Winners and Losers of the 2010-2011 TV Season

The 2010-2011 TV season ended last week with most of the major networks standing in an even worse place than where they were last season. While CBS is the rightful “king” of the TV landscape ABC is hanging onto its second place title by a thread while both NBC and FOX are battling it out for third place with The CW still limping weakly behind all the other major networks.

Many critics and entertainment writers have been posting their winners and losers lists for this past TV season and I will be no different; but I am hopeful that – despite my lack of coverage for reality programming and the gluttony of comedies – the following list will be, at the very least, as accurate as possible in terms of ratings success and/or failure as they apply to each major network drama.

Please note that the ratings that follow each of the dramas listed below are not 100% accurate, but the ratings are as close of an approximation as can be made based on the Nielson’s ratings, which is still, unfortunately, the barometer by which the networks and the entertainment industry, as a whole, still rely on to determine how many TV viewers tuned in for each show.

Please also note the following list includes ratings for ONLY the dramas on the major networks. These numbers are NOT based on any specific age demograph nor does the list reflect the specific top 20 shows out of ALL the major network shows, but their specific ranking in terms of dramas only:

1. NCIS (CBS) – 19.5 million
2. NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS) – 16.8 million
3. The Mentalist (CBS) – 14.4 million
4. Criminal Minds (CBS) – 13.5 million
5. CSI (CBS) – 13.2 million
6. The Good Wife (CBS) – 11.6 million
7. Glee (FOX) and Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) – TIE – 11.5 million
9. Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy (both ABC) – TIE – 11.3 million
11. Body of Proof (ABC) and Blue Bloods (CBS) – TIE – 11 million
13. Castle (ABC) – 10.8 million
14. CSI: Miami (CBS) – 10.6 million
15. Bones (FOX) – 10.1 million
16. House (FOX) and CSI: NY (CBS) – TIE – 9.9 million
17. Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (CBS) – 9.5 million *
18. Harry’s Law (NBC) – 9.3 million
19. The Defenders (CBS) – 9.2 million *
20. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC) – 8.5 million
21. Brothers & Sisters (ABC) – 7.9 million *
22. Private Practice (ABC) – 7.7 million
23. The Chicago Code (FOX) – 7 million *
24. Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC) – 6.9 million *
25. Medium (CBS) – 6.7 million *
26. No Ordinary Family (ABC) – 6.5 million *
27. Law & Order: Los Angeles (NBC) – 6.4 million *
28. Undercovers (NBC) – 6.1 million *
29. Human Target and Lie to Me (FOX) – TIE – 5.9 million *
31. V (ABC) and The Event (NBC) – TIE – 5.5 million *
32. Parenthood (NBC) – 5.4 million
33. The Cape (NBC) – 5.3 million *
34. Chuck (NBC) – 5.2 million
35. Off the Map (ABC) – 5.1 million *
36. Chase (NBC) – 4.8 million *
37. The Whole Truth (ABC) – 4.5 million *
38. Fringe (FOX) – 3.2 million
39. The Vampire Diaries (The CW) – 3.1 million
40. Smallville (The CW) and The Good Guys (FOX) – TIE – 2.5 million *
42. Hellcats * and Supernatural (The CW) – TIE – 2.3 million
44. Nikita (The CW) – 2.2 million
45. 90210 and One Tree Hill (The CW) – TIE – 1.8 million
47. Gossip Girl (The CW) – 1.7 million
48. Life Unexpected (The CW) – 1.6 million *

* Designates all the shows that have been canceled by their networks.

NOTE: The following series are not included in the above list because new episodes are still being aired: Chaos and Flashpoint on CBS and Friday Night Lights on NBC.

Here are the winners of this past TV season:

1. Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) – Despite reports to the contrary the new CBS series/remake of the popular classic series is the top new show of the entire 2010-2011 TV season;

2. Fringe (FOX) – The show received a surprise renewal despite being among one of the lowest rated shows out of the major networks (except for the shows on The CW);

3. CBS – The network, once again, reigns supreme in terms of having the most shows at the top of the ratings;

4. Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – The two long-running series have tied for the top drama on the network;

5. The Vampire Diaries (The CW) – The vampire series is the top show on the network;

6. Harry’s Law (NBC) – Despite being a new series, this legal drama scored better than any of the other dramas, earning the top spot for the highest rated show on the network;

7. Glee (FOX) – Even though this musicomedy had a very lopsided season this year, it is the top rated drama on the network; and,

8. Chuck and Parenthood (NBC) – These are the two shows “that could,” as both were given renewals despite being surrounded by dramas that were canceled by nearly all of the networks (except for the shows on The CW).

Here are the losers of the TV season:

1. V (ABC) and The Event (NBC) – Both highly anticipated sci-fi shows were canceled by their home network even though the lower-rated Fringe on FOX was renewed (go figure!);

2. Hellcats (The CW) – The new series was canceled even though it ranked higher in the ratings than returning shows Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill and 90210 as well as new series Nikita;

3. FOX – The network canceled a number of shows, including The Chicago Code, The Good Guys, Human Target and Lie to Me. And, it’s once powerhouse drama – House – has been falling further down in the ratings with each new episode. It wasn’t a good season for the network;

4. The Cape (NBC) – The series may have been playing into the current love affair with comic book heroes, but this one just didn’t work;

5. No Ordinary Family (ABC) – Just as in the case of The Cape, this superhero-themed series should have done well; but, even though, the casting was quite clever, it just wasn’t believable enough;

6. The Defenders and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (CBS) – Even though both new TV dramas garnered ratings over 9 million each week, they were both cancelled;

7. New cop dramas – Detroit 1-8-7 on ABC and Law & Order: Los Angeles and Chase on NBC all debuted this TV season and were all summarily canceled by their respective networks; and,

8. Lone Star (FOX) and My Generation (ABC) – These new shows aired this fall but after only two or three airings, they were pulled from their respective networks.

It is always interesting to see how all of the new and returning shows will perform each season; and despite critics and fans alike trying to predict what shows will work and which shows will not, it isn’t until the ratings are determined that we learn what succeeded and which ones failed.

Did any of your favorites win this TV season? Did any of your favorites not make it? Please share.