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1* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' is far more popular among tween girls than the typical PoliceProcedural, thanks to the popularity of [[PerkyGoth Abby Sciuto]].
2* Daytime television has traditionally been aimed at children and housewives, who were the largest demographics expected to be home during the day. However, college kids, unemployed slackers, and other groups who are home during the day (or have access to a TV during daytime hours) have catapulted certain shows into mainstream appreciation.
3* {{Tokusatsu}} is aimed squarely at kids. However, they cast a lot of [[{{Bishonen}} pretty-boy actors]] to [[ParentService ap]][[BishonenJumpSyndrome peal]] to the ''mothers'' of the aforementioned kids, who often watch the show at home with their children; this occasionally applies to older sisters as well. The Japanese have dubbed this[[note]]specifically, drawing in a female audience by casting handsome male actors[[/note]] "the Odagiri effect" after Joe Odagiri, star of ''Series/KamenRiderKuuga'', one of the first observed instances of this trope and launcher of a fair bit of FollowTheLeader. It also works the other way around, with fathers and older boys being drawn to these shows thanks to the cute young singers and ''gravure'' swimsuit models who play the female leads. A second periphery demographic is the small but solid overseas fanbase, who tend to be in their late teens or mid-20s, overlapping somewhat with the ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' fandom as well.
4** An episode of ''Anime/SamuraiFlamenco'' actually discusses this phenomenon. Masayoshi's manager books him for a guest spot on a ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' copy, and claims that it will boost his career since Toku shows are watched by a large number of women with disposable income.
5** ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' has recently been appealing more to the older fans, with Toys/SHFiguarts figures and even an entire show, ''Series/HikoninSentaiAkibaranger'', targeted at this demographic. ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' meanwhile is making an effort to involve the {{Fandom VIP}}s more in the show's promotion. In America, the Sentai fandom is a case of GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff as there are a lot of Power Rangers fans who prefer the Sentai over the show they grew up with, even holding it in higher regard than the Japanese who grew up with it do.
6** It should be pointed out that some of the ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' and ''Franchise/KamenRider'' entries into this trope may be due to air times. Prior to the mid-2000s, they were largely seen as family shows (for Americans, think of them in the same way as ''Series/TheIncredibleHulk1977'' TV show and you're not far off). Originally they aired in an evening time slot, so it would be perfect time for family viewing. Around 1997 [[note]] for Sentai only, ''Kamen Rider'' first aired in the time slot in 2000, replacing ''Moero! Robocon''.[[/note]], they were moved to 7:30AM and 8:00AM on Sunday mornings and then to 9:00AM and 9:30AM two decades later, often seen as the SaturdayMorningCartoon equivalent.
7** ''Series/ChoujinkiMetalder'', the sixth ''Series/MetalHeroes'' show, attracted a primarily older fanbase instead of its intended young audience due to its dark and complex storyline compare to previous ''Metal Hero'' shows. As a result, it was canceled at the end of its third course, with only 39 episodes instead of the usual 50.
8** We can add the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' as well to the list. The franchise has had adult fans since its debut in 1966 for a lot of the same reasons as other Toku listed above, but has been consistently praised by its older fans for presenting social issues like xenophobia and war crimes through the MonstersOfTheWeek without toning them down for children. Creator/TsuburayaProductions seems to have noticed this as shows with an adult tone or that appeal to Showa-era nostalgia have been produced in later years.
9* Most shows [[GirlShowGhetto aimed for tween girls]] can be this towards boys. Shows like ''Series/LizzieMcGuire'', ''Series/ICarly'', ''Series/SonnyWithAChance'', ''Series/{{Victorious}}'', ''Series/ShakeItUp'', etc., are watched by a surprising number of boys because they a) like/have a {{celeb crush}} on one or more of the lead/supporting girls in the show, b) want to hear them sing, c) enjoy their antics, or d) all of the above. The FanService itself on the girls helps too. (This also applies to non-Creator/{{Disney}}[=/=]{{Creator/Nickelodeon}} shows.)
10** These shows (as well as similar ones that feature male protagonists) also seem to be popular with senior citizens, if only because they're happy to find [[ValuesDissonance something on TV that's as wholesome as what they used to watch when they were younger]]. On a darker note, these shows also attract pedophiles because of the FanService mentioned above.
11** Disney XD shows are aimed at preteen boys, but its cast of good-looking guys like Hutch Dano, Logan Miller, Billy Unger, Spencer Boldman, Jacob Bertrand, and Leo Howard have certainly attracted many female fans[[note]]and former male stars of the main channel’s shows, like Mitchel Musso, Cameron Boyce, Jake Short, or Bradley Steven Perry brought their fans over to their XD shows[[/note]]. Likewise, it also attracts many older male fans who are into the female stars like Caitlin Taylor Love, Olivia Holt, Kelli Berglund, Oana Gregory, Olivia Stuck, or Paris Berelc.
12** Many shows aimed for kids or tweens also have large college-aged audiences. ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'', ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', and ''Series/ICarly'' are all good examples of this.
13*** ''[=SpongeBob=]'' and ''FOP'' (well, used to be) are also longrunners, so it's also likely that young adults have grown up with these shows and still watch them.
14** It's no secret that the Franchise/DisneyChannelLiveActionUniverse's primary fanbase is made up of older teens and young adults, as the reasons why are stated above, but goes more than that too.
15** ''Series/ICarly'' started off aimed at roughly the 8-14 market, but ended up being a massive hit in all the children and teen demographics (from young kids to mid teens). Since people caught on to the massive amounts of innuendo included, it's now a big hit with adults and college viewers as well.
16** ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' - You can't deny there's a periphery demographic following this show.
17** While not to the same extent as the above two, ''Series/{{Victorious}}'' and ''Series/BigTimeRush'' are also good contenders with periphery demographics, given their innuendo (especially with the former) and music provided in most episodes.
18** This was [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] on ''Series/LivAndMaddie'', where it's revealed that younger brother Parker and his best friend (and a lot of his dojo) are fans of a show called "Linda and Heather."
19** ''Series/GabbyDuranAndTheUnsittables'' is also loved by teens, parents and sci-fi fans due to its similarity to ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'', which both feature paranormal investigators, and for having lead females.
20* The idea of the Sci-Fi Channel (or [=SyFy=] now) having a mostly young male demographic is increasingly fallacious, which the execs seem to have some difficulty recognizing; when confronted with the fact that many of their viewers are women, David Howe [[http://scifiwire.com/2009/03/sci-fi-president-dave-how.php acknowledged that]] "almost half of our audience is women, thanks to shows such as ''Ghost Hunters'' that attract more women than men", completely ignoring the fact that many of their scripted shows (''Series/{{Farscape}}'', ''Series/TheInvisibleMan'', the various [[Franchise/StargateVerse Stargates]], ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'', etc.) had/have significant (if not overwhelmingly, or at least more involved in online fandom) female audiences.
21* [[UsefulNotes/GermanTVStations Kika, a German kids' channel]], has a mascot called Bernd das Brot (Bernd the Bread). The pessimistic loaf of bread became a cult favorite with young adults and teens in Germany. Kika started airing a looped program with Bernd instead of static after 9 P.M, attracting many insomniac young viewers.
22* Teen shows with prominent gay or lesbian characters, like ''Series/PrettyLittleLiars'' or ''Series/{{Greek}}'', often find themselves with significant ''adult'' followings in [[LGBTFanbase the LGBT community]].
23** Likewise with queer characters in [[SoapOpera Soap Operas]], in terms of attracting LGBT viewers who normally don't watch them. The [[Creator/{{LOGO}} After Elton]] website, has a section dedicated to shows like this called "Gays Of Our Lives".
24* Soap Operas tend to be aimed at middle aged women. But they become quite popular among college students. The joke is that the televisions in student houses don't get many channels so the students end up watching soaps all day.
25* ''Series/AmericasNextTopModel'' as well as any of the other Top Model shows have enough {{Fanservice}} to attract male viewers.
26** ''Series/ProjectRunway'' to a lesser degree for similar reasons.
27* ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'' was obviously designed to appeal to housewives, who would do most of the shopping for household items. Over the show's long history, however, it has garnered interest from just about every viewer demographic.
28** Bob Barker noted that the show got a lot of college fans after he was featured in ''Film/HappyGilmore'' and beat up Adam Sandler.
29* ''Series/WheelOfFortune'' and ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' likewise grew from mostly housewife appeal to pretty much universal. Especially since the mid-90s or so, they've taken to having more college-age students.
30* In the UK, ''Series/DealOrNoDeal'' was formerly the show of choice, possibly due to the presenter (Noel Edmonds) having presented 90's show ''Noel's House Party''. Probably more down to the fact that he's able to make a show about someone opening boxes seem quite tense and nail-biting. Even when all the big prizes have gone.
31* The Food Network's initial run of ''Series/IronChef'' carried advertisements generally aimed at over-40 housewives, who were Food Network's primary demographic at the time. When the show was adopted by younger viewers due to its competition aspect and the NarmCharm of its presentation, Food Network was caught flat-footed and took a lengthy period of time to properly capitalize on the show's success by making it a centerpiece of their lineup. Rapid NetworkDecay soon followed.
32* Creator/AnthonyBourdain's first show was also adopted by a younger demographic than originally intended.
33* ''Series/{{Teletubbies}}'' is a show aimed at extremely young children, but it became famous for attracting the attention of college/uni students and [[WatchItStoned druggies]], all of whom were often watching television in the middle of the day. The show's baffling and surreal nature, combined with its bright colors and hypnotically repetitive nature, made the show enjoyable with the right amount of irony or [[WatchItStoned chemistry]].
34* Ragdoll Productions' other show, ''Series/{{Boohbah}}'', has fans in their early teens, who probably like the show for its surrealism.
35* ''Series/InTheNightGarden'' is arguably even more cutesy, surreal and coy than ''Teletubbies'', and makes perfect hangover viewing, or if you are so inclined, watching it stoned or tranquillised is amazing.
36* Shows aimed at older children. ''Series/{{Raven}}'' is surprisingly popular among adults.
37* ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures'' is watched by many adult fans of parent show ''Series/DoctorWho''. It was particularly popular among long-term fans of the show who thought that it had many nostalgic elements of the twentieth-century show that the revived one changed (twenty-five minute episodes with frequent cliffhanger endings, less focus on romantic shipping, less angsty regular characters). When you consider that the show has ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' references, that may be intentional.
38* ''Series/DoctorWho'' itself:
39** ''Doctor Who'' was originally intended as a show that would teach history to kids, but when it started going more overtly science fiction (in its second serial no less) it started to bring in a lot more adult fans who would watch with their children, not to mention the kids who grew up and yet stayed with the show into adulthood thanks to its LongRunner status. It's a matter of (at times quite heated and interminable) debate, however, whether the show is a 'family' show (i.e. intended for both kids and adults from the start), a kid's show that happens to claim a strong Periphery Demographic among adults, a kid's show which eventually became a family show or something else entirely. In short, ''Doctor Who'' can be best be summed up by three words: MultipleDemographicAppeal.
40** This trope was the reasoning that the BBC used to explain the extreme, disproportionate popularity of the Fourth Doctor as compared to the other classic Doctors. Creator/PhilipHinchcliffe and Creator/TomBaker deliberately developed the character to appeal to college students and hip, childless young adults, who would not normally watch a children's show, as well as to the usual demographic of kids and parents. This was achieved by making the character darker, more morally and emotionally complex, and [[BreakTheBadass focusing on his fear of the monsters more]]; as well as going with a 'Bohemian' aesthetic which enabled plenty of GeniusBonus and [[WatchItStoned counter-culture compatible quirks]] in addition to the expression of trendy ChaoticGood politics (coming along just as punk began to happen).
41** It seems comical to a modern audience aware of [[LongHairedPrettyBoy Paul McGann]], [[HellBentForLeather Christopher Eccleston]], [[SharpDressedMan David Tennant]] and [[{{Hipster}} Matt Smith]]'s Doctors, but at the time, Tom Baker was also considered 'the sexy Doctor' due to his youth compared to his predecessors, his beguiling, flirty demeanour (particularly with the second Romana, who Tom Baker actually was having RomanceOnTheSet with) and his sultry deep voice. Attentive viewers may notice Baker's voice [[VocalEvolution gradually becoming deeper and sexier]] over his first few seasons due to encouragement from his fanmail.
42** Classic ''Doctor Who'' also tended to treat the Doctor as a rather asexual character, often in order to discourage any suggestion of "hanky-panky" between himself and his (usually) young, attractive female companions and thus prevent the {{Moral Guardian}}s from complaining. This had the largely unintended side-effect of generating a large fandom for the show among the LGBT+ community, who found the idea of a TV hero who was largely coded as non-heterosexual quite appealing.
43* Although ''Series/BeakmansWorld'' was generally aimed at 9-to-14-year-old school kids, high schoolers and college students liked it too. Maybe it was because they finally got what they couldn't get in middle school; maybe it was because the main character looked like someone who'd do drugs; maybe it was the assistants (no, not the rat); or even a combination of all three.
44* Similarly, ''Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy'' still has a significant following among young men, which may have been a factor in creating a similar series more directly targeted at them.
45** The NostalgiaFilter probably has a lot to do with this, since both these guys have been around since at least the early '90s. Who knows, it might even appeal to middle-aged/elderly Baby Boomers who remember ''Mr. Wizard''.
46** In Seattle (where the show was filmed), a large part of the audience were older adults who really missed ''Series/AlmostLive'', where the Science Guy and the other cast members got their start.
47* The children's TV show ''Series/LazyTown'' is also known to be popular with teenagers and young adults as well as parents, possibly due to its quirkiness and LargeHam villain. Though given Sportacus's and Robbie's tight pants we can be reasonably sure that some of the [[ParentService adult appeal]] is deliberate. It also gained a fanbase of older teens and young adults who [[WatchItForTheMeme discovered the memes]] via Music/SiIvaGunner or other methods in late 2016.
48* Many parents and adults tend to view ''Series/YoGabbaGabba'' as a GuiltyPleasure, although some of its appeal is from the show's baffling ability to somehow convince popular indie rock bands like Low, Mates of State, Music/HotHotHeat, The Shins and Of Montreal to appear as musical guests. It helps that the show was produced by a member of the ''Aquabats''.
49* A growing number of Western fans in their 20-30s grew up watching ''Franchise/PowerRangers''. The fact that they brought back Jason David Frank (as a regular cast member for [[Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder season 12]]) and Creator/JohnnyYongBosch (in a guest spot for [[Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive the 15th anniversary]]) would suggest that the producers are well aware of the older ''Power Ranger'' fans.
50** Saban's franchise relaunch, ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'', is seeming to bank on this, trying to appeal to older fans by bringing back both the theme song and ThoseTwoGuys from the original series (well, one of ThoseTwoGuys and [[GenerationXerox a son of the other]]).
51*** The 20th Anniversary series ''Series/PowerRangersMegaforce'' looks to be catering to this demographic a bit as well as it will feature appearances from past Rangers [[http://rrrotoku.com/2012/07/13/jason-david-frank-potentially-returning-for-megaforce/ possibly]] including Jason David Frank.
52* The Canadian TV series ''Series/TrailerParkBoys'' is very popular with both criminals ''and'' police officers. The former are able to identify with the main characters (the producers even describe the show as "''Cops'' from the criminal's point of view"), while the cops enjoy seeing depictions of what they have to deal with in their jobs.
53** It's also popular with both the lower-class demographic it depicts and more well-to-do people who find the portrayal of their lifestyle hilarious.
54* Word on the street has it that the live-action ''Series/TheDresdenFiles'' TV series was cancelled because, while it had an active fan following, said fan following was mostly older women who didn't mesh with the rest of the Sci-Fi Channel's young male demographic.
55* As for sci-fi examples, ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' was cancelled to make way for ''Series/StargateUniverse'' so TPTB could appeal to a younger male demographic instead of SGA's (very large) female fanbase.
56** Considering the copious amount of almost soap-operish melodrama (at least in the opening episodes), it seems that [=SyFy=] have decided to try for MultipleDemographicAppeal with the show.
57** TPTB claim that the cancellation of SGA and the launch of SGU weren't direct causation. They have not convinced many fans that this is true.
58* ''Series/{{Queer as Folk|US}}'' was intended for gay men to watch, but ended up largely drawing in [[YaoiFangirl straight women]].
59** Its DistaffCounterpart, ''Series/TheLWord'', also caught the attention of many straight men because, well ... [[GirlOnGirlIsHot let's face it]].
60* The ''Series/VisionOn'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcCHRW8G9yY gallery theme tune]], so iconic it penetrated a national consciousness, can only be intended for the periphery demographic, as the intended audience was [[spoiler:deaf children.]]
61* ''Series/SesameStreet'' intentionally invoked this trope, in order to create a show that kids and parents would watch and enjoy together. This kids show grew its following gradually; when the original kid viewers grew up to be adults, they would subsequently watch the show with their own children.
62** Same goes for, in a slightly different context, with ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood''. Compared to Sesame Street, Mister Rogers had more {{Affectionate Parod|y}}ies, although [[Series/SaturdayNightLive some]] [[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy were controversial]].
63** ''Sesame Street'' also has many fans who are babies. This lead to the production of baby-oriented merchandise and the spin-off ''Sesame Beginnings''.
64* ''Series/TheGoodNightShow'' was frequently watched by both teenagers and adults. The series also found fans in autistic children who enjoyed its gentle nature.
65* ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'' is primarily a family show, but with liberal application of HoYay, ShipTease and MrFanservice, the fandom is largely made up of [[MostFanficWritersAreGirls women who like to write slash fiction]].
66* ''Series/TopGear'' is a [[GearheadShow Petrolhead Show]], but there are plenty of people who watch it without knowing much about cars, simply because it's hilarious, and it doesn't hurt that the film crew is great at making everything look good.
67* Both the producers and the star, Creator/JeremyBrett, were surprised to learn that their 1984-1994 ''Series/SherlockHolmes'' TV series adaptation was very popular with kids, who seemed to see the lead character as a SuperHero. As such, Brett got permission from the granddaughter of Arthur Conan Doyle to have Holmes beat his cocaine addiction and bury his needle.
68* ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'' and ''Series/SexAndTheCity'' have such a huge CampGay demographic, it's been frequently implied (often by PeripheryHatedom) that everyone else is their periphery demographic.
69** It's a little hard to find ''The Golden Girls''[='=] original demographic. Even during its debut it was very popular with younger demographics (and still is). When asked why, I think Creator/BettyWhite said it best, "Because it's funny!"
70** It probably also has something to do with how the whole thing was [[http://legendsrevealed.com/entertainment/2011/01/14/tv-legends-revealed-35/ spun out of a joke about NBC's fall line-up at the time that seemed to go over well.]]
71* In addition to ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'', several other sitcoms airing from the mid 1980's to the mid 1990's fit this trope. ''Series/TheCosbyShow'', ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'' and ''Series/FamilyMatters'' all had predominantly African-American casts, and were/still are enjoyed and appreciated by viewers of many backgrounds. Although ''Series/FullHouse'' skewed more toward a female audience, the show was popular with males as well.
72* ''Series/SuddenlySusan'' had a surprisingly strong periphery demographic of teenage boys. Mostly because of a crush on Creator/BrookeShields that many young men in the 90's had. It was part of NBC's prime time "Must See TV", so teenage boys were certainly not the target demographic.
73* This ended up being an unexpected reason for the success of ''Series/AmericanGladiators'' -- the producers were only expecting to attract viewers in the male 18-35 demographic, and indeed they were a key part of the audience base. But the show quickly attracted many other people outside of the demo --kids, who saw the Gladiators as being like real-life superheroes; older viewers, who appreciated the actual athleticism present during the show; and women, as they were on completely equal footing with the men, unlike most sporting events in general.
74* War miniseries like ''Series/BandOfBrothers'' and ''Series/ThePacific'', in theory and according to mainstream media, are generally geared at middle-aged-to-older men ([[Series/SaturdayNightLive Seth Meyers]], making fun of [[SleazyPolitician Eric Massa]], accused of groping a staffer at his fiftieth birthday party: "That's not what happens on 50th birthdays. On ''my'' dad's 50th birthday, we got him a gift certificate to Morton's and a ''Band of Brothers'' DVD"), including those who possibly served. However, they tend to have ''very'' strong fanbases of young women in their teens and twenties, partially because of the wealth of young men in uniform and [[SlashFic the many shipping possibilities]]. However, many seem to have genuine interest in [[RealLife the history]] as well.
75* The Creator/Studio100 series ''Series/KabouterPlop'', a Belgian children's TV show about singing and dancing gnomes, has somewhat of a following among young adults in the English-speaking world due to its catchy songs and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4ivw0mA6mg bizarre]] {{Memetic Mutation}}s [[http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/underpants that exist for]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qGPvk_-Rk said songs]].
76** Not to mention that said earworms are often played in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-W28f4pKmg teenage/adult clubs in Belgium.]]
77* Another good example from the creator Studio 100 (the same ones who were responsible for ''Kabouter Plop'' above) would be ''Series/SamsonEnGert''. Although the show was mainly made with kids in mind, the adult setting and sitcom-like scenarios also attracted pretty much everyone who was not in the intended demographic and started becoming one of the more adult-oriented programs on the channels where it aired.
78* The British teen drama ''Series/{{Skins}}'' has multigenerational appeal thanks to its excellent writing and acting. In fact, adult fans probably outnumber teen fans outside of Britain.
79* ''Series/HorribleHistories'', the live-action adaptation of the classic kiddies' history series, airs on the British equivalent of Creator/PBSKids and is theoretically aimed at 6 to 12-year-olds... which in practice hasn't stopped the show's writers and performers from slyly directing it squarely at older teens/adults, who've responded in droves.
80* MTV's Series/TeenWolf has attracted a not insignificant adult gay following. Considering how much time the many attractive guys on the show spend shirtless, and the show's casual inclusion of a gay character and gay themes into some of its episodes, this may not be entirely unintentional.
81* The Creator/{{CBC}} has a significant American audience, thanks to the Canadian population living for the most part near the U.S. border. CBC stations can be picked up over the air in most cities bordering Canada, and the CBC is even carried on some cable systems in markets near the Canadian border.
82* ''Series/BarneyAndFriends'', despite its significant PeripheryHatedom, has a [[CultClassic cult following]] that's just as significant. Among other things, his own wiki is one of the biggest wikis for a franchise with more than ''2000 pages'' as of this writing, and many have given requests on Website/YouTube for specific episodes, appearances etc. Then again, much of this is due to childhood nostalgia, adults who prefer the show as a less-violent alternative to other kids' shows on the air and/or are checking out some of the earliest TV appearances of Music/DemiLovato and Music/SelenaGomez[[note]]who were actually standing in line next to each other when they were auditioning for the show. Ironically, most of the people who grew up with said season grew up with these artists' music[[/note]].
83* Even though the humor of the shows would likely go well over kids' heads, it's not too uncommon to see late elementary school/early middle school age kids watch ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'', ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' or ''Series/FullHouse'' reruns. This was also true back in the 90's.
84** ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'' is also very popular with the under-20 crowd thanks to the popularity of Creator/{{Will Smith}} to this day, its catchy theme song, its [[SoBadItsGood dated, yet colorful]] fashion sense the characters have, and a lot of moments from the show becoming internet memes.
85** ''Series/{{Friends}}'' is really popular with teenagers even 10 years after the show has ended, but it helps since most of them ''were actually born'' when the show was still on the air. This was true back then as well. Even some elementary school kids watched the show.
86* Series/{{Dexter}} has an enormous female fanbase, probably because most women find his "damaged yet very mysterious" nature charming.
87* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' is one of the most oddest examples of this trope. Even though most of the characters in the show work in a university, and it features a lot of nerd and geek references, it was always aimed at adults aged 18-49, like many sitcoms of its kind. However, since then, the show has accumulated a ''huge'' following with nerds and geeks, who not only appreciate the many science fiction and comic book/superhero references, but also can relate to many experiences the characters go through. It's got to the point where it's so huge, that the show ''itself'' has become a part of the nerd and geek entertainment. This could also be a case of MisaimedFandom.
88* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' and Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire are very popular among adolescents. It's mainly due to growing up in the social media that didn't exist when shows like the Sopranos, The Wire and Oz were on the air, as well as the complete lack of popular fantasy television series aimed at adolescents in the West during the 2010s, causing them to resort to such a DarkerAndEdgier RatedMForMoney television series instead. Basically, the exact opposite situation of Periphery audience The Hunger Games, a coming-of-age novel series that developed a large adult following, has received.
89* Despite having far more black characters and cast members than white, most of the attention and sky-high praise heaped upon ''Series/TheWire'' and its gritty, urban subject matter came from white fans, [[ButForMeItWasTuesday leaving a sizable chunk of the show's black viewers to wonder what the big deal was.]]
90* ''Series/DoNotAdjustYourSet'': A 1968 British children's show that starred Creator/MichaelPalin, Creator/EricIdle and Creator/TerryJones before they got famous as part of Creator/MontyPython. The show was made for children, but got immensely popular with adults because of the off-the-wall comedy.
91* The BBC's ''Series/TheMusketeers'' has gained a considerably large female fanbase in many parts of the globe where it airs, especially in the States and Italy, where cast member Luke Pasqualino hails from. And despite the fact that it airs in the UK after the watershed [[spoiler: and that the show gets [[DarkerAndEdgier much darker]] with the second season]], it hasn't stopped it from being popular with families with pre-teen offspring as well.
92* Vijf TV has women as its main target audience. Its first broadcast however was that of a soccer game. The CEO did this on purpose in the hope of attracting male viewers to their network. There is as of yet however no information that concluded whether or not it worked.
93* The Japanese show ''Series/PythagoraSwitch'' is an edutainment show for young children, but the segments with the working [[RubeGoldbergDevice Rube Goldberg devices]] are fascinating to both young and old.
94* A fair number of ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' fans seem perfectly content to watch the show with their middle or even elementary school-aged children, despite the [[{{Gorn}} extreme violence]], TV-MA rating, and the fact that Robert Kirkman, creator of the comic book the show is based on, has been outspoken about how the show is not appropriate for children nor intended for them.
95* Any preschool show aired on Creator/{{YTV}} in the 1990's will have a huge following of adults who grew up with them, as unlike most preschool shows on other networks, these shows were well-written and didn't talk down to the audience. The ones with the largest followings are ''Series/TheBigComfyCouch'', ''Series/UnderTheUmbrellaTree'', ''The Adventures Of Dudley The Dragon'' and the infamous ''Series/PJKatiesFarm''.
96* According to the fan section of the PBS website for ''Series/TheNoddyShop'', most of the viewers of the show were surprisingly not in the 2-to-5 range it was aimed at, but rather in the 9-11 range. It helps that the scenes inside the shop with the toys were very interesting and hilarious, and that DJ and Kate, two of the main kids in the show, were around their age. It was also big with adults, due to its' nostalgic 50's theme and some of the songs being inspired by ''Film/{{Grease}}''. When the show was brought to the attention of Lost Media Wiki, its' fanbase grew, mostly comprised of people who had forgotten about the show long after it left the air and discovered how interesting it was.
97** [[https://books.google.com/books?id=rFgbqaqAkx8C&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&dq=%22generations%22+%22the+noddy+shop%22+%22dog%22&source=bl&ots=eb0484i0sF&sig=ACfU3U3agVwnlNEjTJGQ7c1kGebC3Nw8qw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj1_qjzlfPrAhUhiOAKHaK8AsoQ6AEwBHoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22generations%22%20%22the%20noddy%20shop%22%20%22dog%22&f=false According to an interview on the radio show]] ''The Infinite Mind'', seniors loved this show back when it was first airing because it showed an accurate portrayal of people their age.
98* ''Series/OddSquad'' has a small fanbase of teens and young adults. The show has even taken mention of it, putting in adult references to things like Sherlock Holmes, and airing "License to Science", which was a Season 2 episode where the major plot point was Oona getting her license at the DMG (the Department of Motorized Gadgets), something many teens can relate to. According to the crew working on it, this trope was intentionally invoked -- math lessons are slipped in for the target audience, while mature jokes are put in for adults to enjoy. However, it's a lot more than the jokes that attract people to it, as most also latch on to the StoryArc in Season 1, the fun characters, the ''many'' things slipped past the censors, and the nostalgia of watching the show as kids.
99* ''Series/TheShannaraChronicles'': The first season, on Creator/{{MTV}}, was aimed at teenagers and young adults, but found a strong following among middle-aged adults; in other words, the people who were teenagers and young adults when the books first came out. In the second season, when the series was moved to Creator/SpikeTV, the tone of the series was revised slightly to appeal more to that demographic. The [[HotterAndSexier unnecessary sex scenes]] were removed, the {{Love Triangle}}s resolved, and [[StrangledByTheRedString romance in general became much less of the focus]]. Consequently, the second season was better received than the first.
100* While Litton Entertainment's ''Series/TheInspectors'', which airs on the company's Creator/{{CBS}} block, is ostensibly targeted at teenagers and airs on Saturday mornings like the rest of their works, its biggest audience is far from that age. When Creator/JohnOliver did a segment on the series on [[Series/LastWeekTonightWithJohnOliver his show]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21G3vCXOIAc he learned that its biggest audience is with people 55 and older]], which make sense, given that in most markets, the block is aired after the network's morning news show.
101* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' was never made for children and often features movies that are most certainly not for kids (not to mention that a great deal of the riffing is lost on them), but nonetheless managed to attract a surprising audience of kids and families who enjoyed the goofy puppet characters and the host segments' "kids' show"-like atmosphere and fairly family-friendly humour. The crew got quite a few letters from those viewers talking about how much they loved the show, and often read on the air, showing that they embraced younger audiences watching.
102* ''Series/{{Wishbone}}'' is loved by people older than the target demographic of elementary schoolers because of its' clever writing, faithful adaptions of classic stories, and it feeling more mature than your average Creator/PBSKids show.
103* ''Series/SchittsCreek'': The show about a family of rich jerks coming together after being forced into small-town life is written with very liberal, queer perspective and is chocked full of urbane references, and Creator/DanLevy has expressed surprise at how many conservative fans the show has.
104* There are so many shows from the ThatNostalgiaShow trope that can appeal to people that reminded them of their childhood:
105** ''Series/HappyDays'' can appeal to those who grew up in TheFifties.
106** ''Series/TheWonderYears'' and ''Series/MadMen'' are very popular among those who grew up in TheSixties.
107** ''[[Series/TheKidsAreAlright2018 The Kids Are Alright]]'' and ''Series/That70sShow'' happened to be for those who love either growing up in TheSeventies or obsessed with this decade.
108** ''Series/StrangerThings'', ''Series/TheGoldbergs'', ''Series/EverybodyHatesChris'', ''Series/TheCarrieDiaries'', ''[[Series/GLOW2017 GLOW,]]'' and ''Series/That80sShow'' is watched by those who are either obsessed with TheEighties or grew up with this decade.
109** ''Series/DerryGirls'', ''Series/EverythingSucks'', ''Series/FreshOffTheBoat'', ''The Goldbergs'' spinoff ''Schooled,'' and ''Series/MyMadFatDiary'' are shows that people who grew up in and/or obssessed with TheNineties.
110** ''Series/PEN15'' is a show that reminds everyone who are born in the late '80s of their nostalgia about living in the early TurnOfTheMillennium about their middle school days.
111* ''Series/{{Nova}}'' is a show that used to attract older audiences who are interested in science. It is now watched by younger audiences too.
112* ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse'' has a following of adult fans who find it the perfect example of what a children's show should be, because the characters are well-written and discusses emotions about certain childhood topics that kids face. There's also those who find the puppets, especially Pip and Pop, hilarious. It also has a strong fanbase among autistic children, because they enjoy Bear's calming presence, which inspired his performer Noel [=MacNeal=] to create ''The Show Me Show'' to directly target a special-needs audience.
113* Welsh-language soap opera ''Series/{{Pobol y Cwm}}'' is screened by Welsh channel [=S4C=]. Welsh TV programming has always "leaked" back into England, as TV signalling does not stop at national borders. On the old analogue signal, the channel was only available in the North-west, Midlands and the West Country, but with the advent of Freeview and catch-up players, it is potentially available over a far wider area. With English subtitles now universally available, the soap opera, set in a rural community in West Wales, has garnered an unintended additional audience among English-speaking people who are as captivated with Cwmderi as they are with [[Series/CoronationStreet Weatherfield]] and [[Series/EastEnders Albert Square]].
114* The 1950s Children puppet show ''Series/KuklaFranAndOllie '' is one of the earliest examples of an adult fandom for a kids show. It said that the shows quirky sense of humor and characters made it more popular with adults than children. [[JustForFun/OneOfUs Even celebrities like Orson Welles and John Steinbeck were a fan.]]
115* ''Series/CrazyExGirlfriend'' has a significant number of male fans, despite being a female-led musical. The excellent writing (of both male and female characters) and abundance of attractive women has drawn in plenty of them. It's reached a point where several women have gotten into the show ''through'' their male partners, rather than the other way around.
116* Although the Hallmark Channel is popular primarily with young women, the channel's mandate of no sex, minimal violence, and no profanity helped Hallmark gain a following among conservative Christians in FlyoverCountry, with MoralGuardians going out of their way to encourage people to watch Hallmark instead of the "liberal" TV networks. The Evangelical base was so large for the network that they went out of their way to appease them, including barely acknowledging the LGBTQ community, if they didn't at all.[[note]]The community was mentioned in passing on some episodes of Hallmark's daytime talk show ''Home & Family'', but that was it.[[/note]] Then in December 2019, the network aired a commercial for a wedding-planner company showing a lesbian couple exchanging vows. Soon, the same Moral Guardians that supported the channel were now encouraging conservative Christians to stop watching Hallmark out of protest. This seems to have worked, as now more openly gay characters have showed up in Hallmark Channel original movies, something virtually impossible while Evangelicals were watching the network.
117* ''Series/DonkeyHodie'' has a fanbase of people older than the target demographic of children 3 to 5 because of how bright and happy the show is, having several funny moments and catchy songs. As a result of this, the show got adult-sized T-shirts on the offical PBS Kids shop.
118** It also seems to have a big following with children ages 0 to 2. Case in point: Many of the featured kids on the social media accounts' "Pal of the Month" feature have been babies.
119* ''Series/RealTimeWithBillMaher'': Despite being an outspoken Democrat, Maher has a surprising number of right-wing viewers, who appreciate his willingness to [[StopBeingStereotypical call out his own side]] from time to time and being by far the most politically moderate of the major late night comedy hosts.
120** It also helps that he is one of the only (if not THE ONLY) late night comedy host who doesn’t try to hide behind the “hey I’m just a comedian” excuse whenever he’s called out. The fact that he’s actually willing to own up to his mistakes has earned him a fair share of popularity with the right.
121* ''Series/BillyTheExterminator'' has one, so much so that it pretty much ended up ruining the show for everyone else. Billy ended up garnering a fanbase among young kids for his wild and zany personality (and for dealing with animals, obviously), and as such parents began writing in and complaining about the amount of swearing used on the show, and requesting that Billy be more mindful of his young fans watching. As a result, even milder words such as "hell," "damn," "son-of-a-bitch," began to be bleeped in new episodes and in reruns.
122* ''Series/HomeImprovement'' gained a substantial following among teenage girls later in its run. Why would a sitcom about a [[TestosteronePoisoning manly-man]] dad who hosts a home repair/renovation show be popular with the ''daughters'' of its target audience? Well, you see, Creator/JonathanTaylorThomas, who played the main character's son, had [[SheIsAllGrownUp just hit puberty]]... This was referenced in Music/CharliXCX and Music/TroyeSivan's song "1999", where the bridge has Troye (who is gay) flashing back to his childhood, closing his eyes, and fantasizing "'bout JTT on MTV".
123* "Series/LastManStanding" despite being aimed at a more conservative audience has a surprising number of liberal viewers as well thanks to the show's strong and multi-dimensional female and non-white characters, even the character of Ryan who was meant to mock progressives didn't offend them, as many left-leaning viewers can attest to knowing someone as annoying as him.
124* ''Series/{{Miitsuketa}}'' has a big fanbase of adults and teens on Twitter despite being aimed at preschoolers. Many of these fans adore Sui-chan and Ofurosuki.
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