Which episode was it?

Also, in 1996, Friends was already a hit, so you can't really attribute its fame to the Superbowl.

It was an hour-long, star-studded one. I read Julia Roberts was one of the many guests.

I vote Family Guy for Post-Game.

It needs it... or like... the final Family Guy episode ever... an hour long... it would be BEAUTIFUL!

The deal is the networks need to drop putting hour long shows/dramas after the SB. It didn't help Alias and hasn't help CM among others. Just stick with a sitcom that actually can be more profitable long term with syndication.

I think it's a little...raunchy for something like the Super Bowl.

I thought Family Guy already got the slot once, for its return. Or was that The Simpsons followed by Family Guy's return.

Ok, I looked it up. It was the one where Ross finds his monkey, and Brooke Shields stalks Joey and Chandler gets left in a bathroom with no clothes, only women's panties, because he humiliated Julia Roberts as a kid. I remember the episode, and it really was bad.

I actually liked that episode.

It's The Simpsons and the Pilot for Family Guy afterwards.

Family Guy premiered following a special post-Super Bowl Simpsons in 1999. Same thing happened American Dad in 2005.

Family Guy's first episode was after the Super Bowl, you are correct... which would be a fitting end.

There is no rule that you can't have it twice...

And raunchy is good!!!

Not if one accidentally exposed boob can result in months of bad publicity and a $550,000 fine.

I doubt FOX would waste the post-Bowl slot on The Simpsons and/or a Seth McFarlane animated series for the third time. House sounds about right. 24 is too much of a gamble. There are no other comedies that have the ability to break out because of the post-Bowl timeslot. And no other dramas for that matter. It's definitely House.

Unless they use the slot to launch a new show. But I doubt it. House doesn't need it, but it would probably be huge.

Looking at the ratings thread from about 15 years ago, it's interesting to notice how viewership amongst network programing has dropped so much, yet ratings for events like the SB are relatively consistent. I guess having 500 chanels does that...

In year 1 1/2 it was already a hit? Shows how much I know.

I can't find the nice Wiki entry that has the top shows from the 90s all listed in one place, but here are the lists from The Envelope:

1994-1995
http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/l ... 4_1995.htm
1 Seinfeld
2 ER
3 Home Improvement
4 Grace Under Fire
5 Monday Night Football
6 60 Minutes
7 N.Y.P.D. Blue
8 Murder, She Wrote
9 Friends
10 Roseanne

1995-1996
http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/l ... 5_1996.htm
1 ER
2 Seinfeld
3 Friends
4 Caroline in the City
5 Monday Night Football
6 The Single Guy
7 Home Improvement
8 Boston Common
9 60 Minutes
10 N.Y.P.D. Blue

It actually went down to #4 in 96-97. But I would say top 10 show of the season in its first year qualifies it as a hit. And it was without doubt Must See TV at least from the beginning of the second season.

I'd saay Friends was comparable to Grey's: It was a show gaining buzz thanks to being a quality show and being on a strong night, but really came of age and proved itself with the Super Bowl.

Just as a hypothetical, what if AI aired after the Superbowl, and was slated as the one where "Paula leaves." The show ranges from 30-40 m anyway, with Paula leaving that would add another 15 million, and then following the Superbowl, maybe another 10 m, so 55-65 m people. Could that really happen??

Yeah, since Fox has the Superbowl next year I think they should either go with a new show, Bones, or House. Perhaps even hold the season premiere of 24 a month and air that.

As someone said, Bones is a fairly light procedural with comic relief and banter between the two leads that it could work. It would have to be a very fast-paced episode though to capture attention. Heck, if Fox really wanted to make an impact, they would devise a Bones/House crossover episode. It would be huge and surely benefit Bones.

Do shows still do crossovers? I thought that ended with Ally McBeal.

CSI Miami and New York did one not too long ago, and it drew the largest audience ever for an episode of CSI: NY.

Would be hard for a crossover since different production companies are involved.

after the superbowl the kids go to bed, its the parents advertisers and networks are interested, and the groups of 20 somethings who sit and watch it together.

Everyone I know outside the internet that has seen 'Til Death really likes it.
That show could benefit a lot from having a Superbowl themed episode air
right after the game. They have to make it a really good episode though.