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Republicans Love 'Modern Family,' Democrats Favor 'Dexter,' New Study Shows
by Chris Harnick, posted Nov 10th 2010 10:45AM
'Modern Family,' a seemingly liberal show about a blended family -- with a gay couple and adopted kids -- is among the favorites of Republicans. Say what?According to a new study by Experian Simmons, Republicans favor many of TV's biggest hits such as 'Modern Family,' 'American Idol' and 'Dancing With the Stars.' On the Democrats' side, TV favorites include cable shows like 'Dexter' and 'Mad Men.'
"The big shows with mass appeal tend to have above-average scores from Democrats and Republicans but with higher concentrations of Republicans," John Fetto, senior marketing manager at Experian Simmons, told The Hollywood Reporter. "Looking at the Democrats side, I don't mean to make light of it, but they seem to like shows about damaged people. Those are the kind of shows Republicans just stay away from."
Unsurprisingly, the top show for Republicans is 'Glenn Beck' and 'Countdown With Keith Olbermann' for Democrats. But who knew Democrats favored 'Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami'?
Check out the full list below.
Do Republicans control Nielsen ratings? It appears that way at first glance, with Democrats favoring smaller, cult-hit shows. But look at the opposing party scores on the Republican show list: Many of these ratings champions such as 'Dancing With the Stars' and 'American Idol' have close numbers among both parties.
'Dancing With the Stars,' which pulls in more than 19 million viewers with its performance episodes, has 117 Republican fans, but only five fewer Democrats said they watch the series too.
The research suggests that CBS programs, which are some of the biggest hits on TV, seem to reach across party lines. 'How I Met Your Mother' and 'The Good Wife' both attract similar numbers from both parties.
Niche cable shows such as 'Breaking Bad' and 'Mad Men' seem to have the biggest difference in viewers. Does that mean more Democrats have premium cable? It could, but it could also suggest that Democrats are more daring with their TV picks. 'Mad Men' and 'Dexter' are both critically acclaimed shows, but are hardly ratings winners. The fourth season of 'Mad Men' averaged just 2.92 million viewers each week.
'30 Rock' and 'Community,' cult-hit comedies on NBC, also have large gaps between Republican and Democrat fans. Both shows are critically acclaimed, yet they hover around 4 to 5 million viewers each week. Both shows are quirky comedies, and generally considered "smarter" than typical sitcoms.
'Friday Night Lights,' perhaps the most adored show on the list, has only eight more Democrat fans than Republican ones. Does the subject matter reach across party lines? The series follows a Texas high school football coach and is critically acclaimed as one of the best dramas on TV? Regardless of its bipartisan appeal, it has not done well in the ratings game. 'FNL's' highest rated episode peaked around 7.5 million viewers.
This research leaves us with all sorts of questions and theories to ponder, but we'd love to hear what you have to say.
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