Putting Viewing numbers in Perspective
 

Being from another country, it's hard for me to put the ratings numbers in perspective

to me like 5.8 million viewers is plenty good enough to keep a show on the air !

So for example, how many viewers did Friends get on average at it's peak ? Seinfeld ?

What tv show has had the highest AVERAGE viewing numbers ever ? not event or one off show, a whole series.

Friends and Seinfeld I would bet at their peak reached close to or over 20 million per week. But that's a complete guess.

Friends averaged over 22 million pretty much for it's entire run. Ratings for Seinfeld didn't approach 20 million until season five. Before that it was in the low teens.

CSI in its "hey day" was also getting 22-24 million viewers on a weekly basis.