Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[merylinkid]

OMG, my ex-husband would do that.   He would walk into the living room walk up to the tv (this was in the days before remotes were common), and say "Were you watching this?"  WHILE HE STARTED FLIPPING THE CHANNELS.    I'm sitting right there, I would think the answer was obvious.   I would tell him I was actually watching.   He would respond "Well, I forgot what channel it was" and KEEP FLIPPING CHANNELS.   Just one of the many reasons he is my ex.

[The Crazed Spruce]

I feel the need to clarify a point I made a while back.

General discussion of fandom at large is fine to a point, but when you start demeaning a particular group of fans, or put down others over how they enjoy a particular show, that's when it becomes an issue.

Basically, we mods expect everyone here to abide by one very simple rule: Don't. Be. A. Dick.

[UYI]

This isn't only for TV but I don't know where else to put it.  I don't even know if its an UO, but here goes:

 

I am sick, sick, sick to death of the "booty wars."  I'm sick of Kardashians' booties, J-Lo's booty, Nicki Minaj's booty, Iggy Azealea's booty, Beyoncé's booty.  Did l leave anyone out?  I just want them all to go somewhere and sit their big assed booties down.  I hate the term "booty."  Just end this.

 

Edit:  Corrected some typos.  And yes, I'm sick of "all about that base" crap and Meghan Trainor.  Just. stop. it.  

 

YES. (Although I actually like "All About That Bass." No one's perfect.) Actually, just to keep things evened out, I wouldn't mind a few boob-related songs at this point. Because between boobs, legs, and butt, the first one is what I have! ;)

 

Topic?

 

GHScorpiosRule mentioned a page before this how she still likes shows from her childhood. So do I. I don't watch a lot of the cartoons I watched as a kid (although I would stop whatever I was doing to watch old episodes of Doug or Rugrats again), but if I'm being honest with myself, Roseanne and The Brady Bunch are probably my favorite shows of all time. Basically anything that Nick at Nite and TV Land aired in the late 90's/early 2000's. That was my childhood.

 

One more UO: I've never cared to watch any shows (or movies, for that matter) about superheroes or shows based on comic books, and I feel like a freak for saying that, because they are SO hard to avoid! One day I may finally force myself to watch some of the more popular ones, but overall I've never really cared. I watched Captain Planet as a kid, but that was mainly because it was on TBS with The Jetsons and The Flintstones, which I watched all the time. That, and the kick ass theme song, of course. ;) 

[Ohwell]

See, I didn't even realize that the name of the song was "All About that Bass" (not "base").  Hee.

[amensisterfriend]

I honestly never found either of the male leads on The Vampire Diaries appealing or attractive. And for all the deep and seething hatred Elena gets, there's something I just really like a lot about Nina Dobrev. 

[ABay]

Mad Men UO: I don't care who gets custody of the kids.

[paramitch]

I never liked David Letterman. I think he's smarmy and nasty and not particularly funny. I keep rolling my eyes at all the media worship during his farewell victory tour.

 

I like Dave, but totally see that he doesn't float all boats. He can be acerbic and abrasive. But -- I've always liked him. And his speech after 9-11 remains a touching and poignant watershed moment in TV pop culture for me. I think he deserves his few moments here at the end of his career.

 

I have not watched in years.  The whole feud with Leno is kind of mean and I am no Leno fan. In the beginning, he was hipper and fresher than Carson.  But Carson stands out as a better interviewer and had a more interesting show.  He also vigorously promoted young comedians.  It is too bad he owned the rights to his shows and they are not in reruns.  I would love to see some of Carson's guests again.

 

What is sad to me about Letterman is that he is a funny guy who ended up taking himself too seriously.

I don't mind that Dave took himself seriously, though. He's a professional who cares tremendously about what he creates and puts out there, so for me, he's allowed. And he was treated incredibly shabbily in the Leno debacle -- it was Leno who was (by far) the mean one in that situation, although the object was more Conan than Dave -- and I don't think his career will ever quite recover. I definitely recommend reading the Vanity Fair piece on the late night debacle caused by Jay's 10 p.m. slot: http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2010/12/late-night-wars-excerpt-201012. 

 

 

I honestly never found either of the male leads on The Vampire Diaries appealing or attractive. And for all the deep and seething hatred Elena gets, there's something I just really like a lot about Nina Dobrev. 

I liked both guys, although I don't watch it anymore. But while I think Ian Somerhalder is beautiful, Paul Wesley is totally okay (handsome but not terribly memorable) for me until he cries. Then for some reason he is the end-all be-all of sensitive handsomeness for me. It's crazy. Meanwhile, I think Nina Dobrev is often better than the show deserves (at least around the 4-5 year mark, which was when I finally couldn't take the moral relativism anymore, and quit), and she comes across (in my limited awareness of her actual life) as a kind and thoughtful person. 

 

Mad Men UO: I don't care who gets custody of the kids.

 

Well said. I don't really care much either, although if I had to vote, I admit that I would say that Henry has proven to be a far better, kinder and more present father and he's backed that up with real action and supportiveness. But I'd like to see Don become a better parent regardless, as well.

[UYI]

I don't know if this counts as an unpopular opinion but I've lost all interest in shows and movies that are based on comic books. It's not that I think these shows are crap , I usually enjoy this genre but I feel like I OD'd at some point. I watched one movie this year that was comic book related and that was because it had Colin Firth in it.

 

YES! I don't even CARE about comic book movies! I like newspaper comics, like Peanuts or Garfield, so I care about those cartoons, but comic book/super hero shows? Nope. And I know how unpopular that makes me. 

[andromeda331]

The only voice over I ever liked was on Burn Notice they were funny and full of advice like proper time to bail out of a car in police chase. The only previouslies I ever liked was on SOAP they were hilarious 'Corinne threatened to kill Peter, Jessica threatened to kill Peter, and Peter much to his surprise ended up killed'.

[ganesh]

Burn Notice was pretty good not only with VOs but when they'd change the title card: Client *wipe* Bad Guy.

 

The Outlander VOs were a little much to start, but I think it was because the pace of the first episode was rather fast. I didn't think Claire would end up in the past until episode 2 at the earliest. I mean at one point, Claire looks at a paper that says "1743" and then VOS: It was 1743. Ok, there, easy.

 

I think it's been put to good use overall on the show. You kind of have to have it. Claire, for most of the show, couldn't talk to people about certain things, so we needed the VOs to figure out what she was up to. 

[supposebly]

 

The only voice over I ever liked was on Burn Notice they were funny and full of advice like proper time to bail out of a car in police chase.

I still remember what to do when being tailed or how to tail another car properly.

 

I don't mind voice overs per se, it's just that a lot of them are lame, boring, unnecessary and not half as deep as the writers think they are.

[Enigma X]

I don't mind most voice-overs. But my UO is I really don't like the breaking of the fourth wall by the characters, even if the show is kind of based on that type of narration (The Office, Modern Family, Arrested Development, to name a few). I, however, still manage to find the overall show enjoyable.

[ABay]

Oh, how I miss those early fun, informative days of Burn Notice. Sometimes it's hard to remember how breezy and joyful the USA shows were at their beginnings.

 

In spite of a few missteps with irritating new characters, even before the disastrous final season, I think BN did a good job at bringing in new characters with Jesse and Agent Pearce.

 

Also, Brennan is NOT dead, damn it! Larry, I don't care, but Brennan was gold.

[ganesh]

Yeah, USA Network made the creative choice to go "dark" and I think it was a bad idea.

 

I read somewhere that the VOs on BN weren't made up. They had a PI or military guy who provided them with the information. Like, how to break a lock, etc. 

[ParadoxLost]

Oh, how I miss those early fun, informative days of Burn Notice. Sometimes it's hard to remember how breezy and joyful the USA shows were at their beginnings.

 

Although I liked Burn Notice, I remember when it came across (from the first episode) as the black sheep 'dark' show on the network, relatively speaking.  Now its lumped in with the breezy and joyful blue skies of that era.  But then we got Graceland, Satisfaction, and if Royal Pains was about a drug addict (I am never going to remember the name of that show).

 

Jane the Virgin does really well with the VOs.  Also, any show that can make a caption have an orgasm gets a little leeway on that type of stuff.

[ribboninthesky1]

The only voice over I ever liked was on Burn Notice they were funny and full of advice like proper time to bail out of a car in police chase. The only previouslies I ever liked was on SOAP they were hilarious 'Corinne threatened to kill Peter, Jessica threatened to kill Peter, and Peter much to his surprise ended up killed'.

 

I have an irrational dislike of previouslies.  One thing I can appreciate about streaming TV shows is that, because of the common practice of releasing all episodes at once, I don't have to worry about watching them.  

 

Voiceovers are like laugh tracks to me - unless I pay explicit attention, I don't notice them.  I don't love or hate either, but I'm very good at tuning out what I consider ambient sounds.  With voiceovers, this is a particularly bad habit.  If I care enough, I usually have to go back and listen more than once to get the gist of what's been said.  No doubt very deep and profound things are shared in voiceovers, but I prefer character action, reaction, and interaction in my TV storytelling.  

[DittyDotDot]

I have an irrational dislike of previouslies.  One thing I can appreciate about streaming TV shows is that, because of the common practice of releasing all episodes at once, I don't have to worry about watching them.  

 

I find previouslies a total waste. If you've been watching, then you don't need them. If you haven't, those little clips are going to do little to help you understand the plot. Also, they tend to spoil episode, like showing a returning guest star or a returning plot point. Seems like shows would want to use that time for the current show rather than recapping an old one.

 

Of course, if they are spoofing the whole concept, that's different...like SOAP.

Edited May 17, 2015 by DittyDotDot

[Minneapple]

Jane the Virgin does really well with the VOs.  Also, any show that can make a caption have an orgasm gets a little leeway on that type of stuff.

Jane the Virgin is that rare show where the voiceover actually matters. The narrator himself is a character, not just a voice in somebody's head. Also, the type on screen adds to the story as well. It's not really a show where you can be texting or browsing or tweeting while watching.

[ganesh]

Farscape screwed around with the previouslys by showing new footage. 

[VanillaBear85]

I love the voiceovers on Scrubs. First show I watched that I can remember them being used.

I will not watch a new-to-me show that has a laughtrack. They are beyond useless and distracting.

[UYI]

I have no problem if a sitcom has a laughtrack, whether the show is new or old. It's what I grew up with, so it's familiar and comforting to me.

 

I also love the narration of Adult!Kevin on the Wonder Years. It drove some people crazy, but I love it and think it adds to the story.

 

That said, I absolutely prefer a live studio audience to a laughtrack, because I like the more unexpected, spontaneous reactions that are often involved. The scene where Edith escapes her would-be rapist on All in the Family, for example, is that much more powerful because the studio audience is cheering her on to escape.

 

This relates to the Shows That Don't Hold Up To The Test of Time thread, but I do think it's something of a UO:

 

If the show has good writing, good acting, and/or a certain amount of charm, I don't really care how dated a show may seem to other people. I love All in the Family and Murphy Brown for their strong acting and writing, and yes, I'll admit, the political stuff. I am a political junkie, so the stuff about Nixon on AITF and the Bush Sr./Quayle era on MB is great for me. I actually had an interest in that stuff at a pretty young age, so I actually no problem with a lot of that stuff whatsoever. 

 

And then for shows that might seem dated but have a certain amount of charm, The Facts of Life or Punky Brewster. There's enough there for me where I don't mind any so-called datedness that might be present. 

Edited May 17, 2015 by UYI

[Shannon L.]

 

I find previouslies a total waste. If you've been watching, then you don't need them.

I don't know....my life is so busy and I'm at that age where I forget why I walked into a room on a regular basis, so the previouslies really do help me remember a few things.  I don't forget the entire show, but occasionally, when watching a previously, I'll say "oh right! Forgot about that".

 

I take or leave laugh tracks as I tend not really notice them (unless they are used way too much--some shows seem to have more subtle ones than others), but then again, I also grew up with them, so I'm used to them.  I like VO's, too.

 

Very unpopular opinion here:  I like both Derek and Julianne Hough.  They're great dancers, choreographers and teachers and seem like nice people, although, I do think it's past time for Derek to take a break from DWTS.  I don't really see this conceit from them that others complain about, however, I don't read much about celebrities so maybe I've missed a few things in that regard (but, I do agree that Derek seems to highlight himself a bit too much in his routines).

[MaryPatShelby]

I like previouslies too, especially when they reach into the past to show a plot point that is going to be addressed in this weeks show.  For example, I'm not one that can easily remember each episode and nuance of season 4 of Mad Men, so if season 7 is going to call back to one of those nuances, I want to be reminded of that before watching. 

[kiddo82]

I don't know....my life is so busy and I'm at that age where I forget why I walked into a room on a regular basis, so the previouslies really do help me remember a few things. I don't forget the entire show, but occasionally, when watching a previously, I'll say "oh right! Forgot about that".

Agreed. I appreciate the reminders for the more serialized shows since I can't be trusted to remember what I ate for breakfast.

What I do find useless though, are the teasers for next week's episode. The ones for comedies or procedurals are fine, but again, for the serialized dramas, they are a waste. Something DRAMATIC! will be teased. (Which will probably be a red herring) Something about a REVEAL! in the mystery will be teased. (But will probably provide more questions than answers). Characters will be shown crying and saying things out of context like "We are in too deep." and "Things can't get any worse." Flashing lights will be seen and sirens will be heard. The words "Someone. Will. DIE." will be spoken and/or written. (yeah, the neighbor down the street that has had two lines until this point).

It's not that the episodes aren't good, but the teasers can't reveal anything relevant so why bother?

Edited May 17, 2015 by kiddo82

[ABay]

When serialized shows take long breaks, which they all seem to do now, the previouslies can be helpful on that first episode back. But why can't they be trimmed from the DVDs or made optional on the DVDs and streaming versions?

Edited May 17, 2015 by ABay

[meep.meep]

I find previouslies a total waste. If you've been watching, then you don't need them. If you haven't, those little clips are going to do little to help you understand the plot. Also, they tend to spoil episode, like showing a returning guest star or a returning plot point. Seems like shows would want to use that time for the current show rather than recapping an old one.

The previouslies on Shameless are frequently better than the actual show. One of the cast berates the audience about why they didn't watch and so need the reminder of what happened. Fiona: "I'm raising five kids! What's your excuse?"

[Neurochick]

My Orphan Black UO is that I think the storyline is getting too far out there.  I prefer shows that keep their story lines tight, don't add a zillion characters and a zillion plot lines.  For some reason, Game of Thrones, that does this, doesn't bother me.   

[DittyDotDot]

I like previouslies too, especially when they reach into the past to show a plot point that is going to be addressed in this weeks show.  For example, I'm not one that can easily remember each episode and nuance of season 4 of Mad Men, so if season 7 is going to call back to one of those nuances, I want to be reminded of that before watching. 

 

What's funny to me is, I feel like the previouslies don't help me remember anything at all, just spoil what's to come in the episode. They're never long enough to actually give me relevant information. It's usually more like: Bob says, "Hi my name is Bob" and then it's over. So, I know Bob is going to be in the episode, but if I don't remember who Bob is, it's kinda a waste of time and probably will make Bob's entrance in the episode later less of a moment, IMO. However, if they instead used that time from the previouslies to establish who Bob was in the episode proper, then I would know who Bob is and not be spoiled in knowing Bob was going to show up before he did.

 

Sorry, it's probably just me.

[ribboninthesky1]

No, it's not just you, DittyDotDot. They're not long enough to truly recap an episode, and if they are, I tend to question how good the show is if it can be recapped within 30 seconds to a minute.  If I get the gist by watching previouslies, then why would I stick around for the entire episode? Why not just watch the previouslies, and do something else with the remaining 20 - 41 minutes? 

 

Have previouslies always existed? My memory only goes as far back as the 80s, with a sprinkling of 70s shows.  Most of what I watched were comedies, so I don't recall previouslies being a thing.    

 

To ABay's point, I get the use of them after coming back from a hiatus.  It's the every.single.episode concept that I find annoying.  

 

On a separate note, I don't pay attention to the credits at the beginning of an episode.  I usually don't care who wrote/produced the episode, and whether some recurring guest star's name shows up.  Usually, not paying attention in that regard is a bonus, since I'm surprised when said person shows up.  But then, I've also read complaints that such things are "spoilers," and can impact someone's viewing.  Apparently, "spoilers" have about as much meaning as "jumping the shark" does sometimes.  Which is little to none.   

Edited May 17, 2015 by ribboninthesky1

[Ohwell]

Speaking of credits at the beginning of an episode, I hate them because it's hard to read the credits and watch what's going on at the same time.  I wish they would run the credits at the end.

Edited May 17, 2015 by Ohwell

[CoderLady]

One more UO: I've never cared to watch any shows (or movies, for that matter) about superheroes or shows based on comic books, and I feel like a freak for saying that, because they are SO hard to avoid! One day I may finally force myself to watch some of the more popular ones, but overall I've never really cared. I watched Captain Planet as a kid, but that was mainly because it was on TBS with The Jetsons and The Flintstones, which I watched all the time. That, and the kick ass theme song, of course. ;) 

 

Got room for one more at your table? The endless buzz about remakes and retcons, costume modifications, who should play what character or direct which movie or show, blah, blah, blah -- just bores the hell out of me and yeah, I wonder sometimes why I just. don't. care. You're right that they're so hard to avoid now that it seems like every other non-reality show in production involves tights, capes and masks. Saturation point in 3... 2... 1...

[andromeda331]

Burn Notice was pretty good not only with VOs but when they'd change the title card: Client *wipe* Bad Guy.

 

Yeah, that was funny and when the title card would say 'Lying Big Brother', 'Entitled Punk', or "Probably not an Alien".

[ganesh]

I think these comic book movies have a serious problem with women. Just because the internet usually is a mean place doesn't mean the criticisms of the last Avengers movie weren't valid. What's really depressing is the writer has basically made his bones on creating good female characters. 

 

I believe there's a new Supergirl show coming on tv and that's great, but I don't recall any features with a woman lead. 

[ganesh]

*Burn Notice wipe*

Edited May 17, 2015 by ganesh

[ChromaKelly]

I like previouslies too, especially when they reach into the past to show a plot point that is going to be addressed in this weeks show.  For example, I'm not one that can easily remember each episode and nuance of season 4 of Mad Men, so if season 7 is going to call back to one of those nuances, I want to be reminded of that before watching. 

I'm fine with previouslies especially for the reasons you stated. Some shows are gone so long it takes me a bit to remember who is who and what was that about.

What drives me nuts - and the main offenders are Grimm and Sleepy Hollow - are the constant flashbacks. Stop treating us like we're stupid! Yes, I remember what the crossbow is for. I know so-and-so met Main Character before. Stop it! I swear Grimm flash backed to Renard getting shot 1000 times this past season.

[Princess Sparkle]

Since this is getting brought up in the media because of the impending Mad Men finale: my Sopranos UO is that I didn't hate the series finale. I may have wanted something a little more definite, but I don't mind that everything faded to black. I get where they were going, even if I didn't love the execution.

[ganesh]

I thought it was weird, but it didn't really bother me. Those last episodes weren't really necessary anyway.

 

My UO on Outlander is that I liked the last episode. It was brutal and seemed to be where the show was heading from the opening episode when Claire first finds herself in Scotland to Jamie's flashbacks with Randall. It's not "torture porn." TPTBs have played it straight and fair with the audience from the start. I think nowadays more viewers are affected by preconceived notions of what a show might be because of social media rather than actually watching the show on its own merits. 

[Blergh]

My UO is that I always found Letterman to be too smarmy to bother watching more than a  few minutes here and there down the years and while I definitely think he's become more tolerable [and perhaps I've become more tolerant and  his tude seems rather tame compared to virtually the remainder of late night folk], I can't say I'm crying buckets of tears over his departure. Still, I wish him well and hope he and his family have a good sunset. Oh, and I always liked his mother Dorothy and hope she's well enough to join in the sendoff.

    OTOH, I wound up liking him  FAR more than Leno [whom I initially liked] . Moreover, after ALL Leno did to so many folks down the years, I thought NBC telling him 'goodbye [and good riddance]' was a case of what goes around comes around and did not join his pity party and nor buy his claims of age discrimination. Therefore, I totally believe Melissa Rivers  on how he treated her late mother and how he didn't muster any attempt at a condolence despite being in such proximity.

[amensisterfriend]

You know that deeply reviled fourth season of Community during which the (IMO, somewhat overrated and painfully narcissistic) Dan Harmon wasn't there? I hold the ultimate UO of actually liking that season a lot. I FAR prefer it to the fifth season---aka Harmon's 'triumphant' return---and even most of Season 3. And stretches of Season 1 :) (I have the oddest relationship with Community in general, which I know many dislike---I normally hate 'weird for the sake of being weird' stuff and find certain episodes utterly unwatchable, but somehow when this show is on it just really connects with me) 

 

Other Community UOs: I've always disliked Chang and the Dean. I think Jeff is an ass but actually like most of his speeches, which most fans seem to hate. And I always hated the acclaimed paintball episodes! 

 

On another note: Now that it's gone...I never liked Mad Men at all, and I really, really tried to! 

Edited May 18, 2015 by amensisterfriend

[Brandi Maxxxx]

I think Community stopped being good around the end of season 2. I didn't find season 4 to be any worse than season 3. I can't really judge season 5 as a whole since I've only watched a handful of episodes.

[proserpina65]

My late night UO: I liked Jay Leno.  Yeah, he wasn't cutting edge or anything, but he was good at interviews, and his funny/not funny ratio wasn't any worse for me than Letterman's, and was a whole lot better than Conan's.  (I preferred Craig Ferguson, but his show aired too late for me to watch on a regular basis.)

[amensisterfriend]

I think Community stopped being good around the end of season 2

 

In my experience, that's a very popular opinion :) I actually think all the seasons---even my beloved S2---had some terrific highs and why-do-I-even-watch-this-show lows, but yes, the show's lows were lower and more frequent in later seasons. (I guess I should say 'are' rather than 'were' since the show is still airing, but I kind of feel like it's been over for awhile now!) 

 

Another one: I've ended up with the same UO about Brooklyn 99 that I had about Parks and Rec: it's sweet, it's warm, it's moderately engaging...but it's just not funny to me. I'm great with the fact that those shows feature characters who genuinely like each other and hence don't rely on "mean spirited" humor, but the stuff that most fans find hilarious on those both of shows just seems dopey and silly to me. IMUO, of course---I get that humor is REALLY subjective! As with Parks, I like the B99 actors and a lot of the character dynamics so I'll continue to watch anyway, but I just wish that I found those shows even close to as clever or funny as everyone else does.  

[DittyDotDot]

My only reason for finding Parks and Rec funny is the small town politics they depict. You wouldn't believe how accurate some of that stuff is.

[Bastet]

Blue Bloods UO:  I don’t hate Nikki.  In fact, she and Erin are pretty much the only people in that entire self-righteous, myopic, intolerant, reality-denying family I remotely like.*  I hope Nikki goes away to college, continues to question things and mature, and embarks on a career wholly unrelated to the criminal justice system.  (Unless she becomes a public defender or a civil rights lawyer specializing in police misconduct cases, because either one would make her great-grandfather’s head explode, and I can’t stand that asshole, who sets a horrible example for three generations every Sunday dinner.) 

 

*Which is why I gave up on the show after trying to get into it via numerous ION and WGN marathons.

[supposebly]

I'm a little surprised about the amount of brouhaha of whether David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are a couple or not. I only started watching around 2000 and so I wasn't around or part of the fandom when it actually aired but the excessive obsession with whether they are together or not is.....I don't get it. Especially after all those years.

 

The little I heard, DD seems like kind of a douchebag, or at least used to be and not that great of an actor and Gillian Anderson is if not THE best actress out there in my opinion. Even as a very young actress, she could act circles around him. The outstanding chemistry is between the characters.

 

Whatever relationship the actors have, it's nice if they have a good one, but why is it such a big deal? I love the X-files and I am excited it's coming back with them but that other stuff makes me glad I wasn't around at the time.

[opus]

I kind of miss the days when if a show was cancelled, it was cancelled. That's it, we tried, it didn't work. No resurfacing on one of hundreds of platforms.

[CoderLady]

I kind of miss the days when if a show was cancelled, it was cancelled. That's it, we tried, it didn't work. No resurfacing on one of hundreds of platforms.

 

Although since Netflix picked up Longmire, I'm good with it.

[cpcathy]

I would normally enjoy if something was canceled and then got resurrected, but nothing I watch ever gets resurrected!

[GHScorpiosRule]

I would normally enjoy if something was canceled and then got resurrected, but nothing I watch ever gets resurrected!

 

 

The only show that I watched that was cancelled after its first season was JAG, by NBC. CBS picked it up the following January, and it ran for another 9 seasons.

[janie jones]

What's funny to me is, I feel like the previouslies don't help me remember anything at all, just spoil what's to come in the episode. They're never long enough to actually give me relevant information. It's usually more like: Bob says, "Hi my name is Bob" and then it's over. So, I know Bob is going to be in the episode, but if I don't remember who Bob is, it's kinda a waste of time and probably will make Bob's entrance in the episode later less of a moment, IMO. However, if they instead used that time from the previouslies to establish who Bob was in the episode proper, then I would know who Bob is and not be spoiled in knowing Bob was going to show up before he did.

I fear that what that would look like, though, is some unnatural dialogue like, "Oh hi, cousin Bob.  You have been my rival since I was a child and you slept with my wife."  "Hi, Joe, I haven't seen you since you since you walked in on me and your wife at Aunt Nina's house during her retirement party three years ago.  The one where you punched me."