A USDISH team used Google Trends to calculate their data. Specifically, they looked state-by-state at the TV shows with the highest volume of searches over the month of October 2020.
- Friends
Coming in at number one is the much-beloved ’90s sitcom, Friends. Though it’s a far cry from the scary stuff typically associated with the holiday, the comforting classic was the top-searched TV show in 14 states: Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Tennessee, Texas and Vermont.
- Stranger Things
Following close behind was the Netflix drama Stranger Things, which came in first for 13 states. The seasonally-appropriate choice that blends supernatural elements with horror and science fiction is one of the more recent shows to make the list. It ranked first in Alaska, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
- The Simpsons
The enduring animated series The Simpsons came in third place, having been 10 states’ most-searched TV show. Likely boosted by its classic Halloween “Treehouse of Horror” episodes, the notoriously long-running show—currently in its 33rd season—appealed to viewers in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon and Rhode Island.
- The Big Bang Theory
Another departure from the Halloween theme came in the form of The Big Bang Theory. The sitcom was the top-searched TV show in eight states: Arkansas, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, South Dakota and West Virginia.
- Criminal Minds
Last on the list was the still-very-popular Criminal Minds. The police procedural crime drama, which aired from 2005 to 2020, had the highest number of searches in six states—Hawaii, Indiana, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
In addition to these findings, USDISH also used IMDB data and the TV by the Numbers archive to find the most-watched Halloween-themed TV episodes, released between 1990 and 2020, at the time of their premieres. Of the 15 episodes, a whopping 11 were The Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror” specials. However the Friends Halloween episode—“The One with the Halloween Party”—ranked second place overall, with 27 million viewers tuning in for its 2001 premiere. The rest of the list, in addition to USDISH’s full report, can be found here.
