This table displays the top-rated primetime television series of the 1972–73 season as measured by Nielsen Media Research.[1]
| Rank | Program | Network | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | All in the Family | 33.3 | |
| 2 | Sanford and Son | 27.6 | |
| 3 | Hawaii Five-O | CBS | 25.2 |
| 4 | Maude | 24.7 | |
| 5 | Bridget Loves Bernie | 24.2 | |
| The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie | NBC | ||
| 7 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | CBS | 23.6 |
| Gunsmoke | |||
| 9 | The Wonderful World of Disney | NBC | 23.5 |
| 10 | Ironside | 23.4 | |
| 11 | Adam-12 | 23.3 | |
| 12 | The Flip Wilson Show | 23.1 | |
| 13 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | 22.9 | |
| 14 | Cannon | CBS | 22.4 |
| 15 | Here's Lucy | 21.9 | |
| 16 | The Bob Newhart Show | 21.8 | |
| 17 | ABC | 21.5 | |
| 18 | Monday Night Football | 21.0 | |
| 19 | The Partridge Family | 20.6 | |
| The Waltons | CBS | ||
| Medical Center | |||
| 22 | The Carol Burnett Show | 20.3 | |
| 23 | ABC | 20.0 | |
| The Rookies | |||
| 25 | Barnaby Jones | CBS | 19.9 |
| The Little People | NBC | ||
| ABC | |||
| 28 | NBC | 19.3 | |
| 29 | ABC | 19.2 | |
| The F.B.I. | |||
| Kung Fu |