The Nielsen Rating's Top 20 TV Shows for January 15 - January 21. The first number is the ranking, the second number is the season average, then the show name and network. The last number represents the number of viewers in millions. An asterisk * indicates a tie.American Idol's new season started at the top of the Nielsen's, if you don't count football games. Hawaii 5-0 is in the Top 20 again. Twice. At #6 and #18,
| Rank | Show name | Network | Viewers in millions | Season-to-date average(in millions) | |
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| 1. | AFC Championship: Jets/Steelers | CBS | 54.9 | -- | |
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| 2. | AFC Championship Post-game | CBS | 31.5 | -- | |
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| 3. | American Idol (Wed.) | Fox | 26.2 | 26.2 | |
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| 4. | American Idol (Thur.) | Fox | 22.9 | 22.9 | |
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| 5. | NCIS | CBS | 21.1 | 19.9 | |
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| 6. | Hawaii Five-O | CBS | 19.3 | -- | |
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| 7. | NCIS: Los Angeles | CBS | 17.3 | 17.0 | |
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| 8. | Two and a Half Men | CBS | 15.6 | 14.7 | |
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| 9. | The Mentalist | CBS | 14.8 | 15.2 | |
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| 10. | CSI | CBS | 14.3 | 14.0 | |
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| 11. | The Big Bang Theory | CBS | 13.6 | 13.8 | |
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| 12. | Mike & Molly | CBS | 12.8 | 12.0 | |
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| 13. | Blue Bloods | CBS | 12.3 | 12.4 | |
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| 14. | Criminal Minds | CBS | 12.0 | 14.7 | |
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| 15. | The Good Wife | CBS | 11.4 | 12.8 | |
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| 16. | Harry's Law | NBC | 11.1 | 11.1 | |
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| 17. | Modern Family | ABC | 10.9 | 12.4 | |
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| 18. | Hawaii Five-O | CBS | 10.8 | 12.9 | |
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| 19. | Bones | Fox | 10.6 | 10.2 | |
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| 20. | House | Fox | 10.5 | 9.7 | |
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| * | How I Met Your Mother | CBS | 10.5 | 9.5 | |
