I figured if anyone had some interesting ratings info, be it from years past or the present, they can post it here. I have some weekly viewership numbers from 1990, it's quite the scene:



Rank - Title (Network) Viewership | (Rating/Share)

Mar. 5-11th (1990):

1. America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC) 43.6m | (24.1/37)
2. Roseanne - R (ABC) 34.6m | (22.1/34)
3. Cheers (NBC) 34.4m | (23.4/36)
4. The Cosby Show - R (NBC) 33.6m | (21.3/34)
5. A Different World (NBC) 32.3m | (20.7/32)

6. The Wonder Years - R (ABC) 28.8m | (18.7/28)
7. The Simpsons (FOX) 28.6m | (15.1/23)
8. 60 Minutes (CBS) 26.9m | (19.6/34)
9. The Golden Girls - R (NBC) 26.7m | (18.1/31)
10. Who's the Boss? - R (ABC) 26.5m | (17.5/27)

11. Coach (ABC) 26.5m | (17.2/27)
12. Full House (ABC) 26.2m | (15.9/29)
13. Movie: Perry Mason (NBC) 25.7m | (17.0/27)
14. In the Heat of the Night (NBC) 25.3m | (17.9/28)
15. Empty Nest (NBC) 25.3m | (17.4/29)

16. Unsolved Mysteries (NBC) 25.1m | (16.7/27)
17. Grand (NBC) 23.7m | (16.7/27)
18. Movie: A Son's Promise (ABC) 23.7m | (16.5/27)
19. Family Matters - R (ABC) 23.7m | (14.3/25)
20. Murphy Brown (CBS) 23.1m | (16.0/24)

21. Matlock - R (NBC) 22.0m | (15.3/24)
22. Night Court (NBC) 21.8m | (14.9/23)
23. 16th Annual People's Choice Awards (CBS) 21.6m | (14.9/24)
24. Married With Children - R (FOX) 21.4m | (12.5/19)
25. Designing Women - R (CBS) 21.1m | (15.0/23)

26. Knots Landing (CBS) 20.6m |(14.9/26)
27. Growing Pains - R (ABC) 20.4m | (14.1/23)
28. Head of the Class - R (ABC) 20.0m | (13.8/22)
29. Amen - R (NBC) 20.0m | (13.2/23)

(20m+ Viewers)





Mar. 12-18th (1990):

1. America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC) 41.0m | (22.0/33)
2. Roseanne (ABC) 34.1m | (21.9/33)
3. The Cosby Show (NBC) 33.9m | (21.8/36)
4. The Simpsons (FOX) 33.5m | (17.5/26)
5. Cheers (NBC) 32.6m | (22.1/35)

6. A Different World (NBC) 31.7m | (20.3/32)
7. The Wonder Years (ABC) 30.7m | (19.7/30)
8. Movie: The Last Apache (CBS) 30.0m | (19.7/32)
9. 60 Minutes (CBS) 29.8m | (20.4/34)
10. Who's the Boss? (ABC) 27.4m | (18.1/29)

11. Married With Children - R (FOX) 27.3m | (15.4/24)
12. The Golden Girls - R (NBC) 27.1m | (17.4/31)
13. In the Heat of the Night (NBC) 25.8m | (17.9/27)
14. Unsolved Mysteries (NBC) 25.7m | (17.1/29)
15. Coach (ABC) 25.6m | (16.7/26)

16. Empty Nest - R (NBC) 24.9m | (17.0/31)
17. L.A. Law (NBC) 23.7m | (16.7/29)
18. Grand (NBC) 23.2m | (16.0/26)
19. Full House - R (ABC) 22.6m | (14.7/26)
20. Rescue: 911 (CBS) 22.6m | (14.5/22)

21. Murder, She Wrote - R (CBS) 22.2m | (15.5/23)
22. Head of the Class (ABC) 22.1m | (15.3/25)
23. Growing Pains (ABC) 21.9m | (15.1/26)
24. The Hogan Family (NBC) 21.8m | (14.0/22)
25. Family Matters (ABC) 21.7m | (13.5/24)

26. Designing Women (CBS) 21.6m | (15.7/25)
27. Doogie Howser, M.D. (ABC) 21.4m | (14.1/23)
28. Murphy Brown - R (CBS) 20.8m | (14.8/23)
29. Movie: The Hillside Stranglers (NBC) 20.3m | (14.5/24)
30. Perfect Strangers - R (ABC) 20.3m | (12.7/22)

(20m+ Viewers)





Mar. 19-25th (1990):

1. America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC) 40.7m | (22.6/35)
2. The Cosby Show (NBC) 35.5m | (23.2/38)
3. Roseanne (ABC) 34.3m | (22.4/34)
4. A Different World - R (NBC) 32.3m | (20.8/34)
5. The Wonder Years - R (ABC) 30.7m | (19.3/29)

6. The Golden Girls (NBC) 30.3m | (20.3/36)
7. The Simpsons (FOX) 30.3m | (16.9/25)
8. 60 Minutes (CBS) 29.8m | (21.1/36)
9. Cheers - R (NBC) 29.3m | (20.5/33)
10. Married With Children (FOX) 28.2m | (17.0/26)

11. Empty Nest (NBC) 28.0m | (19.4/34)
12. Coach (ABC) 26.4m | (18.0/28)
13. L.A. Law (NBC) 25.3m | (18.7/33)
14. Full House - R (ABC) 25.3m | (16.1/29)
15. Unsolved Mysteries (NBC) 24.8m | (16.9/29)

16. In the Heat of the Night (NBC) 24.5m | (16.6/26)
17. Movie: The Old Man and the Sea (NBC) 23.4m | (14.9/24)
18. Family Matters (ABC) 23.4m | (14.8/26)
19. Who's the Boss? - R (ABC) 23.9m | (15.7/25)
20. Murder, She Wrote (CBS) 23.5m | (17.4/26)

21. Matlock (NBC) 23.4m | (16.5/25)
22. Perfect Strangers - R (ABC) 22.7m | (14.4/25)
23. Doogie Howser, M.D. - Sunday (ABC) 22.7m | (13.0/19)
24. Grand (NBC) 22.6m | (16.3/27)
25. Hunter - R (NBC) 21.9m | (15.0/30)

26. Alf (NBC) 21.7m | (13.1/24)
27. Growing Pains (ABC) 21.1m | (14.1/24)
28. Murphy Brown (CBS) 20.9m | (14.5/22)
29. 4th Annual American Comedy Awards (ABC) 20.9m | (14.1/23)
30. A Family for Joe (NBC) 20.8m | (13.1/24)

31. Just the Ten of Us - R (ABC) 20.7m | (13.1/22)
32. MacGyver (ABC) 20.6m | (13.1/21)
33. Night Court - R (NBC) 20.4m | (14.0/23)
34. Doogie Howser, M.D. - R (ABC) 20.2m | (13.5/22)
35. Designing Women (CBS) 20.1m | (14.4/22)

36. The Hogan Family (NBC) 20.1m | (13.1/20)
37. Head of the Class (ABC) 20.0m | (13.0/22)
38. Rescue: 911 (CBS) 20.0m | (13.0/20)

(20m+ Viewers)





Mar. 26-Apr. 1st (1990):

1. 62nd Annual Academy Awards (ABC) 40.4m | (27.9/48)
2. America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC) 37.1m | (21.7/36)
3. Cheers (NBC) 35.5m | (23.8/38)
4. The Cosby Show - R (NBC) 33.4m | (21.4/35)
5. A Different World (NBC) 31.1m | (20.0/32)

6. The Golden Girls (NBC) 30.0m | (20.4/34)
7. Roseanne - R (ABC) 29.4m | (17.3/27)
8. Unsolved Mysteries (NBC) 29.3m | (19.5/32)
9. Barbara Walters Special (ABC) 28.5m | (20.3/33)
10. Empty Nest (NBC) 27.7m | (19.0/32)

11. The Wonder Years (ABC) 27.4m | (18.4/28)
12. Movie: Down and Out in Beverly Hills (ABC) 26.7m | (16.4/27)
13. Grand (NBC) 26.0m | (17.7/29)
14. Who's the Boss? (ABC) 24.8m | (17.0/27)
15. The Magic of David Copperfield - S (CBS) 24.3m | (14.8/26)

16. Bagdad Cafe (CBS) 24.0m | (16.0/27)
17. 60 Minutes (CBS) 23.5m | (17.5/33)
18. In the Heat of the Night (NBC) 23.5m | (16.4/26)
19. Full House (ABC) 23.5m | (15.3/27)
20. L.A. Law (NBC) 22.9m | (17.0/30)

21. Night Court (NBC) 22.9m | (15.2/24)
22. Rescue: 911 (CBS) 22.1m | (14.1/22)
23. Doogie Howser, M.D. (ABC) 21.8m | (14.3/23)
24. NCAA Basketball (CBS) 21.3m | (14.1/25)
25. Family Matters - R (ABC) 21.1m | (13.6/23)

26. Perfect Strangers (ABC) 20.9m | (13.1/2)
27. Married With Children - R (FOX) 20.7m | (12.7/20)
28. Amen (NBC) 20.6m | (14.0/24)
29. Matlock - R (NBC) 20.5m | (14.5/22)
30. Growing Pains - R (ABC) 20.2m | (13.8/23)

31. 20/20 (ABC) 20.0m | (13.3/24)

(20m+ Viewers)





Apr. 2-8th (1990):

1. America's Funniest Home Videos - 8:00 (ABC) 40.3m | (22.3/35)
2. America's Funniest Home Videos - 8:30 (ABC) 39.8m | (21.9/32)
3. Twin Peaks - Premiere (ABC) 34.6m | (21.7/33)
4. The Cosby Show (NBC) 32.8m | (21.8/38)
5. Cheers - R (NBC) 31.3m | (21.9/35)

6. A Different World (NBC) 29.8m | (19.7/33)
7. NCAA Basketball Championship (CBS) 29.3m | (20.0/31)
8. Roseanne - R (ABC) 27.6m | (18.4/28)
9. Unsolved Mysteries (NBC) 27.0m | (18.6/32)
10. Carol & Company (NBC) 26.0m | (17.5/31)

11. Married With Children (FOX) 25.5m | (14.5/21)
12. The Golden Girls - R (NBC) 24.6m | (17.2/30)
13. Grand (NBC) 23.8m | (17.0/27)
14. The Simpsons (FOX) 23.7m | (13.2/20)
15. The Wonder Years - R (ABC) 23.4m | (15.5/25)

16. Coach - R (ABC) 22.9m | (15.4/24)
17. L.A. Law (NBC) 22.6m | (16.7/28)
18. Doogie Howser, M.D. (ABC) 22.3m | (15.5/25)
19. 60 Minutes (CBS) 22.1m | (16.1/27)
20. Matlock - R (NBC) 22.0m | (16.0/26)

21. Full House - R (ABC) 21.8m | (13.7/26)
22. Family Matters - R (ABC) 21.1m | (13.0/24)
23. Movie: Follow Your Heart (NBC) 21.3m | (14.7/19)
24. Growing Pains (ABC) 21.2m | (14.6/26)
25. The Hogan Family - R (NBC) 21.1m | (13.3/21)

26. Who's the Boss? - R (ABC) 20.9m | (14.3/24)
27. Knots Landing (CBS) 20.7m | (14.5/24)
28. Head of the Class (ABC) 20.4m | (14.0/24)
29. Murder, She Wrote (CBS) 20.1m | (14.4/21)

(20m+ Viewers)


This was America's Home Video's first season, as you can see it was rather dominant, lol.

I love how the number one show of this fall would have been like ranked 30-40 on any given week back then, and that repeats of Full House pulled the same numbers as a new episode of Grey's Anatomy/CSI, hehe.

Hope you find this interesting, I can add more weeks if requested.

That's insane compared to what it looks like today. 500+ channels will do that to you, I guess.

yeah its all about cable television, so many more options nowadays.

though i wonder if you add the viewership of every channel would it equal that of before or surpass it? do more/less people watch TV these days?

That would be interesting to figure out. I assume not, since ratings only include live + same day, so DVRs must take away a good amount of ratings. But maybe live + 7 days would actually have more people watching.

maybe idk there are so many new methods of viewership: the internet, box TV sets, itunes, DVR. so i guess it'll be hard to ever really tell, but i doubt that we ever get back to a point where we have 38 shows with over 20 million viewers, or for that sake even 10 or 15.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!! Those ratings are insane. I had no idea that shows got that many viewers back then.

The Simpsons used to get upwards of 30 million viewers?

Jesus. How times have changed.

3. Twin Peaks - Premiere (ABC) 34.6m | (21.7/33)

Woot!

And please, add more ratings.

Wow.

I love Twin Peaks.

Think it's my favorite serie of all time.

Haaaa.

I remember watching America's Funniest Home Videos a lot with my family in the early 90s. Never knew it was that big a hit.

Rescue 911 rocked.

Just as a comparison, here is the top 20 from the week ending 1/21.

1 AFC CHAMP POST GUN ON CBS(S) 47,701,000
2 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP ON CBS(S) 46,695,000
3 AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY FOX 37,441,000
4 AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY FOX 36,936,000
5 AFC CHMP POST GAME ON CBS(S) 29,391,000
6 GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM 21,942,000
7 CSI CBS 21,410,000
8 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS(S) NBC 20,036,000
9 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES ABC 17,138,000
10 NCIS CBS 15,954,000
11 SHARK CBS 15,095,000
12 UGLY BETTY ABC 14,096,000
13 24 FOX 15,733,000
13 LAW AND ORDER:SVU NBC 14,169,000
15 WITHOUT A TRACE CBS 13,715,000
16 CSI: NY CBS 13,773,000
17 CRIMINAL MINDS CBS 12,992,000
18 BROTHERS & SISTERS ABC 11,789,000
19 CSI: MIAMI - SPCL(S) CBS 12,033,000
20 CSI THU 8P-SPECIAL(S) CBS 11,922,000

Not even 10 above 20mil, even with all the football.

Great stuff. Please post more of them.

BTW where did you get the source for the ratings? I believe alot of them are way way off since Twin Peaks has NEVER gotten over 30 million viewers. It was one of the lowest ranked shows but had a huge cult following (think Serenity) but never like 30 million probably more like around 10 million or less

Um, excuse me, Twin Peaks had that huge premiere as a lead-out from America's Funniest Home Videos and had a relatively decent first season, ratings-wise.

Go here:

http://www.trivialtv.com/

And type in 04/08/1990.

Here are some I found on pifeedback.com

Nov 26-Dec 2, 1990

1. Home Videos (ABC) 31.1mil
2. Cheers (NBC) (R) 31.0mil
3. Different World (NBC) 29.7mil
4. The Cosby Show (NBC) 28.6mil
5. Roseanne (ABC) 28.3mil
6. 60 Minutes (CBS) 27.9mil
7. America's Funniest People (ABC) (R) 27.2mil
8. Decoration Day (NBC) 26.5mil
9. Murphy Brown (CBS) 26.0mil
10. Family Matters (ABC) 25.8mil
11. Major Dad (CBS) 25.7mil
12. Unsolved Mysteries (NBC) 25.5mil
13. Empty Nest (NBC) (R) 25.2mil
14. Murder She Wrote (CBS) 25.1mil
15. Matlock (NBC) 24.4mil
15. Full House (ABC) (R) 24.4mil
17. Designing Women (CBS) 24.3mil
17. Monday Night Football (ABC) 24.3mil
19. Doogie Howser, MD (ABC) 24.1mil
19. The Wonder Years (ABC) 24.1mil
21. Rescue 911 (CBS) 23.9mil
22. Growing Pains (ABC) 23.8mil
22. In the Heat of the Night (NBC) 23.8mil
24. The Golden Girls (NBC) (R) 23.1mil
24. The Stranger Within (CBS) 23.1mil
26. Perfect Strangers (ABC) 22.7mil
27. Commando (ABC) (R) 22.6mil
28. Who's the Boss? (ABC) 22.4mil
29. Coach (ABC) 21.7mil
30. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (NBC) 21.3mil
31. Evening Shade (CBS) 21.2mil
32. L.A. Law (NBC) 21.1mil
32. Grand (NBC) 21.1mil
34. Head of the Class (ABC) 20.9mil
35. Knots Landing (CBS) 20.3mil

Dec 3-9, 1990

1. Monday Night Football (ABC) 41.6mil
2. Cheers (NBC) 32.7mil
3. 60 Minutes (CBS) 32.5mil
4. Roseanne (ABC) 28.5mil
5. Different World (NBC) (R) 28.2mil
6. America's Funniest People (ABC) (R) 27.2mil
7. Home Videos (ABC) (R) 27.1mil
8. The Simpsons (Fox) 26.2mil
9. Empty Nest (NBC) 24.8mil
10. The Cosby Show (NBC) 24.6mil
11. Family Matters (ABC) (R) 24.0mil
11. Unsolved Mysteries (NBC) 24.0mil
13. Full House (ABC) 23.9mil
13. The Golden Girls (NBC) 23.9mil
15. Murder She Wrote (CBS) (R) 23.8mil
15. Sunday Football (CBS) 23.8mil
17. In the Heat of the Night (NBC) 23.2mil
18. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (NBC) 22.5mil
19. MacGyver (ABC) 22.4mil
20. Coach (ABC) 22.3mil
22. Matlock (NBC) 22.2mil
22. Who's the Boss? (ABC) 22.2mil
24. Rescue 911 (CBS) 22.0mil
25. Columbo Goes to College (ABC) 21.9mil
26. Doogie Howser, MD (ABC) 21.7mil
27. Grand (NBC) 21.5mil
28. Donor (CBS) 21.2mil
29. Carol & Company (NBC) 20.8mil
29. Perfect Strangers (ABC) 20.8mil
31. L.A. Law (NBC) 20.5mil
32. Hunter (NBC) 20.3mil

The difference between a Cheers repeat and original is only 1.7 million viewers. Is there any show that can claim that today? (Other than CW shows, where if the difference is much more than 1.7, there are no viewers left.)