Does anyone know of the exact list or have any historical findings?

well, I know the "Who Shot J.R." episode of "Dallas" was either the highest rated episode of the series or the highest rated show that year (1980)

I know the top 2 are the MASH finale and "Who Shot J.R."

I think the poster means a show in general, not a single episode.

I think the poster means a show in general, not a single episode.


That's what I meant. Does anyone know?

Does anyone know of the exact list or have any historical findings?
I don't have a source, but I remember reading somewhere that Beverly Hillbillies had several episodes that were among the highest rated single episodes of any series. They had more than any show, with one episode called Giant Jack Rabbit being the highest rated one. I also remember reading in 1986 that Cosby Show was breaking records. One show about Vanessa wearing Denise's clothes broke a record. I read someplace that Cosby was the highest rated series ever, but it was written as a promotion for the series so it may not be accurate. Just to guess I would say All in the Family, Dallas, maybe 60 Minutes and I Love Lucy would be in the all time top ten, although I'm guessing those stats from the % of tvs that were tuned to those shows, not the actual number of homes that actually watched them.

From what I know, All In the Family and The Cosby show are the only shows that stayed #1 for 5 consecutive seasons. I'd reckon they'd be in the top 10.

I always thought there was a list posted here a few months or probably two years back with the highest rated sitcoms of all times?....

Cosby and All In The Family are definately up there, Cheers, Dallas, MASH, Seinfeld, Roseanne, Family Ties, Friends, I Love Lucy, Beverly Hillbillies (one of the regular episodes ranks among the top rated episodes of all time, and it wasn't a finale or cliffhanger type episode, BH was just that big), Andy Griffith, Gunsmoke and Bonanza are likely up there in terms of the biggest cumulative audiences for a TV show. FT only spent 3 seasons in the top 10, compared to the lengthy runs to the others, but in it's peak it held on to 95% of Cosby's audience and when TCS was big, it was GIGANTIC.

In the TV book I have, it lists the top 100 highest rated shows of all-time. The latest update was 2004. However, I left the book in my locker at work. I'm pretty sure that the number 1 show is "60 Minutes." Once I get the book back, I'll post it.

They say this list is compiled based on popularity and longevity. I personally don't agree with this. It came out of "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows: 1946-Present by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh"

Here's the top 30.

1. 60 Minutes
2. Gunsmoke
3. The Red Skelton Show
4. Bonanza
5. All in the Family/Archie Bunker's Place
6. Walt Disney
7. The Ed Sullivan Show/Toast of the Town
8. The Lucy Show/Here's Lucy
9. ER
10. Murder She Wrote
11. Friends
12. M*A*S*H
13. Cheers
14. Dallas
15. The Cosby Show
16. Frasier
17. The Andy Griffith Show
18. Roseanne
19. Home Improvement
20. The Jack Benny Show
21. Three's Company/Three's a Crowd
22. I Love Lucy
23. The Danny Thomas Show
24. The Beverly Hillbillies
25. You Bet Your Life
26. Happy Days
27. 20/20
28. I've Got a Secret
29. Dragnet/Dragnet 67
30. Arthur Godrey's Talent Scouts

Out of Just the Sitcoms:

1. All in the Family/Archie Bunker's Place
2. The Lucy Show/Here's Lucy
3. Friends
4. M*A*S*H
5. Cheers
6. The Cosby Show
7. Frasier
8. The Andy Griffith Show
9. Roseanne
10. Home Improvement
11. Three's Company/Three's a Crowd
12. I Love Lucy
13. The Danny Thomas Show
14. The Beverly Hillbillies
15. Happy Days

Like I say, I don't agree with this list, but I said I'd post it and I did. I'll post the rest (of the 100) later.

I am surprised Seinfeld isn't there.

Even though this serves as a "take that" to the comment that "Roseanne was never as popular as Friends or Seinfeld was" :)

I'm stunned Lucy Show is higher than I Love Lucy

Well, wasn't Lucy Show the most syndicated of the Lucy shows? I think it's because it was put out of circulation for a while for it to be remastered. I think it was in the '80s.

wrong info.


pat

Well, wasn't Lucy Show the most syndicated of the Lucy shows? I think it's because it was put out of circulation for a while for it to be remastered. I think it was in the '80s.

I don't recall Lucy Show ever airing as much as I Love Lucy though. Hell, Paramount is proud to own ILL, Lucy Show is public domain on the other hand.

wrong info.


pat
I remember reading that it was put out for remastering, or maybe by putting out they didn't mean taking out of circulation. Maybe it was worded wrongly.

I am surprised Seinfeld isn't there.

Even though this serves as a "take that" to the comment that "Roseanne was never as popular as Friends or Seinfeld was" :)

I'm stunned Lucy Show is higher than I Love Lucy

Well, you have to take into acount that Seinfeld wasn't a blockbuster ratings hit for at least the first 4 seasons, that's almost half its run.

That is true, but Cheers is up there.... and it finished the first season as the lowest rated show of all three networks.

probably because Cheers ran a bit longer once it took off. It spent 8 seasons in the top 10, Seinfeld ended after 5 years in the top 10. But still, you'd think Seinfeld would've been big enough in those 5 years to merit up there.

That is true, but Cheers is up there.... and it finished the first season as the lowest rated show of all three networks.

Yeah, but Cheers spent 8 of its 11 seasons in the top 10. Also, 11 seasons is pretty damn long for a show to run as well.

I know "Seinfeld" is at least in the top 50. The book is still at work. I just copied down the first 30. When I get the book back, I'll post the rest. Unless someone else has the book and the time to post them all.

My biggest shock is that "Home Improvement" is so high up on the list.

Seinfeld is #32.

The list makes no sense whatsoever, Seinfeld was much more popular than Frasier.
The list was compiled by giving points based on the number of seasons it was telecast and its audience size ranking each year.

If you're talking about household numbers, it's a completely different ballgame than viewer numbers. The second season of "Lucy" averaged an unimaginable 69 rating, but there were only 15 million households, meaning that the show drew about 15 to 20 million viewers. "AITF" frequently drew averaged 30 rating in the 1970's, but it only equated to about 30 million viewers or so.

The most watched season in history, but total viewers, is "The Cosby Show"s first second when it averaged a 34 rating. It was the highest overall HH rating since the 1960's, but since the total number of HH's was higher in 1984 than previously, it would have averaged something like 45 million viewers a week. I've read that the show was drawing, at some points, more than 60 million viewers, by far the most watched season in history. For instance, my research on the Lexis-Nexis database shows that during the week ending Dec 9/86, TCS drew a 38.6 rating, it's best performance of that season and probably very close to the series high. The w/e Mar 4/86, TCS drew a 39 rating, which is identified as the series high to that point (and probably of the entire season). The article also notes that AITF's series high was a 40.0 rating, set during an episode in 1973.

To remember- the top 50 of series that Nielsen maintains is post-1960 something and ONLY includes at least hour long installments of anything of the list, and nothing that was not ad supported.

This is why HH ratings are kind of misleading if you're comparing season over season. A 10 rating today would have been a 12.1 rating in 1990 and a 15 rating in 1980 because the overall number of households is always increasing.

Does anyone know of the exact list or have any historical findings?

I could be right or wrong about the list but I found the top-10 network telecasts of all-time if this should help. Here they are:

1 M*A*S*H (CBS) (2/28/1983)
2 Dallas (CBS) (11/21/1980)
3 Roots Part VIII (ABC) (1/30/1977)
4 Super Bowl XVI (CBS) (1/24/1982)
5 Super Bowl XVII (NBC) (1/30/1983)
6 XVII Winter Olympics (CBS) (2/23/1994)
7 Super Bowl XX (NBC) (1/26/1986)
8 Gone With the Wind - Part 1 (NBC) 11/7/1976)
9 Gone With the Wind - Part 2 (NBC) 11/8/1976)
10 Super Bowl XII (CBS) (1/15/1978)


Nielsen Media Research, Inc.

Well what about sitcoms?