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Even America's Favorite TV Shows Split Along Party Lines

It's the subtle similarities that make this study so interesting.

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It’s time to take a break from all the partisan pontificating. Let’s drop the conjecture about what a Republican congress means for the remainder of the Obama presidency and focus on what really matters: what's on TV.

Let’s drop the conjecture about what a Republican congress means and focus on what really matters: what's on TV.

This week, while Americans turned out to vote in record-low numbers, Entertainment Weekly and research firm Experian published the results of a survey that asked partisan voters to list their favorite TV shows. The responses? They might surprise y—

Actually, no... it’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect.

If you’re a liberal who enjoys thinking of Republicans as Duck Dynasty loving country folk, you’re not far off. If you’re a conservative who cherishes the image of Democrats as Glee obsessed city slickers, you’re definitely in the right ballpark.

HGTV and A&E reality shows, like Duck Dynasty, are popular with conservatives.

HGTV and A&E reality shows, like Duck Dynasty, are popular with conservatives.

I could point to all the glaring differences between the lists, such as the fact that Dems tend to like late night TV talk shows and PBS, while Pubs seem to enjoy home-related programming and CBS shows. But it's the commonalities that are far more interesting.

For instance, both parties really like reality TV. I counted seven reality shows favored by Republicans and eight by Democrats. That's not good news for the folks among us who think reality TV is nauseating, but at least we've finally found a rare bit of common ground, right?

Both Republicans and Democrats enjoy mixing high-quality programming with low-rent garbage.

It’s also safe to say that both Republicans and Democrats enjoy mixing high-quality programming with low-rent garbage.

For example, Democrats are fans of intellectually stimulating programming like Cosmos and Mad Men, but also love nonsense like Fashion Police and Braxton Family Values. On the other end of the spectrum, Republicans claim quality shows like Top Gear and Longmire, but then also seem to enjoy... Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? Come on.

And then there's the only show on the entire list cited by both Democrats and Republicans—and the only real surprise here. What is it, you ask? New Girl. That’s right: New Girl. We guess everybody just loves Zooey?

Here are the complete results:

Democrat Favorites

  • Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
  • The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
  • The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
  • Community (NBC)
  • Portlandia (IFC)
  • Masterpiece (PBS)
  • The Newsroom (HBO)
  • Saturday Night Live (NBC)
  • What Would You Do? (ABC)
  • Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
  • Modern Family (ABC)
  • Nova (PBS)
  • Project Runway All Stars (Lifetime)
  • Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
  • Scandal (ABC)
  • The Soup (E!)
  • New Girl (Fox)
  • American Masters (PBS)
  • Fashion Police (E!)
  • Antiques Roadshow (PBS)
  • Nature (PBS)
  • Shameless (Showtime)
  • The Good Wife (CBS)
  • American Experience (PBS)
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
  • Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown (CNN)
  • Project Runway (Lifetime)
  • Braxton Family Values (WE tv)
  • The Simpsons (Fox)
  • The View (ABC)
  • Cosmos (Fox)
  • This Old House (PBS)
  • Glee (Fox)
  • The Mindy Project (Fox)
  • Doctor Who (BBC America)
  • Homeland (Showtime)
  • Tamar & Vince (WE tv)
  • Late Show with David Letterman (CBS)
  • Ask This Old House (PBS)
  • The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC)
  • Mad Men (AMC)

Republican Favorites

  • Rent or Buy (HGTV)
  • Buying and Selling (HGTV)
  • Hallmark Original Movie (Hallmark Channel)
  • Blue Bloods (CBS)
  • Duck Dynasty (A&E)
  • Longmire (A&E)
  • House Hunters International (HGTV)
  • Love It or List It (HGTV)
  • Prospectors (The Weather Channel)
  • Flip This House (A&E)
  • New Girl (Fox)
  • Person of Interest (CBS)
  • The Following (Fox)
  • Revolution (NBC)
  • The Amazing Race (CBS)
  • NCIS (CBS)
  • Being Human (Syfy)
  • The Blacklist (NBC)
  • Top Gear (History)
  • The Mentalist (CBS)
  • The American Bible Challenge (GSN)
  • House Hunters (HGTV)
  • Castle (ABC)
  • Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)
  • Talking Dead (AMC)
  • Millionaire Matchmaker (Bravo)
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
  • Treehouse Masters (Animal Planet)
  • American Idol (Fox)
  • The Voice (NBC)
  • Pawn Stars (History)
  • Top Gear (BBC America)
  • Bones (Fox)
  • American Pickers (History)
  • Psych (USA)
  • Giada at Home (Food Network)
  • Mystery Detectives (HLN)
  • Intelligence (CBS)
  • The Goldbergs (ABC)

Via: Entertainment Weekly

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