Classic TV Ratings and Rankings: 1965-66 Season

For the second year in a row, BONANZA is the #1 program. Viewers love The Cartwrights. However, it is the only drama in the top 10. Led by 2nd year comedy GOMER PYLE, U.S.M.C., sitcoms take six of the top 10 spots and nine of the top 15.

NBC is getting back on track as it has seven programs in the top 30 chart, up from last season's five charted programs. It getting on the JAMES BOND craze with two series based on that inception. Freshman comedy GET SMART ranked #12, is spoof on the genre. It is only one of two comedies from NBC on the chart. The other BOND influenced program is the action series THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. It  does just as well as GET SMART, ranking just behind it at #13.

ABC has a new multi-night hit as mid-season series BATMAN click with audiences on both Wednesday and Thursday nights. Both editions rank in the top 10. That give ABC three young programs in the top 10. However, they did lose some ground to CBS. After BATMAN and BEWITCHED, the only other ABC program to make the chart is THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW (#19). ABC also lost a hit sitcom, MY THREE SONS, to CBS.

CBS is still the dominate network. 18 programs in the top 30, including seven of the top 10. New comedies HOGAN'S HEROES and GREEN ACRES are instant hits, both making the top 15 chart. Mid-season action-drama DAKTARI also does well at #14. Classic THE WILD WILD WEST debuts in at #22

Top 30 Network Programs by household ratings
(Households with TVs - 53.85 million)

1. Bonanza (NBC) - 31.8 
2. Gomer Pyle, USMC (CBS) - 27.8
3. The Lucy Show (CBS) - 27.7
4. The Red Skelton Hour (CBS) - 27.6
5. Batman [Thurs] (ABC) - 27.0
6. The Andy Griffith Show (CBS) - 26.9
7. The Beverly Hillbillies (CBS) - 25.9
8. Bewitched (ABC) - 25.9
9. Hogan's Heroes (CBS) - 24.9
10. Batman [Wed] (ABC) - 24.7
11. Green Acres (CBS) - 24.6 
12. Get Smart (NBC) - 24.5
13. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (NBC) - 24.0
14. Daktari (CBS) - 23.9
15. My Three Sons (CBS) - 23.8
16. The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS) - 23.6
17. The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS) - 23.2
17. Walt Disney' Wonderful World of Color (NBC) - 23.2
19. I've Got a Secret (CBS) - 22.4
19. The Lawrence Welk Show (ABC) - 22.4
21. Petticoat Junction (CBS) - 22.3
22. Gilligan's Island (CBS) - 22.1
23. The Wild Wild West (CBS) - 22.0
23. The Virginian (NBC) - 22.0
23. Jackie Gleason and his American Scene Magazine (CBS) - 22.0
26. Daniel Boone (NBC) - 21.9
27. Lassie (CBS) - 21.8
27. I Dream Of Jeannie (NBC) - 21.8
29. Flipper (NBC) - 21.6
30. Gunsmoke (CBS) - 21.3