Most Watched Shows of 2000s: What Did You Watch?

[Shifty]

THR.com listed the top rated individual episodes of the past ten years (not including repeat entries of Survivor or American Idol).

1. "Friends"
Airdate: May 6, 2004
Viewers: 52.5 million

Titled "The Last One," the "Friends" series finale closed a modern-day Golden Age of comedy TV -- and marked the end of the NBC's "Must-See TV" era. At the time, the final "Friends" was the most-watched entertainment telecast in six years, and it has never been surpassed. A finale that stayed true to the series, the "Friends" closer was well-liked by fans and concluded with slow pan across Monica and Chandler's empty apartment.

2. "Survivor: Borneo"
Airdate: Aug. 23, 2000
Viewers: 51.7 million

"Survivor" was a new series that premiered in the dead of summer, yet that didn't stop its August finale from nearly toppling "Friends" as the most-watched telecast of the decade. During its riveting two-hour closer, audiences expected tough whitewater rafting guide Kelly Wiglesworth to triumph over scheming corporate trainer Richard Hatch for the show's $1 million prize -- and then were stunned to discover that on this new TV genre called "reality," sometimes the villain wins.

3. "Joe Millionaire"
Airdate: Feb. 17, 2003
Viewers: 40 million

Fox put a deceptive twist on the reality TV genre with "Joe Millionaire." Why tell contestants the truth when fooling them is so much more fun? With women vying for the attention of fake millionaire Evan Marriott, millions watched the season finale to see which bachelorette he would choose and, more important, how she would react when she learned the truth about his identity. Marriott's relationship with winner Zora Andrich didn't last and, once the show's twist played out, neither did "Joe Millionaire."

4. "ER"
Airdate: Feb. 17, 2000
Viewers: 39.4 million

A car crash the previous week left Lucy Knight and John Carter gravely injured after they were attacked by schizophrenic patient. A massive audience tuned in for this episode, "All in the Family," to see who would survive. Considered one of the most tragic episodes of the series.

5. "American Idol"
Airdate: Jan. 16, 2007
Viewers: 38.1 million

The "American Idol" sixth-season premiere marked the pinnacle of the show's popularity, back when each season brought in a higher number than the one before. The Minneapolis opener was for a season won by Jordin Sparks and introduced millions to the name Sanjaya.

6. "Grey's Anatomy" post-Super Bowl episode
Airdate: Feb. 5, 2006
Viewers: 38 million

Code black! This post-Super Bowl episode of ABC's medical soap was jam-packed with attention-getting drama for the football crowd -- supply-closet sex, a doctor giving birth, a lesbian shower scene and guest star Christina Ricci as a paramedic with her hand on the trigger of a bomb that's also inside her patient. Ahhh! Sealed "Grey's" hit status and proved girly shows can score ratings touchdowns after the Big Game, too.

7. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"
Airdate: May 3, 2000
Viewers: 36 million

Three "Millionaire" episodes from the same week in May are clumped together on the most-watched list, as Regis-fever swept the country. ABC was criticized for airing this flashy new game show three or even four nights a the week, though we'll never know if the network's scheduling saturation was to blame for the show's demise two years later or if the game show's popularity with viewers was destined to be short-lived.


8. "Frasier"
Airdate: May 18, 2000
Viewers: 33.7 million
The seventh-season finale of "Cheers" spinoff "Fraiser" promised to end the suspense over Niles Crane's swooning over physical therapist Daphne Moon. Niles confesses his love for Daphne on the eve of her wedding, only to be rejected ... or so it seemed at first.

9. "Everybody Loves Raymond"
Airdate: May 16, 2005
Viewers: 32.9 million

The series finale for Ray Romano's long-running sitcom went off the air as a top 10-ranked show among total viewers. The episode was only subtly climatic, with Ray Barone's routine surgery resulting in a moment where his family thought he might have died. The episode concluded with the Barones talking and laughing around the dinner table.

10. "Spin City"
Airdate: May 24, 2000
Viewers: 32.8 million

Yes, we were surprised, too -- and it's not for the series finale. This was the final episode starring Michael J. Fox, who left the show because of his worsening Parkinson's symptoms. Charlie Sheen took the lead role for two more "Spins" seasons, though Fox had a brief return in the final year.

The way television is going now its unlikely dramas or sitcoms will reach levels in this list but reality shows will.
So which episodes did you watch from that list the night they aired? You may have not followed the show but just tuned in because of the episode.

 

[bullets]

The Sopranos
The Office
Chappelle Show
Survivor
Heroes

 

[Shifty]

1. "Friends"
Had horrible car trouble that day, got back home and caught a Seinfeld rerun that I had never seen before (George posing as the Nazi) and once that was done it was the Friends finale night. Tuned in to see what would happen.

2. "Survivor: Borneo"
Caught the ads on CBS so I tuned into the first episode and was hooked. After the third Survivor I had enough, tuned in for All-Stars but that was it.

3. "Joe Millionaire"
Had to tune in to see what would happen. Then there was that SNL sketch, Joe Rapist.

4. "ER"
Never got into ER. Spent time in a hospital, not something I want to see.

5. "American Idol"
The bad singers are funny but that's it for me.

6. "Grey's Anatomy" post-Super Bowl episode
Didn't see this and only have seen a handful of episodes. The Twilight of TV.

7. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"
I watched it in the summer but when ABC wallpapered four times a week, I only tuned in for the celebrity editions.

8. "Frasier"
And it would go on for another four seasons after this episode but the 8th really should've been it's last. Niles pinning for Daphne was the best joke on the show and once they took care of that it what else was there to do? After seven years the writers thought messing with their happiness and any relationship would be good. It wasn't. Clearly the audience had a enough since this once great show's series finale couldn't attract over 26 million yet Cheers had 80 million.

9. "Everybody Loves Raymond"
By this point I just made it a habit to watch series finales. Frasier, Will & Grace, King of Queens, etc. Some are good and some think the show needs to infuse drama in the last episode to make it special Raymond's wasn't even an hour long, just standard half hour and went for mostly regular episode feel.

10. "Spin City"
Ah the good old days when I would watch ABC. TV needs Michael J.Fox, his appearance on Rescue Me was perhaps the highlight of their last season. Wouldn't tune in every week but it had a great cast and there was the Lloyd-Fox reunion.

 

[Neptune]

So i'm guessing those are the most watched shows IN AMERICA, because i'm pretty sure most europeans don't even know what Joe Millionaire is. Out of those shows i only watched Friends.

 

[[A]]

So I guess this thread only applies to US viewers..

 

[amazingfantasy15]

Watched the Survivor finale, since people at work kept raving about the show. It was pretty good, that was the only one on the list I did watch though. I do remember the Friends finale only because a work happy hour got rescheduled so it didn't interfere with the finale.

 

[Prison Mike]

I saw the Friends finale, the Frasier episode where Niles admits his love to Daphne, and Everybody Loves Raymond series finale. Of the three I watched, I personally liked the Friends finale the best.

 

[Shifty]

So I guess this thread only applies to US viewers..

Its from The Hollywood Reporter, if there is a UK or European list I say create your own thread.

 

[Darthkush]

I only saw two of those. I saw that idiotic Joe Millionaire finale and I saw the American Idol episode. It's funny, when that Idol episode aired, the show literally was unstoppable. People were still watching it like mindless sheep and it had been on 6 seasons at that point! I stopped watching during the season before the last one but I did watch last season because my then new girlfriend now fiance was hardcore into it and now i'm into it again too.

 

[Max J Power]

The only episodes I watched were Frasier, because it was a good show, and Friends...I don't remember why.

 

[Doc Ock]

I never watched any of those shows....