| 100% | XFACTOR | 7 | The —, ITV talent show whose first winner was Steve Brookstein in 2004 |
| 38% | SNL | 3 | Show whose first host was George Carlin, in 1975: Abbr. |
| 38% | SNL | 3 | Show whose first host, in 1975, was George Carlin: Abbr. |
| 35% | ABBA | 4 | Band whose first hit in the US was "Waterloo" |
| 35% | TNT | 3 | Cable channel whose first showing was "Gone With the Wind" |
| 35% | SIA | 3 | Australian whose first big hit in the US was "Chandelier" |
| 34% | TCM | 3 | Channel whose first broadcast, in 1994, was “Gone with the Wind” |
| 34% | TESLA | 5 | Company whose first car was the Roadster, in 2008 |
| 34% | ALLEN | 5 | Steve who was the first host of "The Tonight Show" |
| 34% | ESPN | 4 | Cable channel whose first telecast, in 1979, was the debut episode of "SportsCenter" |
| 34% | STEREO | 6 | "Fantasia" was the first commercial film shown in it |
| 33% | HBO | 3 | Cable channel whose first broadcast, in 1972, was the movie "Sometimes a Great Notion" |
| 33% | ETA | 3 | First letter in the Greek alphabet whose name is three letters long |
| 33% | CMAS | 4 | Awards show whose most recent female Entertainer of the Year was Taylor Swift, in 2011 |
| 33% | MOTLEYCRUE | 10 | 1980s hair band whose first Top 20 hit was "Smokin' in the Boys Room" (2 wds.) |
| 32% | LILLO | 5 | George —, English dramatist whose The London Merchant was first staged in 1731 |
| 32% | MARTINFREEMAN | 13 | Actor whose first big role was Tim Canterbury in the British version of "The Office" (2 wds.) |
| 32% | DARCY | 5 | Character whose first name, Fitzwilliam, is used only twice in the classic novel in which he appears |
| 32% | YEAH | 4 | 2004 Usher hit whose title is repeated more than seventy-five times in the song |
| 32% | PIA | 3 | Zadora, whose first movie was as Girmar in "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" ('64) |
| 32% | RUPAULSDRAGRACE | 15 | TV series whose first winner was BeBe Zahara Benet |
| 32% | AMBULANCE | 9 | Vehicle whose sound is imitated by the first three Across entries in this puzzle |
| 31% | SNL | 3 | Show whose first host was George Carlin, familiarly |
| 31% | DAYSOTWOLIVES | 13 | Long-running show whose iconic hourglass is in the Smithsonian collection |
| 31% | SNL | 3 | Show whose first guest host was George Carlin: Abbr. |
| 31% | ROBWILSON | 9 | The first male model on "The Price Is Right" (he joined the show in October 2012): 2 wds. |
| 31% | NEWYORKMARATHON | 15 | Event held on the first Sunday in November, and whose path is recreated in this puzzle |
| 31% | SATO | 4 | Takuma —, Japanese driver whose only F1 podium finish was 3rd in the 2004 United States GP |
| 30% | IKEA | 4 | Furniture store that was the first company to show a gay couple in an American TV commercial |
| 30% | BRITNEYSPEARS | 13 | Musician whose first single "... Baby one more time" topped the charts in 1998 when she was just 17 years old: 2 wds. |