NCIS Was 2023's Most-Watched Primetime TV Show
Who says network television is dead? As long as there's "NCIS" (and football games) on TV, people will continue tuning in.
Variety reported on the 100 most-watched primetime telecasts of 2023, with the top spot going to the Super Bowl while other football games dominated 26 of the top 30 slots. But when it comes to scripted series, "NCIS" emerges victorious, with 10 episodes making it onto the top 100 list. Combined, those 10 episodes garnered a total of 100,391,000 viewers.
The most watched episode of the procedural was Season 20, Episode 10 — "Too Many Cooks" which came in at #55 with 11.25 million viewers. It makes sense that this particular episode would be the highest as it was part of 2023's big "NCIS" crossover event that included characters from "NCIS: Los Angeles" and "NCIS: Hawai'i," so it likely got some extra viewers who wanted to stay up-to-date on all things "NCIS."
Other high-ranking "NCIS" Season 20 episodes to make it onto the chart include "Big Rig," "Butterfly Effect," "Evil Eye," and "Unusual Suspects." Considering series lead Mark Harmon, who played Special Agent Gibbs, left in Season 19, the show's 2023 numbers prove that a lot of people are still invested in this franchise even after one of the flagship show's biggest stars is no longer around.
CBS had a good showing overall with NCIS, Fire Country, and Blue Bloods
The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike over the summer effectively killed CBS' 2023 fall season, so every scripted series to make Variety's list is from earlier in 2023. But that didn't hamper the network's overall results too much, as it ultimately came out on top with 39 entries on the list, most coming from scripted shows. In addition to "NCIS," other CBS programs like "Fire Country," "FBI," "Young Sheldon," and "Blue Bloods" earned spots.
However, much of that success may be attributed to the shows following prominent football games. For example, "Fire Country," which was in its first season, had over 12 million viewers for the episode "Two Pink Lines." It aired on January 29, 2023, the same evening as the AFC championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. That particular game holds the #2 spot on the list with over 53 million viewers, so it would appear plenty of people kept the station tuned to CBS after the Chiefs beat the Bengals.
Another hallmark of CBS — "Blue Bloods" — had an impressive showing, with five episodes ranking in the top 100. Considering "Blue Bloods" enters its final season this year, it's a safe bet people will continue to tune in, allowing the show to appear on next year's list, too. And in all likelihood, "NCIS" won't be going anywhere anytime soon, either.