The top television show providing comfort for Americans during the coronavirus pandemic is not currently on air. A new study found that the most popular show in most states is Friends, which has been off the air since 2004. Only a handful of shows still running came out on top, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and This Is Us.
CableTV.com continued a survey of viewers from all 50 states, asking almost 7,000 viewers what their favorite shows to watch have been while quarantined. The study found that Friends was the most popular in 11 states, including seven of the ten most populated. Residents in California, Texas, Florida and New York love stopping by Central Perk to check in on Monica, Chandler, Joey, Rachel, Phoebe and Ross. It’s surprising that the show did so well in the study, since it is no longer streaming on Netflix and will not be available to stream with a subscription until May 27, when HBO Max launches.
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Surprisingly, the Adult Swim animated series Rick and Morty came in second place. The show came out on top in Idaho, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado and Nevada and is now in its fourth season. Other shows took advantage of geography to find success. Chicago P.D. was the top show in Illinois, while the Albuquerque-set Breaking Bad tied with Rick and Morty as the most popular show in New Mexico.
Rick and Morty and Chicago P.D. were not the only shows still on air mentioned in the survey. Supernatural came out on top in Kansas, while The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Shameless tied in South Dakota. This Is Us has fans in Minnesota and Iowa, while Grey’s Anatomy has fans in West Virginia and Wyoming. Scroll on for a full list of the most popular shows in each state, with states listed alphabetically.
Alabama – Law & Order: SVU
Alaska – Rick and Morty
Arizona – Rick and Morty
Arkansas – Gilmore Girls
California – Friends
Colorado – Rick and Morty
Connecticut – This Is Us
Delaware – Game of Thrones
Florida – Friends
Georgia – Friends
Hawaii – Parks and Recreation
Idaho – Rick and Morty
Illinois – Chicago P.D.
Indiana – Criminal Minds, The Walking Dead
Iowa – The Big Bang Theory, This Is Us
Kansas – Supernatural
Kentucky – The Walking Dead
Louisiana – Friends
Maine – Gilmore Girls, Shameless
Maryland – Friends
Massachusetts – Friends
Michigan – Shameless
Minnesota – This Is Us, Friends
Mississippi – Law & Order: SVU
Missouri – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Ozarks
Montana – Vampire Diaries
Nebraska – The Office
Nevada – Rick and Morty
New Hampshire – Friends
New Jersey – This Is Us
New Mexico – Breaking Bad, Rick and Morty
New York – Friends
North Carolina – Friends
North Dakota – The Office
Ohio – Friends, NCIS
Oklahoma – Gilmore Girls
Oregon – Star Trek
Pennsylvania – Chicago P.D.
Rhode Island – This Is Us
South Carolina – The Walking Dead
South Dakota – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Shameless
Tennessee – Criminal Minds
Texas – Friends
Utah – How I Met Your Mother, The Office
Vermont – Seinfeld
Virginia – Friends
Washington – Star Trek
West Virginia – Grey’s Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother, The Walking Dead
Wisconsin – Shameless
Wyoming – Grey’s Anatomy, Supernatural
