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

[DearEvette]

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

 

Yup.  I am counting every whole or half man (and Charlie Sheen) that has had a part of that show.

[ToxicUnicorn]

I have never seen Downton Abbey and don't intend to.  I'm not a big fan of stuffy costume dramas, which it seems DA is, in spades.  I am also very annoyed that it gets more attention at awards shows than Sherlock.  So, hate.

[Wax Lion]

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.'

 

Yes. This. I tried watching it and didn't make it past the first few minutes, it was one of those shows where someone behaves like an awful person and I'm supposed to find it edgy and "compellingly morally ambiguous". I'm sick of shows where a character is a jerk (and just a jerk) and we're supposed to find him so interesting. I don't hate antiheroes in general but so many of them have nothing but their assholery.

[GreekGeek]

I have never seen Downton Abbey and don't intend to.  I'm not a big fan of stuffy costume dramas, which it seems DA is, in spades.  I am also very annoyed that it gets more attention at awards shows than Sherlock.  So, hate.

I don't hate all costume dramas, but I don't automatically think they = quality. As for DA, my gut reaction was that I already saw it in the 70's, when it was called Upstairs, Downstairs.

[paulvdb]

"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.

When I saw this thread I was going to post about this, but I see that you already did. So I'll just say that I agree with you about reality tv.

And I'll add procedurals. When networks announce new shows I always read the description and I know I'm not going to watch it if I see that the show is about a cop or a lawyer.

Edited to add that this applies mostly to cops and lawyers solving regular crimes. I'll make an exception if for example the cop joins forces with a soldier from the revolutionary war to combat headless horsemen and other supernatural creatures.

Edited September 22, 2014 by paulvdb

[Sweet Tee]

New Girl.  I hate, hate, hate Zooey Deschanel.  She's not cute, funny, or quirky.  I've suffered through her dead eyed, monotone performances enough in films and I refuse to put myself through an entire sitcom starring her.  

 

Any of the CSI shows.  I don't even hate procedurals.  I used to love NCIS and Numb3rs.  But something about CSI just turns me off completely.  

[islandgal140]

I don't mind reality shows but I can't watch competitive reality shows - dancing, singing, eating weird shit.

 

Shows about dating and watching people go on dates. Just makes me cringe at all the awkward.

 

Any and all shopping networks - all the inane chatter is mind numbing plus I don't see the need what with internet shopping and all. Plus, I think the shit is overpriced and paying shipping and handling fees is against my religion. 

 

Friends, HIMYM, Big Bang Theory, basically any 30 minute comedy show about a group of mostly 20-30 something singles living with each other and/or hanging out discussing their lives and mating habits. IDGAF! Exception: Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Seinfeld. I don't think Parks and Rec or Community count because I feel those shows are more about forging friendships in a working/school environment. YMMV.

 

TBS 'original' comedy shows

 

Anything with DL Hughley. Patently unfunny.

 

Don't hate but I know I will never, ever watch  - MASH, Dr. Who, Once Upon A Time, House, Touched by An Angel, Dr. Quinn

[Neurochick]

Anything Kardashian.

 

Anything with Zooey Deschanel; I can't stand her, and I hate that iPhone commercial she did when Siri had to tell her it was raining, even though the window was right there.

 

"The Walking Dead" Zombies aren't my thing, and it's getting boring, enough already.

 

"Breaking Bad," I liked that show when it was "The Wire."

[DangerousMinds]

Games of Thrones. Tired of hearing about it, no interest whatsoever in ever watching a moment of it.

[festivus]

First of all the thread title cracked me up.

 

I agree with hating all reality shows. I've never watched them but I hate them anyway and I think they make your brain die. Except Hoarders which I do watch sometimes so I can feel better about myself.

 

Modern Family. I've seen a couple of episodes and that show is not funny. I don't see why it keeps winning awards when good shows like Go On get cancelled. Hate.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

First of all the thread title cracked me up.

Thanks. Just for that, I'll let you get away with mentioning a show you actually did try watching.

[2KllMckngBrd]

Friends. Most sitcoms, but especially Friends. I. Just. Can't. All day on tv I have heard about it being the 20th anniversary, and all I kept thinking was, and... I couldn't give 2 shits about that show. When it first came on I remember seeing the commercials and thinking "they live in New York, and not 1 non-white person. Really? Really? Now I know that same comment could be made about a lot of shows, but that just stuck in my craw. Even when the cast would do interviews they never said anything, or showed a clip, that made me want to change my mind. Over the years I have flipped channels. and come across it. and w/in 2 minutes I'm out. Just not for me. And David Schwimmers voice is like nails on a chalkboard.

[Gudzilla]

I've never seen more than a commercial but I hate Scorpion, but then again I enjoy watching those fools on Ghost Adventures so what do I know?

[annzeepark914]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who detests Friends.  I've tried to watch the show but couldn't take more than a few minutes of it.  Anniston was always flipping her hair in that "I'm so adorable" self-conscious style of hers; the acting seemed stilted (with the exception of Lisa Kudrow) and I can't believe it was supposed to be set in New York City.  The dialogue just didn't have that NY edge to it.

 

All reality shows.  What a disgrace that these idiotic shows are taking up time on TV.  I have to confess here, though, that I tried to watch that towing show only because I wanted to know where in NC they were located (Knightdale-oy vey) so I got a good grasp of the phoniness of this show (think of all the release forms the producers had to get signed by the folks who were seen fightin' and cursin' & shootin' at the towin' boys...yeah, sure it's "reality").  One other confession here: I have watched 19 Kids & Counting several times because it's such a bizarre family but can't take too much of it as I worry about those children (wish Arkansas's Child Protective Services would shut down the da**n show).

[2KllMckngBrd]

Castle. I know that it's a sleeper hit. And I have loved Nathan Fillion since he found cougar love w/Dorian on OLTL, all the way to Firefly. But it just looks like another, "so in what season will the 2 leads become a couple" shows. I'm down for most procedurals, but I don't want too damn much "expected shipping" going on w/my "case/situation(s) of the week". Either fuck already, or get off the pot.

 

I have often wondered how many shows have been skipped b/c of the Moonlighting affect. I was young when that was on, and remember the show being ruined by the very thing the audience was supposed to want. Granted, there was also a lot of off the set crap that went on to destroy that show, but can't deny most of it was putting Maddie and David together.

 

Moonlighting to me, was clearly always designed to be a couples' show. The audience loving the sexual energy between the 2 and rooting for their happy "couple-ness", and the actual plot, and story secondary. But once together they had nothing. I guess I can deal w/an organic coupling. Maybe. But I just can't, and won't, w/the ones that seem to me to be created to always lead there. Bones is like that. They snuck in under my radar for season 1. But as soon as I figured out that was the point I was out.

[Popples]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who detests Friends.  I've tried to watch the show but couldn't take more than a few minutes of it.  Anniston was always flipping her hair in that "I'm so adorable" self-conscious style of hers; the acting seemed stilted (with the exception of Lisa Kudrow) and I can't believe it was supposed to be set in New York City.  The dialogue just didn't have that NY edge to it.

 

All reality shows.  What a disgrace that these idiotic shows are taking up time on TV.  I have to confess here, though, that I tried to watch that towing show only because I wanted to know where in NC they were located (Knightdale-oy vey) so I got a good grasp of the phoniness of this show (think of all the release forms the producers had to get signed by the folks who were seen fightin' and cursin' & shootin' at the towin' boys...yeah, sure it's "reality").  One other confession here: I have watched 19 Kids & Counting several times because it's such a bizarre family but can't take too much of it as I worry about those children (wish Arkansas's Child Protective Services would shut down the da**n show).

 

I agree with everything you said, but with regards to the part I bolded, I have tried to watch 19 Kids and Counting (I think it may have been when it was like just 17), but I have never made it through an entire episode because Jim Bob skeeves me out so much. The longest I've made it without changing the channel is like 3 minutes; I just couldn't do it.

[Pickles Aplenty]

Add me to the Friends hate-train.  There is nothing funny or lovable about that show, and that includes "Smelly Cat", so don't use that as an example of how it's awesome.  Just stop, already.

 

I agree with Jim Bob being creepy, but Michelle's hair creeps me out even more.

[Kromm]

Wow.  I'm only bored by Friends and think it's overhyped (even though I almost always make a point of how sick I am of it winning that King of The Mountain thing on the front page).  Interesting to see there are people who outright hate it.

[Happy Harpy]

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.

And for me, True Blood was the porn, poor man's version of Buffy...which is why I never watched it.

But I remember refusing to watch Dawson's Creek because the promotion was dissing Beverly Hills 90210 -which I wasn't a fan of- in the same "we're for people with intelligence" way; whereas it was actually the same teen drama drivel. (I was right to avoid it: I never liked any actor coming from this show in anything).

 

I never watched The Vampire Diaries nor Gossip Girl, because I hate things where the "hero" is a rapist woobie -and I stopped watching Buffy when they made Spike one of them.

I sat through one episode of the Sopranos, because I wasn't wise enough to avoid it all together, and never watched Mad Men because I was wise enough to avoid it all together. I hate things where the "hero" is  male chauvinist, whiny, criminal asshole.

[AntiBeeSpray]

Wow.  I'm only bored by Friends and think it's overhyped (even though I almost always make a point of how sick I am of it winning that King of The Mountain thing on the front page).  Interesting to see there are people who outright hate it.

Same here. I didn't mind Smelly Cat and an episode every so often, but a lot of times it was just really annoying.

[FormerMod-a1]

I haven't watched any of the vampire shows (True Blood, Vampire Diaries, others) because I'm just vampired out and have been for many years now.  I didn't even read Twilight when all my friends were raving about it.  I started to read the first book, but nope - still vampired out.  

[ALenore]

Everyone has already mentioned the shows I hate (reality TV, New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Two and Half Men)  I also cannot stand anything on Lifetime.   I never watched any of their movies, but a lot of my coworkers love it, and it always seems to be be variations on "woman in peril"  My husband/neighbor/boss is trying to kill me, is making me sick, stealing all my money, and no one believes me.

 

My problem is that the TV shows I never watch and hate anyway are the only shows that any of my coworkers do watch, and they love them irrationally.   So I don't involve myself in any lunchtime/watercooler discussions of TV shows, since I'm afraid I'll insult someone's favorite show and piss them off. 

[Guest]

I've never watched Modern Family but I totally hate it.  For whatever reason, I was never interested in watching it when it first came out.  I don't even remember why.  My actual hate of the show comes from the constant Emmy wins.  No show is consistently that good that no other show can win an Emmy year after year.

 

BTW,  hate Veep too for the same reason but never watched.

[Snowprince]

One look at the promo and it was hate at first sight. The Tracy Morgan Show (2003). Standard formula. Befuddled dad with a super hot wife, 2 punchably obnoxious sons and a laugh track. Even the promo could make me change the channel.   

[2KllMckngBrd]

I've never seen more than a commercial but I hate Scorpion, but then again I enjoy watching those fools on Ghost Adventures so what do I know?

More than you think. And apparently more than me (or I, either 1). I got sucked in by the commercials. That turned out to be the best thing about Scorpion. So much worse than you can even imagine. I can't w/the Ghost Adventures, but what do I know as we've already established.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

One look at the promo and it was hate at first sight. The Tracy Morgan Show (2003). Standard formula. Befuddled dad with a super hot wife, 2 punchably obnoxious sons and a laugh track. Even the promo could make me change the channel.   

The title is warning enough on its own.

[ChromaKelly]

I've never watched Modern Family but I totally hate it.  For whatever reason, I was never interested in watching it when it first came out.  I don't even remember why.  My actual hate of the show comes from the constant Emmy wins.  No show is consistently that good that no other show can win an Emmy year after year.

 

BTW,  hate Veep too for the same reason but never watched.

I hate Modern Family for the same reasons. I also hate it because it keeps getting recommended to me. Oh you'll love it! They have an adopted child! There's a gay couple! This segues into the reasons I hate The Big Bang Theory. Also gets shoved in my face because apparently I'm a socially inept nerd who likes Star Trek. I hate all the nerd cliches that are on it. Soft Kitty sounds like poor man's Smelly Cat. And now, I recently learned that they include the tired trope of all asthma/allergy sufferers being weakling nerds. Bleh. And Mayim Bialik is on the show and her parenting crap annoys the shit out of me.

[2KllMckngBrd]

Mad Men. I'm not sure if it's hate. Maybe more ambivalence. Never seen more than 3 minutes in a row, and strung together not more than 15minutes total. I just don't see the need for this show in my life. I don't see the appeal. Jon Hamm is handsome. What else you got? John Slattery is a silver fox? Gonna need more. Elizabeth Moss is a good actress. So? Just don't care. I can find no motivation for this show. I hear that it's amazing, but I just can't, or I won't. I wish I had a better explanation for skipping, what the critics tell me is life changing tv, but I just feel nothing about this show.

[ALenore]

I hate The Big Bang Theory. Also gets shoved in my face because apparently I'm a socially inept nerd who likes Star Trek. I hate all the nerd cliches that are on it.

 

Ditto.   I keep having people recommend The Big Bang Theory because I like to read science fiction.  I saw (part of) one episode and couldn't stand it.  

[Kromm]

Ditto.   I keep having people recommend The Big Bang Theory because I like to read science fiction.  I saw (part of) one episode and couldn't stand it.  

Well, because it's kind of a cartoon version of nerddom rather than the reality of it.  Not every nerd is a rocket scientist.  Many gravitate towards sci-fi/fantasy as an aspirational/escapist thing, and yet the whole setup on BBT with how smart and super-successful they are is it's OWN brand of escapist fantasy.

[DittyDotDot]

I have absolutely no interest in watching Scandal. And is it because I know anything about this show? Nope. I simply hate the title and refuse to even entertain the idea of watching it.

 

 

Ditto.   I keep having people recommend The Big Bang Theory because I like to read science fiction.  I saw (part of) one episode and couldn't stand it.  

 

The Big Bang Theory grew on me. I don't watch it regularly, but it's in syndication on a local station and at first I was confused as to why this show was liked. I still don't think it's life changing or the best comedy out there and still not sure what makes it so beloved, though.

[Shannon L.]

I know this isn't a "Convince Me" thread, but The Big Bang Theory won me over with what I thought was a strong pilot and next episode.  I don't recall the last pilot/first show made me laugh so hard.  I don't find it quite as funny now as I did the first couple of seasons.  Also, I have friends who are admitted nerds who flatly refused to watch this show because they were sure that they'd hate the usual stereotypes and not watching it was their way to take a stand.  Then, they heard that Miyam Balik was joining the cast--someone who is very smart--so they rented the first season and fell in love with it.  I do, however, think it's long past time for the Emmy's to start awarding other sitcoms and sitcom actors.  Same goes for Modern Family which I still enjoy even though it's not as strong as it was in the first couple of seasons.

 

Anyway, back on topic, I have no interest in Game of Thrones,  Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which can still be viewed on NetFlix) or any vampire show, really.

Edited September 29, 2014 by Shannon L.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

Maybe we need a thread for shows that cause intense, burning indifference.

[Popples]

Maybe we need a thread for shows that cause intense, burning indifference.

 

Please tell me you got that line from this.

[jellysalmon]

I have a kind of weird irrational one. 

 

My roommate had Jason Segel singing that weird Dracula song from Forgetting Sarah Marshall as his ringtone for the longest time and it annoyed the hell out of me. Now I had never seen that movie and I somehow got it twisted in my head that it was actually from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and vowed to never watch that show. 

 

I have since discovered that I was mistaken but I still have a pavlovian retching reaction whenever I see the cover of Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and I'm not sure if I hate it, but I'm damn sure not going to watch it.

[bmasters9]

Northern Exposure (1990-95 CBS drama starring Rob Morrow and John Corbett, among others) is another one that gets this AFAIC. I had purchased one of the releases, because I had never seen it before, and I was wondering if a show that I had only heard of in passing would be something that I would enjoy in full later. I tried one or two shows of it, and then I decided that it wasn't for me, for reasons unknown. Oddly enough, my father has really enjoyed it, for which I cannot blame him. 

[2KllMckngBrd]

Maybe we need a thread for shows that cause intense, burning indifference.

Thank you for the laugh out loud snark. And yes, yes, yes. You just summed up my earlier post on Mad Men in 1 succinct sentence. lol. I could fill up 3 pages on this thread w/the amount of tv I just feel...meh, about. Can't even muster enough interest to hate, or even investigate my...meh. 

 

But I still just can't, under any circumstances w/Friends.

 

Please tell me you got that line from this.

I want to be you, and Brandi Maxxxx's friend. Please please.

Edited September 29, 2014 by 2KllMckngBrd

[kiddo82]

I won't watch Selfie because, you know, it's called Selfie.

[DangerousMinds]

Exactly! this show must crash and burn immediately.

[merylinkid]

Won't watch Scandal or any show by Shonda Rhimes because she can't write grown ups.   I saw her "vision" with Gray's Anatomy and that was enough for me -- forever.

[AntiBeeSpray]

Stalker, don't plan to ever watch this one.

[Mulva]

Selfie The title alone has put me off, and the promos aren't helping. I'm sick and tired of the "super hot girl is socially awkward" trope.

[GreekGeek]

Re Selfie: I think a funny look at how social media have affected our ways of interacting might be fresh and interesting if done well. So nothing the girl did in the promos turned me off. I was much more put off by the sour Asian guy. IRL, I can't stand people who never say a positive word to anyone, and I don't want to see them on TV. 

[romantic idiot]

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.

I'll confess, this description of Wonderland made me want to check it out. So I will. :o)

 

I'm an idealist and an escapist for the most part. So, no Candid Reality for me - just not interested. So naturally anything with Kardashian in it is out, as is the Real Housewives franchise, and the Paris Hilton thing, and basically most of television. 

 

Never going to watch Game of Thrones, that's because George RR Martin kills of characters randomly and I refuse to award that type of writing. (And that makes me struggle mightily with my love of Whedon, let me tell you). 

 

No Breaking Bad or Weeds because they are about drugs, and I think the current spotlight, even when it shows how bad it is, makes it inadvertently attractive to stupid people. 

 

And unfortunately no Mad Men because I just don't like that time period somehow. Makes me uncomfortable. But I'll confess, I'm trying to get over my aversion over it to watch it. Haven't managed it yet, got a ways to go, but maybe wayyy in the future. 

 

Oh and anything by writers who have burned me in the past. So never watching any offshoot of Battlestar Galactica - Caprica or whatever. Just no. Never watching anything by the makers of How I Met Your Mother. Ever Again. 

 

Oh and probably not going to watch Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog either. I want to be able to watch it, but I know I'll hate the ending, so not happening. 

[Brandi Maxxxx]

I'll confess, this description of Wonderland made me want to check it out. So I will. :o)

 

I suppose I can't take any legal action to stop you.

 

Agreed with the people upthread who mentioned The Bachelor and any other show resembling it. My theory is that it started out as a joke about TV writers' obsession with love triangles but spiraled out of control.

[OSM Mom]

Friends, The Simpsons, Family Guy.

[DangerousMinds]

Selfie The title alone has put me off, and the promos aren't helping. I'm sick and tired of the "super hot girl is socially awkward" trope.

Yes! It bothers me to no end that anyone would want to watch a show with such a ridiculous name. Um, no!

[DittyDotDot]

Yes! It bothers me to no end that anyone would want to watch a show with such a ridiculous name. Um, no!

 

Eep! ::Looks around sheepishly:: Um...I watched the first episode mostly because the name made me think it must be better than it's name--if that even makes any sense. It's not my thing and doubt I'll watch another, but I've seen worse things and it did have a certain charm, IMO.

 

Still refuse to watch Scandal because of it's name though.

[ToxicUnicorn]

Still refuse to watch Scandal because of it's name though.

 

Agreed.

 

I suppose this is an unpopular opinion on this thread - I like some competitive reality.  I enjoy watching talented people.  So: SYTYCD, sometimes the singing shows, I have watched some cooking contests in my time, watched and enjoyed Project Runway for awhile ... I'm not sure why that's such a hated category, unless it's a criticism of the particular format or personalities doing it (I can't stand the judges on DWTS).

 

I have never watched any voyeuristic shows and find those kind of distasteful, just because I probably would get more out of spending that time observing my own life a bit more and, also, I'm more interesting to me than those people are.  But, I don't really hate them on principle.

 

What I DO hate are exploitations of tragedies.  Which ... includes a lot of "news".  Reality tv is not so bad, relative to that, a lot of times.

Edited October 5, 2014 by ToxicUnicorn

[Kromm]

Yes! It bothers me to no end that anyone would want to watch a show with such a ridiculous name. Um, no!

I think the name is supposed to be ironic.  Also, to be honest, if you're doing a show where the main plot conceit is that people who take Selfie photos and build Internet fame are shallow, then your distaste over the name actually matches how they want you to feel.  The trick is getting people to get over their distaste for the name itself and watch the show to find out it's actually critical of that mindset, not supporting it.  It's also no coincidence it's just a few letters off of "Selfish".