Most Popular TV Series 1986 - 2019

[Dave24]

Timeline history of the most viewed TV series from 1986 to 2019. Ranking is based on the following factors: prime-time first 24 hours audience reports, one week of reported statistics for downloaded copies (pirated), one week of streaming services viewership. Numbers are worldwide with significant bias towards US market up until 2002, afterwards it's balanced by p2p distribution across the globe.

 

[Cave Savage]

No Fox on there til 96, no premium cable til 99, no basic cable til 2010, no streaming until 2013.

Network used to kill shyt, especially NBC then later CBS

 

[Bob Loblaw]

TIL Home improvement blew up in little time

 

[Cave Savage]

I'm surprised to see all those CBS shows still in the top 10. And Rick and Morty, I knew it was popular but didn't realize it was that popular

 

[KalKal]

I remember during Dexter Season 1 they mad a big deal about it breaking one million viewers.
I NEVER knew that at one point it made it to the number one show with over 25 million viewers

 

[prophecypro]

Simpsons not being here was suprising as was the fact that Judging Amy was that big for a few years

Interesting

 

[prophecypro]

I remember during Dexter Season 1 they mad a big deal about it breaking one million viewers.
I NEVER knew that at one point it made it to the number one show with over 25 million viewers

Im presuming thats accumalated numbers but yeah

 

[KalKal]

I remember during Dexter Season 1 they mad a big deal about it breaking one million viewers.
I NEVER knew that at one point it made it to the number one show with over 25 million viewers

I looked it up on Wikipedia. One thing that I had forgotten was that Season 1 was edited for broadcast TV on CBS. The S1 reruns were getting 8 million viewers per episode on CBS:
Dexter (season 1) - Wikipedia

I'm guessing that's what really made its Showtime audience blow up later on.