As we like to do every six or nine months here, we’ve ranked below the ratings for the 25 cable shows most frequently discussed around these parts. The rating numbers themselves don’t mean a ton. They do not include DVR viewership, nor re-airs, which typically bring in significantly more viewers on cable. The ranking is only meant to give you an idea of where certain cable series stand in relation to one another, and so that you can appropriately complain because most of your favorite cable shows are getting trounced by True Blood.
Ratings reflect either the most recent premiere episode, or the most recent finale episode, where available, to give you an idea of where the series stand on their better nights. As you can see, there’s a wide gap between the number one and number two show (and not listed in between them is actually The Talking Dead.) Given the amount of press it received, you may also be slightly surprised to see what is at the bottom of the list.
1. The Walking Dead — 15.6 million viewers
2. Game of Thrones — 6.64 million viewers
3. Sons of Anarchy — 5.2 million viewers
4. True Blood — 3.9 million viewers
5. True Detective — 3.5 million viewers
6. Vikings — 2.9 million viewers
7. Mad Men — 2.7 million viewers
8. Justified — 2.36 million viewers
9. Boardwalk Empire 2.1 million viewers
10. Silicon Valley – 1.98 million viewers
11. Shameless — 1.93 million viewers
12. Homeland — 1.85 million
13. Rick & Morty — 1.7 million viewers
14. The Newsroom — 1.6 million
15. The Killing — 1.5 million viewers
16. Helix — 1.3 million viewers
17. The Americans — 1.2 million viewers
18. Workaholics — 1.2 million viewers
19. Masters of Sex — 1.05 million viewers
20. Veep — 955,000 viewers
21. Archer — 918,000 viewers
22. Cougar Town — 868,000 viewers
23. The League — 786,000 viewers
24. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia — 757,000 viewers
25. Girls — 670,000 viewers
