As the ’00s draw to a close, TV viewers no doubt will remember certain lasting images from the decade’s most popular shows — and wonder what the heck they were thinking when they decided to tune in.
Why, for example, does the 2003 season finale of the Fox reality show “Joe Millionaire” rank third on The Hollywood Reporter’s list of the most-watched TV episodes of the decade?
The top show is no head-scratcher. It’s the May 6, 2004 series finale of “Friends,” which averaged 52.5 million viewers. Others on the Reporter’s list, however, might come as a surprise. (Two things to note: The list is limited to TV shows, so it excludes events such as the Super Bowl and the Oscars. And it excludes duplicate titles, so a regular ratings giant like “American Idol” is only represented once, by its top audience figure.)
(Year, show, average number of viewers)
1. 2004: The “Friends” gang says goodbye, 52.5 million
2. 2000: Richard Hatch wins “Survivor,” 51.7 million
3. 2003: “Joe Millionaire” season finale, 40 million
4. 2000: Dr. Carter fights for his life on “ER,” 39.4 million
5. 2007: “American Idol” kicks off its sixth season, 38.1 million
6. 2006: A thrilling “Grey’s Anatomy” post-Super Bowl show, 38 million
7. 2000: “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire” episode, 36 million
8. 2000: Niles reveals crush on Daphne on “Frasier,” 33.7 million
9. 2005: “Everybody Loves Raymond” series finale, 32.9 million
10. 2000: Michael J. Fox’s final episode on “Spin City,” 32.8 million
