Airing since 1994, this soap is set in the cutthroat world of media communications, its stories revolving around a single family, all of whose members have passed on, leaving things in the hands of a sole surviving member: a young, beautiful woman played by the model Connie Ferguson. Originally airing one night a week, the show was extended to five nights because of its popularity and has pulled No. 1 ratings since virtually the beginning of its run. A recent audit showed that it is viewed by almost 5 million people daily.
A thinker's guide to the most important trends of the new decade