American TV viewers actually watching...PBS???

*Refractive Reflections* · 02-06-2013, 09:35 AM

I was reading for the past couple of months how PBS (Public Broadcasting Station) was been having sizable ratings that have been beating broadcast and cable television with their hit show Masterpiece Theater's "Downton Abbey".

What's even more remarkable is that the show became the second highest rated show on Super Bowl Sunday, just after the Super Bowl itself, with around 6.6 million viewers!

See: http://www.citizen-times.com/article...nclick_check=1

I watch PBS far more than other channels. I usually enjoy most of their programming: watching their cooking shows (i.e. Cook's Country), traveling shows (Globe Trekker), their history shows (American Experience), science shows (NOVA), and occasionally their news programs (Frontline).

So I'm kind of in a state of disbelief that the average American viewer is actually starting to watch PBS.

When these same Americans viewers are responsible for making American Idol, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, The Voice, Honey Boo-Boo, Kim Kardashian, and the "Real Housewives of..(Pick your City)" popular in television.

Are any of you big time PBS viewers? Are you as surprised by the ratings that PBS is getting? (Mind you Masterpiece Theater may not be "educational TV" compared to their science/history programs, but at least its more cultured then the reality TV programming that seems to have flooded the airwaves.)

02-06-2013, 09:35 AM	#1
Refractive Reflections Mad Scientist $Refractive Reflections's Avatar$ Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 2,371	American TV viewers actually watching...PBS??? I was reading for the past couple of months how PBS (Public Broadcasting Station) was been having sizable ratings that have been beating broadcast and cable television with their hit show Masterpiece Theater's "Downton Abbey". What's even more remarkable is that the show became the second highest rated show on Super Bowl Sunday, just after the Super Bowl itself, with around 6.6 million viewers! See: http://www.citizen-times.com/article...nclick_check=1 I watch PBS far more than other channels. I usually enjoy most of their programming: watching their cooking shows (i.e. Cook's Country), traveling shows (Globe Trekker), their history shows (American Experience), science shows (NOVA), and occasionally their news programs (Frontline). So I'm kind of in a state of disbelief that the average American viewer is actually starting to watch PBS. When these same Americans viewers are responsible for making American Idol, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, The Voice, Honey Boo-Boo, Kim Kardashian, and the "Real Housewives of..(Pick your City)" popular in television. Are any of you big time PBS viewers? Are you as surprised by the ratings that PBS is getting? (Mind you Masterpiece Theater may not be "educational TV" compared to their science/history programs, but at least its more cultured then the reality TV programming that seems to have flooded the airwaves.)
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