# We're A Nielsen Family! So what should I watch? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2004, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-a-nielsen-family-so-what-should-i-watch/226399 "2004-01-28T07:18:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-a-nielsen-family-so-what-should-i-watch/226399/41 "2004-01-31T08:47:30Z")
> [@toomuchtv](#): > > Uh… DMark, are you trapped in my couch? You just listed my TV diet for an average week. Of course, you didn’t include Celebrity Poker, but I guess you gotta sleep sometime. Yes, I am actually trapped in your couch and have been living off the change falling out of your pocket. Plus the occasional Frito that falls through the cracks. However, considering I live in Las Vegas, watching Celebrity Poker on televison would be sort of redundant when I have a local casino less than 2 miles away. ---
**Author:** ![Pammipoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Pammipoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pammipoo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-a-nielsen-family-so-what-should-i-watch/226399/42 "2004-01-31T15:42:43Z")
We just got accepted for this, and promised something like $300 over the course of a year, starting with an initial sign up bonus of $150. We also got a huge red candle, which is possibly the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen. Apparently we’re pretty important to them-we’re the only non-Spanish residents in about a 10 mile radius. But hell, I’d be happy with a dollar 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-a-nielsen-family-so-what-should-i-watch/226399/43 "2004-01-31T20:02:32Z")
Not all reality TV is bad, and, face it people, it’s really gone past the “it’s just a fad” stage at this point. Some of it is genuinely entertaining, even. American Idol is hardly reality TV. It’s a talent competition, and it’s a helluva lot better than Star Search. But, the only real reality show I watch right now is The Apprentice, if only for the pleasure of seeing a bunch of cocksure assholes become sniveling sycophants the instant Trump and his weird hair show up. That said: PLEASE watch Letterman instead of Leno. PLEASE. Arrested Development - I agree, best new show on TV this season and, yes, it needs all the help it can get Scrubs - So NBC learns to keep it on at the same time, EVERY week. Curb Your Enthusiasm The Sopranos The Simpsons The Bernie Mac Show ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Mook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Mr.Mook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Mook)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-a-nielsen-family-so-what-should-i-watch/226399/44 "2004-02-01T06:54:15Z")
SportsCenter. ---
**Author:** ![Cargogal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@Cargogal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cargogal)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-a-nielsen-family-so-what-should-i-watch/226399/45 "2004-02-02T05:43:14Z")
Road racing! F1 and Dakar and superbikes and the 24 hour enduros… Not NASCAR, though. They already have plenty of coverage. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-a-nielsen-family-so-what-should-i-watch/226399/46 "2004-02-02T06:00:37Z")
We have this one channel. I have no idea what it is. 24/7 you see a black screen with a white grid on it. Over the grid there’s some type of graph, which changes gradually. There are numbers all over the outside of the grid, one of which fluctuates between about 13 and 17, with two digits past the decimal point. We have no idea what the graph is measuring, or why this is being broadcast over our cable system. We have Adelphia, live in Manhattan Beach, CA, and it’s channel 49, if you want to know. I found the little card they send out saying which channels are on what numbers and everything. It listed Cinemax for 49, which this certainly isn’t. We’re at a loss. Anyway, if by some strange coincidence, you get this channel, or something like it, I’d write it down. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-a-nielsen-family-so-what-should-i-watch/226399/47 "2004-02-02T06:14:28Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > From a rarely-used portion on my college education is an story along these lines. > > When they make you a Nielsen family they don’t want anyone who in (for want of a better word) out-of-norm. They take a lot of steps to make sure of this. > [@sturmhauke](#): > > Yeah, it’s pretty stupid. They don’t really randomly select from the entire population, they pick and choose families to use. Perhaps they need to hire better statisticians, like ones who have actually taken a class or two. Any cite on this? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-a-nielsen-family-so-what-should-i-watch/226399.md?page=2)