Top-rated United States television programs by season explained
This article presents the top-rated American primetime broadcast network television series by season from 1950 to the present according to Nielsen Media Research.
1950s
October 1950–April 1951
October 1951–April 1952
October 1952–April 1953
October 1953–April 1954
October 1954–April 1955
October 1955–April 1956
October 1956–April 1957
October 1957–April 1958
October 1958–April 1959
October 1959–April 1960
1960s
October 1960–April 1961
October 1961–April 1962
October 1962–April 1963
October 1963–April 1964
October 1964–April 1965
October 1965–April 1966
October 1966–April 1967
October 1967–April 1968
October 1968–April 1969
October 1969–April 1970
1970s
October 1970–April 1971
October 1971–April 1972
October 1972–April 1973
September 1973–April 1974
September 1974–April 1975
September 1975–April 1976
September 1976–April 1977
September 1977–April 1978
September 1978–April 1979
September 1979–April 1980
1980s
September 1980–April 1981
September 1981–April 1982
September 1982–April 1983
September 1983–April 1984
September 1984–April 1985
September 1985–April 1986
September 1986–April 1987
September 1987–April 1988
October 1988–April 1989
September 1989–April 1990
1990s
September 1990–April 1991
September 1991–April 1992
September 1992–April 1993
September 1993–April 1994
September 1994–April 1995
September 1995–May 1996
September 1996–May 1997
September 1997–May 1998
September 1998–May 1999
September 1999–May 2000
2000s
September 2000–May 2001
September 2001–May 2002
September 2002–May 2003
September 2003–May 2004
September 2004–May 2005
September 2005–May 2006
September 2006–May 2007
September 2007–May 2008
September 2008–May 2009
September 2009–May 2010
2010s
September 2010–May 2011
September 2011–May 2012
September 2012–May 2013
September 2013–May 2014
September 2014–May 2015
September 2015–May 2016
September 2016–May 2017
September 2017–May 2018
September 2018–May 2019
Multiple rankings in the Top 30
- 43 seasons
- 32 seasons
- Monday Night Football (ABC)
- 18 seasons
- 17 seasons
- Disneyland/Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color/The Wonderful World of Disney (ABC/NBC)
- The Red Skelton Show (NBC/CBS)
- Survivor (CBS)
- The Toast of the Town/The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS)
- 16 seasons
- 15 seasons
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS)
- Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
- 14 seasons
- American Idol (FOX/ABC)
- Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
- ER (NBC)
- 13 seasons
- Criminal Minds (CBS)
- Sunday Night Football (NBC)
- 12 seasons
- All in the Family/Archie Bunker's Place (CBS)
- Bonanza (NBC)
- Law & Order (NBC)
- The Lucy Show/Here's Lucy (CBS)
- Two and a Half Men (CBS)
- 11 seasons
- Frasier (NBC)
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
- Murder, She Wrote (CBS)
- My Three Sons (ABC/CBS)
- 10 seasons
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
- CSI: Miami (CBS)
- Dallas (CBS)
- Friends (NBC)
- I've Got a Secret (CBS)
- The Jack Benny Show (CBS)
- M*A*S*H (CBS)
- NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
- NYPD Blue (ABC)
- Roseanne/The Conners (ABC)
- 9 seasons
- The King of Queens (CBS)
- Blue Bloods (CBS)
- The Carol Burnett Show (CBS)
- Cheers (NBC)
- Dragnet (NBC)
- Happy Days (ABC)
- Hawaii Five-0 (CBS)
- Lassie (CBS)
- The Voice (NBC)
- You Bet Your Life (NBC)
- 8 seasons
- The Andy Griffith Show (CBS)
- The Beverly Hillbillies (CBS)
- The Cosby Show (NBC)
- Desperate Housewives (ABC)
- Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS)
- General Electric Theater (CBS)
- Hawaii Five-O (CBS)
- Home Improvement (ABC)
- The Jeffersons (CBS)
- Knots Landing (CBS)
- Little House on the Prairie/Little House: A New Beginning (NBC)
- One Day at a Time (CBS)
- 20/20 (ABC)
- The Virginian/The Men from Shiloh (NBC)
- 7 seasons
- Alice (CBS)
- Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts (CBS)
- Castle (ABC)
- Cold Case (CBS)
- CSI: NY (CBS)
- The Danny Thomas Show (CBS)
- The F.B.I. (ABC)
- The Golden Girls (NBC)
- The Good Wife (CBS)
- The Jackie Gleason Show (1962-1970) (CBS)
- Laverne & Shirley (ABC)
- The Love Boat (ABC)
- The Mentalist (CBS)
- Murphy Brown (CBS)
- Three's Company (ABC)
- The Waltons (CBS)
- What's My Line? (CBS)
- Without a Trace (CBS)
- 6 seasons
- The Bachelor (ABC)
- Bewitched (ABC)
- Coach (ABC)
- Dateline NBC (NBC)
- Dynasty (ABC)
- Falcon Crest (CBS)
- Fireside Theatre (NBC)
- Full House (ABC)
- Growing Pains (ABC)
- Have Gun – Will Travel (CBS)
- House (FOX)
- The Life of Riley (NBC)
- I Love Lucy (CBS)
- Ironside (NBC)
- Judging Amy (CBS)
- L.A. Law (NBC)
- Lost (ABC)
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS)
- Matlock (NBC/ABC)
- Newhart (CBS)
- Night Court (NBC)
- The Perry Como Show (NBC)
- Perry Mason (CBS)
- Primetime Live (ABC)
- Sanford and Son (NBC)
- Seinfeld (NBC)
- Trapper John, M.D. (CBS)
- Wagon Train (NBC/ABC)
- The West Wing (NBC)
- Who's the Boss? (ABC)
- 5 seasons
- Arthur Godfrey and His Friends (CBS)
- Chicago Fire (NBC)
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (NBC)
- The Dean Martin Show (NBC)
- A Different World (NBC)
- The Dukes of Hazzard (CBS)
- Fantasy Island (ABC)
- The Ford Show (NBC)
- Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (CBS)
- Head of the Class (ABC)
- In the Heat of the Night (NBC)
- JAG (CBS)
- The Lawrence Welk Show (ABC)
- Magnum, P.I. (CBS)
- The Millionaire (CBS)
- Modern Family (ABC)
- NCIS: New Orleans (CBS)
- Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts (CBS)
- Private Secretary (CBS)
- Rawhide (CBS)
- The Real McCoys (ABC)
- Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (NBC)
- Texaco Star Theater/The Milton Berle Show/The Buick-Berle Show (NBC)
- This Is Your Life (NBC)
- Thursday Night Football (CBS/NBC/FOX)
- Touched by an Angel (CBS)
- Unsolved Mysteries (NBC)
- 4 seasons
- The A-Team (NBC)
- Adam-12 (NBC)
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (CBS)
- Barnaby Jones (CBS)
- Barney Miller (ABC)
- Becker (CBS)
- The Blacklist (NBC)
- The Bob Newhart Show (CBS)
- Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
- Candid Camera (CBS)
- Cannon (CBS)
- Charlie's Angels (ABC)
- Cheyenne (ABC)
- Chicago Med (NBC)
- Daniel Boone (NBC)
- December Bride (CBS)
- The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS)
- The Doris Day Show (CBS)
- The Drew Carey Show (ABC)
- Eight Is Enough (ABC)
- Empty Nest (NBC)
- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)
- The Facts of Life (NBC)
- The Fall Guy (ABC)
- Family Affair (CBS)
- Family Ties (NBC)
- Ford Theatre (NBC)
- The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (CBS)
- Gillette Cavalcade of Sports (NBC)
- Good Times (CBS)
- Green Acres (CBS)
- Hunter (NBC)
- Kate & Allie (CBS)
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC)
- The Lawman (ABC)
- The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (ABC)
- Madam Secretary (CBS)
- Mama (CBS)
- Mannix (CBS)
- Marcus Welby, M.D. (ABC)
- Maude (CBS)
- Medical Center (CBS)
- The Mod Squad (ABC)
- Mom (CBS)
- Person of Interest (CBS)
- Petticoat Junction (CBS)
- Philco TV Playhouse (NBC)
- The Price Is Right (NBC)
- Real People (NBC)
- The Rifleman (ABC)
- Scandal (ABC)
- Simon & Simon (CBS)
- That's Incredible! (ABC)
- 24 (FOX)
- Walker, Texas Ranger (CBS)
- Will & Grace (NBC)
- Wings (NBC)
- The Wonder Years (ABC)
- The X-Files (FOX)
- Your Hit Parade (NBC)
- 3 seasons
- ALF (NBC)
- Amen (NBC)
- America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC)
- The Big Story (NBC)
- Bones (FOX)
- Bull (CBS)
- Chicago Hope (CBS)
- CHiPs (NBC)
- Crossing Jordan (NBC)
- Deal or No Deal (NBC)
- Dennis the Menace (CBS)
- Designing Women (CBS)
- Dharma & Greg (ABC)
- Diff'rent Strokes (NBC)
- Dr. Kildare (NBC)
- Elementary (CBS)
- Empire (FOX)
- Evening Shade (CBS)
- Family Law (CBS)
- Family Matters (ABC)
- Father Knows Best (NBC/CBS)
- Fear Factor (NBC)
- The Flintstones (ABC)
- The Flip Wilson Show (NBC)
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (NBC)
- The Garry Moore Show (CBS)
- Goodyear TV Playhouse (NBC)
- Grace Under Fire (ABC)
- Hart to Hart (ABC)
- Hazel (NBC)
- Highway to Heaven (NBC)
- Hill Street Blues (NBC)
- Hotel (ABC)
- House Calls (CBS)
- Just Shoot Me! (NBC)
- Kojak (CBS)
- Kraft Television Theatre (NBC)
- The Jackie Gleason Show (1952-1957) (CBS)
- The Lineup (CBS)
- The Lone Ranger (ABC)
- Mad About You (NBC)
- Mayberry R.F.D. (CBS)
- Moonlighting (ABC)
- Northern Exposure (CBS)
- The Partridge Family (ABC)
- People Are Funny (NBC)
- The Practice (ABC)
- Providence (NBC)
- Rhoda (CBS)
- The Rookies (ABC)
- Scarecrow & Mrs. King (CBS)
- Scorpion (CBS)
- 77 Sunset Strip (ABC)
- The Simpsons (FOX)
- The Six Million Dollar Man (ABC)
- 60 Minutes II (CBS)
- The $64,000 Question (CBS)
- The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (CBS)
- Soap (ABC)
- Spin City (ABC)
- The Streets of San Francisco (ABC)
- This Is Us (NBC)
- 227 (NBC)
- Valerie/Valerie's Family/The Hogan Family (NBC)
- Welcome Back, Kotter (ABC)
- Yes, Dear (CBS)
- Your Show of Shows (NBC)
- Zane Grey Theater (CBS)
- 2 seasons
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (CBS)
- The Alan Young Show (CBS)
- All Star Revue (NBC)
- The Amazing Race (CBS)
- America's Funniest People (ABC)
- Amos 'n' Andy (CBS)
- The Ann Sothern Show (CBS)
- The Apprentice (NBC)
- Armstrong Circle Theatre (NBC)
- The Bachelorette (ABC)
- Baretta (ABC)
- Ben Casey (ABC)
- The Big Event (NBC)
- Big Town (CBS)
- The Bionic Woman (ABC)
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (NBC)
- Body of Proof (ABC)
- Cagney & Lacey (CBS)
- Caroline in the City (NBC)
- Chicago P.D. (NBC)
- Chico and the Man (NBC)
- Climax! (CBS)
- Code Black (CBS)
- Cosby (CBS)
- Cybill (CBS)
- Daktari (CBS)
- Dave's World (CBS)
- Dear John (NBC)
- The Defenders (CBS)
- Diagnosis: Murder (CBS)
- Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (CBS)
- The Donna Reed Show (ABC)
- Doogie Howser, M.D. (ABC)
- Ellen (ABC)
- Flipper (NBC)
- 48 Hours (CBS)
- The Fugitive (ABC)
- Gangbusters (NBC)
- The George Gobel Show (NBC)
- Get Smart (NBC)
- Gilligan's Island (CBS)
- The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (CBS)
- The Good Doctor (ABC)
- Grand (NBC)
- The Guardian (CBS)
- Hee Haw (CBS)
- Heroes (NBC)
- Hogan's Heroes (CBS)
- Hopalong Cassidy (NBC)
- How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)
- I Dream of Jeannie (NBC)
- Jesse (NBC)
- The Jim Nabors Hour (CBS)
- Julia (NBC)
- Kung Fu (ABC)
- Little Big Shots (NBC)
- The Loretta Young Show (NBC)
- Lou Grant (CBS)
- Love & War (CBS)
- Lux Video Theatre (NBC)
- Major Dad (CBS)
- Man Against Crime (NBC)
- The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (CBS)
- Martin Kane, Private Eye (NBC)
- Maverick (ABC)
- McHale's Navy (ABC)
- Miami Vice (NBC)
- Mike & Molly (CBS)
- Mork & Mindy (ABC)
- My Favorite Martian (CBS)
- The Naked Truth (ABC/NBC)
- Name That Tune (CBS)
- The Nanny (CBS)
- 9-1-1 (FOX)
- Our Miss Brooks (CBS)
- The Patty Duke Show (ABC)
- Peter Gunn (NBC)
- The Phil Silvers Show (CBS)
- Police Woman (NBC)
- Private Practice (ABC)
- The Red Buttons Show (CBS)
- Rescue 911 (CBS)
- Riptide (NBC)
- Robert Montgomery Presents (NBC)
- Route 66 (CBS)
- The Roy Rogers Show (NBC)
- Rules of Engagement (CBS)
- Shark (CBS)
- The Single Guy (NBC)
- The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (CBS)
- Still Standing (CBS)
- Strike It Rich (CBS)
- Sugarfoot (ABC)
- Tales of Wells Fargo (NBC)
- Taxi (ABC)
- 3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC)
- To Tell the Truth (CBS)
- Too Close for Comfort (ABC)
- Treasury Men in Action (NBC)
- TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes (NBC)
- 2 Broke Girls (CBS)
- Undercover Boss (CBS)
- The Unit (CBS)
- Vega$ (ABC)
- Veronica's Closet (NBC)
- Wanted: Dead or Alive (CBS)
- Webster (ABC)
- What's Happening!! (ABC)
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (ABC)
- Young Sheldon (CBS)
