Democrats Love Them Some 'Saving Grace'

And some people gripe about regular old Nielsen ratings.

As difficult as it may be to believe, TiVo actually collects television-viewing data based on affiliation with major U.S. political parties. Is anyone surprised that the recent most-watched show among those with a Democratic persuasion is the edgy Holly Hunter crime drama Saving Grace?

Well, I know I’m not shocked in the least. According to TiVo numbers from July 2009, Saving Grace bests deserving series like Bravo’s Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (#2) and even its fellow TNT cop drama The Closer (#3) among Democrats who watch TV.

In fact, TNT has a total of four series in the Democrat Top Ten, including the legal drama Raising the Bar at #6 and the caper dramedy Leverage at #10. No other network matches that performance, but NBC is close behind with three shows in the Top Ten (The Philanthropist at #4, The Listener at #5, and Merlin at #7, all ironically canceled or in major limbo and unlikely to return after just one abbreviated midseason).

But wait, there’s more.

TNT didn’t do so badly among Republicans, either. It placed second among networks in the Top Ten (after ABC’s four programs), with Raising the Bar and The Closer appearing at #4 and #6, respectively. The show Republicans love to watch most is a far cry from TNT-style scripted programming, however: it’s Discovery Channel’s adrenaline-boosting adventure reality series Deadliest Catch.

Interesting stuff, whether you’re into politics or not.

Viewing data courtesy of TiVo PowerWatch Data for July 2009.

Saving Grace returns for a fourth and final season in Summer 2010.