1. American IdolAmerican Idol is a reality show that searches for the Best Singing talent in America. It debuted in 2002, and was called American Idol: Searching for a Superstar. It is an interactive talent show. American Idol has often been rated number 1 in popularity which can be gauged from the number of votes the contestants get through SMS and phone calls. It has been running for several seasons now and is as popular as before. Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul are judges on the show.
2. True BloodTrue Blood is derived from The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels. It is based on the co-existence of Vampires and Humans together, in a town called Bon Temps. True Blood is about Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress who is in love with a vampire, Bill Compton. It is now running its third season.
3. Grey’s AnatomyGrey’s Anatomy is a Medical Drama. It is about the life of interns, resident doctors and their mentors at Seattle Grace-Mercy West Hospital. It premiered in 2005, and will air its 7th Season in 2010. Its first episode was watched by 16.5 million viewers. It has won Emmys and Golden Globes. The cast of Grey’s Anatomy is racially diverse and shows emotions that people go through while working in a stressed environment such as a hospital.
4. 2424 revolves around federal agent Jack Bauer. Each of the episodes shows one hour in the day of Agent Bauer. 24 premiered in 2001, and had Bauer being a part of Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU), and the plot is like a political thriller. Throughout most of the episodes of 24, Bauer is trying to unravel terrorist plots, nuclear, biological threats, cyber attacks. The TV series has won several awards and is among the longest running shows on television.
5. HouseThe show is also called House M.D. It is a medical Drama that premiered in 2004. House revolves around Dr. Gregory House, who heads a team of diagnostics doctors at the Princeton‑Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Dr. House often has disagreements with his boss, hospital administrator and Dean of Medicine, over hypotheses. House is critically acclaimed, and is watched in over 66 countries. It has won People’s Choice Award, a Peabody Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and four Primetime Emmy Awards.
6. Desperate HousewivesProduced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions, Desperate Housewives is set in the neighbourhood of Wisteria Lane, in the town of Fairview in the Eagle State. It follows the lives of a group of neighbourhood women through their struggles of family and secrets that they have to keep, at the same time making life appear perfect on the outside. Premiered in 2004, Desperate Housewives has won Emmys, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards. It has been hugely popular with a worldwide audience of 120 million.
7. DexterDexter is based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. The show is based on the life of Dexter Morgan, who is adopted by Miami Police officer Harry Morgan. Realising that Dexter has a violent streak, Harry wants to channelize his negative energy positively. Dexter is taught to kill those who kill others and who deserve to die before they kill others. Harry shows Dexter ‘The Code’ where he can cover his tracks. Dexter also works with the Miami police as a blood splatter analyst.
8. Prison BreakPremiered in 2005, Prison Break is about two brothers. One is in prison though he is innocent for a crime he didn’t commit while the other makes elaborate plans to help his brother to escape. The series was produced by Adelstein-Parouse Productions and 20th Century Fox. It was extremely popular since its first season and has won the People’s choice award, Best Drama Series and Golden Globe award. All the four seasons of Prison Break have been released on DVD.
Aired from 2004 to 2010, the Lost shows the lives of people, especially the survivors of a plane crash on a mysterious island in the south Pacific. The story of Lost shows the lives of the people stranded on the island as well as stories from other times in their lives. The series ended in 2010. Lost was produced by ABC Studios, Bad Robot Productions and Grass Skirt Productions. It had a viewership of 15 million per episode.
Premiered in 2006, Heroes, this science –fiction , fantasy TV series, is about ordinary people who discover they have superhuman abilities. The producers use short, multi episode stories as a part of the larger story. The show has completed 4 seasons to date. Produced by Tailwind Production and Universal media studios, Heroes is filmed in the city of Los Angeles. The first season had 14.3 million viewers and since then its popularity has grown. It has won the Emmy, Golden Globe and People’s Choice awards.
