Most watched

Eight TV shows I watch religiously (and why):

• 60 Minutes- Mike Wallace, Lesley Stahl, Steve Croft, etc. ask the hard-hitting questions. Dares to skip the fluff that passes for news these days to cover serious issues like terrorism and the environment.
• American Idol- An obvious favorite. An unpretentious talent show where the contestants are refreshingly down-to-earth despite being amazing singers. And it's fun to speculate on who will get voted off.
• The Amazing Race- Great show with exotic locales, fun obstacles, and the hyper-competitiveness of a race around the world. One of the few reality shows that doesn't seem to exploit its contestants.
• Lost- Loved the first season, the second is getting increasingly convoluted, but I still watch because I don't want to miss anything important. Gorgeously shot and I like the concept of the flashback to the characters' lives before the crash.
• Survivor- Somewhat sadistic but I watch anyway. A fascinating social experiment set in a tropical paradise.
• CSI- (original version) I like the dynamic among the cast of this show. The characters are smart, even geeky. Also enjoy the occasional shock of blood and gore.
• ER- I think this incarnation of the cast is way better than those from years past. Not a very realistic depiction of a hospital (how many doctors look like Goran Visnjic?) but entertaining.
• What Not to Wear- The ultimate makeover show. Proves that any poorly-dressed person can be transformed into a beautiful swan with the help of $5,000 worth of clothes, two fashion gurus, and hair and make-up experts.

Tally: four reality shows, three dramas, and one news show. I really need to find a good comedy to add to the list. Only one really girl-y show (What Not to Wear), though I think ER and American Idol could qualify as shows with more of a feminine audience. Only one show is on cable (and four are from a single network, CBS). I'll watch cable but somehow cable shows aren't usually "must see" for me. Apparently these shows are fairly popular choices- four from the list are also in the Nielsen Top 10.