2009 was quite a roller coaster year for television. While those who thought themselves ‘invincible’ were brought down to ground zero, never-heard-before names called the shots and how. TV rules were rewritten and the old guards (saving a few) gave way to the new lot. Younger, fresher ideas translated into real shows while reality TV moved away from the song and dance routine. TV has come of age, they said. In more ways than one, 2009 belonged to reality television. Viewers wanted to get real, they wanted makers and channels to get real. Cardboard sets made place for real, gritty settings, make-believe gave way to real issues. In short, the year changed a lot of things in Indian television, including viewer preferences, leaders, content and celebrities. TellyChakkar spoke to some of these names who made it big in 2009 to find out their recipe for success in the year that saw the entire world come down on its knees due to global recession. They also spoke about their plans for ushering in 2010.