Ever run into a show that by all rights should be dreck but to your amazement turns out to be pretty decent? I did this week while watching TV in my L.A. hotel room due to a lack of other things to do right then. It was the series premiere of TNT's new show Public Morals.
By all rights the premise (New York vice cops in the 60s) should have yielded a dog of a show. Instead I got characters with enough definition to drive the story, a crisp pace, good acting especially by Edward Burns and Michael Rappaport, snappy dialog and what looks to be an interesting story developing.
What are examples of shows that to you should have stunk but turned out to be good?
I would have to say Humans fits this for me. A quirky, low budget British scifi series involving artificial humans (played by real humans) with an unknown cast in an unknown town somewhere in the UK. It was new, it was different....it was also shockingly well written and directed, and so unexpectedly brilliant I was unprepared. I remained completely hooked for it's premiere season, and season 2 has been approved already.
The writing here takes into account that the series could end, leaving no "cliffhangers", and not focusing on any one character long enough to make him/her indispensable. Humans is PURE science fiction in the spirit of the genre. If there were a proofing system for scifi content, Humans is 100 Proof.
Next would be Killjoys. From episode 1 - 5, it seemed all this show was centered around pretty girls and hunky guys and fighting and unlikely situations. But then I realized something...the show is not supposed to be taken seriously. It is not a comedy, but it is meant to be over the top like the original Batman series or Xena. One I started taking the show less seriously, I have been having fun watching it. Not science fiction, not fantasy...pretty much action/adventure with Space Sauce.
Finally, Sense8. From the previews and the first three episodes, you cannot help but conclude that this show sucks. Then, at the end of episode 3 and all of episode 4, it's like lead turning into gold. Sense8 may be the best, most far reaching scifi premise to come out in two decades. Season 2 approved. This one is a delicate balance. The writers could ruin it if they are not careful.