Here are the top ten programs for the two-week period running Sunday, October 9th through Saturday, October 22nd, 1955. The first table lists the top ten by households and the second by rating.
The reason there are two episodes of I Love Lucy on the charts is, I believe, due to the fact that the two episodes broadcast during this period (“Lucy and John Wayne” on October 10th and “Lucy and the Dummy” on October 17th) had different sponsors. The higher-rated episode was sponsored by General Foods and the lower-rated one by Proctor & Gamble.
NBC’s Sunday Spectacular, broadcast on October 9th, was “Show Biz” with Grouch Marx, Rosemary Clooney, Denis Day, Eartha Kitt, Buster Keaton and more. Mary Martin and Noel Coward starred in “Together with Music,” the Saturday, October 22nd installment of Ford Star Jubilee.
| Number of TV Homes Reached | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ## | Program | Network | Homes |
| 1. | $64,000 Question | CBS | 17,114,000 |
| 2. | I Love Lucy | CBS | 16,175,000 |
| 3. | Ed Sullivan Show | CBS | 14,296,000 |
| 4. | I Love Lucy | CBS | 14,272,000 |
| 5. | George Gobel Show | NBC | 13,444,00 |
| 6. | Sunday Spectacular | NBC | 13,191,000 |
| 7. | Disneyland | ABC | 13,097,000 |
| 8. | Ford Star Jubilee | CBS | 12,443,000 |
| 9. | Colgate Variety Hour | NBC | 11,892,000 |
| 10. | December Bride | CBS | 11,645,000 |
| Percent of TV Homes Reached | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ## | Program | Network | Rating (%) |
| 1. | $64,000 Question | CBS | 53.2 |
| 2. | I Love Lucy | CBS | 49.8 |
| 3. | Ed Sullivan Show | CBS | 44.9 |
| 4. | I Love Lucy | CBS | 43.9 |
| 5. | Sunday Spectacular | NBC | 41.3 |
| 6. | George Gobel Show | NBC | 41.1 |
| 7. | Disneyland | ABC | 40.7 |
| 8. | Ford Star Jubilee | CBS | 40.4 |
| 9. | Godfrey’s Talent Scouts | CBS | 37.7 |
| 10. | Red Skelton | CBS | 36.8 |
Copyright 1955 by A. C. Nielsen Co.
Note: Prior to July 1960, Nielsen ratings were not based on the total number of television households in the United States. From 1950 to 1953, ratings were a percentage of households in cities/markets in which the program was broadcast. From 1953 to 1960, ratings were a percentage of households capable of viewing a program.
Source:
“Latest Ratings: Nielsen.” Broadcasting*Telecasting. 21 Nov. 1955: Page 40.
