According to Nielsen’s measurements of the top network telecasts of all time, the top 20 most-watched TV episodes ever all date back at least a decade.
We compiled the data from Nielsen on the most-watched broadcasts ever to create this list of the top episodes of TV.
Decades-old miniseries like “Roots” and “The Thorn Birds” and finale episodes of the most popular shows in TV history dominate the list.
In today’s streaming age, initial airings of important TV episodes are no longer the cultural events they once were.