CBS's 'Scorpion' was the top-rated TV show for the week of January 19-25
CBS’s ‘Scorpion’ was the top-rated TV show for the week of January 19-25

The latest Neilsen ratings were released today, and they’re quite interesting, to say the least. Among the top twenty programs, nearly all are from CBS. That in itself should send a message to the other networks (and to critics): CBS’s drama and comedy programs are the most conservative in both aesthetic and political terms among the broadcast networks, by a good measure in fact.

The only non-CBS programs to crack the top twenty were FOX’s venerable American Idol, which seems to have recovered some of its ratings mojo, finishing third and seventh on the week; FOX newcomer Empire, with an impressive fifth-place finish; and the NFL Pro Bowl coverage on ESPN, which placed 17th.

The rest of the top 20 consisted of CBS shows, with top honors for the week going to Scorpion (still going strong despite the show’s amazingly silly premise and execution). Dominating the top 20 were CBS’s relentlessly conventional-with-a-single-original-angle crime dramas, such as NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Criminal Minds, The Mentalist, Blue Bloods, Elementary, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

The latter must be a special delight to CBS programming executives, as it seemed likely that CSI had lost its lustre and was a candidate for cancellation.

If the CBS program lineup becomes any more conservative, other networks may eventually have no viewers at all.

Here’s the full top 20 list for the week of January 19 through 25:

1. “Scorpion,” CBS, 12.08 million.

2. “NCIS,” CBS, 11.98 million.

3. “American Idol” (Wednesday), Fox, 11.76 million.

4. “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 11.52 million.

5. “Empire,” Fox, 11.07 million.

6. “Mom,” CBS, 11.05 million.

7. “American Idol” (Thursday), Fox, 10.65 million.

8. “Criminal Minds,” CBS, 10.29 million.

9. “NCIS: Los Angeles,” CBS, 9.65 million.

10. “The Mentalist,” CBS, 9.6 million.

11. “Two and a Half Men,” CBS, 9.31 million.

12. “Mike & Molly,” CBS, 9.22 million.

13. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 9.21 million.

14. “2 Broke Girls,” CBS, 8.86 million.

15. “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 8.797 million.

16. “Undercover Boss” (Sunday, 8 p.m.), CBS, 8.796 million.

17. NFL Football: Pro Bowl, ESPN, 8.77 million.

18. “Undercover Boss” (Friday, 8 p.m.), CBS, 8.42 million.

19. “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS, 8.3 million.

20. “Elementary,” CBS, 8.29 million.