Shelter-in-place and social-distancing regulations have been keeping many Americans home in the past few months as the coronavirus pandemic continues to loom over the nation. Households have turned to stream television shows to pass the time, re-watching familiar favorites for comfort and discovering newer series.
CableTV.com recently conducted a survey to discover the most popular television series in each of the 50 states and Washington D.C. Gathering data from nearly 7,000 viewers, the results show some states seek local representation, while others are playing the hits.
Far and away, “Friends” is the top show in the country. The NBC sitcom was named the most popular series in 11 states, including seven of the 10 most populated ones: California, Texas, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, and Ohio, where it tied with “NCIS.”
“Rick and Morty” came in second place, named the top series in four states: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada. Considering the popularity of shows that have either been on the air for an extended period of time or have ended their runs, Adult Swim’s animated series scoring the runner-up slot comes as a bit of a surprise. The show is currently airing new episodes of its fourth season.
Another notable phenomena involves some states watching series set in local areas. The Albuquerque-set “Breaking Bad” tied for most popular in New Mexico, alongside “Rick and Morty.” Missouri has taken to “Ozark,” as the Netflix series tied with “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Illinois has a clear number one, with the NBC mainstay “Chicago P.D.” being the most-watched show. As for the crime procedural’s superlative popularity in Pennsylvania, that remains a more intriguing mystery.