The Nielsen Co. has just released its list of most-watched and most-engaged TV shows, and it's no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention this year.

Professional football and so-called reality TV dominates the biggest slots, with the NFL taking all but two of the most-watched individual programs in the Top 10. It's also interesting to note that several of the most time-shifted shows -- indicating people who use digital video recorders or other technology to watch shows at time other than when they are first broadcast -- are also among the lowest-rated, including AMC's Mad Men, Fox's Lie to Me and NBC's now-cancelled Heroes.

Which suggests something truly frightening for a critic; the smartest shows are increasingly drawing smaller audiences.

Here's the lists -- anything surprise you here?

Top 10 TV Programs – Single Telecast
1  Super Bowl XLIV  CBS  2/7/10  36.5
2  Super Bowl XLIV Post Game  CBS  2/7/10  25.8
3  Super Bowl Kick-Off  CBS  2/7/10  20.8
4  FOX NFC Championship  FOX  1/24/10 19.8
5  AFC Championship on CBS  CBS  1/24/10  16.1
6 Academy Awards  ABC  3/7/10  14.3
7  Undercover Boss  CBS  2/7/10  13.2
8  FOX NFC Playoff-Sun  FOX   1/17/10  12.9
9  AFC Divisional Playoff-Sun  CBS 1/17/10  12.2
10  FOX NFC Wildcard Game  FOX 1/10/10 11.8

Top 10 TV Programs – Regularly Scheduled
1 American Idol -Tuesday FOX 7.9
2 American Idol -Wednesday FOX 7.5
3 Dancing with the Stars ABC 7.1
4 NBC Sunday Night Football  NBC 7.0
5  Dancing w/Stars Results  ABC  5.5
6  Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick  NBC 5.3
7 NCIS CBS  5.0
8 NFL Regular Season L ESPN  4.9
9  Survivor: Heroes-Villains  CBS  4.3
10  NCIS: Los Angeles  CBS  4.2
10 Two and a Half Men  CBS  4.2

Top 10 Timeshifted Primetime TV Programs
1  Mad Men  AMC  88.7
2  Sons of Anarchy FX  62.7
3  Justified FX 61.9
4  Lie to Me -Mon 9P  FOX  61.5
5  Leverage  TNT  61.4 

6 Covert Affairs USA 61.2
7  Psych  USA  59.1
8  Royal Pains  USA  54.5
8  White Collar  USA  54.5
10  Heroes  NBC  53.0

Top 10 Most Engaging Programs
1  Mike & Molly  CBS
2  Lost  ABC
3  Army Wives  Lifetime
4  Chuck  NBC
5  Justified  FX
6  No Ordinary Family  ABC
7  The Event  NBC
8  Covert Affairs  USA
9  Romantically Challenged  ABC
10  Raising Hope  FOX

Program Engagement measures viewer attention to TV episode content.
Includes regularly airing primetime entertainment series with at least three telecasts. Data based on time period
January 1 – November 29, 2010 among persons 13+ on A&E, ABC, BRAVO, CBS, COMEDY, CW, DSC, ESPN, FOOD, FOX, FX, HGTV, HISTORY, LIFE, MTV, NBC, NIK, SPEED, SYFY, TBS, TLC, TNT, USA, VH1.