• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, September 5, 2013

CBS' position as the network with the most viewers is amplified in a new poll that has four of its shows topping the list of America's favorites. Based on the Harris poll of nearly 2,300 adults, “The Big Bang Theory,” “NCIS,” “Criminal Minds” and “CSI:” lead the rundown, respectively.

NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU” finished fifth, followed by a pair of cable shows in AMC’s “Breaking Bad” and A&E’s “Duck Dynasty.” Fox’s “Family Guy” and ABC’s “Modern Family” and another CBS series, “Person of Interest,” round out the top 10.

The results emerged from the question in the August online survey: “Thinking about the shows that are currently on television, which two or three are your favorite shows?”

Yet the leaders don't have much correlation with ratings last season. Using household averages, by one measure “NCIS” and “Big Bang” finished first and third, respectively. But “Criminal Minds” and “CSI:” finished in ties for 17th and 19th, respectively.

“Law & Order: SVU” finished in a tie for 53rd, although reruns on the likes of MyNetworkTV may have helped boost its popularity. So might legacy appreciation for the “Law & Order” franchise when it comes to a survey.

Showing the strength of “NCIS” and “Big Bang” is the Harris poll finding one or the other is the favorite among various audience segments. “Big Bang” is the favorite show among men and “NCIS” among women. “NCIS” leads among both Republicans and Democrats, while “Big Bang” is tops among independents.

“Big Bang” tops the charts in the East and Midwest and “NCIS” in the South and West. Younger viewers (48 and younger) rank “Big Bang” at the top, while older ones (ages 49-plus) have “NCIS” at the top.

CBS may not have as much luck producing new hits if the poll proves to be a solid predictor. It indicates that ABC’s “Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD” is the new series that viewers are most looking forward to watching, followed by NBC’s “Michael J. Fox Show," Fox’s “Sleepy Hollow,” CBS’s “The Crazy Ones” and ABC’s “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.” Then again, CBS continues to outpace competitors in many categories, so it may not need as many new successes.