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Random Quiz
Random Television
Can you name the top rated TV shows in the US in each of the following TV seasons?
created by
Booger
Enter a TV show in the box below
Correctly named TV shows will show up below
Answers do not have to be guessed in order
Note: 2008-09 Nielsen ratings through 6/14/09
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PLAY GAME
Enter TV show:
0
/90 TV shows correct
10:00
Show Missed Answers
2008-2009
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
2004-2005
1
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5
6
7
8
9
10
1999-2000
1
2
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5
6
7
8
9
10
1994-1995
1
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5
6
7
8
9
10
1989-1990
1
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10
1984-1985
1
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8
9
10
1979-1980
1
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8
9
10
1974-1975
1
2
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4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1969-1970
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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There are
64 comments
for this game.
(Warning: comments may contain spoilers)
Top Rated US TV Shows Quiz
by
Booger
Created Jun 25, 2009 in
Television
Featured Jun 25, 2009
Game Plays 107,591
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Show Quizzes
top
season
rated
NoVan
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 04:21 GMT
49 points
Choose one: "I'm shocked that [TV show name here] wasn't included" or "It's so sad that more people knew about [TV show name here] than [TV show name here]".
Hungover
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 04:23 GMT
6 points
I'm shocked that Red Shoe Diaries wasn't included
Tchaikovsky08
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 04:30 GMT
18 points
60 minutes makes the list in four decades. Pretty impressive.
ForPony
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 04:33 GMT
3 points
SUPERB quiz. :)
RandallPinkston
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 04:35 GMT
2 points
That's Incredible! My day is made. Great quiz.
Jordan117
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 04:38 GMT
1 point
I typed in "ateam" and "the ateam" and it wouldn't take it. Should a space or a dash really be required there? Punctuation and spacing usually don't matter on these quizzes.
sammyhain2364:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 04:44 GMT
3 points
Shocked that "Happy Days" "Mork & Mindy" nor "Laverne & Shirley" were nowhere to be found. Can't believe I forgot about "Cheers" Frasier" "Dallas" & "ER"
Comment below threshold:
show it
MovieDynamic
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 04:48 GMT
-47 points
Rated by whom? Rated as in quality, or in popularity? Very vague here.
Tchaikovsky08
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 04:54 GMT
14 points
@MovieDynamic: "television rating" in this context means number of viewers.
marpocky
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 04:58 GMT
0 points
Maybe this is just me, but The Mentalist seems kind of out of place. You look at the shows from the 70s-90s, and every one of them is a classic that's part of TV history, or at least a significant cultural phenomenon (like WWTBAM). The more recent shows, I guess only time will tell but I see shows like CSI, Survivor, American Idol, even Desperate Housewives being remembered as definitive shows of this decade. But...The Mentalist?
Brooklyn_Girl
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 04:59 GMT
6 points
So... should I be happy or sad that I did poorly on this quiz?
MovieDynamic
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 05:01 GMT
-2 points
Oh thanks. Well in that case there's a very obvious, sickening decline in the quality of what people are watching over the years. From "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" to "American Idol?" BLECH!
debbiedoesnothin
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 05:07 GMT
4 points
@ Andy - I think something to note is that a #1 rated show in 1970 had a heckuva lot more viewers than a #1 show in 2008-9. There were only 3 networks back then. Now there are a lot more cable channels to choose from, plus overall TV viewership has declined.
fatbeard
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 05:12 GMT
8 points
Is Sunday Night Football really a tv show? I mean, I might be wrong, I just considered it in a different category
Carlos
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 05:17 GMT
1 point
Honestly didn't think Millionaire would have been that popular that it'd be up there. Thought about it and din't try. Proves that you need to try everything.
Chumley
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 05:18 GMT
7 points
@Andy B--you consider "FLO" a classic or a cultural phenomenon?
MattL1216
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 05:23 GMT
-3 points
weird that people watch so much garbage on tv today... wish the separate days of a 'multiple day of the week' tv show wouldn't take up more spots than 1 (e.g. Who Wants To Be a Millionaire)
zalagreensbury
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 05:37 GMT
-4 points
Woah, I never knew NCIS was an actual show I just thought (in my dsylexic reverie) that it was just CSI...I got the same problem with HSBC bank...I call it HBIC...i'm slow, I know.
Comment below threshold:
show it
oldkent
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 05:44 GMT
-12 points
Seems like American television viewers got it right - I love Greys Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and American Idol!!! :D
livfred
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 05:53 GMT
1 point
Awesome quiz. I would love to see a sequel with different years.
geowiz85
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 06:06 GMT
-1 points
got half, but couldnt manage a single show from 1969-70
Gordo
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 07:01 GMT
13 points
I'm pretty shocked that no Law and Order series ever made the top ten in these years (I know that some of them did in other years in between).
Victor2K
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 07:03 GMT
1 point
Not remembered of many, but you can see from 1969 from now the main tendencies of american audience on TV, switching from more "Family Shows" to now reality and MNF
Rackie
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 07:38 GMT
17 points
I gave up when House, The Simpsons, 24 etc. didn't show up!
Snorkel
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 07:50 GMT
5 points
I thought I'd finally see an appearance of Thunder In Paradise on a Sporcle quiz with this one... sigh... I guess I'll have to keep hoping and waiting.
steeltown
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 08:32 GMT
-3 points
Despite being alive & watching TV avidly during all these years, I got a measly 12! A clarification abt top shows from prime time hours would have been kind. And counting the same-titled show on different nights as separate entries may be good for Neilsen's purposes, but not so good for "highest rated shows" concept. Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?
mrnrjct
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 10:43 GMT
-1 points
Actually debbiedoesnothing, overall TV viewership has increased by spades over the years, but the linked increase in channels and programs makes sure that the most popular shows today are not nearly as popular as the old shows. I believe I Love Lucy still holds the title as the most watched show ever. Whatever made you think Americans are watching less TV than before?
ted
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 12:02 GMT
0 points
@mrnrjct: How are you measuring "overall TV viewership"? Certain metrics would simply reflect the growing population in the US. I think the best measurement would be median hours per week spent watching TV.
Tapestry
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 12:11 GMT
-1 points
After 1970 there were few bright spots on the telly. 60 minutes is an irritating show,gossip into news keeps it high in ratings. I can only count 5 shows that were good after 1970. No wonder we turn to DVDs and computer games its become a vast wasteland except for the easily amused. bleh!
shnubby
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 13:10 GMT
3 points
maybe next quiz could be highest rated events. For example, I kept typing "super bowl" and "moon landing" for a while. Could be interesting.
newenglander
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 13:15 GMT
-1 points
24 isnt on there? i felt certain it would
s1rweeze
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 13:36 GMT
-1 points
@NoVan: I am shocked that My Two Dads wasn't included.
poppysmom
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 13:50 GMT
0 points
It takes time for shows to become "classic." Hence, the shows from the 70s and 80s are considered such. I do agree that it is amazing that more people are watching The Mentalist than 24 or House...yes, and even The Simpsons!
JohnJF
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 14:28 GMT
1 point
Guys and gals, keep in mind that a majority of Sporcle users are young (and by young, I mean are not senior citizens). Therefore a lot of the shows that you would consider to be popular can't compete with the middle-of-the-road shows that populate the higher reaches of the ratings. People were highly offended by Bart Simpson and people still are highly offended by Jack Bauer, so they can't really compete with the totally vanilla 60 Minutes or American Idol.
onetheta:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 14:55 GMT
0 points
By the time we get these shows in the UK it is a different year. Oh. and I cant believe there is no 'Dixon of Dock Green'.
Kicking222
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 15:03 GMT
6 points
I actually went through this process: Typing in "According to Jim", seeing that it didn't pop up as an answer, sighing in relief that our (Americans) TV taste isn't THAT horrible.
GPB
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 15:04 GMT
-3 points
I didn't do well and I'm not surprised since I regularly watched only one show on the list. I wonder what that means about me and my TV habits.
Interesting quiz nonetheless.
davebesag
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 15:29 GMT
0 points
I answered America's Funniest Home Videos almost as a joke!
Josh:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 15:38 GMT
3 points
Wow, we watch some real crap these days.
American
:
Jun 25th, 2009 at 15:46 GMT
3 points
I got more in the 70s and 80s then present day.. I wasn't alive in the 70s and most of the 80s
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