photo: nbc
A recent list was put out of the most watched television episodes of the past decade. Did your favorites make the list?
1. Friends, Original Air Date: May 6, 2004; Viewers: 52.5 Million
– “The Last One” ended Friends run with Monica and Chandler adopting twins, Rachel and Ross finally getting together and the purple-walled apartment being left empty, with 6 keys on the counter. It still brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it even though I know Rachel gets off the plane, a second baby comes out and there’s no new episode after it.
2. Survivor: Borneo, Original Air Date: Aug. 23, 2000; Viewers: 51.7 Million
– Do you remember Sue’s “rat and snake” speech? This was a famous Survivor speech and a pivotal moment in reality television history. To this day, it’s the only moment in Survivor history that I clearly remember. Sue standing up there in front of Kelly and Richard, my jaw was on the floor. And who would’ve guessed Richard Hatch would spend the next few years in jail? I guess Kelly ultimately won!
3. Joe Millionaire, Original Air Date: Feb. 17, 2003; Viewers: 40 Million
– Okay, this was truly a surprise on the list, in my opinion. But apparently everyone seemed to care which woman the fake millionaire chose and if she would stay. He chose Zora and they didn’t last. There was one more season of the show (on a dude ranch!) but that didn’t go over too well with audiences.
4. ER; Original Air Date: Feb. 17, 2000; Viewers: 39.4 Million
– In the previous weeks’ episode, Lucy and John were stabbed by a schizophrenic patient. Viewers tuned in to see which one of them survived (it was John). I find it super hard to believe that this episode had more viewers than Mark Greene dying, but it is true. Lucy Knight dying is considered, according to the list, one of the most tragic episodes of the series.
5. American Idol; Original Air Date: Jan. 16, 2007; Viewers: 38.1 Million
– This episode opened the sixth season. It introduced us to ultimate winner Jordin Sparks and wide-eyed hopeful Sanjaya.
6. Grey’s Anatomy; Original Air Date: Feb. 5, 2006; Viewers: 38 Million
– The infamous post-Superbowl “Code Black” episode had classic Grey’s Anatomy drama. Guest-star Christina Ricci held her hand on a grenade that was inside of a patient for nearly the entire episode, Dr. Bailey gave birth (and gave birth to a new word of our generation), there was closet sex, a lesbian scene and eventually the bomb went off. It solidified Grey’s as one of the hottest dramas of our time.
7. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire; Original Air Date: May 3, 2000; Viewers: 36 Million
– This most-watched episode is actually three episodes averaged together from one week. Regis was on top back then, but two years later the show was canceled in prime time, moved to daytime and eventually got a new host.
8. Frasier; Original Air Date: May 18, 2000; Viewers: 33.7 Million
– The seventh-season finale of the Cheers spinoff had Niles confessing his love to Daphne on the eve of her wedding, a storyline that had been going on for years.
9. Everybody Loves Raymond; Original Air Date: May 16, 2005; Viewers: 32.9 Million
– The series finale had Ray in surgery, with a quick moment where the family thinks he dies. He doesn’t and the series ends with the family around the dinner table as usual. No antics, just a regular episode. The series went out as a top-10 ranked show.
10. Spin City; Original Air Date: May 24, 2000; Viewers: 32.8 Million
– What other episode would get more viewers than the departure of its’ star, Michael J. Fox? As his Parkinson’s worsened, work got harder for Fox, although he did return briefly in the final year. Charlie Sheen took over the lead role for the final two seasons.
To see the full list with better descriptions, as well as clips from each show, go to the hollywoodreporter.com site.
Farrah Kaye – Associate Staff Writer
Farrah@thetwocentscorp.com
TheTwoCents 
Wow, I think the only thing I watched from that list was “Everybody Loves Raymond”! Wait, no- I watched “Who Wants to Be a Millionare”, too.