With DVRs, streaming, On-Demand services, and illegal downloading, the traditional metrics for what makes a successful television show are all but outdated. "Ratings" as we've come to know them only tell part of the story. NCIS is the highest rated show in the country, but how many times do you see NCIS headlines when you bounce around the web? How many times have you seen NCIS trending on Twitter? How many times has NCIS caused national spoiler paranoia? Probably not many.
The point being that cultural cache is just as important to show as how many eyeballs watch an episode in its first run. And if being part of the conversation is any indication to what's the biggest show on TV, than Game of Thrones is king.
Google put out its monthly trends roundup, a distilled collection of data aimed at revealing the most googled things on Google, and HBO's medieval fantasy show dominated the TV rankings for the month of May.
(Click through the list, for a more detailed breakdown.)
Google rates every show on a scale of 1-100, with the number one show taking a score of 100, and all other shows scored against that 100. So if you look at the chart, Game of Thrones was the winner by a mile, as the next closest show (American Idol) scored a 46.
Other interesting takeaways from the list:
- Saturday Night Live has been in the top-10 every month for eight straight years.
- Three of the top-five shows are reality competition series.
- The Walking Dead remains in the top-20, despite going off the air in March and not returning until October.
- The four major networks (Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS) only account for three of the scripted shows in the top 20.
SEE ALSO: 'Game Of Thrones' Is Officially The Most Popular Show In HBO History