Like it did in the Season Average Top 20 Adults 18-49 list , American Idol placed #1 and #2 for the 2008-9 broadcast prime-time season in terms of average viewership (of persons 2 and older). This numbers in this list don't mean much to the revenue of the networks, but it's quite useful for bragging rights!
First thing that jumps right out as you compare it with the 18-49 demo top 20 is the 12 CBS shows and the 1 NBC show. CBS sure can pack 'em in, even if they don't help the income line. No wonder they won the season title for average audience. ABC has 4 shows and Fox has 3 of the top 20.
Only one football show in this list (NBC Sunday Night Football) vs. 3 in the 18-49 demo list.
Where the adults 18-49 final top 20 had 11 unscripted shows, this one contains only 8 (the "missing" ones being The OT, Sunday Night Pre Kick and Biggest Loser)
Compare this season's top 20 to last season's (2007-8) top 20. Remember the WGA strike hammered most scripted shows.
Top 20 Shows For Average Viewership, 2008-9 Broadcast Prime-Time Season
| Rank | Programs | Network | STD Viewers Live+SD (000) | HH Rating |
| 1 | American Idol-WEDNESDAY | FOX | 25,527 | 8.8 |
| 2 | American Idol-TUESDAY | FOX | 24,741 | 8.5 |
| 3 | Dancing with the Stars | ABC | 19,766 | 6.8 |
| 4 | CSI | CBS | 17,431 | 6.0 |
| 5 | NBC Sunday Night Football | NBC | 16,835 | 5.8 |
| 6 | NCIS | CBS | 16,800 | 5.8 |
| 7 | DANCING W/STARS RESULTS | ABC | 16,313 | 5.6 |
| 8 | Mentalist, THE | CBS | 16,288 | 5.6 |
| 9 | Desperate Housewives | ABC | 14,439 | 5.0 |
| 10 | 60 Minutes | CBS | 14,143 | 4.9 |
| 11 | Two and a Half Men | CBS | 14,111 | 4.9 |
| 12 | Criminal Minds | CBS | 13,714 | 4.7 |
| 13 | CSI: MIAMI | CBS | 13,171 | 4.5 |
| 14 | SURVIVOR: GABON | CBS | 12,914 | 4.5 |
| 15 | GREY'S ANATOMY | ABC | 12,885 | 4.4 |
| 16 | CSI: NY | CBS | 12,531 | 4.3 |
| 17 | SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS | CBS | 12,104 | 4.2 |
| 18 | WITHOUT A TRACE | CBS | 12,047 | 4.2 |
| 19 | HOUSE | FOX | 12,001 | 4.1 |
| 20 | COLD CASE | CBS | 11,606 | 4.0 |
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Nielsen TV Ratings: ©2009 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
yes! survivor makes top 20 for another year!!
YAY! Survivor still in top 20!
Ouch at Grey’s Anatomy being out of the top 10 for the first time. And Lost being out in the top 20
LOL at Without a Trace, its on the list and it get canned.
Nice to see CSI, NCIS and The Mentalist as the top 3 scripted series this season!
It’s impossible that Grey’s has acquired 12,8 million viewers, because in any episode has fallen bellow 13 million and has chapters above 16, the average of 15 million would be the true!
These include in-timeslot reruns, so the numbers are misleading, i.e. new episodes of Grey’s Anatomy performed better than new episodes of Desperate Housewives.
Can’t believe Without A Trace is canceled. Geez, something is off here.
What I think is funny is that Deal or No Deal – Monday was in the top 20 last year. I think the show barely made a blip on NBC this year. It also looks like NCIS grew in numbers from last season too. What’s funny is Without a Trace and Cold Case are in the top 20 but I think one of them got cancelled by CBS. I don’t remember which.
SLP, Last season = WGA strike, scripted shows got hammered, unscripted shows did relatively better. WAT was cancelled. Shows how much average viewership counts for success. Note that none of the shows in the top 20 for adults 18-49 were cancelled. None.
60 Minutes in the top 10 after all these years. Amazing! Andy Rooney is a hilarious!
CBS dominates this list without the benefit of any sports related shows and only one unscripted program.
People should look the 18-49 ranking, not this one
Seems that ABC actually got a star (Shawn Johnson) and she WON…I am now changing this years title to “Dancing With The STAR & other people that think they Are.
Hmmm…House moved down and CSI (Original) moved UP…so CSI is not as dead as people assumed…
So its all CBS & the two JAGGERNAUT shows of FOX and ABC…what would it look like without “AI” or “Dancing” in the mix at all ???
Oh please….Talk amoung yourselves