Brain Bleed: The Shows We Hate & The Reasons We Hate Them

[mightycrone]

My whole family cannot stand that children's show Caillou. It was on one day at my sister's house for the little ones, and my whole family and I were all just snarking on that kid. He is a damn whiner! There, I feel better. There are so many children's shows that are way better than this crap. Dora the Explorer is another crappy show.

Modern Family is a show I wish I could enjoy, but as long as Sofia Vergara is on it, I won't touch it.

Anything with Patricia Heaton, I can't watch. I do enjoy Everybody Loves Raymond, but that is because of all the other characters. Oh, can't stand the Amy character either.

All of the Real World seasons since Las Vegas 2002 season 12. This season ruined the show that I knew and loved and it has gone downhill ever since.

Amen to all (except Real World-- never could get on board with that one).  

[GaT]

I just took The Leftovers off the DVR. That show is the suckiest show in all of suckdom.

[zxy556575]

Redneck TV. By which I mean the plethora of programming now devoted to the good ol' boys, the 'real' Americans, those craaaazy southerners, etc.  Honey Boo Boo, Duck Dynasty, Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, American Pickers, Lizard Lick Towing, etc.

 

I'll expand that to include all ripoff TV. Duck Dynasty is popular? Let's throw on a spitload of shows set in the South or a swamp or Alaska or that showcase any sort of blue collar "folk." I've never seen it, but I'm sure that show about toothless rednecks in Beverly Hills is quality television. You like Fast 'N Loud? All righty! Here are a bunch of copycat car makeover shows. You want to see people bid for or dicker over the price of collectibles? Gorge yourself, because there are 6-7 variations of that. People want to see tattoos? HERE YOU FUCKING GO!!

 

Let me add that I have disabled entire networks like Spike, Velocity, Outdoor Channel, and Country Music or whatever, so I'm sure there are more examples I'm unaware of.

 

On  an even more encompassing note, network TV in general. My DVR has season recordings for 57 shows and only 4 are network.

 

Not show-specific, but I cannot watch any plots that involve innocent people being set up to take the fall, and any news shows that involve a surprise ambush. Cannot watch

 

Generally shows that go on forever because the creators/networks are all about more seasons rather than telling a concise story.

 

Lack of effort/motivation/persistence here, but I tend to lose interest way before the general populace, so the fact that shows like Grey's Anatomy are still on ... why, again?

 

I stopped watching Revenge, for instance, because Nolan is the personification of all that I've mentioned.

 

See also: Felix on Orphan Black. Which I also gave up on after 5-6 episodes.

[Actionmage]

I don't need (or want!) cheerily flawless characters or a show that takes an artificially idyllic view of the world, but I don't watch TV to feel wrist-slittingly depressed and dislike the idea that shows with joy and basic likability aren't genuinely 'quality' TV.

^THIS! I am mostly an optimist, yet I don't delude myself about reality. I don't don't need relentlessly cheery, flawless, protagonists that have everything fall their way 24/7/365. I like dark, but when you cannot find anything uplifting or hopeful about a show, why watch that scripted show? There's news on some channel somewhere I can watch for grimdark.

 

I also think that shows like Toddlers & Tiaras and Dance Moms should never have made it past the pitch stage. It showcases the worst of people who, in turn, are horrible to young children! Supposedly for our entertainment! Is Caligula setting Standards and Practices? Is cable such a Wild West that basic decency is ignored in order to show horrible people denigrate young children (usually girls)?

 

I also really dislike the network news shows that are going over true crime cases. Unless a reporter has broken a cold case, then stop! As with the depressing "quality" dramas, there's enough pain and fear without supposedly reputable news folk stirring up more. I do not need to see crime photos on my screen. If you programmers really must show true crime, there is cable. I hear there are channels eager for stuff. True crime now seems just exploitative, like when reporter stick microphones into grieving family members' faces, trying for sound bites. Dateline is one I tend to catch before my shows on NBC on Friday. (Which are dark and gory, but meant to be and which are about pretend people!)

 

This one is admittedly weird and stems from having spent most of my life in NYC, but I tend not to like a lot of shows that are set in New York...maybe because I watch TV in part to 'visit' other places? And I especially hate the cooler-than-thou NYC-based shows in which everyone is a fashion-fixated party girl (Sex and the City, I'm looking at you!) or snotty hipsters (as someone else mentioned, How I Met Your Mother.)

Thank you for your answer. I always wondered how native New Yorkers felt at the sheer number of shows based in New York City. I live in Texas, and while there's been a dozen or so shows based in my state, I wonder if NYC and Los Angeles residents are tired of seeing their cities make up the largest portion of America, as far as tv is concerned. Besides the usual, how could the characters get to X when they started in Y?

[Taylorh2]

Lizard Lick Towing.  Amy looks HARD!! I mean prison hard. lol

[backformore]

America's funniest home videos. I used to to watch with my kids, it was cute. Kids doing funny things, Pets being adorable. People took videos for fun, and sent in clips. They didn't by set out to make videos for the show, they sent in stuff that happened while they were taping.

I caught an episode recently, and the show has turned so mean-spirited It makes me cringe. It seems filled with pranks people pull in order to get on the show, and videos of people being hurt or embarrassed. Your friend is fishing - push him so he hits his back on a rock and then falls into the river! Funny? Your sister is coming down the hall - open the door so she slams face-first into it. Hilarious! Oh, and here's a patch of ice on the sidewalk. Let's see how many people slip and fall on their buts. Because hurting other people is FUNNY! Now let's see if we can make grandpa's pants fall down.

[AntiBeeSpray]

Yea some of the more recent videos make me cringe too. Let's see how many ways people can hit others in the crotch. <-- that's one of their fall backs these days.

[Guest]

I've discovered recently that I have a loathing for shows that put in callout bubbles in the episode so you can read the character's text messages or other social media.

 

Its a trend that needs to stop.  I've seen it on a number of shows this summer.  So I loathe Taxi Brooklyn. And will likely not watch another episode of Selfie.  Its a stupid reason but it bugs.

Edited September 8, 2014 by ParadoxLost

[AntiBeeSpray]

I've discovered recently that I have a loathing for shows that put in callout bubbles in the episode so you can read the character's text messages or other social media.

 

Its a trend that needs to stop.  I've seen it on a number of shows this summer.  So I loathe Taxi Brooklyn. And will likely not watch another episode of Selfie.  Its a stupid reason but it bugs.

*ugh* That bugs me too. It's really distracting.

[GreekGeek]

I wish the Food Network would put actual cooking instruction back in prime time. I'd be so happy if they could find a new Julia Child--someone sophisticated but down to earth, showcasing elegant food within the abilities of the average home cook. I'm sick of contrived contests and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. 

 

A&E can get rid of its whole prime time lineup and re-run Biography all evening.

 

Whenever PBS has really interesting shows, I know it's pledge week and they're going to be interrupted every half hour with a 15-minute pledge drive, where they remind me how fortunate I am not to be watching commercials. And it drives me crazy that they don't show Reel 13 during pledge drive time, since that's about the only thing I watch on PBS regularly.

Edited September 8, 2014 by GreekGeek

[Anna Yolei]

Does anyone remember The Sarah Silverman Program from about ten years ago or so? I remember wsnting to throw a shoe at thr TV every time I saw it.

[Taylorh2]

I guess the closes thing to Julia Child is Ina Garden ?

[Brandi Maxxxx]

Is there a TV show that you've never seen an episode of but you know you don't like it? You can't say for sure that it's bad but something about it rubs you the wrong way. It could be that the show looks stupid or it could be something less rational (e.g. the lead actor reminds you of someone you hated in high school). Simply not watching isn't good enough, you have to go on the internet and declare that you're deliberately avoiding it. (That'll show 'em.)

 

Here is my example:

Wonderland (an Australian drama series, no relation to the American show from 2000) - while it gets good reviews from critics and lots of promotion, its ratings are low and IMO it's easy to see why - the ads make it look totally bland. I don't know how accurate a representation of the show they are, but this is the impression I get from the ads: The main plotline of the show is about two attractive young people who are roommates. They are clearly in love with each other but for some stupid reason aren't dating. They pine for each other while continuing to hook up with other attractive people. Also the guy seems like a douche.

I don't know if the show is just a victim of poor marketing, but it seems completely uninteresting to me.

 

So share your examples now, as that's how a forum thread works.

[callmebetty]

Girls! I only read an interview with Lena Dunham when it came out and for some reason she annoyed me. Then a saw a SNL skit with Tina Fey making fun of it and I knew I made the right decision for me not to watch it.

[dreamkiller]

That's me with Everyone Loves Raymond. I have no reason to hate it, but I cringe at every commercial. I also have an irrational hatred for Patricia Heaton, though, I'm not sure if I've ever watched anything she's been in and can't name any reason that she irks me.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Any show with a person named Kardashian in it.  The mere existence of those people irks the shit out of me.

[Mountainair]

I know this is Sacrilegious to say but for me it's:

Golden Girls

As soon as I hear the first note I have got to change the channel, Stat! Never seen more than one minute of the show but for some reason I have an irrational hatred for it! Maybe it's the cult following of it that annoys me (I'm a diehard I Love Lucy Fan so I understand the sentiment), or the bright, dated scenery? Something about it....

[blueray]

here comes baby booboo or whatever it's called. I saw about a minute of this show and changed it. I don't get how someone could watching something so dumb. Actually anything remotely like that I can't stand.

[VillaVillekulla]

How I Met Your Mother. I have never watched a full episode of it, but for some reason I loathe it. I've caught a few minutes of it here and there, and it's done nothing to change my feelings.

[Actionmage]

The Vampire Diaries. Yet another triangle with brothers. Another triangle about vampires. A triangle with vampire brothers. It is heading to it's sixth season.  At least they don't sparkle? ::shrugs::

[DangerousMinds]

New Girl. And Buffy from way back, never had any interest in either, and they annoy me just the same.

[Proclone]

The USA series, Satisfaction. Something about the promos made it seem both really boring and kind of icky, not a good combination (and they played so often, I wanted to scream every time they came on). There was something about them that was viscerally off putting to me. I landed on it for about two minutes while flipping channels and nothing I saw changed my opinion.

Edited September 19, 2014 by Proclone

[Jeebus Cripes]

How I Met Your Mother. I have never watched a full episode of it, but for some reason I loathe it. I've caught a few minutes of it here and there, and it's done nothing to change my feelings.

 

I absolutely detest that show! Never seen one episode, but I feel stabby each time I see a commercial. It grates so much.

 

New Girl. And Buffy from way back, never had any interest in either, and they annoy me just the same.

 

Is New Girl the show with Zoey Deschanel? I can't stand the ads for that. She's so obnoxious and unfunny. Anything with her in it, I'm changing the channel.

 

NCIS. I refuse to give it even one moment of my time.

[bmasters9]

It's Friends that gets this from me. Not only did I not laugh once at any of the episodes, but that theme song by The Rembrandts was more than enough to push me away from this awful excuse for a comedy. 

[DearEvette]

Three and a Half Men.  Not a single actor on the show appeals.

 

Dads.  Which I hate a) because it sounds stupid and b) because for some inexplicable reason Hulu seems to think because I like 'Sleepy Hollow' I will like Dads.  It keeps recommending it to me.  Stop!  No!  The two shows have nothing in common.  No. Thing.  Their reccommendation algorithmn is horrible.

Edited September 19, 2014 by DearEvette

[Wax Lion]

 

The USA series, Satisfaction. Something about the promos made it seem both really boring and kind of icky, not a good combination (and they played so often, I wanted to scream every time they came on). There was something about them that was viscerally off putting to me. I landed on it for about two minutes while flipping channels and nothing I saw changed my opinion.

 

As I recall, some of the promotional copy for Satisfaction read, 'Can you have it all and still be unhappy?' Which makes it sound like it's going to be about rich asshats feeling sorry for themselves. For some reason, I watch that show and that actually is an apt description.

[ramble]

Chiming in on the Satisfaction hate. The first ad I saw read to me like a show about narcissistic, greedy pigs. Not a show I'm drawn to. Perfect life but I want more excitement. Whiny brats.

[Snow Apple]

I agree about New Girl. Those promo commercials turned me off.

 

Charmed from back in the day because Shannon Doherty's face annoys me; it's like she's always sniffing something nasty. And although I don't have a problem with Holly Marie Combs, she always looks bored.

[kiddo82]

Dads.  Which I hate a) because it sounds stupid and b) because for some inexplicable reason Hulu seems to think because I like 'Sleepy Hollow' I will like Dads.  It keeps recommending it to me.  Stop!  No!  The two shows have nothing in common.  No. Thing.  Their reccommendation algorithmn is horrible.

Netflix seems to think that no matter what I search for I will like Orange is the New Black. Doesn't matter if I browsing their collection of available Muppet movies, Orange is the New Black pops up. I don't hate it...I just don't have much desire.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Pretty much anything on TLC that doesn't have the words "Cake" and "Boss" in the title.

[Constantinople]

House of Cards (US)

 

I don't know why exactly.  I had the good fortune to watch the original when it first aired in the US on PBS years ago.  I don't, in principle, object to remakes, and often enjoy comparing a remake with the original.  Plus, PBS has recently been rebroadcasting the original for the first time since perhaps forever.  I presume because the US version sparked interest in the original.  Yet, I really resent the fact that House of Cards (US) exists.

 

It's completely irrational.

[GreekGeek]

Anything to do with vampires or zombies.

 

I mentioned this on another thread, but to me, vampires were once interesting as a metaphor for sex, or for forbidden love. Now that we're more open about sex, I don't see the point of vampire romances.

 

Zombies just look gross to me. Looking at decaying flesh is not my idea of entertainment.

[Kromm]

Any show with a person named Kardashian in it.  The mere existence of those people irks the shit out of me.

Ding ding ding.  This is one of the ultimate winners of this kind of topic.  While hating a show without seeing it seems unreasonable on one level, it's TOTALLY reasonable when you put it in the context of the stars of the show invading other areas of TV, media and net culture, giving us a real sense of how repulsive they are.

 

I'll add a few similar. Now I won't try to claim I've seen zero footage of any of these shows (and that includes the Kardashians), but I've never willingly sat through an entire episode of any of them, and so the only exposure is clips or background absorption from someone else viewing it and me going about my business.

 

1.) Toddlers & Tiaras / Dance Moms and other similar child exploitation shows who's names I am forgetting.

2.) Teen Mom (fill in some number if you wish--and I HATE that I know that such is even part of the formula)

3.) Any and all "Housewives of..." show.  Of all of the above this is the only one where I actually deliberately tried to watch a few minutes, but couldn't ever get through even a single full episode of any of them, so I'm still counting them.

Edited September 20, 2014 by Kromm

[DittyDotDot]

Anything to do with vampires or zombies.

 

I mentioned this on another thread, but to me, vampires were once interesting as a metaphor for sex, or for forbidden love. Now that we're more open about sex, I don't see the point of vampire romances.

 

Zombies just look gross to me. Looking at decaying flesh is not my idea of entertainment.

 

I have an aversion to most things vampirey as well, so, have no interest in ever watching True Blood. That goes for The Vampire Diaries too, although I doubt I'd want to watch a show that the basic premise is a lame love triangle anyway. I have little interest in most things witchy too.

 

I loathe the idea of The Kardashians for the same reason I refused to watch The Osbournes. I think it's just a little too much reality for my taste.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

I have an aversion to most things vampirey as well, so, have no interest in ever watching True Blood.

One of the many reasons I won't watch True Blood is that one of the actors described it as "kind of like Buffy, but for people with intelligence." I'm not even a Buffy fan but that was out of line.

[MaryPatShelby]

Modern Family. I've never watched even a second, but I hate that it wins almost every award every year when there are (in my opinion) other comedies out there at least as deserving. I don't care for the Spanish female, whatever her name is, and I don't care for smartass kids. Which even though I've never watched it, I'm sure this show has.

 

Irrational.

 

And I'm on board with the anti-zombies and vampires factions.

Edited September 20, 2014 by buffylew

[Kromm]

One of the many reasons I won't watch True Blood is that one of the actors described it as "kind of like Buffy, but for people with intelligence." I'm not even a Buffy fan but that was out of line.

Whoever that actor is seems kind of stupid.  True Blood is a far more dimwitted show than Buffy.  Buffy had tongue-in-cheek clever humor spread throughout it.  True Blood just has spines being ripped out, heads being torn off, and lots of people fucking.

[supposebly]

 

Three and a Half Men.

 

Me too. I used to have a crush on Charlie Sheen in the 80s and for a few months when it started, I kept thinking I should check it out. But every time I actually wanted to do it, I remembered that I don't want to watch a show about what I perceived as a man child, an actual child and a door mat. I don't think I missed anything.

 

"Reality" TV. All of it. Competitions of all kinds, trashy people, trashy people with glitz, trashy people with problems, bachelors, I've never seen a minute of it. When scripted shows try to emulate the style in some episodes, I turn them off too. I can't help hearing about them, but I have successfully avoided them all after I saw one episode of Survivor some time in the late 90s? Or was it the one where people lived in a house? I forget, my friend was completely enamored and I didn't understand it. I still don't.

 

Shows about rich young people with rich young people problems where the women all seem to have the same long wavy haircut, so I can't distinguish them. Not that I care to. Mostly on the CW.

 

Comedies that use awkward humor. Can't handle it. I'd rather watch a zombie repeatedly rip out someone's spine and eat it than watch the awkwardness of The Office.

Lately, I've come to detest sitcoms. Most of them are not funny. They feel like assembly lines for jokes.

Edited September 20, 2014 by supposebly

[tribeca]

Whitney

The network promoted this show so much especially during The Voice.  The clip JMHO were not funny.  I was sick of the show before it even started.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

I don't live in the US so I didn't have to endure the commercials for Whitney. Instead I hate it because Whitney Cummings is a terrible comedian.

[Mindymoo]

I saw Whitney Cummings on @Midnight, and I had to turn it off. She was abhorrent, irritating, and not funny in the least. Plus, she looked like she could blink her lips.

[ChaseMCP]

I find myself hating certain shows that I haven't watched mainly because I get tired of hearing how awesome said show is from so many people and how I really, really need to watch it. Firefly, Buffy, Orphan Black, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, etc. If I watch a show, I want it to be because I want to watch it, not because I got tired of people telling me to watch it. The latter three I can see myself watching a couple years from now when the hype has hopefully died down, but the first two I will probably never watch a second of because just seeing the names annoy me.

 

I won't watch either of USA's recent two tv shows because they both look "super serious" and that's not why I've watched that channel all these years. 

[Snow Apple]

I've never watched Chelsea Lately because I can't stand Chelsea Handler. I've only seen her as a "comic" commentator on those clip shows like *I Love the 80's" and she's just insulting without the humor. She thinks she's funny but she's not (to me at least). Others can do insult jokes, but her's just falls flat. When I heard they gave Chelsea her own show, I couldn't believe it.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

Three and a Half Men.

I assume you're counting Charlie Sheen and Ashton Kutcher's characters separately in that total.

[lucindabelle]

Dancing with the stars. I just don't see the point of watching non dancers try to get better. Why? How is this entertaining?

Have never watched one episode.

I too hated the theme show to friends! Hate! Manic and annoying.

Watched one csi and was booooooored.

Made myself watch house of cards one on netflix to keep up. It kept putting me to sleep. Skipping season two.

Any of the vampire shows. I'm really tired of sexy vampires. That was innovative in 1977 and now it's a cliche. The loathsome vampire on penny dreadful who also was sometimes erotic.... That's what Dracula should be.

[DoughGirl]

Frasier, Friends, American Idol, America's Got Talent, Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother, Real Housewives, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, The View, and Dangerous Housewives.

Oh, and how could I forget. Sex and the City.

Edited September 21, 2014 by DoughGirl

[Proclone]

Anything to do with vampires or zombies.

 

I mentioned this on another thread, but to me, vampires were once interesting as a metaphor for sex, or for forbidden love. Now that we're more open about sex, I don't see the point of vampire romances.

 

Zombies just look gross to me. Looking at decaying flesh is not my idea of entertainment.

 

 

 

I'll admit to being down for pretty much anything vampire related (a hold over from my preteen days of sneaking Anne Rice novels off my mother's bookshelf, I think), but Zombies just gross me out completely.  I have a friend that loves the Walking Dead and has tried to get me to watch it several times, but I just can't.  I can't even stand to watch the promos for the new Zombie show on SyFy (don't ask me the name).  I either have to flip channels if I'm watching live, or fast forward if I'm watching something recorded, every they come on.

[AntiBeeSpray]

"Reality" TV. All of it. Competitions of all kinds, trashy people, trashy people with glitz, trashy people with problems, bachelors, I've never seen a minute of it. When scripted shows try to emulate the style in some episodes, I turn them off too. I can't help hearing about them, but I have successfully avoided them all after I saw one episode of Survivor some time in the late 90s? Or was it the one where people lived in a house? I forget, my friend was completely enamored and I didn't understand it. I still don't.

 

Shows about rich young people with rich young people problems where the women all seem to have the same long wavy haircut, so I can't distinguish them. Not that I care to. Mostly on the CW.

 

Count me in on that one! Most reality tv makes me want to throw stuff at my tv. Only one I could tolerate was the Osbornes (at times). Other than that though, I wish that they'd all just go away.

[DittyDotDot]

I find myself hating certain shows that I haven't watched mainly because I get tired of hearing how awesome said show is from so many people and how I really, really need to watch it. Firefly, Buffy, Orphan Black, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, etc. If I watch a show, I want it to be because I want to watch it, not because I got tired of people telling me to watch it. The latter three I can see myself watching a couple years from now when the hype has hopefully died down, but the first two I will probably never watch a second of because just seeing the names annoy me.

 

This is pretty much the reason why I assumed I would loathe True Detective--I was shocked to find I actually love it. Shocked I tell you!

 

I've watched all those shows you mentioned, except for Breaking Bad (it's on my list) and Buffy (did I mention I have an aversion to most things vampirey, so never gonna happen) and was also shocked to learn they were good shows.  I usually hate things that are considered "good" by the masses and generally avoid them--at least until the hype goes away so I can watch it with an open mind.

[Guest]

The USA series, Satisfaction. Something about the promos made it seem both really boring and kind of icky, not a good combination (and they played so often, I wanted to scream every time they came on). There was something about them that was viscerally off putting to me. I landed on it for about two minutes while flipping channels and nothing I saw changed my opinion.

 

And the other one they advertise at the same time.  I don't remember its name, in my head its named 'If Royal Pains was edgy.'

 

I have a whole other category of TV I don't like but have never seen called 'when pay cable gets pretentious'.  Those media and awards show darlings, I'm sure I'd hate those if I watched.  Like Weeds, True Detective, etc.