TV Series Ratings Analysis
The First 48 Episode Ratings Heatmap
2004 · 30 Seasons · 610 Episodes · Overall Score: 5.9/10 (12 rated)
Best Season
10.00/10
Season 18 holds the highest collective average score across the series.
Season 18 Details →Advertisement
Complete Episode Rating Matrix
Interactive score chart by season and episode number. Darker green indicates higher ratings; amber and red denote lower reception.
8.5+ (Outstanding)
7.5 – 8.4 (Great)
6.0 – 7.4 (Average)
< 6.0 (Underwhelming)
Few votes
| Episode | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 | Season 6 | Season 7 | Season 8 | Season 9 | Season 10 | Season 11 | Season 12 | Season 13 | Season 14 | Season 15 | Season 16 | Season 17 | Season 18 | Season 19 | Season 20 | Season 21 | Season 22 | Season 23 | Season 24 | Season 25 | Season 26 | Season 27 | Season 28 | Season 29 | Season 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 1 | 9.0 | – | 1.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10.0 | – | 10.0 | – | – | – | 10.0 |
| Ep 2 | – | – | – | 0.5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5.0 | – | 10.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7.0 | 0.5 |
| Ep 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7.2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 6 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 11 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 12 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 13 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 15 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 16 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 18 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 21 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 22 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 23 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 24 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 26 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 27 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 28 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 29 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 30 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 31 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 32 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 33 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 34 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 35 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 36 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 37 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 38 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 39 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 40 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 41 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 42 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 43 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 44 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 45 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 46 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 47 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 48 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 49 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 50 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 51 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 52 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 53 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 54 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Season Avg | 9.0 | – | 1.0 | 0.5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6.1 | – | 10.0 | – | 1.0 | – | – | – | 10.0 | – | 10.0 | – | – | 7.0 | 5.3 |
Ratings Analysis & Trajectory
Across 30 seasons and 610 episodes, The First 48 has earned an overall series rating of 5.9 out of 10. The series reached its critical peak early, showing a slight contraction in audience satisfaction in later chapters.
The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 18, Episode 2 ("The Grudge"), rated at an extraordinary 10.0/10 with 1 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 30, Episode 2 ("Shared Blood"), landing at 0.5/10.
The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 30 between Episode 1 ("Wrong End of the Gun", 10) and Episode 2 ("Shared Blood", 0.5), a swing of 9.5 points.
Advertisement
Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of The First 48
| Rank | Episode | Title | Score | Votes | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Season 18, Ep 2 | The Grudge | 10.0 | 1 | Jan 17, 2019 |
| #2 | Season 24, Ep 1 | Murder at The Uptown | 10.0 | 1 | May 30, 2024 |
| #3 | Season 26, Ep 1 | Murder at The Uptown | 10.0 | 1 | May 30, 2024 |
| #4 | Season 30, Ep 1 | Wrong End of the Gun | 10.0 | 1 | Jul 17, 2026 |
| #5 | Season 1, Ep 1 | Gangs of Little Havana/Execution in Coconut Grove | 9.0 | 1 | Jun 3, 2004 |
| #6 | Season 16, Ep 3 | Killer Contact | 7.2 | 2 | Dec 15, 2016 |
| #7 | Season 29, Ep 2 | Betrayal | 7.0 | 1 | Jan 8, 2026 |
| #8 | Season 16, Ep 2 | Taken for a Ride | 5.0 | 1 | Dec 8, 2016 |
| #9 | Season 3, Ep 1 | House of Blood / Last Man Standing | 1.0 | 1 | Oct 6, 2005 |
| #10 | Season 20, Ep 9 | The Dark Trail | 1.0 | 1 | Dec 16, 2021 |
Advertisement