Topping the boob tube: Shows that rocked this year

Television shows have recently witnessed some unprecedented changes in content and style. We ask a cross-section of people which show had them glued to their TV sets this year

Compared to the kitchen sink dramas that have been hogging the top TRP slots on TV over the past years, mature love stories like Bade Achhe Lagte Hain and Kuch Toh Log Kahenge emerged on top this year.

Our poll result points out that Bade Acche Lagte Hai is the most popular show on TV right now. However, there have been some other close contenders as well.

Big B (or is it big bucks) ruled the television scenario in 2011. KBC 5 had viewers glued to the screen when Sushil Kumar from Motihari bagged the Rs 5 crore jackpot with a record 27 million people witnessed this historic event.

The viewers empathised with a man from a small town walking away with a big bag of money.




Bigg Boss

The saas-bahu sagas that once defined Indian television, however, were not overshadowed Saath Nibhana Saathiya garnered a TRP of 7 ever since it hit the small screen.

Interestingly, the generation leap, which is an inevitable trump card within soap operas, worked its magic as well. In Balika Vadhu, Anandi grew up to be a fine young woman, standing up against orthodox social norms.


Balika Vadhu

Ekta Kapoor's Pavitra Rishta too rates high on the popularity charts with the highest TRP reaching 6.6. There was gastronomic fare for the foodies as well with Master Chef India.

Loyal fans remained glued to crime thrillers like CID and Crime Patrol.


Reality bites

Despite its popularity, Bigg Boss season 5, did not do as well as the past seasons, despite roping in adult entertainer Sunny Leone and controversial cricketer Andrew Symonds. Probably Salman Khan's blink and miss presence in this season also managed to affect the TRP ratings.


Bade Acche Lagte Hai

Good friend Sanjay Dutt obviously did not manage to match up to Sallu as host. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs winner Azmat Hussain became a household name with his talent and cheeky repartee. Besides Bollywood stars, political crusader Anna Hazare and spiritual guru Ramdev Baba too made their TV debut with this show.

Big stars on the small screen

Not surprisingly, the small screen was flooded with Bollywood celebs making a beeline in almost all reality shows and even fiction shows to host, judge or promote their films.


Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya Balan on KBC

If we saw Kareena Kapoor participating in a pooja in Pavitra Rishta, Vidya Balan shook a leg with Sakshi Tanwar in Bade Achhe Lagte Hain. While we saw Mahesh Bhatt offering Sunny Leone a film inside the Bigg Boss house, Akshay and John Abraham joined the girls in a jig.