I'm putting to you the following question:
What TV show currently on the air is way past its expiration date and is starting to really stink?
This is not merely a show that is bad: but a show that used to be good that's either stayed around too long and became bad, or showed early brilliance and has made a swift inexplicable decline.
Note: the Simpsons graphic above was not meant to imply that I think it is one of those "way past due" shows. Though this season is really hit or miss for me, and the Seth Rogen superhero episode was kind of painful.
Not one show in particular, but a whole genre- so called "Reality TV".
ReplyDeleteThe Simpsons, as much as it should've been done away with long ago, will out live me. I've... come to accept this.
ReplyDeleteThen there's Smallville. That series has no reason to last nine-seasons. Of course, the main audience watches the show to see who will hook up with next, and because "Oliver is a hottie" and "Lois hawt", too. This show is more like the old 910210 than the current version... with more CG.
Mostly reality TV. Stuff like America's Next top model, big brother, survivor is the same stuff every year. I'll take another 10 years of The Simpsons than watch reality tv
ReplyDeleteLeno's "new" show (which is really his old show, just in a new time slot). And while I agree in principal that reality tv has outlived it's expiration date, I have to say that there are a handful of them (quite literally can be counted on one hand, if not less), that are entertaining or insightful. I tend to gravitate towards the reality shows that are more documentaries than game shows.
ReplyDeleteLost and Heroes are two others I'd nominate, sight unseen, admittedly.
-r-
Exactly why in the hell does "Big Brother" keep coming back?
ReplyDeleteIt's just a bunch of idiots stuck together in a house. No world traveling like "Amazing Race" or exotic jungles like "Survivor" or talent competition like "Idol". They're just...in a house. Season after fucking season.
The only two shows I watch that would fit this category are Smallville and Heroes. Some would say The Office as well, but that continues to entertain me (although the third season was a bit rough, admittedly).
ReplyDeleteSmallville. It's really just cruel to the show's "fans" to keep it on the air now. They hate the show more than anyone, as they constantly point out, but can't stop watching. Just put the show and its followers out of their misery already.
ReplyDeleteSmallville should have been canceled after the third season or so, although you could make an argument it was never good. I guess the third season was when I realized they had no clue what they were doing.
ReplyDeleteHeroes should have been canceled after the second season, when that season made it clear the writers of that show had no idea what they were doing.
The Simpsons for me peaked during the fourth season and was by far the best show on TV through the 8th season. It has been hit or miss ever since. But there are still enough hits that I don't think it should go.
And while it's over, I want to say that BSG should have ended before that travesty of a finale.
The Simpsons used to be smart with wonderful characterization.
ReplyDeleteNow it's Family Guy, exploiting stereotypes of traits.
Richard,
ReplyDeleteYou do know this is Lost's final season, and that was decided two years ago, right?
-The Reality TV genre as a whole needs to die, quickly. How many times do people need to watch other people dance, or sing, or eat bugs, or do stupid human tricks.
ReplyDelete-Law and Order, seriously.
-Half the shows on CBS (Not Big Bang or HIMYM though)
-The 80s/90s remakes that seem to be surviving somehow (902010 and Melrose Place...why?)
-Cougar Town...I don't even need an explanation here do I.
-Grey's Anatomy / Private Practice
-24 - Hey I like nonstop action as much as the next guy but after 3 seasons this show became formulaic. Oh no the US is somehow in danger from a biological...oh we did that already..um ok how about a technological threat....we did that too huh...oh shit let's just repeat one of them and change the words around some, the audience will never know. Let's bring back a dead dead character too maybe bring back some old viewers, they do it in comics all the time anyway.
-One Tree Hill - Was a good show but now it just needs to end, the two main actors have left and the horse is beaten, it's f'in dead and its starting to stink up the joint.
Smallville. It needs to end or drop the other shoe and become Superman.
ReplyDeleteOkay, this might be fish in a barrel, but how long has "CSI: Miami" been on? I liked it as camp at first, but it just got older and older.
ReplyDeleteAnd to all you Simpsons haters. Maybe it's not what it once was, but it still delivers some quality laughs. And I like it a lot better than Family Guy.
And to whoever said, "Law and Order," excellent point. That show has been on forever.
It's gone now, but for years I was saying, "How can "What about Jim" still be on and "Firefly" be gone?!??!"
I'll be the lone defender of Reality TV. I love Big Brother, and Survivor and to a lesser extent your Top models and American Idols. I do however feel that the networks would be better served giving us less seasons/cycles. I mean Top Model has only been around for 5 or 6 years yet they're on season 11? Just because a show is cheap and easy to make doesn't mean it belongs on TV all the time (I'm looking at you Jay Leno).
ReplyDeleteAs far as scripted shows go, I hate to say it but all the Law and Orders and CSIs need to be put out to pasture. They all ran out of creative juice years ago.
I would say just about everything on TV, since no new shows have come along in the past few years of interest. Specifically, I'd say Heroes, Entourage, CSI Miami/NY, Desperate Housewives and Medium have outstayed their welcome.
ReplyDeleteBrian: Obviously, no, I did not know. The show hasn't been on my radar for quite a long time now. All the better that it's finally coming to an end.
ReplyDelete-r-
Heroes, Simpsons, is MTV still doing the real world? I hope that has ended.
ReplyDeleteheroes, the first season was the only good one but i am just now getting sick of it
ReplyDeleteAs far as Cougar Town goes... Bill Lawrence must be getting shit-tons of network "guidance", because he very rarely makes a show that is stupid ("Nobody's Watching" being the mutated bastard child of his imagination - you can actually see Lawrence trying to experiment with Gondry and Jonze -esque styles and failing miserably).
ReplyDeleteHonestly, if you set the show in a hospital... it would be Scrubs.
Desperate Housewives, I think. And Eureka, although I'm not certain it was ever really good enough to qualify.
ReplyDeleteGlen Beck's tv and radio shows.
ReplyDelete