One thing is clear about Canadian TV viewing habits -- we love our sports and we can't get enough of reality TV.
As 2011 quickly winds down, so, too, come the year-end lists flying at us fast and furiously. BBM Canada, which measures televisions audiences, has done their research and ranked what Canadians had on the dial over the past 12 months.
And, yes, it's the usual suspects, so if you were hoping for "Kim's Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event" to make the cut, prepare to be sorely disappointed.
Top-Ranked Shows: Canada, 2011
1."The Big Bang Theory," CTV, 3,224,0002."American Idol," CTV, 2,844,0003."Grey’s Anatomy," CTV, 2,728,0004."The Amazing Race 18 & 19," CTV, 2,637,0005."Survivor: Redemption Island" & "South Pacific," Global, 2,617,0006."$#*! My Dad Says," CTV, 2,316,0007."Dancing With the Stars 12 & 13," CTV, 2,147,0008."CSI," CTV, 1,975,0009."The Mentalist," CTV, 1,972,00010."House," Global, 1,959,000
But, really, it was the big-ticket sports events that attracted Canucks this year. Hockey and football reigned supreme. The Stanley Cup playoffs and last year's World Juniors tournament are among the most-watched television broadcasts in the country, along with the Super Bowl and Grey Cup.
There was also the federal election, and while the Kardashian/Humphries nuptials was a bust (in more ways than one), another more romantic event made the cut of the most-watched show of the year -- the Royal Wedding (even if we did have to wake up at 3AM for the festivities).
Of the top specials of the year, Anne Hathaway carried co-host James Franco and the "83rd Annual Academy Awards" to the top of the list, with over six million viewers, while the telecasts of the Grammys, the Golden Globes, the Emmys and Junos rounded out the Top 5. "A Russell Peters Christmas" -- Pam Anderson as the Virgin Mary notwithstanding -- wound up in sixth spot, followed by "Oscars Red Carpet Live," Lloyd Robertson’s final newscast, the "American Music Awards" and the "Roast of Charlie Sheen."
The most shocking on any of BBM's lists was that William Shatner's short-lived sitcom, "$#*! My Dad Says," garnered 2.3 million viewers throughout its run, but its decent ratings in Canada and the U.S. could do nothing to save it after it was universally (and maybe even beyond) panned by critics.
However, the thing that stands out the most may be Charlie Sheen's effect on the ratings of 2011. Over five million viewers tuned in to see how his successor, Ashton Kutcher, would fare on "Two and a Half Men," but Sheen’s roast on The Comedy Network nabbed nearly 1.8 viewers. Who knows what 2012 will hold when the actor returns to TV?