Classic TV Ratings and Rankings: 1952-53 Season

NBC's dominance began to fall with the 1952-53 season. Now, CBS, boasted the top three programs on television, including #1 I LOVE LUCY, and placed nine programs in the top 20. ABC was still struggling and its only hit, THE LONE RANGER, has been the only program from the network to place in the top 30.

The DuMont TV Network took another blow in the fall of 1952 as Jackie Gleason moved to CBS. Gleason was the networks biggest star. DuMont didn't even bother programming against Gleason's CBS show.

After the success of I LOVE LUCY being a prerecorded program, more tv series switched over from being live to recorded. Some of the new recorded series were OUR MISS BROOKS, OZZIE and HARRIET, I MARRIED JOAN, and THE RED SKELTON SHOW.


Top 30 Network Programs by household ratings
(20.4 million television homes)

1. I Love Lucy (CBS) - 67.3
2. Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts (CBS) - 54.7 
3. Arthur Godfrey and His Friends (CBS) - 47.1
4. Dragnet (NBC) - 46.8
5. Taxaco Star Theater starring Milton Berle (NBC) - 46.7
6. The Buick Circus Hour (NBC) - 46.0
7. The Colgate Comedy Hour (NBC) - 44.3
8. Gang Busters (NBC) - 42.4
9. You Bet Your Life (NBC) - 41.6
10. Fireside Theater (NBC) - 40.6

11. The Red Buttons Show (CBS) - 40.2
12. The Jack Benny Program (CBS) - 39.0
13. Life with Luigi (CBS) - 38.5
14. Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts (CBS) - 37.9
15. Mama (CBS) - 37.0
16. Goodyear Television Playhouse (NBC) - 37.8
17. The Philco Television Playhouse (NBC) - 37.3
18. Life of Riley (NBC) - 37.4
19. Your Show of Shows (NBC) - 36.0
20. What's My Line? (CBS) - 35.3
20. Strike It Rich (CBS) - 35.3

22. Our Miss Brooks (CBS) - 35.0
22. The Big Story (NBC) - 35.0
24. Gillette Cavalcade of Sports (NBC) - 34.7
25. Amos 'n' Andy (CBS) - 34.4
26. All-Star Revue (NBC) - 34.3
27. Treasury Men in Action (NBC) - 34.2
28. The Red Skelton Show (NBC) - 33.7
28. The Lone Ranger (ABC) - 33.7
30. Ford Television Theater (NBC) - 33.6