The Top 10 Reality TV Shows of the Decade

Dec. 1, 2009 — -- Remember the time before reality TV?

It's hard to think back to a day when competitions for everything from a bachelor's heart to cold hard cash didn't litter the channels like trash on city sidewalks; when soap opera-type dramas stayed confined to the realm of fiction and didn't sully reality. That's not to diss reality TV as a whole -- while some shows that debuted during the decade marked new lows in human depravity, others inspired audiences and showed what good the genre can do.

ABCNews.com rounded up the top 10 series of the '00s, when reality TV came into its own. The following shows may not have drawn the most ratings or critical acclaim, but their influence on pop culture over the past decade can't be contested. Even if they fade from the tube, their effects are likely to be felt long after the new decade dawns.