NEW YORK – She’s going to be the host of the Oscars in early March, she’s returning to the sea as Dory in her own movie in 2015 and, for the second year in a row, Ellen DeGeneres is America’s Favorite TV personality. DeGeneres has been on the top ten favorite TV personality list since her talk show started in 2003, and this is the third time she’s appeared at the top of the list. Remaining at number two this year is NCIS’s head agent, Mark Harmon, and despite a year which saw the host take a summer sabbatical, The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart remains at number three.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll® of 2,311 U.S. adults surveyed online between Dec. 11 and 17, 2013 by Harris Interactive.
Seventh Heaven
The seven personalities rounding out the top 10 are four more talk show hosts, two sitcom actors and one drama star. America’s favorite physicist, The Big Bang Theory‘s Sheldon Cooper – or rather the actor who portrays him, Jim Parsons – moves up one spot to number four this year. And, in his last year (again!) as the host of The Tonight Show, Jay Leno drops one spot, to number five.
Sure to cause some competition in the halls of Comedy Central, Stephen Colbert returns to the top 10 at number six after dropping off last year. Moving up three spots to number seven is the current Blue Bloods star who will always also be Thomas Magnum to millions, Tom Selleck, and retaining her number eight spot is Oprah Winfrey. Rounding out the top 10, in a tie for the ninth position, are two newcomers to the list – Robin Williams, whose Mork and Mindy predates the list but who is currently back on TV with The Crazy Ones, and Steve Harvey, who does double duty on television screens these days as host of his own talk show as well as host of Family Feud.
My Three Sons
With one returning personality and two newcomers on the top 10 list, that means three TV personalities, all of whom are talk show hosts, have dropped out of the top 10. Fox’s Bill O’Reilly, after four years in the top ten (including last year at number six), drops off the top 10, as does Anderson Cooper after his debut in the top 10 last year at number seven. And after 13 years in a row on the top ten list, TV’s longest serving late night host, David Letterman, drops out of the top ten after being number 9 last year.
Numbers
Normally, there are a lot of different chart-toppers for different groups. This year, while there are some differences, it’s largely Ellen’s list and everyone else is lucky to be part of it. While men say Jon Stewart is their favorite, for women it is Ellen DeGeneres. The three youngest generations all say Ellen is their favorite TV personality, while for Matures Mark Harmon is number one.
All four regions of the country say Ellen is their favorite, and she is the favorite for both households with and without children. By education, Ellen is number one for all except for those with a post-graduate degree, who name Stephen Colbert as their number one TV personality.
There are some partisan and political philosophy differences. Mark Harmon’s tough agent appears to resonate with Conservatives and Republicans, as he is the top TV personality among these groups. Ellen, however, is number one for Democrats and Liberals, as well as among Independents and Moderates.
