Doctor, Doctor

Congratulations are in order to Grey's Anatomy, which has just surpassed ER as the longest-running prime time medical drama in TV history.

It debuted in the 2004-2005 season--the season that changed everything.  Perennial last-place network ABC catapulted to #1 thanks to new hits Grey's Anatomy, Lost and Desperate Housewives.  Those last two got more attention back then, but are long gone.  Meanwhile, GA manages to discover new diseases and trickier relationships each week.

But while longevity is nothing to sneeze at, it's not really the same towering hit that ER was. (I have no dog in this fight, by the way--I've never seen a complete hour of either show).  In this fractured age of TV viewing, it's doubtful anything could be.  ER was probably the last of the wide-audience hits.

Let's go to the numbers.  Grey's Anatomy was a top ten hit in its first four seasons, and since then has settled into the top 20 or 30--though its demos in the 18-49 age group have been higher, never falling below #13.  Its average audience peaked in its second season at 19.44 million viewers.  Its average audience in its last full season was below 11 million.

Not bad, but not ER numbers. In that show's first five seasons, it rated #1 or #2, and never dropped out of the top ten till its 11th season.  Its average audience peaked in its 3rd season at 30.79 million viewers.  While GA never reached 20 million average viewers, ER never dipped below 20 million until its 9th season. (That 9th season averaged 19.99 million--still higher than any GA season).  ER started seeing serious erosion in its 11th season, but even in its 15th and final year, it still averaged 10.3 million viewers.

So while Grey's Anatomy is something special, I wouldn't call it as special as ER.

PS.  Congratulation to Brooklyn Nine-Nine which was just picked up by NBC for a seventh season.