It’s the end of another decade; and what a decade it has been. Between 2000 and 2009, so many shows have come and gone. And when I think about it, most of my TV obsessions sprung within the past 10 years. From Smallville (which I used to love but now do not watch completely) to Veronica Mars (which I miss to this very day) to Friday Night Lights (the BEST drama right now) plus a bunch of new and amazing comedies (The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family) that replaced some classic favorites (Friends, Sex and the City), watching television pretty much ruled a part of my life the past decade.

Anyway, before moving on, you might want to read my year-end TV recaps since 2006 when I started blogging about TV. It might give some insight into how my TV watching has changed (or not) over the past 4 years:
TV in 2006
TV in 2007
TV in 2008

And now…. As a salute to the decade that was, here are some notable TV highlights between 2000 and 2009 (some personal, some general observations). The shows mentioned may not all be award-winning critical favorites; but I loved ‘em (maybe even left ‘em recently):

Smallville (2001-present)

From the time I heard about it being produced, I’ve been excited to check out Smallville, which is basically “Superman as a teenager.” The first season was everything I loved in a series: drama, action, comedy and a lot of teen angst. It became the first show I was truly obsessed with (at least in this decade). I visited websites, read spoilers, collected its music, even started a fansite of my own for the show.

The first few seasons kept me hooked, with the cliffhangers as events I always looked forward to. I kept on watching until half of the sixth season, when the stories just became less and less interesting. Plus, when I heard that the show was losing Michael Rosenbaum, quite possibly the best actor on Smallville; that was it for me. Now, the original executive producers have gone and the show still goes on… It’s now on its ninth season; and I have absolutely no idea what’s happening.

I still have the first three seasons in my DVD collection; and despite the show losing its quality in recent years, Smallville still remains in the back of my mind as a show that started my TV show obsession.

Meteor Garden (2001)

The first Asianovela I watched (and still a favorite). With only 19 hour-long episodes, the story ended quickly; but the mania that came along with it lasted quite a while. Four guys that made up the supergroup F4 became a sensation; and the Philippines never looked back. Asianovelas, until now, are a staple in television programming. Though imports still keep coming in, none of them could recreate the stir that Meteor Garden started.

Veronica Mars (2004-2007)

It was basically Nancy Drew; but wittier, darker and much snarkier. I heard about this show since it premiered, receiving lots of critical buzz over the Internet; but I never really had the chance to watch it until ETC (a local cable channel) premiered the series. Since then, I completely fell in love with Veronica Mars. It was a show I easily got attached to because of the mystery, the writing, and the characters/actors. Almost instantly, I became a fan of creator Rob Thomas. The first season is absolutely outstanding and “Leave It to Beaver” remains to be one of my favorite episodes of the series.

What made my fanaticism about Veronica Mars even more special was the fact that the show was constantly on the bubble when it comes to renewal. The Veronica Mars fandom is a rabid and obsessed one. We were few; but we were very much determined to keep the show on the air. This fan base helped the show get more episodes than it would have if ratings were the only basis. Despite many campaigns and various efforts, the show lasted for only three seasons; and the end was abrupt and heartbreaking for everyone. To this day, I miss this show; and I’m still hoping a closure to Veronica Mars’ story would be produced (in any form) in the near future.

Friday Night Lights (2006-present)

This show was a pleasant surprise for me. I never wanted to check it out; because I wasn’t into football or sports-themed movies, much less a TV series centered on the sport. Like a lot of people, that was the very first mistake I made… passing on the series because of a misconception that it’s all about football.

By the end of 2006, I was bombarded with the critical buzz surrounding the series that I finally started watching and catching up… best decision ever. I discovered a series that was so much more than a show about football. It was a show that got into the lives of the characters. The showrunners created an amazing drama that, I swear to God, came out with a flawless first season. Not a single episode disappointed me. It was just… perfect. Since then, I’ve grown more and more attached to FNL… the characters, the stories, everything. I love it to this very day.

I’m hearing that the next season will be its last; and I don’t mind. As long as the characters get the closure they deserve, then I’m happy.

The Search for My New “Friends”

Ever since the seventh or eighth season, Friends had never ending series finale rumors, which were constantly eluded by more contract negotiations which meant bigger salaries for each “friend.” And every single time, I eagerly wait as NBC, year after year, renews the show. The inevitable end finally came in 2004, when the show finally resolved to have a shorter 10th season with only 18 episodes… with the 238th and last episode airing on May 6. I still can’t get over the fact that I won’t see a new episode featuring these six people anymore… ever.

Since that tearful and emotional end,  I’ve been in search of a replacement. So far, none of them have reached the love I had for Friends. How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory are coming in close. Also, the single-camera comedies are catching up, with 30 Rock and Modern Family as potential classics in their own right.

ABC Rises

At the start of the decade, ABC was way behind the other networks. Now, those days are very much over. It started with Lost and Desperate Housewives which created a lot of buzz during the fall 2004 season. After which, Grey’s Anatomy came out January 2005; and with hit after hit after hit (Dancing with the Stars, Ugly Betty, Modern Family), the alphabet network has never looked back.

Personally, I became obsessed with Lost, Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy when they first came out. (Seriously, Grey’s Anatomy’s first two seasons were amazing. I got seriously hooked.) Now, Lost continues to be one of the most innovative shows of the decade. And Desperate Housewives as well as Grey’s Anatomy continue their respective series runs. Not as many people may be tuning in nowadays; but this is the decade that shifted the tides and put ABC in the lead when it comes to commercial hits (that aren’t procedurals).

Reality Reality Reality!

Reality television never grew as strong as it did the past decade. Before, we only had biography specials or Candid Camera or Rescue 911 and Cops as reality programming. Now, we have almost everything from reality competition (Survivor, The Amazing Race, American Idol, Project Runway, Top Chef, The Biggest Loser, Dancing with the Stars, America’s Next Top Model) to reality that-turns-almost-anyone-into-a-celebrity (The Simple Life, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Laguna Beach, The Hills, Jon and Kate Plus 8, Jersey Shore).

Reality programming also grew strong locally, with local adaptations of foreign series making stars out of anyone (Survivor Philippines, The Amazing Race Asia, Pinoy Big Brother, Project Runway Philippines). The list of TV programs just go on and on and on… And I don’t think they’re running out of ideas anytime soon.

I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Cable Networks and Original Programming

By the end of the last decade, HBO had come out with The Sopranos and Sex and the City, both critical and commercial hits in their own right. But in the past decade, other cable networks have been giving HBO a run for their money. Showtime starts churning out shows such as Weeds, Damages and Dexter (one of my personal favorites). AMC comes out with Mad Men (another personal favorite) and Breaking Bad. Starz comes out with Party Down. Most, if not all, of them, gave HBO some stiff competition when it comes to quality. In fairness to HBO, however, they still came out with some other hits: The Wire (which is constantly in Best of the Decade lists), Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, Big Love, Deadwood and of course, with True Blood leading the pack recently.

TV Backtracks and Farewells

With the technology that rapidly developed and the quickly growing business of TV shows on DVD, it became easier for me to get into some old shows that I never had the chance to catch up on.

Freaks and Geeks, Dead Like Me, Cupid, Undeclared and Everwood: five shows that I watched way after they ended on television. Even if most of them had endings that didn’t really satisfy a TV fan, I was still happy to have watched these great series.

Also, in this decade, I had to let go of some programs I grew up with. The show Friends, which officially ended in 2004, still ranks number one as the show I miss the most. Sex and the City as well as Charmed also ended their long and successful runs this decade.

And that’s a round up of 2000 to 2009 in television, from the perspective of a not-too-critical yet rabid TV fan. A lot of things started for me in the past 10 years… From starting college to starting to join the workforce; but starting to watch more TV shows than I could handle… as well as writing about them… definitely ranks as a significant highlight for me this decade.

In the next ten years, I’m pretty sure my TV tastes will evolve just like they evolved over the past decade (Imagine? From being obsessed with Smallville to now absolutely loving Friday Night Lights? That’s evolution.). I’m also vowing to watch series that I missed or have stopped watching (but wish to continue watching) between 2000-2009… I’m looking at you Buffy, Battlestar Galactica, Big Love, The Sopranos and The Wire.

Here’s to the next ten years!