Nielsen's Top 10 for 2006: How Television Stacked Up

Summarizing 2006 in television success seems easy when it comes to top-rated shows: "American Idol" and "Super Bowl," tried-and-true winners. But other names crept into our scorecards in 2006, like NBC's "Heroes," "The Biggest Loser"--and surprisingly, "Studio 60."

What's telling is how they stack up. In the first part of a two-part series, Nielsen Media Research offers its top 10 list for a number of entertainment categories: television, film, books, music, and online. Today, we examine the TV category.

For regularly scheduled TV programming, there's little doubt regarding which show earns the No. 1 and No. 2 slot. It begins and ends with "American Idol," with its average household ratings of 17.7 on Tuesday night and 17.2 on Wednesday night.

But most revealing is that NBC moved into the top 10 list this year--coming in at sixth place for its "Sunday Night Football" show with an 11.1 household rating, and its still underrated "Deal or No Deal," which earned an average 9.8 rating, tied for 10th place.

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For best single-rated telecasts of 2006, the title still belongs to the "Super Bowl," which this year earned another massive number: a 41.6 rating on ABC. ABC's "Academy Awards" and a special-after-Super Bowl-episode of "Grey's Anatomy" also made the list of the top 10. Places seven through ten were all "American Idol."

One of the more interesting new lists, thanks to DVRs, is the top time-shifted network programs.

Depending on your point of view, this could mean the viewers valued these shows so much, they wanted to make sure they viewed them--even days after the original airing. Or, these shows were an afterthought.

The often-examined "Studio 60 from the Sunset Strip" from NBC was the most time-shifted show in 2006, with an increase of almost 11% in ratings, due to time-shifted viewing. (The increase compares viewing from its "live" airing to its "live plus seven days" of DVR recorded ratings.)

The second-best on the list was "Heroes"--another NBC show, which took in 9.1% more viewers after seven days of time-shifted viewing. Unlike "Studio 60," "Heroes" has been deemed a hit, with big 6.0 ratings among 18-49 viewers--almost twice that of "Studio 60."

Two other lower-rated NBC shows also made the charts: "30 Rock," with a 7.5% gain, and "Friday Night Lights," also with a 7.5% improvement. Two other cancelled shows: ABC's "The Nine" came in seventh place at 6.7% and NBC's "Kidnapped" landed in ninth place with 6.6%.

The CW had five shows on the time-shifted list--the most of any network. This included "Gilmore Girls" at No. 3; "America's Next Top Model" at No. 4; and its three other dramatic hours: "Supernatural" tied for seventh place, while "One Tree Hill" and "Smallville" tied for ninth place.

The growing business of product placement was another top 10 list.

It showed Coca-Cola as the No. 1 brand, with almost 3,400 placements--the majority coming from "American Idol." Another "Idol" partner, Cingular Wireless, was also on the list in sixth place--but way down the list at 532 placements. Ford Motor Co., also an "Idol" partner, didn't make the top 10.

Products from NBC's "The Biggest Loser" made the chart as well: Nike Apparel and 24 Hour Fitness.

The biggest product-placement show also happens to the biggest TV hit: "American Idol." CBS' "Amazing Race" was next; then ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." NBC's "The Biggest Loser" was in fifth place. CBS had the most placement shows, with "Race," "King of Queens," "Rock Star: Supernova" and "Big Brother 7" all making the top 10. Tomorrow, we examine non-TV entertainment lists.

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