Complete List Of 2011-12 Season TV Show Viewership: 'Sunday Night Football' Tops, Followed By 'American Idol,' 'NCIS' & 'Dancing With The Stars'

Written By Bill Gorman

May 24th, 2012

• Sports Preemption

  More proof on why total viewers doesn’t matter to networks or advertisers outside of the obvious Harry’s Law situation:

  The two highest scripted shows on Fox in viewership were Terra Nova and Alcatraz. But other factors, be them ratings or cost, factored in more than viewers.

  Still an interesting list for what it is though. Such as the fact that Fox and NBC don’t have a scripted shot until 43 and 51 respectively.

• kate

  Terra Nova in top 50but gone anyway.

• Leondre

  Terra Nova never topped 10_,000,000 viewers

• Leondre

  Terra Nova never topped 10,000,000 viewers

• kate

  Alcatrazalso top 50 but gone Thanks Fox

• Kris

  anyone else find it funny that the CW cancelled their highest rated scripted show?

• Kris

  oops correction 2nd highest rated show scripted

• Lord Seth

  Oh wow, NCIS was practically inches away from topping American Idol as the #1 non-sports show in total viewership…wonder if it’ll hit #1 next year?

• Ultima

  @Leondre
  Terra Nova never topped 10,000,000 viewers

  “2011-12 Season Total Viewership (33 weeks of Live+7 Day”

  Seriously, who looks at the data in a table without reading the title first?

  @kate
  Terra Nova in top 50but gone anyway.
  Alcatrazalso top 50 but gone Thanks Fox

  Total viewership has no impact on a show’s renewal prospects. No, not even if its season average is in the top 50.

• Networkman

  Only 3 scripted shows in the top 10 and they all come from CBS.(NCIS, NCIS:Lost Angeles and The Big Bang Theory) I was so hopping NCIS could pull it off and come into first place. It’s crazy to think that a show ranked #134 is returning.

• Doug

  Terra Nova and Alcatraz ranked highly because they had strong starts that tailed off significantly by their final episodes, especially in the case of Alcatraz.

• Doug

  @Kris: The Secret Circle is also another show that had a strongish fall, but a dire spring.

• Justin121

  This list includes DVR within 7 days as well as repeats.

  That’s why reality dominates

  NCIS > Idol for new episodes

• Bob

  Pathetic numbers for NBC. The Thursday night comedies should have been cancelled. Nobody is watching them. CBS kicking butt as usual. Soon they will have to use the overall numbers when the 18-49 aren’t watching anything.

• Steve

  Harry’s Law is pulling in better viewership numbers than Smash. The finale of HL is this Sunday night, so I hope everyone watches Harry’s Law and gives NBC the final middle finger for cancelling one of their most watched shows.

• Gustavo

  Rob 12,012 million viewers canceled.Gossip girl:1,518 million viewers renewed for a new season.Something isn´t right with CW.I guess they should try picking shows other networks cancel:Like Cougar town canceled by ABC and picked up by TBS.

• SarahL

  @Steve

  Everyone 50+ will be watching for sure. LOL!

• Jack

  Fringe tops place #140!!! Wow, and renewed!

• Sports Preemption

  Sigh

  @ Bob

  The less 18-49 people who watch, the MORE 18-49 demo becomes important to the advertisers. You are mistaken about who Nielsen’s customers are. Nielsen puts out plenty enough information for networks to find one way or another to make their shows seem good. The advertisers, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about most of it. The networks already use the overall numbers, but they don’t matter when it comes to ad rates or renewals.

  The more scarce the resource you are trying to reach, the more valuable it becomes. Simple supply and demand, that’s what drives the use of the 18-49 demo.

• Dean_W

  When the Premiere Dates of the returning Series will be revealed ?