
claytondawg
May 7th, 2011
8:47 am
So many to choose from, but THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW has to be ranked at the top along with MASH. LAW AND ORDER and LAW AND ORDER SVU are also well-scripted, acted, and produced.
The Nerd
May 7th, 2011
8:58 am
Six words: Hawaii Five-O, The Original Version!
The Nerd
May 7th, 2011
9:00 am
Oh, BTW, I also like “A Different World” (The Cree Summer Years).
bart
May 7th, 2011
9:02 am
Andy Griffith, Mary Tyler Moore, and Perry Mason should have been on the list. How did Two and a Half Men end up number 4? That show is disgusting and not funny.
Just wonderin'
May 7th, 2011
9:12 am
Agreed, this list is mostly current shows. Ask the question differently, and you get different results.
ann
May 7th, 2011
10:37 am
For me it would have to be The West Wing or MASH
HENRY
May 7th, 2011
11:02 am
I DON’T KNOW WHO THEY ASKED BUT IT MUST HAVE BEEN A BUNCH OF DUMB ASSES……………WHAT ABOUT COSBY, MASH, THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, LUCY, LAW AND ORDER, JUST TO NAME A FEW.
c mitchell
May 7th, 2011
11:20 am
The Cosby Show
CHRIS
May 7th, 2011
11:38 am
THE HONEYMOONERS. RALPH and NORTON will live forever.
What's Important
May 7th, 2011
12:44 pm
Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue
thatguy
May 7th, 2011
1:12 pm
The West Wing is my favorite show of all time. M*A*S*H was also excellent. Of the current shows , I’d say The Office and House.
NavyResGirl
May 7th, 2011
1:16 pm
Um, where are you coming up with “Sister Show”? “NCIS” has nothing to do with the “CSI” franchise.
I’m thrilled that “NCIS” got the nod this year – I know it’s mine. Pretty spectacular for a show just finishing up its 8th season.
Kris G
May 7th, 2011
1:36 pm
Cheers, followed by The Wire.
Astrid G.
May 7th, 2011
1:38 pm
I’ve never seen “NCIS”! What people were polled – 14-22 year old males?
Of all time… I’d have to go with three, “Mary Tyler Moore Show”, “Seinfeld” and “Law and Order.” Any “Law and Order”; love them all, as long as they take place in NYC.
m.j.spencer
May 7th, 2011
1:39 pm
the “elite” college grads prefer “2 and a half men”? no surprise there. fraternity parties, crude behavior, and “2 and a half men” – it’s “life goes on – without the exams”.
perry
May 7th, 2011
1:42 pm
Stupidest thing I have heard all day.. NCIS greatest show ever, in history of TV? Come on- it’s a good series, but really? Poll must have asked a group which included some real idiots…
oldie
May 7th, 2011
1:46 pm
Hill Street Blues, St Elsewhere, Moonlighting, MASH
Kapoonka
May 7th, 2011
7:58 pm
Andy Griffith, Leave It To Beaver, Two.5 Men, Dragnet…..yeah….I’m 50YO..
Morgan
May 7th, 2011
8:04 pm
NCIS IS THE BEST SHOW EVER!
Julia
May 7th, 2011
9:49 pm
Closer, Stargate SG1, House Hunters International