Partisan Programming: Dems vs. GOP

Posted on Nov 10, 2010

amctv.com

Dems dig dapper Don Draper: Jon Hamm plays the starring role in AMC’s “Mad Men.”

What effect, if any, does party affiliation have on Americans’ preferences for televised entertainment? Is this not a question that keeps you up at night? Turns out that the thinly veiled liberal social politics of “Mad Men” appeal to Democrats—as does murder, apparently.

“Dexter” made it to the third-place slot on The Hollywood Reporter’s left-leaning list, with the recently restored Keith Olbermann topping that chart, while Glenn Beck won with Republicans, as did “The Amazing Race,” a plum example of meritocracy in action. However, “Modern Family,” even with its openly gay (gasp!) couple, also landed in the top three for conservatives. Unpack that one.  —KA

The Hollywood Reporter:

According to months of data from leading media-research company Experian Simmons, viewers who vote Republican and identify themselves as conservative are more likely than Democrats to love the biggest hits on TV. Of the top 10 broadcast shows on TV in the spring, nine were ranked more favorably by viewers who identify themselves as Republican.

Liberals appreciate many of the same shows, mind you. But their devotion typically is not quite as strong as right-wingers, and Dems are more likely to prefer modestly rated titles.

Like Mad Men.

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