 " Gone for Goode " was seen by 18 @.@ 24 million viewers . It earned an 18 rating , which represents the percentage of television @-@ equipped homes , and a 31 share , which represents percentage of sets in use . This marked the best ratings performance of a preview or premiere following a Super Bowl since The Wonder Years in 1988 . It was also the largest viewership of the first season , in large part due to its 10 : 25 p.m. time @-@ slot immediately following the Super Bowl . Nevertheless , NBC considered it a disappointing performance , based on the amount of advertising and press coverage the episode received . The episode received less than half the audience that the Super Bowl itself did . Levinson later said the Super Bowl crowd might not have been perfectly suited to Homicide : Life on the Street . In particular , regarding the episode 's complex story lines and distinctive visual style , he said , " I imagine anyone who has been drinking a lot at a Super Bowl party might have trouble following the show . " 
