Grey's Anatomy & NCIS Are the Two Most Popular Shows Ever, Period
Here's why these shows rule.
While the days of Peak TV may be coming to an end, with streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV+ slowly stealing viewers away from traditional broadcasters, prime time television is definitely not ready to concede defeat.
Even though online platforms boast millions of streaming hours and insane viewership figures, the numbers for broadcast shows like NCIS and Grey's Anatomy are even more respectable. And if you think about it, the idea of millions of people watching TV at exactly the same time sounds a lot more surreal than fans turning on Netflix whenever they want.
But while networks like HBO, FX, and AMC arguably produce much better series than ABC and CBS, the latter networks still rule. Why? This makes fans wonder how come series like NCIS and Grey's Anatomy are much more successful in ratings than Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones.
The Key to Popularity
Without a doubt, NCIS and Grey's Anatomy are the most popular series out there, and fans know exactly why. While HBO or Netflix try to keep their prestige shows as short as possible, refusing to include more than 10 episodes in a season, CBS and ABC have no reservations about making their projects as long as the creators want. Apparently, the length of a project is the key ingredient to its success.
Here are the exact numbers to consider. While shows like Game or Thrones or Breaking Bad have less than 100 episodes in total, NCIS and Grey's Anatomy reach that massive goal in just four seasons, drastically increasing the amount of time people have to watch them in their entirety.
Fans are certain that the reluctance of streaming services to produce shows as long as NCIS and Grey's Anatomy is the reason they will never surpass traditional television.
'[Grey's Anatomy and NCIS are popular] because they have tons of episodes to watch. Most streaming shows are only 2–3 seasons long, and you can finish them in a week or two and be done with it. That's one of the mistakes that Netflix has made with trying to make their originals only 3 seasons max,' a fan commented on Reddit. 'They need to have their own series with 150–200 episodes that are there for people to revisit and take months to finish.'
Source: Reddit.