• The New York Times, Monday, January 3, 2011 9:55 PM

Americans watched more television than ever in 2010, according to the Nielsen Company. Total viewing of broadcast networks and basic cable channels rose about 1% for the year, to an average of 34 hours per person per week. The generation-long shift to cable from broadcast continued, but subtly, as the smallest of the big four broadcast networks, NBC, still retained more than twice as many viewers as the largest basic cable channel, USA.

Cable hits like "Jersey Shore" on MTV and "The Walking Dead" on AMC were showered with media attention and affection, but the most popular new show was CBS's "Hawaii Five-0," a revival of a 40-year-old drama. CBS was the No. 1 network among total viewers for 51 out of 52 weeks, and three of its new shows, "Hawaii Five-0," "Blue Bloods" and "Mike & Molly," landed in the top 20 for the year, the only new shows to do so. CBS also used the Super Bowl to introduce the reality show "Undercover Boss," which cracked the top 25.

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