The YOUNGEST Shows On Network TV (By Audience)

Ad agency research firm Magna Global released a study this summer, breaking down the median audience age of every show on network television during the 2009-2010 season. On the whole, Magna Global reported that the median audience age for all of broadcast television has risen to 51. But not every show is pulling in a gray-haired crowd. Quite a few--mostly on younger networks like Fox and the CW--are drawing audiences well below the median. On the whole, CW has by far the youngest median audience; its average viewer is just 33.

Below, see some of the shows with the youngest median audience on television, and tell us if you're a regular viewer--or if you wouldn't be caught dead watching them.

RELATED: The OLDEST Audiences On Network TV

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Median Viewer Age: 27

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Median Viewer Age: 27

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Comments

[Leniere Miley]

11:28 PM on 08/08/2010

Some of the things said on this thread about young people - ouch!

I stopped being considered young a long time ago. I don't judge folks by their TV choices. I know some brilliant people who love cartoons - these are friends that are high functioning and have careers in finance and law. I really hate cartoons...just not my thing.

I love "Being Human" on BBC, "Eureka", "The New Detectives" --- basically anything on Investigation Discovery, "True Blood", "The Gates", "Criminal Minds", "The First 48" - I see a pattern forming. Time to go - I have to check AFIS for some prints.

[ranchero42]

09:46 PM on 08/08/2010

Hey! What about Warehouse 13? If the CW is a network; so must SyFy be.

[relevancematters]

07:13 PM on 08/08/2010

Age 60 here. We watch The Office and 30 Rock because my husband loves them. Michael Scott makes me cringe, though.

[kristydaily]

02:41 PM on 08/08/2010

I'm 22 - the only show I watch on this list is The Office, mostly because it (believe it or not) reminds me a little of the office I work in.

I'd be interested in knowing what the median ages of my other favorite shows are: House, Lie To Me, How I Met Your Mother, Boston Legal (not on anymore, but still), V, Persons Unknown.

[Leniere Miley]

11:20 PM on 08/08/2010

Cool...you must be the other person who watches Persons Unknown - besides me of course. How great would it be if they didn't change the airtime from week to week?

[kristydaily]

06:18 PM on 08/09/2010

I know! It started on Mondays, and then Fridays, now Saturdays. I just hope it doesn't get cancelled, I really like it. I'm dying to know what the purpose of The Program is!

[PeanutButterJellyGirl]

12:47 AM on 08/08/2010

I'm 40, I watch all of the animated shows. I don't have cable and don't watch network tv. I do really like Glee but I won't see this season until next year. That being said, it's Saturday and the only tv I have seen this week is at work. If I want news, I read it online. If I want a movie, I stream it on Netflix and if I wan't to see a tv show then I'll watch the entire series though Netflix over a short period of time and be done with it. A few years ago we had three tv's and now we've reduced it to one that isn't used often. Television programming and viewing patterns of the past is dead or dying. That's why Fox is on top. They are at the top of the heap for the aging demographic that still stays connected through the television.

[Demonjoe]

04:58 PM on 08/07/2010

Doesn't surprise me the young watch the worst shows on TV.

[RobinSeattle]

07:07 PM on 08/08/2010

I'm in my 50's and the only show on that list I watch is Family Guy.

This list also only covers network tv. It would be interesting to know what the youngest and oldest audiences are for any show on television period or segment the numbers.

The one question I have is whether these numbers include tv only or if they also use numbers gleaned from people who watch shows online.

[hagagaga]

04:51 PM on 08/07/2010

I don't really watch TV. Most of it is stupid. This wasn't particularly good encouragement to get me to start watching it again.

[hypnotoad72]

09:34 AM on 08/08/2010

and nothing like "Trek" would make a comeback... or "Trek" the way it's supposed to be.

[Opinionated1111]

02:36 PM on 08/06/2010

The mentality of THIS generation - should scare the hulllllll out of the rest of us!!! These are the people??? who are going to guide our country and it's future generations???????

Whatever God you believe in - God help us all!

[catcancook]

10:45 AM on 08/06/2010

The CW has older viewers because I know some of them. Lot's of older women (over 50 and some 60) watch "Gossip Girl". I checked it out because two friends said they love it but it wasn't for me at all. It's just a soap opera with great clothes. Mostly the older women watching the CW is a guilty pleasure I suppose like that Twilight thing.

Give me 60 minutes any day over the these teen shows and Vampire things!

[chlsmith]

09:25 AM on 08/06/2010

Blondie there as a nice hand full of Tina Fey's butt. Heh heh heh...

[Andrew Shapter]

08:54 AM on 08/06/2010

No Charlie Rose huh?

[Imzadi]

07:16 AM on 08/06/2010

Yup, based on this - I'm old... LOL

[Kam Fet]

06:29 AM on 08/06/2010

Wow 27 is the youngest. And 39 the highest. How is these shows audience 'young'. Seem to be moving the goal post for age defination. Just like the Baby boomers keeps moving the best age of your lives first in the 60's when they were teenagers and in their twenties, then in the 80's when they were 40's and now in the 60's. Gimme a break, I expected 27 to be amongst the highest, but it's actually the youngest. Stop embarrassing yourself, everyone get's older if you don't get older it means you are dead on your way there.

Some of these programs, like the Simpson, I can understand the age group as they grew up with it, but your headline of calling them 'Youngest' is just irresponsible.

[pseudonym28]

04:36 PM on 08/09/2010

If you actually read the words opposed to just looking at the pretty pictures, you'll see that the median age of most television shows is 51, so by comparison, these are the shows with the youngest median age.

[JavaManiac]

05:35 AM on 08/06/2010

I live in Italy - and it is nice to say - we have most of these programs available. I don't watch a lot of the cartoon shows - even though they can be quite adult - but the Office, 30 Rock, and Glee are great!

[oxjr]

02:00 AM on 08/06/2010

glee is 38??? So more of my friends watch it than I thought. AND ACCORDING TO THIS ARTICLE I AM STILL YOUNG ....YEAHHHH.. So there hairline and knees.... you are wrong.