Top ten TV shows of 2009

Soap operas crowded the small screen, but it was Balika Vadhu and Bandini - serials with a rural backdrop - that were the big hits. Here's a pick of 10 shows that captivated audiences this year.

Rakhi ka Swayamvar

Soap operas crowded the small screen, but it was Balika Vadhu and Bandini - serials with a rural backdrop - that were the big hits. Reality shows like Sach Ka Saamna and Rakhi Ka Swayamvar also found many takers in 2009.

Here's a pick of 10 fiction and non-fiction shows that captivated audiences this year.

1. Rakhi Ka Swayamvar - Item girl Rakhi Sawant left the nation shocked when she decided to find a suitable life partner through the reality show. It brought unprecedented TRPs for the channel, but Rakhi failed to sustain her engagement to Toronto-based businessman Elesh Parujanwala, whom she found through the show.

2. Balika Vadhu - Set in rural Rajasthan, the family drama changed the face of Indian television in 2008 and continued to rule the charts this year with its gripping script. It deals with grave social issues like child marriage, perils of teen pregnancy and mismatched marriage.

3. Sach Ka Saamna - The Indian version of popular American reality show The Moment of Truth, Sach Ka... hosted by Rajeev Khandelwal featured contestants who had to answer 21 questions, the authenticity of which was determined by a polygraph machine. Though the government expressed its ire against "vulgarity" on the show, it hasn't stopped the channel from planning its second season.

5. Dance Premier League - This big ticket dance show not only brought actress Rani Mukerji to the small screen but also provided a platform to dancing teams from different zones across India. The show is nearing its finale.

6. Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai - Speaking volumes about Indian tradition and culture, the show narrates the story of love finding its way into arranged marriages and how two strangers bond and blossom together after entering matrimony. Lead characters Naitik and Akshara have become household names.

7. Bigg Boss 3 - In its third season, Bigg Boss promised to get bigger and it certainly did by roping in megastar Amitabh Bachchan to host it. The show started with a mix of 12 celebrities, including Rakhi Sawant's mother Jaya, Bhojpuri actor Kamaal Rashid Khan and Vindu Dara Singh. The show provided ample drama.

8. Bandini - Based in a Gujarat village, Balaji Telefilms production's, Bandini, is about a young girl Santu who is forced to marry a much older Dharam Raj, played by seasoned actor Ronit Roy. The show traces Santu's trials and tribulations while adjusting with the family and how love surfaces between her and her husband. The show is liked for its simplicity.

9. Dance India Dance season-2 - After the success of its first season this year, the dance show has already entered its second season. It has three popular choreographers, Terrence Lewis, Remo D'Souzaand Geeta Kapoor, who train 18 contestants in dance forms like ballet, acrobatics, mid-air dancing, contemporary, bollywood and hip-hop. Yesteryear superstar Mithun Chakraborty has joined the show as the "grand master".

10. Bidaai - This serial questions whether life is happier for fairer people. It is the parallel story of two sisters - Sadhna and Ragini and shows how their looks determine the quality of their lives.

Shows like Khatron Ke Khiladi 2, India's Got Talent, Uttaran and Na Aana Iss Des Laado, Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao and Jhalak Dikkhla Jaa 3 on Sony, Aap Ki Kachehri and Perfect Bride on Star Plus and Pavitra Rishta on Zee TV also made for good entertainment this year.