Internet hype helps fuel top television picks

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Blogs and social networking sites are pushing past ratings advice to indicate the most popular TV shows in the US. The everyday consumer has gained clout in the eyes of other international consumers as agents of ‘TV buzz'; and television networks are paying attention.

Sites such as Twitter and Facebook are conveying hype as effectively as industry publications and critical reviews, said Hollywood news website thewrap.com last week. Hulu and iTunes are also giving TV executives clues as to how shows are really faring in the eyes of consumers.

The Wrap tells us that if internet buzz is indeed anything to go by, top picks for 2010 are Fox's Glee, ABC's Modern Family, NBC's Parks and Recreation, The CW's The Vampire Diaries and CBS's The Good Wife.