CHART CLOSE-UP FROM THE STORY:
NCIS Favorite US TV Show »
(scroll down to read the full story)
NCIS Favorite US TV Show
When asked to name their favorite all-time TV shows, more Americans picked the current CBS drama “NCIS” than any other show, according to results of a March 2011 Harris Poll. “NCIS” rises from fourth place in 2009 and bumps another CBS drama, “CSI,” from first to second place.
Nostalgia for ‘MASH,’ Other Reruns is High
Interestingly, “MASH,” the legendary comedy-drama about the Korean War which went off the air in 1983, ranks number three this year and ranked second in 2009. And “MASH” is not alone, as seven of the 11 top 10 shows (there is a tie at #10) are no longer in production.
With the year they stopped producing original episodes, the other five repeats which still capture the hearts of viewers are number five “Seinfeld” (1998), number six “Lost” (2010), number seven “Star Trek” (1969), number eight “Friends” (2004), and tied at number 10, “I Love Lucy/The Lucy Show” (1957/1968) and “Law & Order” (2010).
All of these shows except “I Love Lucy/The Lucy Show” and “Law & Order” were also in the top 10 list compiled in 2009.
Crime, Comedy Pay for CBS
Of the four shows in the top 10 currently airing new episodes, four run on the CBS network. Three of the four, “NCIS,” “CSI,” and “Criminal Minds,” are dramas focusing on the procedures police and intelligence officials use to catch criminals. The other CBS show in the top 10, number four “Two and a Half Men,” is a sitcom (MarketingCharts will avoid bad jokes about the criminal record of its apparently former star Charlie Sheen).
‘NCIS’ Appeals to Broad Range of Viewers
Looking at a variety of viewer demographics, it becomes clear that “NCIS” has broad appeal. The show ranks number one among men, women, every age bracket except Echo Boomers, Republicans and independents, those with a high school diploma or some college, every income bracket except $75,000 - $99,999, and residents of all four major regions of the US.
Sitcoms Beat ‘NCIS’ with Some Groups
The few demographic groups who did not select “NCIS” as their favorite show tended to select sitcoms. “MASH,” which despite dramatic storylines and subject matter was still primarily a sitcom, ranked number one with viewers earning $75,000 - $99,999 a year. “Friends” is tops with Echo Boomers, while “Seinfeld” is number one among college grads and post-college grads and ties with “NCIS” and “Lost” with Gen X. Meanwhile, Democrats favor the raunchy humor of “Two and a Half Men.”
‘Glee’ Top TV Show for Social Impressions
An episode of the Fox TV comedy-drama “Glee” generates an average of about 82.4 million impressions on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, according to an April 2011 white paper from Networked Insights. This makes “Glee” the top TV show for social impressions and puts it 80% ahead of its nearest competitor in terms of social impressions, CBS sitcom “Two and a Half Men” (45.7 million average impressions).
About the Data: This Harris Poll was conducted online within the US between March 7 to 14, 2011 among 2,379 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.
