Shows that should stink...but don't

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
television_surprised_tv_couch_potato.jpg


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?
 
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Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
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.
 
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Gatefan1976

Well Known GateFan
Arrow.
Episodes 1-12 all but killed the show for me with flashbacks to the Island, Stephen Amell's bland "acting" and some really, really crap stories for a "morally grey" hero.
13-22 really picked it up however, and made the show worthwhile.

It will not be for everyone, but if you can endure the first half, it does become a show where you can enjoy watching the characters grow and develop, even when they fall back on some pretty crappy tropes in some episodes, even in later seasons.
 

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
I like the examples given.

With Killjoys I had an advantage going in as the ads screamed to me "action in a space wrapper", what with the scenes of explosions with SPACE BOUNTY HUNTERS in big letters... :) It's kind of like saying "schlock and proud of it!".

The others I mentioned still need to see. I'm still surprised by Public Morals as it is not even the genre of show I usually like.
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
I can't think of anything currently on the roster that fits the bill with the odd exception of a "kids" cartoon Gravity Falls. It came out a couple years ago and I honestly don't remember how I started watching it. I think I was laid-up from one of many foot surgeries and just happened to sit thru an episode (the one with the gnomes that want to marry Mabel). The show is cute and funny and has some cultural references that only adults can understand. But nothing perverse or disgusting. It's just good clean fun.

 

Quetesh

Well Known GateFan
Catastrophe, Episodes,Silicon Valley, Ballers

I tend to avoid "funny" stuffy anymore but these are damn good and have major potential.
 

Tripler

Well Known GateFan
Mike Tyson Mysteries . It looks lame as hell and is actually pretty stupid but you'll find yourself watching the entire series and laughing a lot of the time. What a twisted show ... Just like Fugget About It . Both animated and both should be 18+ but amazingly there at 14+ age limit ...
:) :) :)
 

Tripler

Well Known GateFan
Holy crap . Fallings skies is turning into a pretty entertainig show also . Into SO2 and it really picked up . Its still has its soapy parts but the alien stuff is pretty gross and fun and pretty cool also
:) :) :)
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
Holy crap . Fallings skies is turning into a pretty entertainig show also . Into SO2 and it really picked up . Its still has its soapy parts but the alien stuff is pretty gross and fun and pretty cool also
:) :) :)

Seasons 1 and 2 were good. I was praising the show around that time. The second half of season 3 marked the downhill trajectory. Season 4 was a complete wash, with Lexi and the last season was all filler except the last two episodes.
 

Bluce Ree

Tech Admin / Council Member
Holy crap . Fallings skies is turning into a pretty entertainig show also . Into SO2 and it really picked up . Its still has its soapy parts but the alien stuff is pretty gross and fun and pretty cool also
:) :) :)

OH BOY are you in for a huge let down.
 

Tripler

Well Known GateFan
OH BOY are you in for a huge let down.
Oh I just fast forward a hell of a lot of it and wait to see something blow up , then rewind to just before the blow up . It works rather well actually . As soon as the action stops my fingers are poised on the boring button and all is well in the universe of sappy TV as I won't see or here who loves who or apologizes for something or starts explaining about a non relevant subject ... Just STFU and go blow up some aliens already !!! Me like that !!!
:) :) :)
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
I laugh every time I see this. It's like that entire season can be summed up by that one gif. :icon_lol:

I actually was in the process of making that gif myself, and then I ran across this one already made! :smiley-laughing021: It's funny sometimes, I go searching for stuff on the net and I run across somebody who sounds like me in their writing, thinks the same things and laughs at the same images. The comment which was the context of that gif was HILARIOUS. Same stuff you and I have been saying about Lexi's hair blowing trick :anim_59:
 

Bluce Ree

Tech Admin / Council Member
Oh I just fast forward a hell of a lot of it and wait to see something blow up , then rewind to just before the blow up . It works rather well actually . As soon as the action stops my fingers are poised on the boring button and all is well in the universe of sappy TV as I won't see or here who loves who or apologizes for something or starts explaining about a non relevant subject ... Just STFU and go blow up some aliens already !!! Me like that !!!
:) :) :)

It's all fun and games until you realize you can't fast-forward an entire season at once.
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member

She basically takes up all of season 4 from beginning to end, right? HA! I just thought of something! Her hair could not blow when she was inside that coccoon, right? (fist pulldown) YEAH!

lexicocoon.jpeg


But we still got this...

tumblr_nsu85f19nX1qlp3tco7_r1_250.gif
 

Tripler

Well Known GateFan

Oh crap . I did not know there was a season 5 ???
3 ended ok . I actually like the bubble heads as they have some kickass weapons and put the stupid humans in there place . Well until the writers had them cave into beard boys winning charm :shame::shame::shame:. The Karen thing was kinda stupid and irritating any time she was around with her know it all baloney smarmy attitude ... Oh and I am so sick of super kids OMG !!! Jeepers Spielberg !!! Leave them kids alone ... I was going thru my head thismorning as to how many super kids movies this guy keeps throwing at us ... ET , AI , Super 8 , The Goonies and ET which I still love is excluded from this list , to name a few . This new one with super alien daughter just made me throw up in my mouth ...

:smiley-015::smiley-015::smiley-015:
 
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Tripler

Well Known GateFan
Be starting season 4 this evening ... So the white haired chick is the super alien swarmy take over Karen's spot daughter munster now ???
 
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