The Most Popular Television Shows of 2010

As the year draws to an end, we look at the most popular Hindi shows on television, that got the maximum TRPs.

Gone are the days when serials went on for years. Today, channels give the producers about three months to shape up or ship out their serials. If a show runs for three months, it is reason enough to pop the champagne. It's not a channel war any more; it is one show versus the other.

Let's take a look at some of the most popular shows of 2010.

Uttaran

The Colors show about two childhood friends, Ichcha and Tapasya, who grow apart due to the latter's jealousy and insecurities, has gone from one dramatic episode to another.

From Tapasya taking Ichcha's place in the shaadi ka mandap to marry Veer, to Veer's older brother Vansh's marriage to Ichcha, from his death to Ichcha and Veer finally getting together, and now to Tapasya returning to ruin Veer and Ichcha's happiness yet again, this show has managed to stay afloat and keep the flag high for the channel.

The Zee TV show has seen many ups and downs, nagging in-laws and scheming characters. There have been marital problems, a lot of revenge, drama and yet, the lead pair of Archana and Manav sailing through it all with a bucketful of tears.

The serial recently saw the two finally coming together once again and getting married. But their woes continue to woo the viewers.

Are Naitik and Akshara a happily married couple? Not quite, as little differences of opinion and petty misunderstandings keep cropping up in their young marital life.

Then there are other supporting characters like Naitik's mother, who makes sure the couple goes through some really tough (often unnecessary) moments. Yet, despite all that, viewers find the couple endearing.

Young married girls and brides-to-be especially seem to like the show, as they apparently relate well to Akshara's delicate journey in her sasural.

The show started off focusing on female infanticide; Ammaji tortured her daughters-in-law for either bearing a girl child or not bearing a family heir.

She also made life difficult for Sia, who from a social activist became Ammaji's youngest daughter-in-law (Raghav's wife). Then began Sia and Ammaji's war for supremacy and battle to safeguard their ideals.

Now, Raghav and Sia are dead, courtesy Ammaji's new enemy Bhanu Pratap and the show has jumped by 18 years. Sia's twin daughters have entered the scene. The plot thickens.

Anandi grew up and so did her problems.

Dadisa continues to torment her with her rigid traditions and conditions, Jagya has become more of a city boy, Anandi's childhood friend Phooli has her own share of problems and the last we heard was that yet another girl child was being readied for marriage. And the saga continues.

This now-defunct show was a warm story of two sisters and friends, Ragini and Sadhna.

We won't dare to get into the story but the plot went all over the countryside for three years and some more. The story got more complex, one of the protagonists quit the show, new characters crowded the screen and earlier this year, the show took a leap before finally falling off the radar.

Interestingly, the show ended with a bang, with some good TRPs.

A middle class girl raises her voice against eve-teasing. The premise sounded good but the show did nothing substantial for the cause.

After the initial hype, it settled down to a typical saas bahu family drama, with the sasur joining in to pull down the bahu. Yet, viewers are lapping up this drama day after day, week after week.

It is about Nakusha, who smears soot on her face while her hysterical mother goes to great length to keep her daughter ugly and away from buri nazar.

However, many episodes have flown under the screen and today Naku is all fair and lovely fighting to prove her love for her goon-husband, Datta bhau, even as his step-sisters continue to make life difficult for the bechari-no-more Cinderella.

Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo was about an impoverished family living in a village in Bihar, where the eldest daughter, Laali, decides to be a son to her helpless father, and help him shoulder responsibilities.

But a few hundred episodes later, it fast turned into an unrecognisable soap. Laali was suitably domesticated and some revenge drama and high moments later, it was moved to a different slot while the hysterics continued.

The serial is set in the Gokuldham Society and the day-to-day situations laced with a humorous, light-hearted touch, not to forget a social message at the end.

Some instances of the show where moral values have been extolled are dependence of Indian housewives on domestic help, popularity of cricket in India, the way husbands think and the significance of literacy in our society.

The show recently completed 500 episodes and Jethalal and Dayaben have become household names.