From the 6 main networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, UPN, WB), is there a certain one that you often find yourself rooting for and defending??


I have always been bias towards ABC.
Maybe it was because growing up it had more kid-teen friendly shows like Boy Meets World and TGIF line-up. I never really took on to any of the other networks until Survivor rolled around and I got interested in Friends (around 7th season).

So, for some reason, I always find myself rooting for ABC, excited when it has a new hit (even if I don't watch it), always arguing for it or trying to analyze how it could capitalize on its programs and timeslots.

And also, I quite frankly see other networks as the antagonists.
I started getting into NBC 2 years ago, watching more and more of its shows but then Friends stopped and ratings went to hell and quality also decreased on some of its shows or they just weren't interesting anymore.

The past 2 years I have found FOX to be most antagonistic because of its juggernaut ratings giant, American Idol. I don't so much hate the network or the show but am really aggravated that they sort of cheat out and play it 2-3 nights a week and that so many people STILL watch it: which is something I both hate and admire, keeping AI in moderation, only once a year and at a continually competitive and unchanging pace is one of the smartest moves on TV. People start craving it come January!

As for CBS.... I never really watched it AT ALL, never got into ANY of its shows (except ONLY survivor) and so I'm pretty disinterested in the network. It also figures into my confusion as to why it has been getting huge ratings for not only its big shows but some other ones like Jag, Navy NCIS.... some of these shows I hear the names (not only have I not watched it, I barely know what they're about) and wonder WHO on earth watches them? But then they get very decent ratings!!

I'm not trying to sound like an idiot, and I'm not saying I "hate" certain networks. I just happened to realize that I have a peculiar train of thought when it comes to hearing about certain shows or such on certain networks and was wondering if any of you have that same kind of judgement. Maybe I'm just really weird and am overly obsessed with ratings and competition. Maybe not.

I root for ABC. Most of the shows I watch are on ABC.

ABC: Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, According to Jim, Rodney, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Alias, Eyes, Lost, Wife Swap, Supernanny, 8 Simple Rules, Hope & Faith
NBC: Saturday Night Live, Will & Grace
CBS: Joan of Arcadia, Two and Half Men
FOX: The O.C., American Idol, Tru Calling, The Simple Life: Interns, That 70's Show
WB: Summerland
UPN: None

I root for anyone but NBC, they got very arrogant and I want them to have a shakeup at the top and reassess things.

Of the big networks I watch aBC the most, and while I think they can be pretty big morons int hey way they handle their scheduling (moving around Once & Again through pretty much every day of the week, for example), they have had pretty great shows and in some cases at least stuck with them even if they didn't know what to do with them (Alias, Once & Again). The Mole and obviosuly their recent hits are aslo really good, as is their TGIF line-up.


Currently the only NBC show that's really worth watching is Scrubs. American Dreams will probably be cancelled, and I just couldn't get myself to watch it this season even though I really enjoyed the last two seasons. Joey is improving at least....

CBS again only one tv show worth watching for me...amazing Race. I find their comedies to be either overrated (Everybody Loves rAymond) or downright awful (Listen Up, Yes, Dear). Never really got into their other supposedly great shows either...King of Queens or CSI, for example.

I agree with the scheduling remark Rod made, especially concerning Once and Again (with Boy Meets World my ALL TIME FAVORITE TV Show). Also, Rod, I just wanted to note that everytime I see you post my day becomes a little bit better because I get to see that great picture in your signature

The only shows I watch now are...

LOST (ABC)
Desperate Housewives (ABC)
JAck and Bobby (WB)

Cable
Nip Tuck (FX, on Seasonal hiatus)

I have cut ALIAS out of my watching schedule to catch it continuously on DVD.

Probably CBS the most. I also root for NBC, but I hate ABC. I dunno why, but I can never get into a show on there anymore. The Practice was the last show I watched, and I quit when it got really bad (Around the time they axed everybody).

I loathe Fox.

Probably ABC. I wasn't particularly chuffed when NBC had dominance over the weekly ratings, and neither was I all that pleased when CBS started to pull forward thanks to pants like CSI. I do like shows on both channels, but ABC produces some of the best TV out there at the mo' - and it gave the world Boy Meets World!

Lets see, im stealing spidys idea

ABC: Lost, Greys Anatomy, Supernanny, 8 Simple Rules
CBS: CSI, CSI: Miami, Survivor, Amazing Race
FOX: American Idol, That 70's Show, The Simpsons
NBC: WIll & Grace, Joey, The Apprentice, Saturday Night Live, ER, Fear Factor, Jay Leno & Conan O'Brien

I believe i like NBC

ABC: Lost, 8 Simple Rules
NBC: The Apprentice, Conan O'Brien
CBS: The Amazing Race, Survivor, Everybody Loves Raymond
FOX: The Simpsons, Arrested Development, King of the Hill, MADTV

I really have no absolute favorite, but I tend to pull for CBS which has the best reality shows at the moment.

This is a fun question. I don't have any permanent loyalty to any network, and my loyalty will shift around as new shows come and old ones are cancelled.

Right now, I'm pro ABC because of Lost and Desperate Housewives. A few years ago I was very loyal to the WB, when Buffy and Angel were both on there. Now, I don't watch anything on the WB.

There is one network that I try to avoid whenever possible, and that is FOX. Most of what they show is crap anyway, including, American Idol. But without getting into the political, let me just say I don't want to give Rupert Murdoch my time. I wish it could be a perfect boycott, but I'm sometimes forced due to Fox's football and World Series coverage.

Let's see here...

ABC: Lost, Alias, 8 Simple Rules, Hope & Faith, Less Than Perfect, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy
CBS: Two and a Half Men, The Amazing Race
NBC: Las Vegas, Medium, ER
Fox: 24, American Idol, The O.C., Arrested Development

I guess I root for ABC considering I watch more shows there than anything else.

CBS:CSI:Vegas, CSI:NY, Cold Case, Without a Trace
ABC:Lost
Fox:The Simpsons, 24, King of the Hill
USA:Monk
NBC:Medium, The Office
Comedy Central:South Park, Reno 911, Dave Chappelle Show

It looks like CBS wins out for me.

I used to constantly root for NBC way back when they had some good shows on. The seinfeld era was a beautiful time for television. Now-a-days I don't see myself rooting for any given network except for Comedy Central.

ABC: Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Alias
NBC: The Office, The West Wing, The Apprentice
CBS: Two and a Half Men, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Amazing Race, Survivor
FOX: 24, The Simpsons, Arrested Development, American Idol, The O.C.
WB: Jack & Bobby
SciFi: Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG1

So I guess it's FOX, but I don't really 'root' for the network's overall success just the success of 24 and AD.

I root for ABC. Cause when ABC hits it big, its because of quality....

Not like Fox, where they hit it big because of lead-ins, promos and stuff. I mean, do you really think Simple Life is that successful because of Paris Hilton alone?


But even when I was young, I always watched shows like Full House, Family Matters, Boy Meets World and they're TGIF line-up back then was classic.

Then now, ABC made another comeback, with Desperate Housewives, Lost, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Greys Anatomy, Alias, Boston Legal, and even more after that.


I dont like CBS either. I know I sound EXTREMELY biased, but all their shows sound the same, and if I see another CSI go on air, I will kill myself.

NBC is alright. Never liked it, never hated it. I mean, if I lived in the 80's and early 90's, I probably would have LOVED NBC's old line up with the Cosby Show, Seinfield, Cheers, and so on. But I grew up in a generation, where NBC was known for Friends. And thats basically it.

NBC: Scrubs
ABC: lost, greys anatomy, desperate housewives
FOX: Tru Calling, The Simpsons, MAD tv
UPN: VERONICA MARS
CBS: none.

i root for UPN only on tuesdays and ABC the rest of the time i guess

ABC has Alias, Desperate Housewives, Lost, Less than Perfect, Extreme Makeover HE & Hope & Faith.
Those are the only shows i watch on tv [havent seen Lost yet, only 20 minutes of one ep]

Do they have ABC in Britain? I thought they had ABC shows, but on like different channels?

I have a large question: How has the amount of television viewers changed? The movie industry is going down a bunch, and I was wondering if there was a similar effect in television.

I think I once saw a small snipet of a ratings report that dated to '96 or '97.
Seinfled and ER had around 30+ million viewers. I don't knwo if those were overprojected or if it was a big special night. But if that was the norm for Thursday nights, then I'd say viewrship has gone down since we only have 1 show that barely hits 30 million a couple of times.

Nontheless, I think TV audiences are fine now.

But then again, you raise the inevitable question of how reliable Neilson ratings are. And I don't think they are reliable at ALL. I think the entire ratings system is so flawed and what pisses me off is that it affects quality shows so much and also could be generating false or incomplete analysis in the American product and advertising economy.
But that's a big topic I don't want to get into. I know there are numbers to back it up, but I just can't accept or believe that a few "randomly" chosen thousand are supposed to be the model and represent the exact or approximate viewing habits of around 100 million viewers.

not to mention the sudden rise of basic cable in homes, and now, digital cable. So ratings for the big networks are bound to take a hit. But right now, more then ever, people are watching TV.

I think the dip the network ratings have taken is mostly due to increase usage of both cable TV and computers.

What I watch by network:

ABC - Lost, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal
CBS - Survivor, Amazing Race
FOX - Football, baseball, and American Idol (when I'm weak.)
NBC - Law & Order: SVU, (No, not the other one's just SVU.) Medium (Looking forward to Revelations.)
UPN - -
USA - Monk, The 4400 (Can't wait for it's return in June.)
WB - -