Nielsen Top 10, January 22nd – February 4th, 1956

Here are the top ten programs for the two-week period running Sunday, January 22nd through Saturday, February 4th, 1956. The first table lists the top ten by households and the second by rating.

This was the first two-week period of the season that did not see The $64,000 Question atop the rating charts. Instead, I Love Lucy took the top spot with two episodes (broadcast on Monday, January 23rd and Monday, January 30th, respectively) that featured Lucy, Desi, Ethel, and Fred cruising towards Europe. The storyline had started several weeks earlier. These were the highest-rated episodes of the season thus far.

NBC’s The Perry Como Show returned to the top ten for the first time since September 1955. The Sunday, January 28th episode featured guests Gale Storm, Tuesday Weld, and Buddy Hackett while the Sunday, February 4th episode featured guests Patrice Munsel, Tom Ewell, and Don Cherry.

Disneyland on ABC featured “Davy Crockett’s Keelboat Race” on Wednesday, January 25th and “Day in the Life of Donald Duck” on Wednesday, February 1st.

Number of TV Homes Reached
## Program Network Homes
1. I Love Lucy CBS 17,901,000
2. $64,000 Question CBS 16,883,000
3. Disneyland ABC 14,847,000
4. You Bet Your Life NBC 13,619,000
5. Ed Sullivan Show CBS 13,549,000
6. December Bride CBS 13,478,000
7. Dragnet CBS 13,478,000
8. The Millionaire CBS 12,215,000
9. Perry Como Show NBC 12,145,000
10. G.E. Theatre CBS 12,004,000

Percent of TV Homes Reached
## Program Network Rating (%)
1. I Love Lucy CBS 52.7
2. $64,000 Question CBS 50.0
3. Disneyland CBS 43.7
4. Ed Sullivan Show CBS 40.6
5. December Bride CBS 40.0
6. You Bet Your Life NBC 39.9
7. Dragnet NBC 39.2
8. The Millionaire CBS 36.8
9. Perry Como Show NBC 36.6
10. G. E. Theatre CBS 36.0

Copyright 1956 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. 5 Mar. 1956: 39.


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