Nielsen Top 10, February 5th – 18th, 1956

Here are the top ten programs for the two-week period running Sunday, February 5th through Saturday, February 18th, 1956. The first table lists the top ten by households and the second by rating.

I Love Lucy maintained a slight lead in households over The $64,000 Question but tied in raw ratings, each averaging 47.2% of the audience.

NBC’s The George Gobel show returned to the top ten for the first time since November 1955. The Saturday, February 11th episode featured Ernest Borgnine. The series was pre-empted on Saturday, February 18th for a special announcing the Academy Award nominations.

Private Secretary aired on Sunday, February 4th while The Jack Benny Program aired on Sunday, February 12th with William Holden as special guest.

ABC’s Disneyland featured “Survival in Nature” on Wednesday, February 8th and “Our Unsung Villains” on Wednesday, February 15th.

Number of TV Homes Reached
## Program Network Homes
1. I Love Lucy CBS 15,971,000
2. $64,000 Question CBS 15,935,000
3. Ed Sullivan Show CBS 14,321,000
4. Disneyland ABC 13,829,000
5. December Bride CBS 13,443,000
6. Dragnet NBC 13,303,000
7. Jack Benny Show CBS 12,882,000
8. You Bet Your Life NBC 12,882,000
9. Private Secretary CBS 12,074,000
10. George Gobel Show NBC 11,969,000

Percent of TV Homes Reached
## Program Network Rating (%)
1. $64,000 Question CBS 47.2
  I Love Lucy CBS 47.2
3. Ed Sullivan Show CBS 42.9
4. Disneyland ABC 40.7
5. December Bride CBS 39.9
6. Jack Benny Show CBS 38.8
7. Dragnet NBC 38.7
8. You Bet Your Life NBC 37.7
9. Private Secretary CBS 35.9
10. Perry Como Show NBC 35.5

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. 19 Mar. 1956: 42.


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