Favorite Number One Rated Television Series
by TheMovieSmith | created - 19 Oct 2015 | updated - 19 Oct 2015 | PublicNielsen ratings are used in the United States to measure the popularity of a TV series. Below are all the broadcast TV series that have rated number one at the end of the seasons since 1950-1951. Which is your favorite series?
Note: These are the highest overall rated TV series. This does not include the highest rated TV series in the demo.
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1. The Milton Berle Show (1948–1956)
60 min | Comedy, Family
The Texaco Star Theatre was one of the most popular shows in the history of television. In the first year, Milton Berle was not the permanent emcee, but once he replaced the rotation, the ... See full summary »
Stars: Milton Berle, Sid Stone, Jimmy Nelson, Arnold Stang
Votes: 164
1950-1951
2. Talent Scouts (1948–1958)
30 min | Comedy, Family, Music
A popular radio personality in the 1940's brought his variety talent contest show to television that continued into the 1950's.
Stars: Arthur Godfrey, George Bryan, Archie Bleyer, Tony Marvin
Votes: 26
1951-1952
3. I Love Lucy (1951–1957)
TV-Y | 30 min | Comedy, Family
The wife of a band leader constantly tries to become a star - in spite of her having no talent, and gets herself (along with her best friend) into the funniest predicaments.
Stars: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, William Frawley
Votes: 28,904
1952-1955, 1956-1957
4. The $64, 000 Question (1955–1958)
30 min | Family, Game-Show
Among the most influential of the big-money quiz shows, and the undisputed king of the genre of the 1950s, contestants answer questions in a specific field in an attempt to win $64,000.
Stars: Geoffrey Holder, Hal March, Joyce Brothers, Bergen Evans
Votes: 77
1955-1956
5. Gunsmoke (1955–1975)
TV-PG | 60 min | Western
Marshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in rough-and-tumble Dodge City.
Stars: James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis
Votes: 8,742
1957-1961
6. Wagon Train (1957–1965)
TV-PG | 75 min | Western
Stories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts, and Rocky Mountains.
Stars: Frank McGrath, Terry Wilson, Robert Horton, John McIntire
Votes: 3,750
1961-1962
7. The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971)
TV-G | 25 min | Comedy, Family
A nouveau-riche hillbilly family moves to Beverly Hills and shakes up the privileged society with their hayseed ways.
Stars: Buddy Ebsen, Donna Douglas, Irene Ryan, Max Baer Jr.
Votes: 11,018
1962-1964
8. Bonanza (1959–1973)
TV-PG | 49 min | Western
The Wild West adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their Nevada ranch while helping the surrounding community.
Stars: Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts
Votes: 10,990
1964-1967
9. The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family
Widower Sheriff Andy Taylor, and his son Opie, live with Andy's Aunt Bee in Mayberry, North Carolina. With virtually no crimes to solve, most of Andy's time is spent philosophizing and calming down his cousin Deputy Barney Fife.
Stars: Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, Don Knotts, Frances Bavier
Votes: 16,977
1967-1968
10. Laugh-In (1967–1973)
TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy, Music
The original rapid fire sketch comedy show.
Stars: Dan Rowan, Dick Martin, Gary Owens, Ruth Buzzi
Votes: 3,653
1968-1970
11. Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969–1976)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama
Dr. Marcus Welby, a general practitioner, and Steven Kiley, Welby's young assistant. The two try to treat people as individuals in an age of specialized medicine and indifferent physicians.
Stars: Robert Young, James Brolin, Elena Verdugo, Pamela Hensley
Votes: 1,793
1970-1971
12. All in the Family (1971–1979)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
A working class man constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the day.
Stars: Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers
Votes: 18,653
1971-1976
13. Happy Days (1974–1984)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Music
The Cunningham family live through the 1950s with help and guidance from lovable and almost superhuman greaser Fonzie.
Stars: Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Marion Ross, Tom Bosley
Votes: 21,067
1976-1977
14. Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family
The misadventures of two single women in the 1950s and '60s.
Stars: Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams, David L. Lander, Eddie Mekka
Votes: 8,804
1977-1979
15. 60 Minutes (1968– )
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary, News
The classic long-running prime time TV investigative news magazine.
Stars: Andrew Rooney, Lesley Stahl, Steve Kroft, Morley Safer
Votes: 4,338
1979-1980, 1982-1983, 1991-1994
16. Dallas (1978–1991)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, Romance
J.R. Ewing, a Texas oil baron, uses manipulation and blackmail to achieve his ambitions, both business and personal. He often comes into conflict with his brother Bobby, his arch-enemy Cliff Barnes and his long-suffering wife Sue Ellen.
Stars: Larry Hagman, Ken Kercheval, Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray
Votes: 16,578
1980-1982, 1983-1984
17. Dynasty (1981–1989)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, Romance
The trials and tribulations of two feuding families, the Carringtons and the Colbys, both oil rich families in Denver, Colorado.
Stars: John Forsythe, Linda Evans, Joan Collins, Gordon Thomson
Votes: 8,458
1984-1985
18. The Cosby Show (1984–1992)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Romance
The goings-on in the life of a successful African-American family.
Stars: Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe
Votes: 36,349
1985-1989, Tied with Roseanne 1989-1990
19. Roseanne (1988–2018)
TV-PG | 21 min | Comedy, Drama
A revival of the popular 1990s sitcom "Roseanne," which centered on the everyday life of an American working-class family.
Stars: Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Michael Fishman
Votes: 46,347
Tied with The Cosby Show 1989-1990
20. Cheers (1982–1993)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Drama
The regulars of the Boston bar "Cheers" share their experiences and lives with each other while drinking or working at the bar where everybody knows your name.
Stars: Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger, George Wendt
Votes: 62,013
1990-1991
21. Seinfeld (1989–1998)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy
The continuing misadventures of neurotic New York City stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his equally neurotic New York City friends.
Stars: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander
Votes: 351,274
1994-1995, 1997-1998
22. ER (1994–2009)
TV-14 | 44 min | Drama, Romance
The doctors who work in the ER at the County General Hospital in Chicago grapple with ups and downs in their personal and professional lives while trying to give apt medical care to their patients.
Stars: Anthony Edwards, George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, Eriq La Salle
Votes: 67,707
1995-1997, 1998-1999
23. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (I) (1999–2020)
TV-G | 60 min | Game-Show
Contestants are chosen based on their ability to arrange 4 answers to a question in the correct order the fastest. They then have 15 multiple-choice questions correctly to win increasing amounts of money, the largest is $1,000,000.
Stars: Regis Philbin, John Carpenter, Meredith Vieira, Michael Shutterly
Votes: 3,088
1999-2000
24. Survivor (2000– )
TV-PG | 60 min | Adventure, Game-Show, Reality-TV
A reality show where a group of contestants are stranded in a remote location with little more than the clothes on their back. The lone survivor of this contest takes home a million dollars.
Stars: Jeff Probst, Lillian Morris, Jon Dalton, Rob Mariano
Votes: 27,405
2000-2001
25. Friends (1994–2004)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, Romance
Follows the personal and professional lives of six twenty to thirty year-old friends living in the Manhattan borough of New York City.
Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc
Votes: 1,087,634
2001-2002
26. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000–2015)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In Las Vegas, a squad of forensic investigators are trained to solve crimes by meticulously examining the evidence. They employ advanced technology and their rationality to detect the perpetrators.
Stars: William Petersen, Laurence Fishburne, Ted Danson, George Eads
Votes: 89,085
2002-2003
27. American Idol (2002– )
TV-PG | 42 min | Documentary, Game-Show, Music
Twelve American finalists (six men and six women) compete in a singing contest.
Stars: Ryan Seacrest, Mark Thompson, Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell
Votes: 22,229
2003-2011
28. NBC Sunday Night Football (2006– )
Sport
Professional football games (NFL) played on Sunday nights.
Stars: Cris Collinsworth, Al Michaels, Mike Tirico, Michele Tafoya
Votes: 1,257
2011-2012, 2012-2015
29. NCIS (2003– )
TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Follows the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), as they get to the bottom of criminal cases connected to Navy and Marine Corps personnel.
Stars: David McCallum, Sean Murray, Mark Harmon, Brian Dietzen
Votes: 162,949
2012-2013
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