Canada has a new ruler and his name is Sheldon Cooper! No really. Since moving to Thursday at 8PM, THE BIG BANG THEORY has not only consistently won its time slot in the United States, but has quickly established itself as Canada’s most popular import, attracting a whopping [in Canadian terms] 3.44 million viewers the week of November 1-7. A statistic which naturally got us thinking: With THE BIG BANG THEORY officially cementing its status as Canada’s most watched show (not to mention, most popular sitcom since FRIENDS), is it possible that we can now add “better taste in television” to a growing list of awesome things about Canada that also happens to include free health care and poutine?
Well, after a little research that saw our crack research staff us rank the top 25 weekly TV shows via total viewer from both Canada and the United States, we have unequivocally come to the conclusion that No — as luck would have it — Canadian and American viewing patterns are exceptionally (and disappointedly) similar. Both countries love generic procedurals, worship their respective national pastimes (Football in the US, Hockey in Canada) and Andy Rooney. But hey, don’t take our word for it, see a side by side comparison for yourself after the jump.
| America’s Top 25 | Viewers | Canada’s Top 25 | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|
| DWTS | 19.93 | The Big Bang Theory | 3.40 |
| Sunday Night Football | 19.36 | Criminal Minds | 2.77 |
| DWTS Results | 16.93 | The Mentalist | 2.70 |
| NFL Pregame | 16.04 | Amazing Race 17 | 2.67 |
| 60 Minutes | 15.14 | Grey’s Anatomy | 2.67 |
| World Series Game 6 | 14.95 | $#*! My Dad Says | 2.43 |
| Criminal Minds | 14.57 | Survivor: Nicaragua | 2.35 |
| The Mentalist | 14.42 | DWTS | 2.28 |
| The Big Bang Theory | 14.00 | D. Housewives | 2.05 |
| CSI | 13.96 | H.N.I.C | 2.04 |
| Two and a Half Men | 13.64 | Castle | 1.92 |
| Desperate Housewives | 12.71 | DWTS Results | 1.86 |
| Survivor: Nicaragua | 12.30 | CSI: NY | 1.84 |
| Modern Family | 12.24 | Dragon’s Den | 1.79 |
| Grey’s Anatomy | 11.91 | CSI: Miami | 1.78 |
| NCIS (R) | 11.51 | Law & Order: LA | 1.72 |
| Castle | 11.27 | CTV Evening News | 1.66 |
| Undercover Boss | 11.03 | Battle of the Blades | 1.61 |
| $#*! My Dad Says | 11.01 | The Simpsons | 1.60 |
| Amazing Race 17 | 10.85 | Blue Bloods | 1.60 |
| Hawaii Five-0 | 10.85 | Hawaii Five-0 | 1.56 |
| Mike & Molly | 10.74 | Law & Order: SVU | 1.48 |
| NCIS: LA (R) | 10.72 | Undercover Boss | 1.45 |
| CSI: NY | 10.57 | Bones | 1.44 |
| Blue Bloods | 10.31 | NCIS: LA | 1.33 |
[Photo Credit: CTV Photos]