Badmovies.org Forum

This should just about round out the TV show threads :)

This would be the opposite of great shows that should have lasted longer. How many times have you caught a bit of a new TV show and thought it was a silly piece of crap that would never last, then later found that everyone was talking about it, and it lasted several seasons?

A few examples of mine would be Kate and Allie, Murphy Brown and Ally McBeal. Never thought any of them would amount to anything, although I'd admit that I had not yet learned that the quality shows are often the first to go (even though I'd seen it happen time and again). Still can't understand the appeal of a lot of sitcoms though.



Post Edited (03-22-04 12:16)

Star Trek Voyager.  I'm actually sort of a Trekkie - but that show was just awful.  After a couple of seasons I thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, but it did.  By leaps and bounds, season after season.

Searching back into my brain from some horrifying childhood memory, I remember three shows that really shouldn't have lasted: SAVED BY THE BELL, BOY MEETS WORLD, and STEP-BY-STEP. Dear God, their were days I really wasn't looking forward to when these three shows turned up. SAVED BY THE BELL and BOY MEETS WORLD lasted for a long while, STEP-BY-STEP was lingering but had plenty of people talking about it so as it could last for a bit longer.

They never connected to me in terms of entertainment or anything worthwhile to present. They were just counter-cultural shows that only focused on late 80's and mid 90's stylizations in actions and attire, rather than making some sort of effective statement, social commentary or otherwise, or any kind of redeeming entertainment value to make them "TV classics". If anything, they are perfect examples of boring TV shows made to cash-in on early years of change-and-style. If anything, the three shows needed better writers and maybe a better sense of character development. And yes, needed BETTER COMEDY as well.

Oh well, thank God they are memories. I don't have any pre-recorded tapes of these shows. And if I did, I'd probably hang myself.

Third Rock from the God-damned Sun.

Eugh, talk about your pieces of s**t...

What was Step By Step about?
I remember the name and have seen it but I'm drawing a blank as to who starred in it and what it was about.

The Drew Carey Show was really good in it's first 4-5 seasons then it just fell flat on its ass.

Step by Step had Susan Summers and the guy from Dallas whose name I always forget...

It was like a Brady Bunch for the '90s... meaning sex and swearing.

Anyway, I agree about Drew Carey -- it was hilarious until he suddenly became "cool" and slept with five or six incredibly attractive women...  yeah, we're really believing you can manage that one, Drew...

STV should be dropped from the Trek canon.

chris k listed all the ones I was gonna say...oh lemme add Will and Grace...ugh...

According to Jim, It made me hate the movie "Real Men" which was always a funny movie to watch.

And last of all

Yes Dear, Which has Anthony Clark in it. Who starred in 2 previous stinkers, Boston Common and something else. It seems that this Show is just recycling the unfunny jokes from his 2 previous failures. This Show Hurts to watch. He must have a deal with the devil.

I hate Will & Grace! With out a doubt one of the stupidest shows ever!

What the-- wasn't anybody going to correct me?  Sheesh!

Not Susan Sarandon, Suzanne Sommers.

PSlugworth wrote:

> Third Rock from the God-damned Sun.
>
> Eugh, talk about your pieces of s**t...

I liked the first few epiosed of 3rd Rock...but it went down hill very fast.

(Having taught college Physics and Chemistry, I sorta got into some of Dick's inside Physics humor...but they quit doing that, at least the good stuff).

Patrick Duffy

Funny story about "Step By Step."  I proposed to my wife, if you can call what I did proposing, while that dumb show was on.  I could not tell you what episode or anything, and we really were not watching it.

"So, we're getting married, right?"
"Yeah, someday.  When you ask me."
"I'm asking."

It really was THAT lame.  Luckily, she still said yes.

Dunners wrote:

> ...oh lemme add Will
> and Grace...ugh...
>

I agree completely.  I cannot BELIEVE that abomination is still on TV.  Who watches it, anyway?

ulthar wrote:

> I agree completely.  I cannot BELIEVE that abomination is still
> on TV.  Who watches it, anyway?

Women...gay men and women who have gay men as best friends.

I have never even watched 10 minutes of thatshow and never will.

How about:

Murder, She Wrote
Diagnosis Murder
ANYTHING on ABC's TGIF (a few were mentioned already)
Dog Eat Dog (how'd it last more than one episode?)
Average Joe, Bachelor, and clones (the genre has overstayed its welcome, imo)
Who Wants to Be A Millionaire

I know there's more I've seen over the years, but thankfully, I am blocking them from my memory.

ASHTHECAT wrote:


>
> Women...gay men and women who have gay men as best friends.
>
> I have never even watched 10 minutes of thatshow and never
> will.

It cannot even be good for them.  I mean, COME ON, it is just STUPID.  I like to think that if I were gay, I would find that show as offensively stupid as I do now.

Murder She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, Matlock, etc. were all kept on the air by old ladies like my mother. Pretty easy to explain that one.

AndyC wrote:

> Murder She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, Matlock, etc. were all kept
> on the air by old ladies like my mother. Pretty easy to explain
> that one.
>

LOL.

My Mom, too.  That's why I even know they exist.  I can honestly say I personally never saw an episode of either MSW or DM (I did sit through one episode of Matlock, however, but only recently).

I used to think Murder She Wrote was pretty funny, in an unintentional sort of way. I'm surprised people didn't duck when they saw Jessica coming. Every old friend she went to visit ended up getting bumped off. I'm surprised the FBI wasn't investigating her, the way death followed her around. It was even funnier when the show settled permanently  in the sleepy little seaside town of Cabot Cove. The place must have had the highest per capita murder rate in the world.



Post Edited (03-24-04 09:08)

LIVE WITH BONNIE: I'm sorry, but how is this show "good"? The show just has no humor and Bonnie Hunt can't carry a show if her life depended on it. Bad improv humor that doesn't even generate a laugh from the viewing audience (i.e., one episode had Bonnie and her husband argue about a checkbook for 6 minutes and none of the humor flew very well). The only episode that worked was the guest appearence of Jonathan Winters, and he is the King of Improv who does it better. What were the critics and the network thinking?

IT'S ALL RELATIVE: Ah, just what we need. A cheap rip-off of ALL IN THE FAMILY, except add a male-gay family as token fodder for the dumbass Irish Catholic-bigot jerk character who plays off like a thrid rate Archie Bunker! And Caroll O'Connor must be rolling in his grave right now! Haven't seen another episode of the show, hopefully it's in the toilet right now.

Save yourself some typing and include just about any current sitcom on broadcast television.  Is there ANY of them that are worth a darn?

Life with Bonnie.  Yeah, what a winner ....

Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius. I think this show is in it's second season but it's just so crappy and terrible I can't believe it. It should never have gotten a t.v. show in fact the movie should never have been made. If you want to a see a t.v. show about a smart kid watch "Dexter's Lab". The earlier episodes, not these more recent crap episodes.

>Dog Eat Dog (how'd it last more than one episode?)

Brooke Burns

ulthar wrote:

> Save yourself some typing and include just about any current
> sitcom on broadcast television. Is there ANY of them that are
> worth a darn?

Of course their isn't any one of them worth a darn, but even so they are still worth a discussion, or a criticisim. I wish I could list all of the current and past shows that sucked and saved myself some typing, but I can't and thus select a few items for this particular discussion. Isn't that the point of this one post, to write and discuss.

I'm just stating my two cents on what I thought about whatever it was I wrote about. And you know, their are times when my two cents aren't worth two cents to some. I could save myself some typing, but then to me what would be the point if I did?  could limit myself, but...

Just a thought and not a slam on you, ulthar.

Chris K. wrote:

>
> Just a thought and not a slam on you, ulthar.

I was not slamming on you, either...I was trying to make a joke about just how bad tv is these days...I guess if fell flat.  I certainly did not mean to imply I did not enjoy reading your post!

:)

Six words for you......

Walker, Texas Ranger

Murder She Wrote

We've mentioned a lot of successful shows that sucked, but I'm curious to know which ones really caught you off guard. I'm talking about shows you really didn't take seriously, or believe anyone else took seriously (or watched, for that matter). You happened to catch an episode, and thought it was just another dumb show filling a space in the lineup until something better came along. It wasn't just an awful show, it was....nothing. Then you later discovered that most of your friends and coworkers watched it religiously and referred to it often.

I'd say it's because I rarely watch the networks (when I have time to watch TV), but it happened just as often before I had a whole whack of satellite channels. Probably because it was before every new show was hyped as the next big hit. Today, they're calling them hits before people even see them.

Well, with your specific criterion, I would have to reiterate my vote for "Will and Grace."  That show not only sucks, it fits your description of 'just not there.'

Murder She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder and that whole genre of what we can call 'little old lady shows' at least did have an audience.  Dumb as they were, at least they had something that somebody somewhere could call a plot.  At least the main characters had, um at least TWO dimensions.

But Will and Grace?  Nah.  In my opinion, that is on my short list of absolutely worst tv shows in the history of the medium.  Period.  No redeeming value whatsoever.  But it just keeps going and going, and will, in my opinion, continue to go.  To yank it will likely invite all kinds of political ruckus that the network probably does not want.

I don't dislike this show because it is about homosexuals.  Part of the reason I dislike it so is because that is *ALL* it is about.  Homosexuals, adultery, alcoholism, drug abuse, etc, with cheesy, weak characters, no plot, mind numbingly stupid and AGONIZING dialog, etc....

Will and Grace.  Oh how I hope that the aliens out there intercepting our stray RF signals are not watching that and judging us on W&G.   (a la Kang and Kronos in The Simpsons....).

With that definition, I'd have to put in Seinfeld.  I've tried watching it, but found it more awkward than funny.  Best show ever?  Hardly.

I understand completely. My wife loves Will and Grace. She also loves Friends, another show I never did understand, and Dharma and Greg, which I'll admit I have found funny. Mostly the parts with Alan Rachins.

Jimmy Neutron, Butt Ugly Aliens, Cat-Dog or any other lame Nicktoon made in the last six years.

Jerry Springer (13 years...This is just sad-hope this isn't what we are coming to)

Beverly Hills 91210 (It should've stopped after the high school years, besides it was a ripoff of Degrassi Jr. High-a far superior show)

Extreme Makeover

ER

You know, I used to hate Seinfeld also but it's one of those shows where if you keep watching it, it WILL grow on you.

I agree that it isn't the greatest show of all time but there are some truly hilarious episodes and it does make me laugh.

ER!!???

Are you insane?!

ER is in my opinion, THE BEST tv show of recent years.
Everything about it is excellent.

I watch it every single week.

[David Spade voice]
I liked it the first time, when it was called St. Elsewhere
[/David Spade voice]





ASHTHECAT wrote:

> ER!!???
>
> Are you insane?!
>
> ER is in my opinion, THE BEST tv show of recent years.
> Everything about it is excellent.
>
> I watch it every single week.

Sorry Ash, my bad. I didn't know you watch it every week. Now that I know that, I'll have to change my opinion because surely you wouldn't watch something that is crap.
The best show, my ass. It's a tired old soap opera that's on weekly instead of daily.
As far as being insane...

because surely you wouldn't watch something that is crap.

check the url..."badmovies.org"  badmovies...Bad Movies!!!

why are you here if you don't watch...crap?

Well Freep, I see that the art of sarcasm is lost on you...

JohnL wrote:

> >Dog Eat Dog (how'd it last more than one episode?)
>
> Brooke Burns


I like Dog Eat Dog!

Lee wrote:

> I like Dog Eat Dog!


HA!  So *you're* the ONE!  hehe.  Just kiddin.

We watched DED cuz we liked making fun of it...the stupid little way Brooke tried to milk every ounce of drama at the end of each question was hilarious.

No offense, ASH, but I have never seen the big deal about ER.  Having worked for now 18 years in emergency rooms around Pierce County, I pick out every medical inaccuracy in the show--the real thing is far more harrowing.  As for the human drama, it is just another soap opera.  I would much rather watch the real life hell of Trauma:  Life in the ER on the Discovery Channel.
And I find it alarming that NOBODY HAS MENTIONED BAYWATCH!!!!!
Can anybody explain the worldwide appeal of this t&a fest, beyond the t&a?  It sure as hell isn't Hasselhoff's Emmy-caliber acting.
sigh
And  what about the frigging Dukes of Hazzard???
And hey, I never liked Happy Days beyond the first few seasons.

onionhead wrote:

> No offense, ASH, but I have never seen the big deal about ER.
> Having worked for now 18 years in emergency rooms around Pierce
> County, I pick out every medical inaccuracy in the show--the
> real thing is far more harrowing.

My wife's a doctor (not an ER doc) and she likes watching ER....part of it is because so many of her patient's parents watch it and ask questions like "well, on ER last night, they did blah blah blah.  Is that what you are going to do?"

They (her bosses and colleagues) have suggested they watch it when they can so they are prepared when these issues come up.

But I certainly agree: it is a soap opera more than anything else.

Thought of a couple more (the some of the one's I was blocking from my memory):

My Sister Sam
Perfect Strangers
Who's the Boss
That one with Kirk Cameron and Alan Thicke

To anyone bashing matlock, you gotta admit it had one of the greatest theme songs ever.

>That one with Kirk Cameron and Alan Thicke

Growing Pains. Also known for giving Leonardo CiCrapio his start.

I came up with another one but I fear that I may upset Ash and he will publicly b***h slap me again as he did when I mentioned ER. I also worry that Freep may not realize I am being sarcastic and or joking, causing me to come up with a witty reply to his pointing out the obvious.
Tally-ho! To hell with it I say! I am throwing caution to the wind with my devil-may-care attitude and I will come out and say it anyway: King of the Hill. How is that still on? Does anyone actually watch it?

Baywatch:  T&A.
Dukes of Hazard:  Daisy Duke (very nice shorts).  Plus lots of car chases.  Well, it was a way to kill an hour before the Rockford Files.

odinn7 wrote:

>King of the Hill. How is that still on? Does
> anyone actually watch it?
>

I kinda like King of the Hill, but probably only about 1 in 5 episodes are really funny.  Every once in a while, they seem to hit upon some really subtle humor.  I did not like it at first, but it grew on me as I watched reruns in syndication.