The series finale of “Friends” has been ranked as the most-watched television episode of the decade.
The May 2004 finale of the 10-year-old sitcom, starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and Matthew Perry, drew about 52.5 million viewers, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The finale of the first Survivor series, which aired in August 2000, came in at a close second, drawing about 51.7 million viewers.
The full “Hollywood Reporter” list includes:
1. Friends, “The Last One,” May 6, 2004 — 52.5 million
2. Survivor: Borneo, “Season Finale,” Aug. 23, 2000 — 51.7 million
3. Joe Millionaire, “Season Finale,” Feb. 17, 2003 — 40 million
4. ER, “All in the Family,” Feb. 17, 2000 — 39.4 million
5. American Idol, “Minneapolis Auditions,” Jan. 16, 2007 — 38.1 million
6. Grey’s Anatomy, “It’s the End of the World,” Feb. 5, 2006 — 38 million
7. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, May 3, 2000 — 36 million
8. Frasier, “Something Borrowed, Someone Blue,” May 18, 2000 — 33.7 million
9. Everybody Loves Raymond, “The Finale,” May 16, 2005 — 32.9 million
10. Spin City, “Goodbye,” May 24, 2000 — 32.8 million