Think of a network, any network. Think of a show on that network. Are the two synonimous? Can't have one without the other? The next few installments of JustTV Talk will be devoted to series that define networks. One by one, I'll run by the honorees, finally picking the defining series of the last decade. Up first, ABC.

10 .The Practice (1996-) 
       This show started innocently enough- it took over "NYPD Blue"s timeslot for a six week run in the spring of 1996. Along with "Arsenio," they were ABC's "strong" spring entries that season. But with its partner long forgotten, "The Practice" lives on. It started out with mediocre ratings on Tuesday night, nearly died on Saturdays and Mondays the following season, but a move to Sunday was just what the doctor ordered. Ratings increased, and with the help of "Millionaire," it ascended into the top 5. But last season it slipped out of the top 20; viewers say they're bored with the the same old stories, all woven from the overused cloth of David. E. Kelley.
     The show has has numerous emmy nominations, won a few, aired in the post "Super Bowl" slot, and for the most part, had viewers hooked. A bright spot in ABC's last, sometimes very difficult decade, "The Practice" earns number 10 on this list.

9. The Drew Carey Show (1995-) 
       "Drew Carey" was the only new show of ABC's to make it through the 1995/96 season. Viewers didn't seem to see the appeal right away though, it didn't even rank in the top 40 in its first season. But viewers caught on in the second season as this show broke the top 20, where it remained for four seasons. The show never got any emmy nominations (not any important ones, anyway), but it did revolutionize event episodes. A live episode every season, catch the mistakes and win a trip, numerous dance numbers, special guest stars, crossovers, an episode from China (the first ever for an American sitcom), nobody did them better, or more often, than "The Drew Carey Show."
      But there's the rub. "Drew" did them too often, and viewers got tired. The original charm of the series, working class shlubs a la "Roseanne" got lost in the mix, and so did the ratings. Last season it finished out of the top 60.
      While this show seems so 1996 now, ABC should fondly remember the time when "Drew" made watching the alphabet cool again, if only for a few seasons. And for that, "Drew" gets number 9.

8. 20/20 (1978-) 
      This show was around for a long time before the 1990's, and will probably be for a long time after. While the show itself is no more memorable than "Dateline," one thing about the show is memorable- Barbara Walters. It seems that anybody will talk to her, and almost anybody will
cry on her shoulder. She will be remember for many years to come as the strongest female journalist of our time, and of possibly all time. What she wants, she gets.
     As for the show, it started the decade strong, but fell when the boomlet of the newsmags took over the airwaves in 1997. As "20/20" aired up to 4 times a week, it lost its Fridays at 10pm appeal.
ABC has finally cut it back to just Fridays, but it may never be the same. But for Barbara, she is ABC, and that warrants "20/20" number 8.

7. Family Matters (1988-1998) 
      This show started in the evil 80s as a spin-off of, believe it or not, "Perfect Strangers." (Mom Harriet was the elevator woman at the newspaper office). But the network saw potential, and went ahead with "Family Matters." The show started out as a simple family sticom, and a very good one at that. Airing on Friday nights for its entire run, it invented "TGIF," and subsequently helped to destroy it.
      For see, that simple family sitcom eventually gave way to Steve Urkel, the kid neighbour next door. As Urkel mania raged in 1991, this show would sometimes record a 50 rating in kids 2 to 12. That's right, a 50. Nothing could accomplish that these days. But as the fad faded away and ratings started to droop, the show started to really push Urkel as it got more and more surreal. Viewers feld. When ABC cancelled it in 1997, CBS picked it up. It only lasted one season.
     Despite all that, say "Urkel" to any person born in the early 80s (such as myself), and a smile will come across their face, even after all these years.  And for this, "Family Matters" drops in at number 7.

6. Ellen (1993-1998) 
       The show was nothing special in its early run. Starting out as "These Friends Of Mine," it was ranked fifth in its first season, which lasted only 5 episodes. Moved to a tougher timeslot the very next season (and widespread cast changes), ratings dropped to the top 30, and then to 44th in its third season. The show was creatively stiffled and saw "The Nanny" coming its way.
      As the fourth season edged along, viewers were given "hints." Finally, at 9pm EST on April 30, 1997, Ellen Morgan, and Ellen DeGeneres, came out of the closet. The show was the top rated on the week, sending it into the top 30 on the season. The next season was no so great. Despite a strong start, it finished barely in the top 50 in its fifth season, and was cancelled.
      But the ratings don't tell the whole story. After Ellen came out, some advertizers pulled their spots, some stations preempted, and warnings were slapped on the show. Jerry Falwell (the beacon of god himself) called her Ellen DeGenerate. But DeGeneres' attitude didn't help her any, either. As the season progressed, she became increasingly bitter in the media, making viewers see her as an "angry dyke on a mission." (my lesbian roommate's words, not mine). ABC caught more flack for this show than just about any other in its history.
      But that's only part of the reason why "Ellen" gets number six on this list. Despite the shenanigans, despite the preemptions and bitterness, DeGeneres is still the funniest woman on the planet. The last season on her show was golden, one of the best seasons of any show of the decade, period. While she said that her show wouldn't become the "Gay Ellen" show, it did. But it was the "Gay Ellen" discovering herself show, testing waters she had never walked in. Every episode was an adventure, a learning experience, especially for young homosexuals who questioned themselves. Ellen gave them somebody they could look up to. It's too bad that "Ellen" also opened the door for "Will & Grace." That show has none of the unique qualities that "Ellen" had. It's about getting a quick laugh at anybody's expense, while "Ellen" was about opening the door for shows like "Will & Grace" to slime their way through.

5. Full House (1987-1995)
     If anything was an unlikely hit, it was this show. Wife dies, so dad calls upon his brother in law and a friend to help care for his three golden haired daughters. Sounds like "Three Men And A Baby." And many times it was.
     It never had critics enthralled. They hated it. But viewers loved it. Like TGIF-mate "Family Matters," this show, anybody born in the early 80s has very fond memories of this show. DJ, Michelle, Stephanie, Kimmy, Danny, Joey and Jessie, this was our family. And later we welcomed Becky, Alex and Nicky with arms wide open. We loved these people.
     But as with everything, the audience grows up. When it was moved from Fridays to Tuesday in 1991, ratings started to droop. At one time a consistant top 10 show, it finished out its last season barely in the top 30. By that time. DJ was considering sex and college, Stephanie dealing with high school and Michelle was almost 8. Viewers no longer identified and the show was labelled "uncool," a surefire killer. So when ABC pulled the plug, it was not such a surprise.
     Even still, even the most hardened "Full House" fan (ie- one who now hates it) had to have had a smile on their face when Candice Cameron (DJ) had a baby a few years back. It was the next step in her life and ours- telling everybody that, yes, we have grown up. And for this, "Full House" clocks in at number 5.

4. Home Improvement (1991-1999) 
      It didn't necessarily have "hit" written all over it, for any other network than ABC, that is. This family sitcom, headed by Tim Taylor, his wife Jill, their kids Randy, Mark and Brad, Al Boreland who worked with Tim on the set of their show "Tool Time" and wise next door neighbour Wilson.
     The show was never razor sharp. Al was the brunt of Tim's jokes, Tim always did something stupid that everybody chided him for, Jill was the long suffering wife, and the boys were, well, boys.
But the show clicked with viewers, male and female alike, and families as a whole. There was something in it for everybody, from Tim's fascination with "more power" (followed by the grunt) to Jill's rock of Gibralter patience to the boys always getting themselves into trouble, somehow.
     It rated within the top five for 6 of its 8 seasons. It was in 1998 moved and ratings started to fall, but that's typical as series age. And viewers still watch. Repeats still rank in the top 10 of the syndie ratings. And for all of this, the last of ABC's once great sitcom giants earns a number 4 spot.

3. Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? (1999 to 2002)
     This show, as everybobdy knows, started small, exploded, then imploded, all within the span of three seasons. Quite a feat- in the history of tv, it's the only show to ever have done it.
      And it did started out small. Entertainment Weekly, the bastion of pop culture (or so it likes ot think), had only one sentence for it in its summer tv preview in the spring of 1996. "Regis Philbin will host "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire" is August." It recorded just 9.9mil viewers in its very first Monday airing. The two week marathon ended up peaking two Sundays later with 22.4mil viewers, so naturally ABC brought it back. Thanks to big promos and widespread media fever for something- anything- to talk on about tv, ratings just grew bigger and bigger. Even three times weekly airings couldn't slow it. 36.1mil viewers watched in May of 2000 as Rosie O'Donnell, the show's biggest fan, gave her "final answer" on a hot Thursday night. 
      But then ABC got greedy. It got bumped up to four times a week. Ratings dropped. And dropped some more. In a last ditch attempt to save it, ABC cut back to just two times a week last season. But viewers had had enough. They didn't watch. Ratings plummetted. In May of 2002, ABC announced its cancellation, the final episode to air on June 27th. 8.0mil people watched as Regis gave his final answer. ABC says it may be back as specials.
      At one time, everybody was saying "Is that your final answer?" dressing like Regis, playing online and at home. Now the show is an afterthought, blamed for ABC's record low ratings last season. But for a brief while, Regis Philbin was king. This earns "Millionaire" number 3 on this list.

1. NYPD Blue  (1993-) This show started in a flame of controversy in 1993, some outraged at the thought of bare butts and mild swearing on tv. It was the most racy show on tv at the time. But viewers watched anyway. It finished its first season in 13th place, a hit newcomer. .
     The next few seasons saw cast changes and ratings increases. It landed in the top 10 for the next three seasons. Viewers started appreciating the show for its fine writing and acting, and the more "racy" stuff seemed tame next to the stuff that was showing on other tv shows. As quality started to slide, so did ratings. Last season it finished still in the top 30, but to its lowest ratings ever.
     But why this show earns the top spot on this list is more complicated than that. First of all, Dennis Franz, the flagship of this show, has constantly given one of the finest performances ever by an actor in a tv drama. He's won mulitple emmys, as has the show. Number two, this show has always been there for ABC. Through thick an thin, it's been the Tuesday at 10pm (9pm last season) rock of Gilbralter for the alphabet. This show is so much a part of ABC that it could change its name to "ABC Blue" and nobody would notice. When this show does go off the air, ABC will loose a for-sure thing, something that it could depend on whether it had 5 shows in the top 10 or its whole world came crashing down, just as happened last season when "NYPD Blue" was the network's top rated show outside of football. Definitely not a coincidence.

1. Roseanne (1988-1997) When this show started in 1988, nobody knew what to think. It was so unlike anything else on tv that it was almost foreign. The concept was a blue collar family struggling to make a living- certainly done before. But the material mined was so different, its stars so different, the writing so funny, that nobody could ignore it.
      It ranked number one in its first season, something that hasn't happened since to any tv show, except "Survivor." It also ranked number one in its second season. In fact, it ranked within the top 5 for each of its first 6 seasons, falling to 8th in its 7th, 18th in its 8th and 32nd in its last season. It never won many emmys, but that didn't seem to bother anybody, because everybody knew that this show was far above any award that could be bestowed upon it.
     It was the most real blue collar comedy ever. Viewers identified with it, which is why they watched.
Its stars gave harrowing, startlingly real performances. Sarah Gilbert was the original queen of teen angst, Laurie Metcalfe won two emmys for her performance as Jackie, Roseanne's unsure, struggling sister. John Goodman was a perfect father figure, so real, so removed from his children that it was like they took a page right out of the book of many Americans. And then there was Roseanne.
     The actress burst onto the scene, doing anything and everything to bring attention to herself. Remember the "Star Spangled Banner?" Who could forget. Declaring herself bisexual. She was molested as a child. Her plastic surgery. Black washing Tom Arnold. Firing writer after writer, making people up and quit the show. With all that went on behind the scenes, "Roseanne" was ABC's most difficult series ever.
      But well worth the patience. For this show, except in its final season, transcended television. It became a beacon of the working classes- their lives played out on tv every week. No, it may not have won many awards, but it was one of the best tv shows ever.
      And who gets the credit for this? Roseanne herself. Because through it all, she made viewers laugh. And that will win their hearts over every single time.