The top-rated television programs of all time, with each show's rating as a percentage of the nation's total TV homes, the number of TV homes tuned to that show, and that show's share of all viewers watching TV at that hour.
  1. MASH Special on CBS Feb. 28, 1983, 60.2 rating (50.15 million homes), 77 share.
  2. Dallas on CBS Nov. 21, 1980, 53.3 rating (41.47 million homes), 76 share.
  3. Roots (Part 8) on ABC Jan. 30, 1977, 51.1rating (36.38 million homes), 71 share.
  4. Super Bowl XVI (San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals) on CBS Jan. 24, 1982, 49.1 rating (40.02 million homes), 73 share.
  5. Super Bowl XVII (Washington Redskins vs. Miami Dolphins) on NBC Jan. 30, 1983, 48.6 rating (40.48 million homes), 69 share.
  6. XVII Winter Olympics (including Tonya Harding vs. Nancy Kerrigan) on CBS Feb. 23, 1994, 48.5 rating (45.69 million homes), 64 share.
  7. Super Bowl XX (Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots) on NBC Jan. 26, 1986, 48.3 rating (41.49 million homes), 70 share.
  8. Gone With The Wind (Part 1) on NBC Nov. 7, 1976, 47.7 rating (33.96 million homes), 65 share.
  9. Gone With The Wind (Part 2) on NBC Nov. 8, 1976, 47.4 rating (33.75 million homes), 64 share.
  10. Super Bowl XII (Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos) on CBS Jan. 15, 1978, 47.2 rating (34.41 million homes), 67 share.
Source: Nielsen Media Research 4/30/2000

see also:

Split Personality TV | Recording Technology History | this page revised 12/4/02