Red Shows, Blue Shows

E-Score Programs has released its study of the favorite TV programs for both Democrats and Republicans. The study showed that Democrats love Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Stranger Things, while Republicans can’t get enough Grey’s Anatomy and The Walking Dead.

The broadcast series most popular among Democrats, according to the survey titled “Favorite Programs of Republicans & Democrats,” are NBC’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine (53% called the show “One of My Favorites”) and The CW’s The Flash (53%), followed by NBC’s This Is Us (52%), CBSThe Big Bang Theory (51%) and NBC’s Chicago Med (49%). Just off the pace are CW’s Supernatural (48%) and CBS’ Criminal Minds (46%).

Among Republicans, it is ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy (54%) at the top of the heap, along with NBC’s This Is Us (54%). Fox’s Last Man Standing (50%), NBC’s Chicago PD (49%), Fox’s The Resident (49%), ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, NBC's The Blacklist and Chicago Med (all at 46%) are just behind.

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine, with its diverse cast, is the top Democratic comedy, and Last Man Standing, starring a father with conservative views taking jabs at liberals, is the top comedy for Republicans,” said the study.

The study noted that Grey’s Anatomy is the top drama among Republicans, “despite producer Shonda Rhimes’ liberal views.”

E-Poll used E-Score Programs to analyze more than 750 primetime broadcast, cable and streaming programs among Americans of voting age who are Republican or Democrat. Approximately 108,000 people were surveyed, roughly half Democrat and half Republican.

In the cable/streaming category, Dems voted for Netflix’s Stranger Things (49% said One of My Favorites), followed by AMC’s The Walking Dead (44%), History’s Ancient Aliens (44%), Showtime’s Shameless (38%) and AMC’s Better Call Saul (38%).

Among GOP respondents, The Walking Dead (51%) was tops. Stranger Things (45%), Shameless (45%), HGTV’s Fixer Upper (43%), AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead (36%), Comedy Central’s South Park, Discovery’s Deadliest Catch and HBO’s Westworld (all with 35%) followed.

HBO’s Game of Thrones was not in the running because it did not air in 2018.

Among the top cable shows for Republicans, 13 of the top 20 scored above 20% in the Family Friendly category, compared to only four shows in the Democrat top 20.

Another category for shows was Sexy and Emotionally Involving, which the top Democrat shows did well in. 

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.