Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[WinnieWinkle]

11 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Somehow after season three, the writers (who were all the same from day one) thought dumbing him down and a loser was a good thing.😒😒

Why do shows do this????  I can think of so many examples where they decide to dumb down a character after the first few seasons.  I guess on a sitcom it's a way to get laughs and you don't need to bother giving the character any decent storylines - just have them be so stupid it's hard to believe they can walk and talk at the same time and the audience will love it?  

[Blergh]

13 minutes ago, WinnieWinkle said:

Why do shows do this????  I can think of so many examples where they decide to dumb down a character after the first few seasons.  I guess on a sitcom it's a way to get laughs and you don't need to bother giving the character any decent storylines - just have them be so stupid it's hard to believe they can walk and talk at the same time and the audience will love it?  

It could be that do that because dumbed down, simplistic dolts are easier to write for than nuanced, layered intelligent characters who get themselves in humorous if not absurd scenarios.  Even as far back as The Lucy Show (1962-1968), Lucy Carmichael started out as a somewhat responsible middle aged mother of two who got herself into scrapes out of trying to help out the family but wound up being a Dumb Dora (who completely forgot about her offspring's existence) who was Mr. Mooney's totally incompetent employee  who'd do dumb things just to have him blow his hair-trigger fuse for laughs and  just had wacky stuff  and stunts happen for little if any logical reason. 

Edited August 14, 2021 by Blergh

[GHScorpiosRule]

25 minutes ago, Blergh said:

It could be that do that because dumbed down, simplistic dolts are easier to write for than nuanced, layered intelligent characters who get themselves in humorous if not absurd scenarios. 

I refuse to believe that; especially since both James and Dulé  became producers in the third season, and James wrote and directed some of the best episodes. The creator, Frank remained with the show the whole run. And from the numerous interviews with cast and crew over the years. 

I will never understand why they did this. But the show remains one of my favorites despite what they did with Shawn.

[ABay]

I'll join you at your table, if I may, @GHScorpiosRule. I loved Psych from beginning to end, even with stupid Shawn. In addition to what you sad about Shawn and Gus, I really appreciated that when all of the other once-fun USA shows decided to be "gritty" (WTF, Burn Notice?), Psych stayed true to itself right to the end of the series and beyond.

WRT dumbing down main characters, Stargate SG-1 did that with Jack to the point where I was glad when he left. Ascend/descend Daniel a hundred more times if you must but please stop with the dumb Jack crap.

[GHScorpiosRule]

26 minutes ago, ABay said:

I'll join you at your table, if I may, @GHScorpiosRule. I loved Psych from beginning to end, even with stupid Shawn. In addition to what you sad about Shawn and Gus, I really appreciated that when all of the other once-fun USA shows decided to be "gritty" (WTF, Burn Notice?), Psych stayed true to itself right to the end of the series and beyond.

 

 

Edited August 14, 2021 by GHScorpiosRule

[Irlandesa]

22 hours ago, Katy M said:

As for him already being and exec producer, how many times do people in the real world complain about companies never promoting from within? I see no problem with him. 

It's not like he put in years at Jeopardy! and got this promotion; he only started as EP a year ago. 

And two people who have been at Jeopardy!, who ran the practice rounds for years, didn't even get an on camera audition. That would have been a feel good promotion. 

On 8/13/2021 at 9:28 AM, SmithW6079 said:

I wonder if this will affect her sitcom "Call Me Kat."

She's only doing special primetime episodes so I'm sure she can make it work with her Call Me Kat schedule. 

If it didn't work, she probably wouldn't get this job because Call Me Kat is likely in first position.

But given how Mike had to "step in" because of a scheduling conflict that everyone else could work around,  I cant wait to see him try to arrange a conflict with the prime time filming too.

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I will never understand why they did this

I think the do it because they think it's easier to write comedy with dumber characters. 

[Zella]

I think some of it regarding dumbing down is Flanderization, doubling down on what is initially just a small trait and making it the character's entire personality, which seems to be a real problem when people are trying to be funny. Probably because the audience responded to it at first, so the writers/powers that be think that's obviously the ticket. We want more of that! Even though more of that ends up backfiring because they're misreading what people actually found funny/enjoyed. 

[Mabinogia]

 

32 minutes ago, Zella said:

Probably because the audience responded to it at first, so the writers/powers that be think that's obviously the ticket.

I think it is that exactly. People fell in love with goofy Shawn so the show doubled down on how goofy he was. The trouble with that is that anything, when it's all you get, gets boring at best, and annoying at worst. I love sausage pizza to death. But if all I ever had for dinner was sausage pizza I'd get sick of it. When all Shawn Spencer became was a series of "humourous" quirks he just got annoying to watch. 

That said, Psych is one of my all time favorite shows. There are some episodes I can watch over and over and not get sick of them. I constantly find myself quoting the show, and I bought a little blue hatchback so I'd have my own Blueberry. Shawn and Gus are totally friendship goals. They had some great guest stars and did some amazing parodies. American Duos, Scary Sherry, I forget the name of the Friday the 13th parody one but that was great. Black and Tan is a huge favorite for me. 

I think another issue I had was I didn't get why Juliet had any interest in Shawn at all, so their love story was completely lost on me, so the more they went towards that pairing the less interested I was in watching. 

And I LOATHED the Yin Yang killer. I get that every single cop/detective show seems to need an arch enemy, I never end up liking the arch enemy/rival story arcs. Not on any show. Even on Sherlock the TV show (as opposed to the books, in which I was fine with Moriarty). I had hoped Psych would avoid that trap, but it didn't. 

[Browncoat]

2 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

And two people who have been at Jeopardy!, who ran the practice rounds for years, didn't even get an on camera audition. That would have been a feel good promotion. 

It is entirely possible that they did not want to be on camera.  Not everyone wants to be a game show host.  Not everyone wants a promotion, even.  I know I'm perfectly happy at my level at work.  I don't want to move up.

[krankydoodle]

4 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

That all aside, I can put up with him because of his love for Gus-the times when Gus was in danger, you would see Shawn want to do everything he could to save him or be there for him. As far as I’m concerned, SHAWN AND GUS ARE THE OTP of the show.

One of the funniest moments from the Clue episode was when Gus goes missing and Shawn freaks out and tells Juliet that it should've been her instead.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

I forget the name of the Friday the 13th parody one but that was great.

My friend was a huge fan of the series, but I never got into it other than watching the ones parodying shows/movies I like - Twin Peaks, Clue, etc.  I love the Friday the 13th one for how it turns into April Fool's Day instead.  Very clever.

Random trivia:  Nearly ten years ago, when my cat was hospitalized, the actor who plays Shawn was there at the same time as me every day, visiting his dog.  On the first day, I knew I recognized him, but it took me until the second day to figure out who he was.

[JustHereForFood]

2 hours ago, Zella said:

I think some of it regarding dumbing down is Flanderization, doubling down on what is initially just a small trait and making it the character's entire personality, which seems to be a real problem when people are trying to be funny. Probably because the audience responded to it at first, so the writers/powers that be think that's obviously the ticket. We want more of that! Even though more of that ends up backfiring because they're misreading what people actually found funny/enjoyed. 

See The Big Bang Theory. 

[Zella]

52 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

See The Big Bang Theory. 

Yes! I was actually thinking of Sheldon while I was writing that! 

[Irlandesa]

5 hours ago, Browncoat said:

It is entirely possible that they did not want to be on camera.

Possible but both give clues on camera already.  And they've done front-of-the-camera stuff in the past. 

But also, while those are the two current people, there are more who have done it in the past and yet none of them wanted to be or were considered? 

Edited August 15, 2021 by Irlandesa

[Shannon L.]

5 hours ago, Zella said:

I think some of it regarding dumbing down is Flanderization, doubling down on what is initially just a small trait and making it the character's entire personality, which seems to be a real problem when people are trying to be funny. Probably because the audience responded to it at first, so the writers/powers that be think that's obviously the ticket. We want more of that! Even though more of that ends up backfiring because they're misreading what people actually found funny/enjoyed. 

This is one of my biggest pet peeves.  It happens so often that I'm surprised and impressed with a comedy that manages not to do it.

[stewedsquash]

4 hours ago, krankydoodle said:

One of the funniest moments from the Clue episode was when Gus goes missing and Shawn freaks out and tells Juliet that it should've been her instead.

I have had Pysch continuously in the background of my home since it first aired because it is something the dudes in my house have always watched. It is always on somewhere as a rerun/marathon so if they scroll and see it, there goes the afternoon for them. This comment above has made me want to actually sit down and start watching it.

[Annber03]

11 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I think the do it because they think it's easier to write comedy with dumber characters. 

Even "dumber" characters, so to speak, aren't exempt from this, either. There's been many TV characters that may have been a bit dim and naïve, but they weren't out and out stupid when the show began. They were just a little more trusting and simple/innocent in their worldviews than others. And yet as time goes on, they become total morons. 

But yeah, writing super-smart characters is always a risky thing, because it's tough for many writers to maintain that aspect of their character over a long period of time. And if new writers come in, they can find characters like that a little intimidating to write for, too. 

9 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I get that every single cop/detective show seems to need an arch enemy, I never end up liking the arch enemy/rival story arcs. Not on any show. Even on Sherlock the TV show (as opposed to the books, in which I was fine with Moriarty). I had hoped Psych would avoid that trap, but it didn't. 

I like arch enemy stories, 'cause done right, they can be interesting and intense, and can provide some good insight into the "good guys", so to speak, in terms of how they deal with them and what the enemies reveal about them along the way.

But yeah, I think having storylines like that also depends a lot on the type of the show in question. Some shows, it makes sense to have arch enemy story arcs, others, it's a little over the top or out there for them. And then there's the fact that shows will run the risk of dragging out the arch enemy story arc well beyond the point it should reasonably last, for a whole host of reasons (the writers didn't plan the arc very well, they or the fans like the actor playing the villain too much to let them be defeated and be let go, etc.). 

4 hours ago, stewedsquash said:

This comment above has made me want to actually sit down and start watching it.

Same. I've never seen any of "Psych" (though I remember all the ads promoting it back when it was on USA and that back in the day), but given I've gotten into "Monk" and all, a lot of people who like that show also like "Psych" (which would make sense, since they were on the same network and everything), so I figure it probably wouldn't hurt to give it a look as a result :D. From what I've heard/read about it, it does seem like a show that I would probably enjoy, so...

[LexieLily]

48 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Even "dumber" characters, so to speak, aren't exempt from this, either. There's been many TV characters that may have been a bit dim and naïve, but they weren't out and out stupid when the show began. They were just a little more trusting and simple/innocent in their worldviews than others. And yet as time goes on, they become total morons. 

See: Chrissy Snow, Three's Company; Eric Matthews, Boy Meets World, Joey Tribianni, Friends. Eric ended up as the wacky hijinks guy by the time he got to college and Joey and Chrissy you wondered how they ever kept a job or were able to live independently. 

[Irlandesa]

35 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

See: Chrissy Snow, Three's Company; Eric Matthews, Boy Meets World, Joey Tribianni, Friends. Eric ended up as the wacky hijinks guy by the time he got to college and Joey and Chrissy you wondered how they ever kept a job or were able to live independently. 

I also always think of Cheers which is why, while I like it a lot, I don't hold it in quite the esteem others do. 

Sam Malone started out as relatively smart with some dimmer moments but, as the series wore on, he could be downright dumb.  The same could be said of Rebecca Howell.

 

[Shannon L.]

Brittany on Glee suffered the same fate, as did Sue Sylvester who went from mean, yet still entertaining and with an underlying heart that she wasn't often willing to show, to downright vicious.

[Blergh]

8 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I also always think of Cheers which is why, while I like it a lot, I don't hold it in quite the esteem others do. 

Sam Malone started out as relatively smart with some dimmer moments but, as the series wore on, he could be downright dumb.  The same could be said of Rebecca Howell.

 

But the sad thing is that from interviews,etc., it seems that Mr. Danson showed that he had the capacity to believably play a relatively smart, troubled person with dimmer moments while Miss Alley seemed to be unable to sustain that initial characterization but WAS completely believable as a whiny, crass, greedy crybaby airhead (who wound up being one of the least likable of the increasingly annoying regulars by the show's cancellation). 

Edited August 15, 2021 by Blergh

[Wiendish Fitch]

My UO? I never liked Cheers. I found it dreary as all hell.

 

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by Wiendish Fitch
The rest of my UO was really kinda dumb.

[Mabinogia]

1 hour ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

My UO? I never liked Cheers. I found it dreary as all hell.

I liked the show okay, like, if it was on after something I did watch and nothing else I wanted to watch was on I'd watch it and enjoy it, but it wasn't something I'd seek out. 

My RLUO...I would NEVER want to go to a bar where everybody knows my name (the theme song, for those who didn't watch, had a line about how it was a bar where "everybody knows your name" and the shows whole thing was that it was where regulars hung out. I already have a family, and co-workers where everyone knows me and is all up in my business and I have to engage in conversation with them. I don't need a bar with that kind of pressure too. lol

[BlackberryJam]

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

 

My RLUO...I would NEVER want to go to a bar where everybody knows my name (the theme song, for those who didn't watch, had a line about how it was a bar where "everybody knows your name" and the shows whole thing was that it was where regulars hung out.

If I’m in a bar where everyone knows my name, I’m likely having an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. I can do that much cheaper and in the privacy of my own home.

[Crashcourse]

I loved Cheers, but I wouldn't want to go to a bar where everyone knew my name.  But NORM! liked it, so good for him. 

[stewedsquash]

20 hours ago, Annber03 said:

 

Same. I've never seen any of "Psych" (though I remember all the ads promoting it back when it was on USA and that back in the day), but given I've gotten into "Monk" and all, a lot of people who like that show also like "Psych" (which would make sense, since they were on the same network and everything), so I figure it probably wouldn't hurt to give it a look as a result :D. From what I've heard/read about it, it does seem like a show that I would probably enjoy, so...

I guess I should have listed the shows that are always in the background for the dudes in my house (I was the only female until they started courting/marrying. I watched my own stuff when I wanted in the living room or bedroom (that was my preference, not theirs)). 

Psych, Monk, Supernatural, Burn Notice (I got them interested in that one) Ridiculousness (I can't help it, I love Chanel), Pawn Stars. There are more but yeah, the Psych/Monk connection seems to be a thing. 

[Stats Queen]

49 minutes ago, stewedsquash said:

I guess I should have listed the shows that are always in the background for the dudes in my house (I was the only female until they started courting/marrying. I watched my own stuff when I wanted in the living room or bedroom (that was my preference, not theirs)). 

Psych, Monk, Supernatural, Burn Notice (I got them interested in that one) Ridiculousness (I can't help it, I love Chanel), Pawn Stars. There are more but yeah, the Psych/Monk connection seems to be a thing. 

I am female. Hubby and I loved watching Psych and Burn Notice together (it is hard to us to find shows to enjoy together, as he is picky and me, well, not so much). 
I loved Supernatural.

That being said, I have been rewatching The Real Housewives shows in the background while recovering from surgery and in general. Hubby is still not interested but years ago he finally realized that is part of who I am and well, he can leave the room 🤣

[Rose Quartz]

10 hours ago, Blergh said:

But the sad thing is that from interviews,etc., it seems that Mr. Danson showed that he had the capacity to believably play a relatively smart, troubled person with dimmer moments while Miss Alley seemed to be unable to sustain that initial characterization but WAS completely believable as a whiny, crass, greedy crybaby airhead (who wound up being one of the least likable of the increasingly annoying regulars by the show's cancellation). 

I actually preferred Rebecca to Diane.  But my favorite character by far was Lilith.  I really enjoyed her dry as dust sense of humor and I liked how her relationship with Frasier developed gradually over the years.  I pretty much quit watching after they split up.

[stewedsquash]

4 minutes ago, Stats Queen said:

I am female. Hubby and I loved watching Psych and Burn Notice together (it is hard to us to find shows to enjoy together, as he is picky and me, well, not so much). 
I loved Supernatural.

It isn't a female/male thing really for me. I did say that it was the dudes watching but it is more that I am a watch tv by myself type of person. I don't enjoy going to the movies with people either. I also just never really took the time to watch because I had so much that I was interested in other than those shows that I didn't want to add anything. 

I will never ever like Supernatural. I do not like scary stuff at all. I guess that is my unpopular opinion. I love mysteries, reading and watching, but I do not like to be scared or creeped out.

[kathyk24]

I miss the lighter shows on SYFY like Eureka and Warehouse 13 I don't understand why they aren't shown somewhere. 

[Jaded]

8 hours ago, Rose Quartz said:

I actually preferred Rebecca to Diane.  But my favorite character by far was Lilith.  I really enjoyed her dry as dust sense of humor and I liked how her relationship with Frasier developed gradually over the years.  I pretty much quit watching after they split up.

I loved Lilith too. I preferred early years Rebecca to Diane. What they did to Rebecca the last couple years or maybe a bit more was absolutely awful.

[ABay]

10 hours ago, stewedsquash said:

 There are more but yeah, the Psych/Monk connection seems to be a thing. 

Monk is alluded to in the Psych series finale when Juliet relocates to San Francisco.

That reminded me of the commercials USA used to run in the "Characters welcome" days, where the characters from Monk, Dead Zone, etc would interact.

[Lugal]

11 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

I miss the lighter shows on SYFY like Eureka and Warehouse 13 I don't understand why they aren't shown somewhere. 

I think Eureka is on Amazon Prime, but Warehouse 13 is nowhere to be found.  Which is why I'm happy I bought the dvds for every season when they came out.

[DoctorAtomic]

14 hours ago, stewedsquash said:

There are more but yeah, the Psych/Monk connection seems to be a thing. 

They share the same universe. 

[DoctorAtomic]

11 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

I miss the lighter shows on SYFY like Eureka and Warehouse 13 I don't understand why they aren't shown somewhere. 

I quit that network when these shows ended. I watched from Day One. Not those shows, the actual network. I think their first show was Season 4 of Sliders. 

Not only your Eureka type shows, but they had legitimately good Saturday night movies. B movies, but still. They were good. Locked Room? 

Eureka had a final season order contracted so they ended the current season on a cliffhanger. Leadership at the network changed (again) and they dropped the final season. I was done. There's no direction there and no one invested in the programming like there used to be. There's other outlets for good genre content.

[ABay]

Warehouse 13 used to be on IMDB TV but seems to have vanished. I suspect an artifact did it.

I also quit SyFy then but went back for Dark Matter. Then they pulled the same thing with that, so I don't even include the network in my onscreen guide anymore.

Edited August 16, 2021 by ABay

[Bort]

Warehouse 13 is on Peacock.

[Blergh]

15 hours ago, Rose Quartz said:

  But my favorite character by far was Lilith.  I really enjoyed her dry as dust sense of humor and I liked how her relationship with Frasier developed gradually over the years.  I pretty much quit watching after they split up.

 

I have to agree with you  on that (and, even at her worst, she wound up being FAR more likable than either Rebecca or Carla  became). The big irony is that both Frazier and Lilith each started out as mere comic foils who were just supposed to be near one-shots that Diane and Sam were supposed to blow out of the water but first Frazier proved so popular that they made him a regular to the end then Lilith herself was too clever and had too much comic gold for them just to toss aside. Yes, I know that Lilith would be gone as a Cheers regular before the show was over but even after she was supposed to be out of Frazier's life (and he was restarting the dating scene), one couldn't overlook her influence.  I also think it was a bit intriguing that Carla wound up actually liking Lilith (a little) despite her having less outward 'bar scene' contributions than either Diane or Rebecca.  Yes, Frazier and Lilith wound up being FAR more intriguing, interesting and nuanced than  Sam, Diane or, especially, Rebecca would be.  In any case, both Mr. Grammer and Miss Neuwirth sure used their supposed one-shots to launch successful careers!  

[CoderLady]

4 hours ago, ABay said:

Warehouse 13 used to be on IMDB TV but seems to have vanished. I suspect an artifact did it.

I also quit SyFy then but went back for Dark Matter. Then they pulled the same thing with that, so I don't even include the network in my onscreen guide anymore.

Same, down to dumping SyFy when they canceled Dark Matter. But I nearly snorted my smoothie over your theory about Warehouse 13. Cheers!

[Annber03]

Regarding Frasier, Lilith, and the talk of "Cheers" in general, I've spent the last couple months properly working my way through that series at long last (I'd seen bits and pieces of it when I was little, but that's about it - funny enough, Frasier debuted as a character on that show the same year I was born), and I'm enjoying all the stuff with Frasier and Lilith because I love the show "Frasier". It's fun to go back and see their history together how they came to be and what happened with their relationship and everything, and see how that affects and explains their relationship as It played out on "Frasier" as a result. Same with Frasier's relationship with Diane. 

As for the women on the show, I'm liking them all to some degree or another, though with Rebecca I'm having to do the whole "separate the character from the actor" thing. But I've earned to do that with Frasier, too, so... But I think each woman brought an interesting dynamic and element to the show and the group. 

Edited August 16, 2021 by Annber03

[peachmangosteen]

4 hours ago, kariyaki said:

Warehouse 13 is on Peacock.

Free or premium?

[Bort]

7 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Free or premium?

I don’t know, I just know it’s there.

[Jaded]

9 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Free or premium?

I just tried to watch and it appears to be available on the free tier.

Edited August 17, 2021 by Jaded

[Jaded]

On 8/14/2021 at 11:06 AM, ABay said:

I'll join you at your table, if I may, @GHScorpiosRule. I loved Psych from beginning to end, even with stupid Shawn. In addition to what you sad about Shawn and Gus, I really appreciated that when all of the other once-fun USA shows decided to be "gritty" (WTF, Burn Notice?), Psych stayed true to itself right to the end of the series and beyond.

I hated when USA  decided to "change directions". I guess they got Mr. Robot and Queen of the South out of the shift that lasted multiple seasons. I've yet to watch either one.

I didn't enjoy TNT's decision to do the same thing as USA in regards to programming. I hated the way those changes worked their way into changing Major Crimes due to the show getting cancelled. I have no intention of ever watching Animal Kingdom. I admit to watching Claws but couldn't make it through all of the 3rd season (looking at ratings others felt the same) and probably won't try to go back to finish it even if the 4th season ever gets released which apparently completed filming in Nov. of 2020.

[ifionlyknew]

15 hours ago, Annber03 said:

As for the women on the show, I'm liking them all to some degree or another, though with Rebecca I'm having to do the whole "separate the character from the actor" thing. But I've earned to do that with Frasier, too, so... But I think each woman brought an interesting dynamic and element to the show and the group. 

When Cheers first aired Kirstie Alley hadn't taken a turn yet so it was easy to watch her character.  I liked that Rebecca had stories not related to Sam.  As much as I liked Diane her stories were almost always about her and Sam.  Even when she was with Frasier it was still all about her and Sam.    But now if I did a rewatch I don't know if I could separate Rebecca from Kirstie.

I can't watch Everyone Loves Raymond because of my intense dislike of Patricia Heaton. I'm not sure I could watch the later seasons of Happy Days because of Scott Baio.

[DoctorAtomic]

8 hours ago, Jaded said:

I hated when USA  decided to "change directions". I guess they got Mr. Robot and Queen of the South out of the shift that lasted multiple seasons. I've yet to watch either one.

This is a classic case of knowing who you are. You're USA. Not HBO. There's room for both kinds of shows. Maybe you want to lean 60/40 into the 'darker' shows. Ok. There's still room for tons of content. 

[Annber03]

4 hours ago, ifionlyknew said:

When Cheers first aired Kirstie Alley hadn't taken a turn yet so it was easy to watch her character. 

It's funny, the first thing I ever saw her in was Look Who's Talking, back when I was a kid, so it's hard to shake that connection while watching her run on the show :p.

Quote

But now if I did a rewatch I don't know if I could separate Rebecca from Kirstie.

I can't watch Everyone Loves Raymond because of my intense dislike of Patricia Heaton. I'm not sure I could watch the later seasons of Happy Days because of Scott Baio.

For me, in those kinds of cases, it generally helps that I like the rest of the cast to some degree or another - they help to balance out that issue. But it can be tough sometimes, yeah, especially depending on how prominent the actor's role is on the show.

2 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

This is a classic case of knowing who you are. You're USA. Not HBO. There's room for both kinds of shows. Maybe you want to lean 60/40 into the 'darker' shows. Ok. There's still room for tons of content. 

Agreed on this. Like you note, some of the channels who went "dark and gritty" did have a few successful shows here and there in the transition, but yeah, most of the time it's so blatantly obvious that they're trying to chase that "Breaking Bad/Wire/Sopranos" type of critical acclaim and glory, and...no. Especially since a lot of those networks seem to completely miss the point of why shows like that were so popular and critically acclaimed to begin with. They think just being dark and edgy is enough, and don't realize that there's a lot more to those kinds of dramas than that. 

And yes, it doesn't have to be one or the other. I can make room in my life for both darker shows and lighter ones, surely networks can learn to do the same. 

Edited August 17, 2021 by Annber03

[ifionlyknew]

10 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

And yes, it doesn't have to be one or the other. I can make room in my life for both darker shows and lighter ones, surely networks can learn to do the same. 

I don't think they can.   They always look for the easiest way to program.  It's why you always see clones of successful shows. They think if Friends is a hit then lets put on more shows about groups of friends.  

 

10 hours ago, Jaded said:

I hated when USA  decided to "change directions". I guess they got Mr. Robot and Queen of the South out of the shift that lasted multiple seasons. I've yet to watch either one.

Having watched Mr. Robot I can tell you it wasn't a USA type of show.  I think it would have been more suited for a premium cable channel.

[proserpina65]

On 8/16/2021 at 11:43 AM, DoctorAtomic said:

Not only your Eureka type shows, but they had legitimately good Saturday night movies. B movies, but still. They were good. Locked Room? 

I miss the days of the "so ridiculously bad they were hysterically funny" Saturday night movies on SyFy.  I'm still waiting for Big Ass Spider 2 (Electric Bugaloo), damn it!

[Dancingjaneway]

I miss the days when SYFY actually aired sci-fi movies & Mystery Science Theater 3K. Also since when is wrestling sci-fi OR fantasy?? Ugh.