Advertisers may not love them, but people over 50 are very loyal TV viewers. Check out some of their favorite new shows this fall.
“Bull” – 12.3 rating among viewers 50+ (Nielsen)
Are you really surprised? This CBS show about a tough, middle-aged jury consultant hits the Boomer sweet spot.
“Designated Survivor” – 8.5
Kiefer Sutherland, 49, as a longtime underachiever suddenly vaulted to the Oval Office? We got a middle-aged person’s fantasy here.
“MacGyver” – 7.1
Maybe the critics don’t like this reboot, but the over-50s who remember the 1980s action-adventure original sure do.
“This Is Us” – 6.8
This multi-generational family drama from NBC has characters everyone can relate to.
“Kevin Can Wait” – 6.5
Kevin James, icon to over-50s everywhere? Oh, yes, if this CBS sitcom is any indication.
“The Great Indoors” – 6.1
CBS sitcom has Joel McHale as a cranky editor who has to wrangle a crew of spoiled millennials. Hmmm, why would over-50s find that concept appealing?
“Pure Genius” – 5.9
CBS hospital drama with a high-tech twist. You might not need anything more to appeal to older fans.
“Timeless” – 5.6
NBC does time travel. Even though the three heroes are 30-somethings, the concept is universal — and, well, timeless.
“Man with a Plan” – 5.2
CBS family sitcom with ’90s icon Matt LeBlanc in the starring role.
“Lethal Weapon” – 5.0
Over-50s are precisely the folks best acquainted with the buddy-cop franchise on which this Fox series is based.
“Conviction” – 4.4
The reviews haven’t been nice, but a lot of older viewers seem to like this ABC procedural with Hayley Atwell.
“Speechless” – 3.9
This ABC outing offers family comedy with a twist – along with Gen X icon Minnie Driver as a mom.
“Notorious” – 3.8
ABC has already basically canceled this crime procedural by cutting its episode order. Which means your mom and dad will have to fill up their Thursdays with something else.
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