Click here for the 2012 Year-End Chart.

For the first time in eight years, Top 25 Shows Show of the Year is not going to an anime. The streak has been broken. Overall, the anime sector turned in a mediocre performance. In Top 25 Shows as a whole, the year was strong in terms of new shows in the spring but growth turned anemic during the summer. It resulted in one of the longest debut droughts in Top 10 Shows of the Week chart history.

On the Top 10 Shows of the Week chart, there were nineteen different No. 1 this year, the fewest since 2001 when there were 12. Of the 19 No. 1 shows, 14 were anime leading for 38 out of 52 weeks.

As previously mentioned, debuts were running at an fast pace during the first half of the year (especially during the spring) until early summer. The weekly chart had 16 debuts in The Top 10 Shows of the Week chart heading into early summer running ahead of 2011 numbers year over year. It then underwent a ten-week drought with no debuts from June 23 to September 1. This is the longest such drought since 2002 when there were no debuts from March 30 to July 6 (14 weeks). There were 22 debuts in 2012, the smallest number of debuts in chart history breaking the previous record of 23 set in 2010.

There were three No. 1 debuts on the Top 10 Shows of the Week chart this year, the least since 2009 when there were two: Rosario + Vampire on May 12, Agatha Christie’s Great Detectives Poirot & Marple on Nov. 24, and Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 on Dec. 15. The May 12 No. 1 debut from Rosario was the latest first No. 1 debut since Chobits debuted at the summit on May 27, 2006.

The was again only one No. 1 debut on the Top 25 Shows chart: Rozen Maiden. Rozen debuted at No. 1 back in February, the first February No. 1 debut ever. The only months that have not yet seen a No. 1 debut is March and August. Rozen was the 20^th No. 1 debut overall on the big chart and the ninth Grand Slam (debuted at No. 1 on both the Top 10 Shows of the Week and Top 25 Shows charts). There have been just one No. 1 debut on the Top 25 Shows chart for three of the last four years (2009, 2011, and 2012).

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is 2012 Top 25 Shows Show of the Year. It is the first non-anime animated show to win Show of the Year since 2004 when Jakers!: The Adventures of Piggley Winks narrowly edged out InuYasha to take home the prize. Pony finished 6^th last year.

Pony actually had the third most Top 10 Shows of the Week No. 1’s this year with six. They came on Jan. 28, Mar. 24, Mar. 31, Jun. 23, Nov. 17, and Dec. 29. It also won nine No. 2’s and finished 3^rd on the Annual Gross Races chart. Pony’s victory came down to a last minute Pacesetter in December, which gave Pony 505 points to 464 for runner-up Smile PreCure! (which received no Pacesetters).

Smile PreCure! Will finish 2^nd. Smile had the most Top 10 Shows of the Week No. 1’s this year with 12, the second most in a show’s inaugural year trailing the 13 that its predecessor Suite PreCure received in 2011. It was also the year 2^nd biggest grossing show moving 17.49 billion grosses. Its twelve No. 1’s on the weekly tally included a five week streak running from Aug. 11 to Sept. 8. The rest were as follows: Mar. 17, May 5, Jun. 2, Jul. 7, Jul. 28, Sept. 22, and Nov. 3.

The Young and the Restless is No. 3 for the year. Y&R only led the weekly tally twice: on Jun. 9 and Sept. 29. It was the biggest grossing show of the year grossing 20.1 billion grosses, the most ever in one year (beating Suite PreCure’s 17.31 billion record set last year) and the first time a show grossed more than 20 billion grosses in a single year. It also led its first Top 25 Shows chart in August.

Rozen Maiden, which was the Show of the Year winner on the Mid-Year 20 back in July, finishes 4^th. As previously mentioned, Rozen became the year’s lone No. 1 debut in February and then went on to lead again in March. Rozen was the first No. 1 debut in February. Rozen was the 8^th biggest grossing show of 2012 moving 8.34 billion grosses. It led seven Top 10 Shows of the Week charts this year: Jan. 14, a five consecutive week reign from Feb. 4 to Mar. 3, and Apr. 14.

The Ed Show finishes 5^th. Ed put in a surprisingly strong showing this year, leading April’s Top 25 Shows chart and winning one Top 10 Shows of the Week No. 1 on Mar. 10. It was the 5^th biggest grossing show of 2012.

Talking Liberally: The Stephanie Miller Show, the simulcast of the The Stephanie Miller Show radio program finishes 6^th. It didn’t lead in Top 25 Shows this year but did win two Top 10 Shows No. 1’s on Sept. 15 and Nov. 10. Miller was the 4^th biggest grossing show of 2012. Little Women, a Top 25 Shows classic, made a huge return this year finishing 7^th. It was the Top 25 Shows No. 1 show during June and July and led four weekly charts: on Apr. 7, Apr. 28, May 26, and Jul. 21.

Snapped finishes 8^th. Snapped led neither chart but put in a solid performance on the Top 25 Shows chart winning Greatest Gainer and Pacesetter in September. The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell finishes 9^th, up slightly from last year’s 11^th place finish. O’Donnell managed to win one Top 10 Shows No. 1 on Jun. 30. It was the 7^th biggest grossing show of the year.

Pretty Cure Splash Star rounds out the top-10 down from a 9^th place finish in 2011. Splash led two Top 10 Shows charts: the first chart of the year of Jan. 7 and on Oct. 27.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle also has a surprisingly strong finish at No. 12. Tsubasa captured two Top 25 Shows No. 1’s on Oct. 6 and 13. It also led the Top 25 Shows chart in November. Tsubasa was the 12^th biggest grossing show of 2012. The next three Toei Animation appearances came as follows: HeartCatch PreCure! (No. 13), Fresh Pretty Cure! (No. 14), Yes! PreCure 5 (No. 16).

Sailor Moon, another Top 25 Shows classic that returned this year, finishes 17^th. It re-entered and peaked at No. 7 in April.

Last year’s Show of the Year, Suite PreCure, finished 21^st this year. It had a No. 2 on January 14 and led January’s Top 25 Shows chart. Class of the Titans finished 22^nd. It won one Top 10 Shows No. 1 on Apr. 21 and peaked at No. 7 on the Top 25 Shows chart in June. Great Detectives Poirot & Marple, a late-comer this year, finished 26^th. It became the fifth show in chart history to spend its first three weeks on the weekly tally at No. 1.