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Pleasantly Surprised: Shows That Were Better Than You Expected


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Yeah, I was out after that whole Jim/Sam nonsense.  But, up until then, it definitely fit this category for me.  I don't believe in any of the things that formed the foundation of the series, but I set that aside because it was a pleasant way to spend an hour -- the characters were all nice, well-intentioned people without being sickly sweet, and unraveling the spirit's story made for a nice mystery.

 

Reba is the first show that came to mind upon seeing the thread title.  While I think Reba McEntire has a great singing voice, I think she's a fairly bad actor, and the only other cast member I recognized was Christopher Rich, from his annoying role on Murphy Brown.  So the cast didn't draw me in, and the basic plot summary sure didn't -- woman's teenaged daughter gets knocked up at the same time as her husband's mistress, so the teens get married and have a baby and the husband divorces the wife and marries the mistress.  They all live on top of each other, and wacky hijinks ensue.

 

But I wound up watching it (in syndication) while home sick, and laughed my ass off, so I started recording it after I was well.  I only like the first four seasons, but I like them so much I bought them on DVD.  Barbara Jean and Van, the two characters I probably would have liked least on paper, turned out to be my favorites.  The show could definitely be hokey, and the retooling after season one was much needed, but it was a funny show, and did a nice job finding humor in the particular difficulties faced by blended families.  The various relationships being so well done is what surprised me most of all.

Edited by Bastet
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the only other cast member I recognized was Christopher Rich, from his annoying role on Murphy Brown

 

The first thing I ever saw Christopher Rich in was a silly, but funny, sitcom called "The Charmings", where he played Prince Charming.  Prince Charming and Snow White and the Evil Queen got transported into our world and had to live as suburbanites.  Paul Winfield played the sassy magic mirror.

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I thought I would hate LOST. The promos made it seem like a scripted drama version of Survivor. They didn't highlight any of the sci-fi aspects of the show at all. The only reason the husband and I watched the Pilot was because we were on vacation and happened to turn on the TV, and there it was. We were immediately drawn in and the obsession began.

12 Monkeys - I loved the movie and Aaron Stanford was one of my faves from Nikita, so I was pretty sure I would like it, despite the dreaded "It will never live up to the original!" aspect, but I'm honestly surprised by just how good it is. The characters feel real and complex. There are few explicit "good guys" or "bad guys", rather most of the characters seem to be trying to do their best while working with some incredibly tough choices. And the moral issues are compelling, not waved away, and aren't easily or predictably resolved. Like all shows, it has some issues, but I think it's my favorite show on the air right now. Edited by cynic
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I put off watching Doctor Who because the old show looked too cheesy to take seriously, but a few years ago my son urged me to watch the new one. I was surprised how much I liked it. I might one day give the old show a chance.

There's some good stuff and some bad stuff. If you ever want to try it out, get some recommendations first.

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Mind Games starring Steve Zahn and Christian Slater. I thought the trailers looked awful and too goofy, but I liked both of the leads so I decided to watch and it was actually a lot better than expected (I'm only up to episode 3 so there's a chance that everything could go downhill).

 

Steve Zahn is really good in this, I much prefer him in this sort of thing than wacky comedies

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Fresh Of The Boat.  I generally loathe the current wave of 1/2 hour sitcoms and ABC's obnoxious promos for their comedies do not help matters. It was on when I happened to watch TV one night and I was surprised how much I liked it. Constance Wu is phenomenal, and I love the attention to detail in making it "feel" like 1995. It isn't perfect, but it is a solid show for its first season. Maybe i just like it because I was the same age as the lead kid character was in 95 and share similar musical tastes, heh.

I love this thread! 

 

Charmed and Smallville leap to mind. I'd been led to believe by critics and TV snob friends that they were both among the absolute worst shows ever to curse our screens, so I was so happily surprised to find just how much I enjoy both of them. They're both cheesy and more than a little flawed, but I find them both such engaging, mood-boosting, weirdly addictive fun. And I'm more attached to a few characters from both shows than I could admit to anyone other than PTV posters :) 

 

Speaking of Charmed, I'd been warned that Phoebe Halliwell is among the most insufferable characters ever, but I sort of adore her. 

 

I'd also been prepared to hate Kate Lockley on Angel, but she ended up one of my favorite things about the show's first season.

 

And...yeah, I probably have horrible taste, but I'm okay with that :) 

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When I first heard about Outlander I was skeptical.  I tried to read the first book years ago and just could not do it.  It's written in first person and I have an aversion. This means I have been able to participate in any book series that have captivated the masses, Twilight, Game of Thrones, Hunger Games and many others.  I stand in bookstores and do a quick count of 'I' and put the book back on the shelf.

 

Anyway, I was very leery about a TV show that was narrated and from a specific point of view.  I can't think of an instance when that worked out well.  I was really certain the narration in particular was going to bug the crap out of me.  Turns out the show is wonderful.  Might be my favorite currently airing.

I almost wrote off FOX's  Backstrom, but I pair it with CBS' Elementary and it's a nice evening.

 

The cast is uniformly ideal in their roles. Rainn Wilson is a getting-to-be-loveable misanthrope.  Everett Backstrom is a man in pain, but not manpain. Backstrom also is very, very slowly being shown why he's the way he is. It's an explanation, not an excuse. His fellow cops are good murder police and are a wonderful, unique work family. They are supposed to be an Island of Misfit Cops, but they are good at their jobs and clear cases.

 

The names I knew or knew of in the supporting cast: Dennis Haysbert, Christopher Pohala and Thomas Dekker.

 

This is one of the series where I would advise folks to skip the pilot and jump in on Episode 2 or 3. The pilot had Backstrom's nastiness turned up to, well, past eleven, so we just don't have the proper number.  It's bearable from Episode 2 on.

 

It's got the interesting case now and then, but the show is more about the characters and their interactions.  It's just that, being on FOX, the episodes were aired out of order. (Thankfully, in the show thread, there's a thread for that.)

I have no idea where to put this....but I never expected to love as many British TV shows as I do. In the D.C. area we have a PBS channel that's all British programming and it's one of my go to channels. I confess I was HIGHLY irate with the local PBS station took away Create and replaced it with UK programming. But I'm OK with it now. (....three-plus years later.:))

 

I love almost all the police dramas. Heck, I know Inspector Morse is 20 years old.....but it's new to me and I'm loving it. And Father Brown, George Gently, and DCI Banks, and Dr. Blake Mysteries, Mrs. Fisher Murder Mysteries, Rosemary and Thyme, and Inspector Lewis, and Midsomer Murders (how many people can get killed in that damn county in one episode week after week!. And there are other shows....Pie in the Sky which also 20-plus years old, Hetty Wainwright, Red Cap, Endeavour, Scott an Bailey, Whitechaple, and more. (MI-5 is too violent for me.)

 

I've loved a fair number of Britcoms for years now. But some of the dramas are new to me.

 

Is there catch-all a thread for British programs?

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I have no idea where to put this....but I never expected to love as many British TV shows as I do. In the D.C. area we have a PBS channel that's all British programming and it's one of my go to channels. I confess I was HIGHLY irate with the local PBS station took away Create and replaced it with UK programming. But I'm OK with it now. (....three-plus years later.:))

 

I love almost all the police dramas. Heck, I know Inspector Morse is 20 years old.....but it's new to me and I'm loving it. And Father Brown, George Gently, and DCI Banks, and Dr. Blake Mysteries, Mrs. Fisher Murder Mysteries, Rosemary and Thyme, and Inspector Lewis, and Midsomer Murders (how many people can get killed in that damn county in one episode week after week!. And there are other shows....Pie in the Sky which also 20-plus years old, Hetty Wainwright, Red Cap, Endeavour, Scott an Bailey, Whitechaple, and more. (MI-5 is too violent for me.)

 

I've loved a fair number of Britcoms for years now. But some of the dramas are new to me.

 

Is there catch-all a thread for British programs?

 

WETA UK blows BBC America completely out of the water. It's gotten me so addicted to Inspector Lewis, Endeavour, and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries I hate myself for not watching them sooner. We just upgraded our cable at the beginning of June so we have DVR. It's 59% full already, and like 85% is stuff off of WETA UK.

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I can think of a couple.  I got to be a big fan of Elementary, though it wasn't dislike but rather not being able to see it previously when I was working nights.  For me the best part is the relationship between Sherlock and Joan, I thought the best episode I saw all year was For All You Know.  JLM and LL are great together.

 

I didn't like Shark Tank the first time I watched it, because in the episode I saw almost none of the contestants got an offer, except someone with a food business (still a better chance of success than average in most cases it seems to me) and I felt sorry for them.  However, over time I realized that some ideas are just bad, and a lot of the entrepreneurs are just dopey for turning the Sharks' offers down.  I find it very entertaining now, though I wish they would make Barbara and Daymond the weekly regulars over Lori, who just grates on me.

Edited by roseha

When I purchased the Season 1, Volume 1 DVD release of Perry Mason (all of the 1957 episodes and some of 1958), I thought that, it being made back then, it would be incredibly tedious and slow, and would be something I got rid of and regretted. Not so! In fact, what has kept me with Mason is how that title character has the camaraderie with his coworkers (secretary Della Street and investigator Paul Drake), and how prosecutor Hamilton Burger softens up over the run of the show; I have 5.5 seasons' worth now (5 full seasons and the first part of Season 6). 

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The first thing I ever saw Christopher Rich in was a silly, but funny, sitcom called "The Charmings", where he played Prince Charming.  Prince Charming and Snow White and the Evil Queen got transported into our world and had to live as suburbanites.  Paul Winfield played the sassy magic mirror.

 

I remember that show! It was funny and silly.

 

I only like the first four seasons, but I like them so much I bought them on DVD.  Barbara Jean and Van, the two characters I probably would have liked least on paper, turned out to be my favorites

 

Van and Cheyenne ended up being my favorites along with Barbara Jean which surprised

they were just so fun, funny, and happy.  I liked the teen pregnancy part of it.  That's

something  that does come up a lot but rarely is done well on TV. I hated Kyra. Although I

did like a couple episodes like the one where she doesn't want to go her dad's wedding. It

was nice to see just a little struggle and difficulty over the changes in her life. And it seemed

realistic, I've known girls who didn't want to do the same thing and for the same reasons. It

was nice to see the blended family.

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I didn't expect to like The Middle, because I was prejudiced against Patricia Heaton. I didn't care that she was Republican, but I did get annoyed at her on a celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire? plugging her new show. She said that she thought Midwesterners were nicer than New Yorkers--in front of an audience of New Yorkers. She then drew a complete blank on her last question, which was a basic math problem. Regis did everything but tell her the answer. She was ready to walk off without even answering, but then at Regis' urging she asked those nasty New Yorkers for help. (They came through.) And I hadn't liked Debra on Everybody Loves Raymond. But I'm glad I gave The Middle a try. I enjoyed it the first season, especially the episodes revolving around holidays.

Patricia Heaton's from Cleveland (her Dad was the sports editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer , her brother's the 'Minister of Culture'), so she would have that viewpoint.

We never watched 'ELR' until just a few weeks ago. I'm surprised how much we both like it.

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I just caught up on Empire. After trying and failing to like Nashville (I actually listen to country music so I thought I would like a show surrounding it) I didn't expect to like Empire. Then it got loads of acclaim so I gave it a look and I actually enjoy it.

Edited by Chaos Theory
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I never thought I would like Dharma and Greg, and I'm not usually a fan of many traditional sitcoms with laugh tracks, 'they're total opposites in every way yet are supposed to be soulmates' couples, or even Jenna Elfman in other roles. But my DVR accidentally recorded an episode, and I found myself hurrying over to youtube to watch a few more. It's not groundbreaking or original or 'edgy'...come to think of it, maybe that's part of why I enjoy it! It's smarter and funnier than I expected, and I just really like the characters, their relationships, and the overall feel of it. It may even force me to revise my opinion of Jenna Elfman :)   

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Sense8 -- I put off watching it for so long because I'm not a fan of the Wachowskis.  The first Matrix movie was fine, but then I thought they became too enamored of their cleverness.  I was afraid that Sense8 would be the same.

 

Nope.  It's incredible.  So very, very good.

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Everything about Brooklyn Nine-Nine fits this for me. Probably because all of the commercials advertising it when it first aired were only showing scenes from the pilot, which I think most people agree was not its strongest episode. That said, it was mainly the characters that surprised me:

 

- Jake, because his character looked like he was supposed to be childish and obnoxious and because he was played by Andy Samburg. Not only does Samburg play him well, but the show finds a nice balance between childish/obnoxious and caring/competent that it works out.

- Rosa, because from commercials she looked to be the typical mysterious hot girl cop, but she actually proved to be more than that, by being bad-ass, funny, and serious about her job.

- Boyle, because if he were played by a different actor he could be an incredibly creepy character but the actor plays him just right so that he's more naive and innocent than creepy.

- Amy, because she looked to be stuck in the "no fun allowed" role but is actually allowed to have fun without compromising her character. And...

- Gina, who wasn't as bad as I expected (though could be taken down a notch) and while she's my least favorite of the bunch, it doesn't mean I don't like her.

 

I expected to like Andre Braugher and Terry Crews, so it didn't surprise me that they played great characters. 

 

And I'm glad I checked out this show because it's now one of my favorites. The characters get to be silly while being good at their jobs. Each person has a defined personality. The girls especially get to play three unique characters who provide just as many laughs as the boys and aren't relegated to being the tits and ass of the show. There's a lot of diversity. And while the plot points are pretty ordinary, the way they're executed is different and refreshing. 

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In the flesh : I saw previews for it on BBC America, and thought that it could be interesting, though I wasn't sure about the whole zombie thing. I was shocked how much I loved the show. I binged watched it. It is unique in that if focuses on what happens after the rising, and the idea that they are able to cure them. It is more of a drama then a zombie thriller (though there are some intense scenes).  I was sad when I found out that there wasn't going to be a season 3. It seriously needs one.

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I didn't know at first whether I would like Barney Miller, and as such I sampled some of it from WGN America when they had it. I had also seen the first-season DVD release in an FYE in Huntsville, AL, but forbore from it because I wasn't sure whether it would be funny enough to justify the purchase. I then went whole-hog on it by getting Shout!'s full-series release, and went from top to bottom (don't know how long it took), and my purchase of that turned out to be very much worth it, as Barney Miller is one of the funniest shows I've seen, and as such, I feel that I got my money's worth out of it (with the exception of that first season's worth of the Fish spinoff, which I'm not sure I will find as entertaining as the main event of Barney Miller). 

 

In fact, the best character there (at least IMO) is Barney himself, as quite expertly played by Hal Linden. 

Edited by bmasters9
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Playing House on USA.  Probably doesn't technically fit this thread because I literally had no idea this show even existed before a week ago.  And even if I did the premise just is so not my thing and I have never heard of the lead actresses before.  But it came across my radar because Tvline did a little blurb on Keegan Michael-Key (whom j'adore) and a great scene he was in.  And I was like what...?  So I looked it up and binged all of Season 1 and am now up to speed on Season 2. 

 

Funny, charming, well written, well acted.  Really Good show.

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I guess it's worth mentioning that everything I heard about Mr Robot before it premiered sounded like an incredibly stupid show. It probably says more about how network press people can't come up with an effective summary of a tech-themed show. I mean, here's the way the show was described when it was announced as a series:

MR. ROBOT is a contemporary and culturally resonant drama about a young programmer, Elliot (Malek), who suffers from a debilitating anti-social disorder and decides that he can only connect to people by hacking them. He wields his skills as a weapon to protect the people that he cares about. Elliot will find himself in the intersection between a cybersecurity firm he works for and the underworld organizations that are recruiting him to bring down corporate America. Slater stars in the title role of Mr. Robot, a mysterious anarchist who recruits Elliot into an underground hacker group.

 

It's not wrong as a description of the show but it's just makes me expect a cross between CSI: Cyber and yet-another lovable crimefighting asshole show.

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Just finished watching Narcos on Netflix, and I was surprised over how much I enjoyed it.  I only knew the basics about Pablo Escobar, and I was mainly curious to see Pedro Pascal in his first big post-Game of Thrones show, but I thought the overall show was extremely well-done, and I can't wait to see where it goes next.  In particular, Wagner Moura is a revelation as Pablo.  Probably one of my favorite performances this year so far.

 

Actually, 2015 is so far becoming the year of shows I check out on a whim, surprising me and exceeding my expectations.  I ended up enjoying shows like iZombie, Sense 8, Mr. Robot, 12 Monkeys, Killjoys, and Humans way more then I expected.

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I never thought I would like Dharma and Greg, and I'm not usually a fan of many traditional sitcoms with laugh tracks, 'they're total opposites in every way yet are supposed to be soulmates' couples, or even Jenna Elfman in other roles. But my DVR accidentally recorded an episode, and I found myself hurrying over to youtube to watch a few more. It's not groundbreaking or original or 'edgy'...come to think of it, maybe that's part of why I enjoy it! It's smarter and funnier than I expected, and I just really like the characters, their relationships, and the overall feel of it.

I think you said all the reasons I liked the show. When I look back on all the (let's face it minimal) comedies I did enjoy the all are the ones that aren't "edgy" or incredibly original. Honestly I am a simple girl when it comes to half hour comedies. Dharma and Greg, Reba, Roseanne and maybe even slightly more edgy Mom.

Edited by Chaos Theory
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Sense8 -- I put off watching it for so long because I'm not a fan of the Wachowskis.  The first Matrix movie was fine, but then I thought they became too enamored of their cleverness.  I was afraid that Sense8 would be the same.

 

Nope.  It's incredible.  So very, very good.

 

Sense8 may not yet be the best of the Neflix originals but it has the potential to be and it is my favorite.

 

Many thanks to Demented Daisy and Chaos Theory for recommending Sense8.  I'm really enjoying it.  The casting is incredible - each of the 8 main characters is mesmerizing, I love them all.  The supporting actors are great, too: Hernando, Daniella, handsome Indian man, Sun's dad, Caphael's mom, Nomi's girlfriend ... I am consistently wowed.

 

It's also a beautiful show and I love that the actor who plays Gorski (Brian J. Smith) reminds me all the time of Cory Monteith.  I wish the story made more sense, but it doesn't really matter - it's delivering on the rest.  (ETA: Kind of like Orphan Black.)

Edited by ToxicUnicorn
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This one surprised me more then any other show because its on the comedy channel and I had

never found anything on that channel funny, but Drunk History is surprisingly good. The history

is good and its also very funny. The reenactements are funny and generally say everything

that the narrator is saying, even when their drunk and say something else or forget what

they were saying. Its really funny. They've already covered so many different things,

even ones that are more obscure or just generally lesser known.  

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I just started watching Drunk History a few weeks ago, and I absolutely love it. At first glance I'd thought it'd be drunk people who would cover history events we already knew but because they were drunk there would be more silliness so I didn't expect a whole lot of history. Didn't it surprise me then that not only do they cover some lesser known events, but for the most part each segment is historically accurate, but still with silliness because drunk people. I can't stand being around drunk people in real life, but the history nerd in me decided to go for it and check out the show - I'm glad I did.

 

And it helps that they have an impressive list of guest stars who aren't afraid to act completely ridiculous. 

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The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix. It has all the elements that I usually hate in a comedy 1) centered around an unrelentingly joyful, determined, optimistic person with the frantic energy of a squirrel on crack; 2) fish out of water concept; 3) suspect racial/homosexual jokes; and 4) created by Tina Fey but I really enjoyed it. Titus Burgess is everything!!

 

Wentworth on Netflix. Think Orange is the New Black but Australian accents and with no laughs. This shit is dark but so, so good.

Edited by islandgal140
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This one surprised me more then any other show because its on the comedy channel and I had never found anything on that channel funny, but Drunk History is surprisingly good

 

 

I backed into Drunk History too, and it is now my favorite show.  I agree with Gudzilla, Paget Brewster rocks.  You should check out the original episodes before they made it to Comedy Central.  They're at the Funny or Die site.  It's scary how much obscure history I learn from this show.  Kind of like learning news from Jon Stewart.

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Just recently purchased two seasons' worth of Simon & Simon (1981-89 CBS detective series with Jameson Parker and Gerald McRaney), and I'm already up to the third episode of the first season (in the middle of that third episode), and so far, it looks like it might be another of my favorites. I think it's because of how the Simon brothers (A.J. and Rick) don't always see eye to eye, but somehow find a way to get the job done. 

Edited by bmasters9
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Just recently purchased two seasons' worth of Simon & Simon (1981-89 CBS detective series with Jameson Parker and Gerald McRaney), and I'm already up to the third episode of the first season (in the middle of that third episode), and so far, it looks like it might be another of my favorites. I think it's because of how the Simon brothers (A.J. and Rick) don't always see eye to eye, but somehow find a way to get the job done. 

They made tweaks on just how good was the Simon & Simon Agency and their police contact supporting characters over the run of the show. I saw it like Hunter with a shaky start a great middle section  of episodes where it was as enjoyable as its more famous crossover mate Magnum PI  while maybe trying to stay a season too long in the end.

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I would put Disney sitcoms in this category. I thought the premise of "Dog with a Blog" on Disney (the dog actually talks!) was idiotic, but I happened to watch a few episodes, and then I set my DVR. It turned out to be sweet and funny. Kudos to the voice actor for the dog and the writers who would have Stan actually express thoughts a dog would. 

 

I also liked "I Didn't Do It" and "Good Luck, Charlie."

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