Who’s actually watching TV’s most popular shows?
To help our readers decide whether their DVR would prove them an old soul or still young at heart, TheWrap compiled the 50 oldest and 50 youngest-skewing broadcast TV shows this season through March 22. (OK, so technically there are 51 shows on the oldest list and 52 on the youngest due to ties.) For ease of your eyeballs, TheWrap cut out the 64 broadcast series that sat somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.
The median ages of some of the oldest-skewing series currently on broadcast television — such as “Blue Bloods,” “60 Minutes” and “Madam Secretary” — nearly reach the Social Security bracket. They also practically double the corresponding age of TV’s youngest-skewing programs, including “Family Guy,” “Vampire Diaries” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”
A reminder for our non-statistics majors readers: The median point is the middle value of a data set. All numbers below are based on Nielsen’s “most current” statistics, which includes seven-day delayed viewing information when available.
It is no secret that CBS skews older than its direct competitors: This season’s 13 oldest shows were all on that network. By comparison, Fox only has one show among the 50 oldest — and that was a Saturday rerun of “Bones,” which barely even counts. As one might expect, The CW is nowhere near that left side of the below chart.
On the flip side of that coin, CBS only makes one appearance among the 50 youngest-skewing shows, and that is for a Wednesday “Big Brother” — so, a bit of an anomaly itself.
The “oldest” TV show thus far this season was a special “60 Minutes Presents,” pulling in a median age of 64.2. “Blue Bloods” was next at a full year younger, tied with an “NCIS: New Orleans” Tuesday episode. “Crimetime Saturday” at 8 p.m. was fourth, with a median age of 63-years-old even. The regular “60 Minutes” sits just below that, with a 62.8.
Other notables on the “old” side are “The Good Wife” (62.2), “Dancing With the Stars” (61.1), “Cristela” (57.2), “State of Affairs” (57.0) and “Scorpion” (56.9).
Following “Family Guy,” which has the youngest audience at a toddler-like 33.2-years-old, fellow Fox animated series “Bob’s Burgers” has a median age of 35.6. “Vampire Diaries” clocks in third with a 35.7, splitting up the Fox youth movement. “The Simpsons” is next with a 36.3; “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” has a 36.8.
A few more Fox shows follow.
Additional buzzy series on the “young” side include “Jane the Virgin” (41.1), “Glee” (42.5), “Empire” (43.1), “Gotham” (46.3) and “Modern Family” (46.8).
Here’s the full chart, see if your age group matches your TV tastes:
