Television's Tops, According to Nielsen Quiz

Answer: Kelly Clarkson

On the show broadcast on September 4, 2002, Kelly Clarkson beat fellow finalist Justine Guarini to become the first "American Idol" winner.
Clarkson's journeys to the title started in May of 2002, when she was one of 121 contestants selected to continue in the competition of over 10,000 performing hopefuls. Clarkson advanced, surviving 12 weeks of competition.
Top prize for the winner included a record deal with a major record label.

"American Idol" debuted on June 11, 2002, hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman. During that debut season, the panel of judges who each week critiqued the performers who sang consisted of Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Simon Cowell.

Ratings fact:
Since 1950, the "Nielsen Ratings" have been used by the television industry as the primary source for gathering information for audience measurement and audience composition.

Answer: "I Love Lucy"

During the 1952-1953 television season, "I Love Lucy" (1951) finished as the top rated series with an all time highest rating (viewership) of 67.3, a figure not likely to ever be repeated.
The reason in part, is attributed to the fact that during the 1952-1953 season, there were only four networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, and the Du Mont)to choose from. With the addition of other networks over the years, the viewing audiences were more divided.

Top season ratings went to "Gunsmoke" (1955) in the 1957-1958 season with a rating of 43.1, "All In The Family" in the 1971-1972 season with a 34.0 rating, and "The Cosby Show" (1984) in the 1986-1987 season with a 34.9 rating score.

"I Love Lucy" starred Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz starring as Lucy and Rick Ricardo, and William Frawley and Vivian Vance as their neighbors and landlords, Fred and Ethel Mertz. Stories revolved around the madcap antics of Lucy, who was often aided by her best friend Ethel.
Episodes of this ageless comedy series continued to air long after the series finale in 1957.

Ratings fact:
The Nielsen Company primarily uses two means of collecting television viewer data.
* Viewer diaries are mailed to selected participants who record their viewing habits and return their diaries to be calculated.
* Some participants are supplied with "meter boxes" attached to their televisions, which are attached to phone lines that immediately relays viewer information back to the Nielsen company.

Answer: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

"Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" (1999) was the first game show to finish the season in the top position since the 1955-1956 season when "The $64,000 Question" (1955) won the top position.

The 1999 network version of the popular game show aired in primetime on ABC, was hosted by Regis Philbin, who entertained the audience and contestants in his signature stylish monochromatic (same color) shirts and ties.

The game consisted of contestants attempting to answer 15 multiple choice trivia questions. Often after the contestant answered a question and before the answer was "locked in", Philbin uttered what became his signature phrase: "Is that your final answer?"

On November 19, 1999, contestant John Carpenter was the first to correctly answer all 15 questions, becoming the game's first million dollar winner.

The primetime series with Philbin aired for three seasons (1999-2002) and yielded a total of nine contestants (including Carpenter) who went all the way to win the one million dollar prize.

Ratings note:
Viewer information is measured in "points" and "shares".

* A single "point" represents one percent of total households. To insure accuracy, the formula for calculating points vs. households in re-calculated each August.For the 2010-2011 season, it was determined that one point was equal to 1,159,000 households.
* A "share" rating represents the percentage of television sets in use at a time being tuned to a particular program.

Answer: Roseanne Conner from "Roseanne"

"Roseanne" (1988) shared the honor of being to number one series with "The Cosby Show" (1984) in 1990, sharing a Nielsen rating score of 23.1, reflecting being viewed in an average of 23,275,100 households.
For the season, "Roseanne" was, according to Nielsen, the most viewed show in the United States. The series, a hit from the beginning, remained one of the top four rated programs for six of its nine seasons.

The series centered around the daily activities of the Conner family, an average, middle American blue collar working class family. Many of the stories tackled social problems and concerns of the time, situations many viewers could relate to, in an sometimes serious, but always comical fashion.

The series starred Roseanne Barr in the title role, along with John Goodman as Dan, her lovable husband. Roseanne's sister, Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) also added to the mix, along with the three Conner children, Darlene (Sara Gilbert), DJ (Michael Fishman) and Becky (Alicia Goranson and Sarah Chalke).


Ratings note:
Ratings also reflects the demographics of viewers. The prime target are viewers between the ages of 18 and 49.
The "shares" and "point" systems assist station in determining which programming is best suited for its audience base and helps to establish the price stations can charge for advertising.

Answer: Marcel

Marcel, a capuchin monkey, was used for only one season on the hit series. Marcel was said to be disruptive on the set which lead to the small black monkey with the white face being "fired" from the series.

Marcel wasn't finished with show business. Marcel appeared in the full length motion picture "Outbreak" in the crucial role of the animal that carried the deadly disease. Nerissa Pulizer was Marcel's trainer and handler.

"Friends" (1994) was a rating success form the very beginning and was rated within the top ten television programs for each of the ten seasons it was aired. The series broadcast 236 half hour episodes from 1994 to 2004, centering around the lives and situations of a group of six friends living in Manhattan.

Ratings note:
During four months each year (November, February, May, and July) Nielsen conducts intensified monitoring of ratings known as "sweeps". Local and network stations compete for viewers by often presenting programming designed to attract large numbers of viewers.

Answer: County General Hospital

The drama series revolved around the staff and patients of County General Hospital, a fictitious hospital designed for the series.

The success of "ER" (1994) was largely the result of extremely well written stories and plot lines, supported by a stellar ensemble cast of characters featuring Anthony Edwards (Dr. Mark Green), George Clooney Dr. Doug Ross), Eriq LaSalle (Dr, Peter Benton), Julianna Margulies (Nurse Carol Hathaway), Noah Wyle (Dr John Carter), Laura Innes Dr. Kerry Weaver, Maura Tierney (Nurse Abby Lockhart), and Goran Venjic (Dr Luka Kovac), just to name a few.

This critically acclaimed medical drama series aired for 15 season (1994-2009).

Ratings notes:
Viewer data collected during sweeps are used by networks in increasing revenue by establishing rate that can be charged for commercial advertising. Highly rated shows can command a higher fee for 30 second advertising spots.

Answer: Australia

An average of 30 million viewers tuned in each of the 14 weeks of "Survivor: The Australian Outback" to watch contestant Tina Wesson "Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast" 15 other players to become the sole survivor, and the first female contestant to win the one million dollar prize. In the two finale episodes, aired on May 3, 2001, a jury of former contestants voted four to three to award Wesson the top prize over contestant Colby Donaldson.

In a departure from previous season, the final winner was not announced on the island. The container containing the votes to determine the winner was taken by host Jeff Probst to a waiting helicopter, and flown to the CBS Television City Studios, and revealed weeks later before a live audience. The two episodes that made up the finale ("The Most Deserving" and "Winner Revealed") drew ratings of 36.5 and 41.2, respectively. Those numbers, along with the 00.0 rating of the premier episode (which was broadcast immediately following Super Bowl XXXV) helped to make the series the highest ranked program of the season.

Ratings note:
Ploys used by networks and local stations to boost viewership during sweeps:
- Major events involving central characters (weddings, births, deaths, splits)
- Top celebrities in cameo guest appearances
- "Very special" episodes featuring central characters addressing and dealing
with contemporary, controversial, or moral social issues
- Conclusions to "cliff hanger" episodes
- Revelations made by central characters (additions,dating preferences,
unexpected illness, previously unknown family ties)
- Gimmicks involving show or characters (filming a series live, or before an
audience, introduction of new central characters.

Answer: 60 Minutes

"60 Minutes" (1968) only topped the ratings for four seasons, but it has proven to be one of the longest running programs of all time, with 2011 marking its 43rd season. The investigative news magazine show premiered in 1968, under the tutelage of broadcasting greats such as Walter Cronkite, Harry Reasoner, Charles Kuralt, and Mike Wallace. "60 Minutes" topped the ratings in the 1982-83, 1991-92, 1992-93, and 1993-94 seasons.

"All In The Family" was rated as TV's best for five straight seasons (from 1971-1976).

"The Cosby Show" (1984) received top rating honors for five straight seasons (1985-1990).

"I Love Lucy" (1951) topped the ratings race for five seasons, 1952-1955, and again from 1956-1958.

Ratings notes:
The ratings play a major role in the life of TV series and programming. Stations use the ratings in determining which shows draw the largest audiences and advertising dollars. Highly rated shows earn more advertising dollars for the stations. Lower rated shows, with smaller audience bases, are subject to cancellation, and replacement by higher rated, more profitable new programming.

Answer: Bonanza

The very popular western series "Bonanza" ranked as the top television program for three consecutive seasons (1964-1965, 1965-1966, and 1966-1967).

"The Beverly Hillbillies" (1962) occupied the top position in the 1962-1963 and 1963-1964 seasons, "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" (1967) took the top honors in the 1968-1969 and 1969-1970 seasons, and "Laverne & Shirley" (1976) was the ratings champions during the 1977-1978 and 1978-1979 seasons.

Answer: "M*A*S*H" final episode

On February 28, 1983, the final episode of "M*A*S*H" drew an all-time record of 50.5 million viewers in the United States. The episode, "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen", claimed a rating of 60.1, was seen in over 60 percent of households. 77 percent of televisions in use at the time were tuned to the episode.

Second place went to the "Dallas" episode "Who Done It", broadcast on November 21, 1980. The long awaited episode was preceded by the March 30, 1980 season ending cliffhanger, "A House Divided", which ended with the character J.R. Ewing being shot by a person or persons unknown. During the eight month break between seasons, there was considerably hype and speculation on who committed the crime. The episode was viewed in 53.3% of the households watching TV at the time (41.4 million households) and scored a 76% share rating.

Broadcast of Super Bowl Games have proved to be great ratings success. Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XVII were among the top five most viewed programs, scoring ratings of 40.02 million and 40.48 million in 1982 and 1983 respectively.

Ratings note:
The annual Super Bowl games have consistently been able to command top price for 30 second time spots. 21 of the 41 top season ratings have been claimed by Super Bowl telecast. The 2012 Super Bowl XLVI, with 111.3 million viewers, became the most watched TV telecast of all time, edging out Super Bowl XLV in 2011, which drew 111.0 million viewers. The cost for a 30 second advertising spot during the 2012 game averaged 3.5 million dollars, a figure directly related-to the extremely high Nielsen ratings.