• by Wayne Friedman , October 5, 2009

Want to grab a Republican and not in the usual TV places? Try "Wipeout" on ABC. A Democrat? How about TNT's "Saving Grace"?

In July, TiVo used Power||Watch^TM ratings service -- one that surveys its DVR users -- to examine party affiliations concerning TV programming. It didn't just measure the seemingly obvious TV news show category, but monitored general entertainment programming, as well.

The highest-rated show for those who identify themselves as Republicans was Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch," a show about real-life lobster fishermen in the rough and cold waters of Alaska. The show grabbed a 4.9 rating among Republican viewers, with an index of 130.2, which equates to some 30% over the average.

The second-best show was ABC's special "J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life," which took in a 3.8 Republican rating and a 125.2 index. ABC's "Wipeout," the reality athletic competition show, was in third with a 6.6 rating and a 116.2 index.

For those identified as Democrats, the best-rated show was TNT's

"Saving Grace," a drama about an Oklahoma City detective who deals with crime and her guardian angel. It scored a 5.3 rating among Democrats and a 153.6 index -- the highest index for either party affiliation.

Almost as high for the Democrats was Bravo's "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," which took in a 6.4 rating and a 151.2 index. "The Closer," another TNT show, was in third place with a 9.6 rating and a 138 index. The best-rated broadcast network show was NBC's "The Philanthropist," with a 5.8 rating and a 137.2 index.

Where did Democrats and Republicans meet? TNT's "Raising The Bar," about young public defender lawyers and young DAs in New York City, which scored well on both lists. For Republicans, this pulled in a 4.2 rating and a 112.9 index; for Democrats, the show earned a 4.8 rating and a 128.8 index.

Among TV news shows, Republicans and Democrats split along party lines, according to what critics believe are their affiliations. Eight of the top 10 shows for Republicans were on the Fox News Channel, while eight of the top 10 show shows for Democrats were either MSNBC or CNN.

July - Most Watched Prime-Time Programs: Republicans vs. Democrats

*Source: Power||Watch Data, July 2009