Top 10 TV shows of the decade

When one thinks of top 10s of the decade, shows don’t pop up first. Looking over the past 10 years, there have been tons of successful shows and just as many failing shows. Shows that have made the nation follow and shows that were taken off in a week. This list is going to count down the top 10 shows of the decade. 1.Friends36 million viewers tuned in for the season finale in January 2004. People turned the show “Friends” into a part of their every day life. When a couple broke up, viewers felt their pain. When a marriage occurred, viewers cried with the bridesmaids. “Friends” brought people together and left with a great impact on cable television. David Schwimmer put it best, “It’s exactly what I had hoped. We all end up with a sense of a new beginning and the audience has a sense that it’s a new chapter in the lives of all these characters.”2.The OfficeThe weird, kooky mockumentary is one of the best this decade has brought the nation. The show, following paper company “Dundler Mifflin,” introduced the viewer to an array of characters. From the clueless, incompetent and insensitive boss to the beet farm owner who has ninja stars under his desk, “The Office” viewers have seen it all. The original version of The Office was aired in the United Kingdom, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. It starred Gervais as the boss and main character.3.E.R.With a solid 14-year run, “E.R.” made quite the name for itself. Starting off a number of careers and melting middle-aged mothers’ hearts, “E.R.” deserves the number three spot. Shows like “House” and “Grey’s Anatomy” wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for “E.R.”4.American IdolThe singing contest show had many cable viewers glued to the T.V. for every finale. The show that made nobodies into somebodies gave hope for the entire nation. People auditioned throughout the country to try and get on the show. Some people were successful while others humiliated in front of the millions of viewers every night. This show is the ultimate guilty pleasure on T.V. today. 5.Who Wants to be a Millionaire”Who wants to be a Millionaire” made everyday people look like geniuses or dumbed them down to the intelligence of a fifth grader. Hosted by Regis Philbin, the show soon became a hit among family nights everywhere. Those few who actually became a millionaire gave few people hope to go on the show.6.Sex and The CityStarting off as a novel and soon making its way to T.V. and eventually to film, “Sex and The City” has a cult following, even now. Liberating women everywhere, this show is about exactly what the title says: sex in the city. New York City, of course. The show follows four women, three in their mid-thirties and one in her forties. The quirky series has several continuing story lines and touches on subjects such as the controversial issues of sexually transmitted diseases, safe sex, and promiscuity. Women worship this show, wish to be in this show and want to live like the woman on the show.7.The SopranosSet in New Jersey, “The Sopranos” revolves around mobster Tony Soprano, and his constant conflicts trying to balance out his home life and his organized crime life in the mob. The show, which ran for six solid years, started a following and sudden love for the gangster life again. An explosion of Sopranos memorabilia began, including board games, t-shirts and even soundtrack albums.8. Family GuyThe animated, witty and comical series about a family and the weird predicaments they get into. The show, created by Seth MacFarlane for Fox Broadcasting, has received negative criticism, including three lawsuits and unfavorable comparisons for its similarities to other animated series. Yet, people still love the show and continue to watch it.9. America’s Next Top ModelCan’t find anything on T.V.? “America’s Next Top Model” can be found on Oxygen almost any night of the week. The show, created by former model Tyra Banks, follows a new group of girls every season to see who will become “America’s Next Top Model.” Drama, tears and girl fights are just a few of the bumps along to the road to becoming a model. 10. The HillsThe show everyone talks about is number 10 on the list. Whether it’s good or bad publicity, people from “The Hills” always seem to be in the media. Originally following Lauren Conrad from the hit MTV show “Laguna Beach,” “The Hills” has slowly changed from following a former O.C. girl to writing the script and making up drama that just doesn’t exist. Conrad has since left the show, allowing the light to be shown on former Laguna girl Kirstin Cavallari and the commotion that seems to follow her no matter where she is.