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 1950âÂÂApril 1951
October 1951âÂÂApril 1952
October 1952âÂÂApril 1953
October 1953âÂÂApril 1954
October 1954âÂÂApril 1955
October 1955âÂÂApril 1956
October 1956âÂÂApril 1957
October 1957âÂÂApril 1958
October 1958âÂÂApril 1959
October 1959âÂÂApril 1960
1960s
October 1960âÂÂApril 1961
October 1961âÂÂApril 1962
October 1962âÂÂApril 1963
October 1963âÂÂApril 1964
October 1964âÂÂApril 1965
October 1965âÂÂApril 1966
October 1966âÂÂApril 1967
October 1967âÂÂApril 1968
October 1968âÂÂApril 1969
October 1969âÂÂApril 1970
1970s
October 1970âÂÂApril 1971
October 1971âÂÂApril 1972
October 1972âÂÂApril 1973
September 1973âÂÂApril 1974
September 1974âÂÂApril 1975
September 1975âÂÂApril 1976
September 1976âÂÂApril 1977
September 1977âÂÂApril 1978
September 1978âÂÂApril 1979
September 1979âÂÂApril 1980
1980s
September 1980âÂÂApril 1981
September 1981âÂÂApril 1982
September 1982âÂÂApril 1983
September 1983âÂÂApril 1984
September 1984âÂÂApril 1985
September 1985âÂÂApril 1986
September 1986âÂÂApril 1987
September 1987âÂÂApril 1988
October 1988âÂÂApril 1989
September 1989âÂÂApril 1990
1990s
September 1990âÂÂApril 1991
September 1991âÂÂApril 1992
September 1992âÂÂApril 1993
September 1993âÂÂApril 1994
September 1994âÂÂApril 1995
September 1995âÂÂMay 1996
September 1996âÂÂMay 1997
September 1997âÂÂMay 1998
September 1998âÂÂMay 1999
September 1999âÂÂMay 2000
2000s
September 2000âÂÂMay 2001
September 2001âÂÂMay 2002
September 2002âÂÂMay 2003
September 2003âÂÂMay 2004
September 2004âÂÂMay 2005
September 2005âÂÂMay 2006
September 2006âÂÂMay 2007
September 2007âÂÂMay 2008
September 2008âÂÂMay 2009
September 2009âÂÂMay 2010
2010s
September 2010âÂÂMay 2011
September 2011âÂÂMay 2012
September 2012âÂÂMay 2013
September 2013âÂÂMay 2014
September 2014âÂÂMay 2015
September 2015âÂÂMay 2016
September 2016âÂÂMay 2017
September 2017âÂÂMay 2018
September 2018âÂÂMay 2019
September 2019âÂÂMay 2020
2020s
September 2020âÂÂMay 2021
September 2021âÂÂMay 2022
September 2022âÂÂMay 2023
September 2023âÂÂMay 2024
September 2024âÂÂMay 2025
Multiple rankings in the Top 30
49 seasons
34 seasons
- Monday Night Football (ABC)
22 seasons
- NCIS (CBS)
- Survivor (CBS)
19 seasons
- Sunday Night Football (NBC)
18 seasons
- American Idol (FOX/ABC)
- Gunsmoke (CBS)
17 seasons
- Disneyland/Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color/The Wonderful World of Disney (ABC/NBC)
- Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
- The Red Skelton Show (NBC/CBS)
- The Toast of the Town/The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS)
15 seasons
- Blue Bloods (CBS)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS)
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
- The Voice (NBC)
14 seasons
- Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
- ER (NBC)
- NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
13 seasons
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
- Chicago Fire (NBC)
- Frasier (NBC)
- Murder, She Wrote (CBS)
- My Three Sons (ABC/CBS)
10 seasons
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
- Chicago Med (NBC)
- CSI: Miami (CBS)
- Dallas (CBS)
- Friends (NBC)
- Hawaii Five-0 (CBS)
- I've Got a Secret (CBS)
- The Jack Benny Show (CBS)
- M*A*S*H (CBS)
- NYPD Blue (ABC)
- Roseanne/The Conners (ABC)
9 seasons
- The King of Queens (CBS)
- The Carol Burnett Show (CBS)
- Cheers (NBC)
- Dragnet (NBC)
- Happy Days (ABC)
- Lassie (CBS)
- You Bet Your Life (NBC)
8 seasons
- The Andy Griffith Show (CBS)
- The Beverly Hillbillies (CBS)
- Chicago P.D. (NBC)
- 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)
- 9-1-1 (ABC/FOX)
- One Day at a Time (CBS)
- Thursday Night Football (CBS/NBC/FOX)
- 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)
- FBI (CBS)
- 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)
- NCIS: New Orleans (CBS)
- Three's Company (ABC)
- The Waltons (CBS)
- What's My Line? (CBS)
- Without a Trace (CBS)
- Young Sheldon (CBS)
6 seasons
- The Bachelor (ABC)
- Bewitched (ABC)
- Bull (CBS)
- Coach (ABC)
- Dateline NBC (NBC)
- Dynasty (ABC)
- Falcon Crest (CBS)
- FBI: Most Wanted (CBS)
- Fireside Theatre (NBC)
- Full House (ABC)
- The Good Doctor (ABC)
- Growing Pains (ABC)
- Have Gun â 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)
- This Is Us (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)
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (NBC)
- The Dean Martin Show (NBC)
- A Different World (NBC)
- The Dukes of Hazzard (CBS)
- The Equalizer (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. (1980-1988) (CBS)
- The Millionaire (CBS)
- Modern Family (ABC)
- Mom (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)
- 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)
- 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)
- FBI: International (CBS)
- Ford Theatre (NBC)
- The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (CBS)
- Ghosts (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)
- 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)
- 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)
- Fire Country (CBS)
- 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)
- Magnum, P.I. (2018-2024) (CBS/NBC)
- The Masked Singer (FOX)
- Mayberry R.F.D. (CBS)
- Moonlighting (ABC)
- NCIS: Hawaiûi (CBS)
- 9-1-1: Lone Star (FOX)
- Northern Exposure (CBS)
- The Partridge Family (ABC)
- People Are Funny (NBC)
- The Practice (ABC)
- Providence (NBC)
- Rhoda (CBS)
- The Rookie (ABC)
- The Rookies (ABC)
- S.W.A.T. (CBS)
- 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)
- 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)
- America's Got Talent: The Champions (NBC)
- 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)
- Chico and the Man (NBC)
- Climax! (CBS)
- Code Black (CBS)
- Cosby (CBS)
- CSI: Vegas (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)
- Elsbeth (CBS)
- 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)
- 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)
- New Amsterdam (NBC)
- 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)
- So Help Me Todd (CBS)
- The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (CBS)
- Station 19 (ABC)
- 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)
- Tracker (CBS)
- 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)
- Will Trent (ABC)
References