The 40 most popular 2000s soap TV shows, ranked. Click any show for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Storm of Love
2005
country: Germany
These are the stories of relationships taking place in the fictional five-star hotel Fürstenhof, located in Feldkirchen-Westerham near Rosenheim with the plot revolving around members of the family room area, the hotel owners, and employees.


Binnelanders
2005
country: South Africa
A South African Afrikaans soap opera. It is set in and around the fictional private hospital, Binneland Kliniek, in Pretoria, and the storyline follows the trials, trauma and tribulations of the staff and patients of the hospital.


Ulice
2005
country: Czech Republic
Ulice is a Czech soap opera produced and broadcast by Nova. In the Czech language Ulice means street. The show describes the lives of the Farský, Jordán, Boháč, Nikl, and Liška families and many other people that live in Prague. Their daily battle against real problems of living in a modern world like divorce, love, betrayal and illness or disease. Ulice often shows crime.


Alles was zählt
2006
country: Germany
Alles was zählt is a German television soap opera first broadcast on RTL on September 4, 2006. The original plot revolved around Diana Sommer's dream to become a world class ice skater. She fell in love with Julian Herzog, who signed her at the prestigious Steinkamp Sport and Wellness Center, run by the unscrupulous Steinkamp dynasty. Diana and Julian eventually became a couple, but in November 2007, Julian suffered a brain hemorrhage and died during their wedding. Diana remained in Essen until January 2009, when she left to join a skating centre in Halle. The story continues to revolve around the Steinkamp Sport and Wellness Centre and its quest to become a sporting powerhouse, as well as the lives of the characters who work at and around the Centre.


El cor de la ciutat
2000
country: Spain
El cor de la ciutat is a TVC television soap opera first broadcast on TV3 on 11 September 2000 and last broadcast on 23 December 2009. The show is the most watched fiction program in Catalonia, Spain, especially among female audiences, drawing around 28-33% of the audience with as much as 40% during season finales. El cor de la ciutat follows the lives of the people who live and work in the neighbourhood of Sants and Sant Andreu in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.


7de Laan
2000
country: South Africa
7de Laan is an extraordinary microcosm where good and bad, evil and wholesome characters find themselves forming part of a wholesome community where no matter what – everyone counts and everyone cares…


Războiul sexelor
2007
country: Romania
No overview available


Amigas & Rivais
2007
country: Brazil
Amigas & Rivais is a Brazilian telenovela produced by SBT in association with Televisa and originally broadcast from August 6, 2007, to January 18, 2008. It is a remake of the Mexican telenovela Amigas y rivales (2001), created by Emilio Larrosa. Adapted by Letícia Dornelles, with text supervision by Thereza di Giácomo, the telenovela stars Cacau Melo, Lisandra Cortez, Karla Tenório, Thaís Pacholek, and Talita Castro. The story follows four young women from different social backgrounds: Nicole, Laura, Olívia, and Helena. Although they have different personalities and life experiences, they form a strong friendship while facing the challenges of youth, love, family conflicts, and personal struggles. Their lives become complicated by secrets, betrayals, jealousy, and the schemes of Rosana, Helena's manipulative stepmother, who is willing to do anything to achieve her goals.


Îngerașii
2008
country: Romania
No overview available


Strawberries with Sugar
2003
country: Portugal
Across several generations, groups of young Portuguese people navigate school life and summer holidays while dealing with friendships, first loves, rivalries, family conflicts and decisions that shape their future. Each season introduces new protagonists, schools and challenges, exploring themes related to adolescence, identity, responsibility and belonging. Sport, music, dance and other forms of expression accompany their journeys of growing up, marked by dreams, choices and ever-changing relationships.


Na Wspólnej
2003
country: Poland
Na Wspólnej is a Polish soap opera. It has been running since 2003 on the TVN channel as its flagship primetime weekday soap opera. It is loosely based on the German production Unter Uns and it follows the lives of the inhabitants of an apartment block in Wspólna Street, Warsaw. Episodes tend to last around 20 minutes. It is a Polish version of the Hungarian "Barátok közt". The series is shot almost entirely in Warsaw and produced by the Polish branch of Freemantle Media. On 9 September 2008 it celebrated its 1000th episode; "Na Wspólnej" was the fourth Polish television series ever to achieve such status. A special episode was broadcast in which characters from some other of TVN's most popular shows visited Wspólna Street.


CentoVetrine
2001
country: Italy
The series tells the stories of some of the characters who work or are related to an imaginary shopping center Centovetrine, located in the center of Turin. There are many stories of love and passion, but also struggles for power and dynastic quarrels in the telefilm.


Doña Bárbara
2008
country: United States
Doña Bárbara is a Spanish-language telenovela produced by the United States-based television network Telemundo, Sony Pictures Television International and RTI Colombia. Edith González and Christian Meier star in this adaptation of the 1929 novel by Venezuelan author Rómulo Gallegos.


Engañada
2003
country: VE
Engañada is a 2003 telenovela produced by Venevisión. It starred Verónica Schneider and Jorge Aravena as the main protagonists with Desideria De Caro as the main antagonist. The telenovela also aired on Univision in 2003. The exterior shots of the countryside were filmed in at the Parque de la Flora Exótica de Yaracuy and Hacienda de Santa Teresa de Aragua in Venezuela.


L for Love
2000
country: Poland
M jak miłość is a Polish soap opera, revolving around the multiple generations of the Mostowiak family. The series premiered on November 4, 2000 on TVP2, primarily as a weekly drama, and after one season shifting into a new timeslot and extending to two episodes per week. For the last few years the show has been the most watched drama on Polish television. Its popularity led to a Russian adaptation, entitled Lyubov kak Lyubov. The series is also broadcast on the international channel TVP Polonia with English subtitles.


Dahoam is Dahoam
2007
country: Germany
The lives of the residents of the fictitious village of Lansing in Upper Bavaria.


Best Friends
2007
country: Netherlands
Best Friends follows the life of a group of friends at their high school ‘Spangalis College’. Inside and outside of school exciting and challenging experiences take place. Growing up is never easy; every character has its own, unique story of love, friendship, loneliness, sorrow, discovery. There is drama and joy in school, family, teachers, parents, divorce, bullying, and always dreams for the future.


Floribella
2006
country: Portugal
No overview available


Rebelde Way
2002
country: Argentina
Four teenagers at an elite school in Buenos Aires are drawn together by their love of music, despite their differing social and economic backgrounds.


Rote Rosen
2006
country: Germany
Rote Rosen is a German telenovela produced by Studio Hamburg Serienwerft Lüneburg and broadcast by Das Erste since November 6, 2006. The show is a complex telenovela, who tells one love story every season about women in their forties.


Doctors
2000
country: United Kingdom
Set in the fictional Midlands town of Letherbridge, defined as being close to the city of Birmingham, this soap opera follows the staff and families of a doctor's surgery.


Anna und die Liebe
2008
country: Germany
Anna und die Liebe is the eleventh Telenovela made in Germany. It has aired since August 25, 2008 on German channel Sat.1 and Austrian Channel ORF 1.


Degrassi
2001
country: Canada
The life of a group of adolescents going through the trials and tribulations of teendom at Degrassi Community School.


Soul Mate
2005
country: Brazil
A young woman is fated to relive the love of an earlier life. Separated by time, young Serena and botanist Rafael surmount all obstacles as they live a love that is stronger than fate itself. These challenges include the lovely but ambitious Cristina, who is obsessed by the rich botanist and driven nearly mad by her attempts to shatter their great love. A romantic comedy set in the 1940s, Soul Mate underscores the importance of love, family values and the ties of affection with a light touch and plenty of humor.


The Clone
2001
country: Brazil
Human cloning. The Islamic world. Two young people, two different cultures, two different beliefs. An impossible love story that not even time could erase. During a trip to Morocco, Lucas has a forbidden romance with Jade. He returns to Brazil after the death of his twin brother Diogo. A close family friend, scientist Albieri uses this situation to produce the first human clone using cells taken from Lucas. Twenty years later, Jade, Lucas and his clone form an odd love triangle.


Clase 406
2002
country: Mexico
The realistic chronicles of a working class group of Hispanic youth, with heavy subject matter like sex, drug dealing, teen pregnancy, abuse, drinking, rape, deception, and heartbreak.


Wedding Ring
2008
country: Russia
No overview available


Flinderella
2004
country: Argentina
Florencia is a singer and orphan, who falls in love with Federico, a businessman. They will be able to overcome all obstacles, but their love will take an unexpected turn.


A Favorita
2008
country: Brazil
Donatela and Flora, two friends who became rivals. One of them committed a homicide and pretends to be innocent. There are two versions for the same story. Who, after all, is telling the truth? Donatela or Flora?


Verliebt in Berlin
2005
country: Germany
The original season follows the life of the unsophisticated but good-natured Lisa Plenske, and her incongruous job at the ultra-chic Berlin fashion house Kerima Moda; while the second season revolved around Lisa's ham-fisted but sly half-brother Bruno and junior designer Hannah Refrath.


½ falta
2005
country: Argentina
No overview available


Tropical Paradise
2007
country: Brazil
The search for a successor provokes the beginning of a clash between two young and talented executives of his group: Daniel Bastos, a lad of simple origins and excellent character, who is not only handsome and charming, but also intelligent and skilled, and Olavo Novaes, an ambitious and unscrupulous man who is ready to fight for the position, at any cost. To fight against Olavo‘s treacherous plans, Daniel will have the help of the sweet and sensitive Paula, a young lady raised as an only child who founds, on the eve of her mother‘s death, that she is adopted and has a family. What Paula does not know is that she has an identical twin sister, the wicked Taís, who is as ambitious and unscrupulous as the man who becomes her main ally, Olavo Novaes. Antenor, for his part, decides on having an heir when he meets the headstrong and honest Lúcia, a woman who will make this cold businessman find true love is and a real reason to live.


La rosa de Guadalupe
2008
country: Mexico
Stories about people who get into problems who use the help of Virgin Mary and where a rose appears and their problems are solved.


Her Own Destiny
2004
country: Brazil
A story about people who succeed in life thanks to nothing but their own efforts. Maria do Carmo is the main character of the telenovela; a mother of five who struggle to be successful in life, but whose most important will be recovering the love of her daughter who was kidnapped when she was just months old.


Casi Ángeles
2007
country: Argentina
A group of kids is abused and exploited, but everything changes with Cielo and Nico. A story full of music, songs, choreography and competitions.


Hasta que el dinero nos separe
2009
country: Mexico
Hasta Que el Dinero Nos Separe is a telenovela produced by Emilio Larrosa. It is a remake of the Colombian soap opera Hasta Que la Plata Nos Separe. Hasta Que el Dinero Nos Separe stars Itatí Cantoral, Pedro Fernández, Victor Noriega, Luz Elena González and Joana Benedek. The telenovela made its debut on June 29, 2009 at 8 pm in Mexico's Canal de las Estrellas, in HD in some markets, and January 18, 2010 at 8/7 pm USA's Univision, starting on April 26, 2010, it aired from 8 pm est to 10 pm est in HD in some markets, until June 1, 2010, when Soy Tu Dueña premiered on Univision at 9pm, thus returning the novela back to its former one hour airing time. On February 16, 2010 Hasta Que El dinero nos separe premiered on internet TV's bsn Latino. "The Best Telenovela of the Year 2010."


Cœur océan
2006
country: France
No overview available


Velmi křehké vztahy
2007
country: Czech Republic
No overview available


Barwy szczęścia
2007
country: Poland
No overview available


Los Reyes
2005
country: Colombia
Los Reyes is a telenovela filmed in Colombia and produced by the Colombian network, RCN. It debuted in 2005 and is available via RCN cable TV in the United States.
The 2000s were cable television's breakthrough — HBO and its imitators proved that serialized, morally complicated drama could be the most ambitious storytelling around.
Soap opera is television's most enduring form — continuing serials built on relationships, reversals, and an audience that returns for decades. Its storytelling grammar quietly underpins most modern serialized drama.