Before U-M's Saturday game on Peacock, the streaming site reveals fans' favorite TV shows
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The Big Ten is big on football, but what do fans of the conference watch when the big games aren't on?
To mark the nine Big Ten games that will stream exclusively on Peacock this season (and NBC’s new weekly “Big Ten Saturday Night” game in prime-time, which Peacock will stream simultaneously), the site has gathered some info on non-football TV habits of the places that are home to the Big Ten's 14 colleges.
The info includes things like which “Real Housewives” franchise is the most viewed in the University of Michigan region? What’s the most viewed episode of “The Office” in Michigan State University's environs? And what’s the overall favorite show in Ohio State University territory?
Just in time for Saturday’s U-M vs. East Carolina game exclusively on Peacock, here are highlights from Peacock's "viewing stats playbook." It's based on Peacock viewing in Big Ten markets from June 2022 to June 2023. In addition, we offer our picks for who’s having a winning TV season in each of the playbook's five separate categories.
Fan favorite
This category covers the top-viewed content in each market. While the overall Big Ten fan fave is WWE professional wrestling, “That ‘70s Show” and “Yellowstone” (Ohio State's pick) are the No. 1 choices for a majority of the colleges. Those marching to the beat of a different drummer, however, include Penn State, the place for aficionados of “Law & Order: SVU,” and Purdue, a haven for “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
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The winner? U-M, which prefers “Parks and Recreation,” a show that examines how small government works. If we had our way, each season watched would qualify as course credits at Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
Wild card
These are shows that over-index in a specific market, meaning that viewers watch this series at a higher rate than those in other markets. Indiana University, perhaps not surprisingly, has a rural wild card: the vintage family drama “Little House on the Prairie.” The University of Minnesota may be represented by Goldy Gopher at sports events, but the title character of its wild card, “Shrek 2,” could become the backup mascot. And the University of Wisconsin-Madison loves its soaps, specifically “Days of Our Lives.”
The winner? Surprisingly, the Cornhuskers at the University of Nebraska opt for the sophisticated comedy of “New Girl.”
Hall of Fame
Herewith are the most-viewed episode of classic workplace sitcom “The Office.” MSU gravitates to season six’s “St. Patrick’s Day (Extended Cut)," in which Michael (Steve Carell) is at odds with executive Jo Bennett (Kathy Bates), who makes the staff stay late on the party-hearty holiday. U-M likes the emotion of season five’s finale, “Company Picnic (Extended Cut),” with its romantic quest by Michael to win back ex-girlfriend Holly (Amy Ryan) and Jim’s discovery of Pam’s pregnancy.
The winner? The University of Maryland, with its HOF episode, season five’s “Stress Relief – Part One (Extended Cut).” Considered among the best episodes of the show’s run, it starts off with Dwight’s (Rainn Wilson) terrifying fire safety test, which ends up giving Stanley (Leslie David Baker) a heart attack. Fittingly for Peacock’s pigskin promotion, it originally aired with “Stress Relief — Part Two” after the Super Bowl.
MVH
This stands for Most Valuable Housewives, aka the most viewed series in the “Real Housewives” reality TV franchise. Loyalists of 2006’s OG show, “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” include Nebraska, Northwestern University and Rutgers University. Both Ohio State and Penn State prefer the Manhattan grand dames of “New York,” while U-M tunes in to “Salt Lake City.” The University of Wisconsin — Madison chooses the combination of housewives from various shows who take drama-packed vacations together on “Ultimate Girls Trip.” You know what they say. Reality stars who travel together unravel together.
The winner? MSU and the University of Illinois, who most appreciate housewives who flip over tables, namely the “New Jersey” edition.
Instant replay
This represents the most rewatched episode of a show other than “The Office.” MSU, Illinois and Rutgers all like the “Brown Girl Dreaming” episode from season one of “The Best Man: The Final Chapters,” which revisits the characters from “The Best Man” and “The Best Man Holiday” movies and features a standout cast with Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Harold Perrineau, Sanaa Lathan, Terrence Howard and more. Maryland, U-M, Nebraska and Penn State each watch different eps of “Parks and Recreation” over and over. Kudos to the University of Iowa for favoring season three’s “The Mattress” from the underrated “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Any episode involving Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) conspiring with Gina (Chelsea Peretti) to hide a cupcake on Captain Holt’s (Andre Braugher) chair has got to be genius.
The winner? Minnesota, for rewatching season six’s “The Skit” from “Everybody Loves Raymond.” It’s about what happens when Ray (Ray Romano) and Debra (Patricia Heaton) impersonate Frank (Peter Boyle) and Marie (Doris Roberts) at a party, and then Frank and Marie return the favor. The laughs are timeless whenever it’s the Barones vs. the Barones.
Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Peacock offers a peek at TV viewing habits of fans in Big Ten markets
