What do the French Watch on T.V.?

I READILY ADMIT that I’m a media junkie.

I love ratings and rumors. I love knowing who’s in and who’s out on local radio. I love reading about newspaper circulation numbers, television show ad revenues, and network news wars. I love finding out NBC's prime time Fall schedule in the Spring -- the day it's released to the public. I guess you'd say I'm not so much interested in the Access Hollywood part of media as I am the Howard Kurtz and Tom Shales part of media.

Here in France there is an organization called Mediametrie that reports on all things related to French media (sort of like Nielsen ratings). I love this site! Just for fun, here are the top 10 most-watched shows in France for the week May 19-25. You might recognize some of them:

1. CIS: Miami (TF1)
2. Without a Trace (France 2)
3. House (TF1)
4. Soccer – Manchester vs. Chelsea (TF1)
5. Soccer – Lyon vs. Paris (France 2)
6. 7 ans de marriage (TF1)
7. Code de la route : Repassez-le-en-direct (TF1)
8. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (TF1)
9. Plus belle la vie (France 3)
10. Reportages (TF1)

Compare that to the most-watched shows in the United States during the same week.

1. American Idol – Wed (Fox)
2. American Idol – Tues. (Fox)
3. Dancing with the Stars – Results (ABC)
4. Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
5. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
6. CSI: Miami (CBS)
7. NCIS (CBS)
8. House (Fox)
9. Two and a Half Men (CBS)
10. Criminal Minds (CBS)

I don’t know which is worse, the fact that Who Wants To Be a Millionaire is a Top 10 show in France, or the fact that Two and a Half Men is a Top 10 show in the US. And where is NBC these days?

[obsucre reference guide: Howard Kurtz is the Media Critic for the Washington Post; Tom Shales is the chief television critic for the Washington Post]
CJS