Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.
The 9 most popular TV shows of 2018, according to Nielsen ratings
The 9 most popular TV shows of 2018, according to Nielsen ratings
Travis ClarkDec 21, 2018, 00:06 IST
ABC
Advertisement
Nielsen released its list of the year's highest-rated shows this week.
"Roseanne" reigned supreme despite controversy surrounding the show's star, Roseanne Barr, earlier this year.
"The Big Bang Theory" and "This Is Us" also made the list, as did newcomers like NBC's "Manifest."
Despite its cancellation earlier this year, the short-lived "Roseanne" reboot still came out on top as 2018's biggest show.
Nielsen released its list of the year's highest-rated shows this week, and the usual suspects like "This Is Us and "The Big Bang Theory" were also included. NBC's new drama, "Manifest," which premiered in September, also crept onto the list.
"Roseanne" held tight the entire year as the biggest show of 2018 since it premiered in March. The revival was quickly canceled after one season after the show's star Roseanne Barr tweeted a racist remark at former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. It was replaced with a spin-off named "The Conners," which premiered in October to lower, but not bad, ratings.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, "The Big Bang Theory" entered its 12th and final season this year with the usual strong numbers, and its prequel, "Young Sheldon," continued to be a hit for CBS, as well.
We did not include NBC's Sunday Night Football in this list, which ranked second in Nielsen's list of top 10 shows.
Below are the nine biggest shows of 2018, according to Nielsen ratings:
Summary: "Stars Michael Weatherly as Dr. Jason Bull in a drama inspired by the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw, the founder of one of the most prolific trial consulting firms of all time."
8. "America's Got Talent" (Tuesdays) — NBC
Average viewers: 14.3 million
Summary: "The all-new winter edition of TV’s No. 1 alternative series, "America's Got Talent: The Champions," premieres Monday, January 7 at 8/7c.
The series, from NBC, Fremantle and Syco Entertainment, will feature the star-studded judges panel from "America's Got Talent" - Executive Producer Simon Cowell, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel - as well as Host Terry Crews, co-star of NBC’s "Brooklyn Nine-Nine."
7. "The Good Doctor" — ABC
Average viewers: 14.5 million
Summary: "Freddie Highmore plays Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, relocates from a quiet country life to join a prestigious hospital's surgical unit."
6. "Manifest" — NBC
Average viewers: 14.6 million
Summary: "When Montego Air Flight 828 landed safely after a turbulent but routine flight, the crew and passengers were relieved. Yet in the span of those few hours, the world had aged five years and their friends, families and colleagues, after mourning their loss, had given up hope and moved on. Now, faced with the impossible, they're all given a second chance."
5. "Young Sheldon" — CBS
Average viewers: 15.7 million
Summary: "Follows the 9-year-old Sheldon Cooper as he navigates living with his family in East Texas and going to high school."
4. "This Is Us" — NBC
Average viewers: 16.6 million
Summary: "Everyone has a family. And every family has a story. 'This Is Us' chronicles the Pearson family across the decades."
3. "NCIS" — CBS
Average viewers: 16.7 million
Summary: "'NCIS' (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it's a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations."
2. "The Big Bang Theory" — CBS
Average viewers: 18.3 million
Summary: "Leonard and Sheldon are brilliant physicists — geniuses in the laboratory but socially challenged everywhere else. Enter beautiful, street-smart neighbor Penny, who aims to teach them a thing or two about life."
1. "Roseanne" — ABC
Average viewers: 20 million
Summary: "Explore life, death and everything in between through the relatable, hilarious and brutally honest lens of the Conner household."
