TV's Number One Shows Attracting Dwindling Share of Viewers

As recent viewership trends indicate, TV's number one shows through the years have seen a dwindling share of viewers.


TV'S NUMBER ONE SHOWS ATTRACTING DWINDLING SHARE OF VIEWERS
by Kentroversy

All we need to do is look at some of the most popular number one television shows from the past forty-five years, and we see an ever dwindling share of viewership tuning in to see those shows.

• Gunsmoke (1961) = 61 million viewers


• Bonanza (1966) = 49 million viewers


• Marcus Welby, MD (1971) = 51 million viewers


• All In The Family (1976) = 50 million viewers


• Dallas (1981) = 51 million viewers


• The Cosby Show (1986) = 50 million viewers


• Cheers (1991) = 33 million viewers


• ER (1996) = 33 million viewers


• Survivor (2001) = 29 million viewers


• American Idol (2006) = 29 million viewers

During these forty-five years, we have seen a full 50% drop in viewers of that season's number one show. It also hasn't helped matters, that as we get further down the list, the shows had become more inane and more moronic, reflecting the dumbing-down of AmeriKa.

No wonder people these days are shutting off Lucifer's Dream Box, as the late, great comedian and polictical philosopher Bill Hicks called it.

© 2006 Kentroversy Papers
All rights reserved. Used with permission.


Sources:

The following sources were used in the creation of this Kentroversy Paper . . .

Nielsen Media Research - Inside TV Ratings

Dumbing Down of America

Bill Hicks

Lucifer's Dream Box

Television

Television Ratings