Shows that are runaway hits that you never "got"

Here are two for starters:

Big Bang Theory (This one is by far the top of my list.  Just never got it.  Could never understand how the rest of the world thought it was so hilarious.  Must be me.)

House of Cards (Can't stand shows where I don't like any of the characters.  I wanted them all to get their comeuppance and I knew it would never happen.  Similar with Billions.)



What cha got?


The X-Files.  I thought it was okay but a lot of people were nuts about that show.


Every hit reality show that ever was.


HQ Trivia.

Concept, yes. Answers, no.


yahooyahoo said:
The X-Files.  I thought it was okay but a lot of people were nuts about that show.

I agree. I tried and tried to watch it on Hulu. Fell asleep every time. I don’t understand how it went on so long. Maybe it was good during the time it aired or there was nothing better. 


jeffl said:
Here are two for starters:
Big Bang Theory (This one is by far the top of my list.  Just never got it.  Could never understand how the rest of the world thought it was so hilarious.  Must be me.)
House of Cards (Can't stand shows where I don't like any of the characters.  I wanted them all to get their comeuppance and I knew it would never happen.  Similar with Billions.)






What cha got?

I love Big Bang Theory I totally get it. 

Now Scorpion? I expected it to implode by episode 6. 4 seasons later... I do not understand it, nothing they say is remotely reasonable. 


Well, there are shows that I get (understand) but don't get the mass appeal. Then there are shows that I simply don't understand (get). That would be Westworld. I tried, did all of season 1 and first two episodes of season 2 before throwing in the towel. My brain just can't grasp any of it.


jeffl said:
Here are two for starters:
Big Bang Theory (This one is by far the top of my list.  Just never got it.  Could never understand how the rest of the world thought it was so hilarious.  Must be me.)
House of Cards (Can't stand shows where I don't like any of the characters.  I wanted them all to get their comeuppance and I knew it would never happen.  Similar with Billions.)






What cha got?

 I've never watched Big Bang Theory... House of Cards jumped the shark midway through second season. Never went back. 


Scandal. I hated, hated, hated the pilot and never watched another episode. 


I never really got The Wire. It was a good show, but I never saw why it was so exalted.



ml1 said:
Scandal. I hated, hated, hated the pilot and never watched another episode. 

I liked Scandal before Season 3. I never understood HTGAWM. I honestly never understood wth was going on which was sad, I love Viola, I love Shonda, I tried to like it.  Never made it past Season 1. 


I don't think we're supposed to like the characters in House of Cards. What kept me watching was waiting to see if any of them would get caught doing what they do.


ElizMcCord said:


ml1 said:
Scandal. I hated, hated, hated the pilot and never watched another episode. 
I liked Scandal before Season 3. I never understood HTGAWM. I honestly never understood wth was going on which was sad, I love Viola, I love Shonda, I tried to like it.  Never made it past Season 1. 

 Agreed.  I couldn't get into Scandal even though I watched the first half of the season.  I can't agree with Drummerboy on "The Wire."  I loved it but I was living in DC at the time with many of the same issues as Baltimore.


hoops said:
any CSI 

Not just any. CSI Miami. That show needed to be scorched off the air. Ugh it was horrible. Horacio with his sunglasses. 


drummerboy said:
I never really got The Wire. It was a good show, but I never saw why it was so exalted.


 When did you watch it?  I think there would be a huge difference between watching it in 2002 and watching it in 2018. A lot of what was ground breaking back then has become standard operating procedure in this Golden Age of television but back then they were inventing it as they went.


Watched X Files from the beginning and agree the on balance its a dreadful show.  Duchovny is no actor and the episodes on the main "conspiracy," whatever the hell it is, are embarrassing.  There were some very good  one-off episodes.

Also disappointed in The Wire.  Couldn't figure out what everyone was raving about.

Sort of agree about Big Bang.  It's B+, not a giant of comedy.    


flimbro said:
Seinfeld
Fight me.

Cordless phones at 10 paces.

Better yet, extend the antennas and we’ll duel that way.


GoSlugs said:


drummerboy said:
I never really got The Wire. It was a good show, but I never saw why it was so exalted.
 When did you watch it?  I think there would be a huge difference between watching it in 2002 and watching it in 2018. A lot of what was ground breaking back then has become standard operating procedure in this Golden Age of television but back then they were inventing it as they went.

 Yes, that might be part of it. I think I saw it about 5 years ago.


Orange is the New Black.  Have not been able to make it through the first season.  Like some of the cast, but hate the main character and her boyfriend.


I haven't been interested in any of the police procedurals. CIS, NCIS, Law and Order, etc. Every time I catch a part of a show, it looks exactly like the part of some other show I might have seen a year ago.


apple44 said:
I don't think we're supposed to like the characters in House of Cards. What kept me watching was waiting to see if any of them would get caught doing what they do.

 I’m sure you’re right, but if I don’t like a single character, I’m not going to be interested in a show.  Breaking Bad had the kid.  GOT had Jon Snow.  


I loved Hill Street Blues because I loved every character.  


But that’s just One man’s opinion.  I get how folks love Billions.  But I want them all in jail.  I want to be able to root for someone.  I need a good guy.  


Writing is everything. Comedy writing is difficult. Someone advised me to watch Big Bang Theory recently. What a dud.


I love The Wire.  Part of its appeal to me is that most law and order type shows have either beyond reproach cops and utterly beyond redemption bad guys, unless the show is going for the fully corrupt cop (like The Shield).  The Wire has cops that are mostly good, but not perfect, and they make mistakes.  And the bad guys aren't all evil to the bone, many have good sides, do good deeds, and with more than a few you are also shown how circumstances more than being fundamentally flawed shaped who they are.

X-Files, I loved the monster of the week episodes, I hated the conspiracy theory episodes. 

nan said:
Orange is the New Black.  Have not been able to make it through the first season.  Like some of the cast, but hate the main character and her boyfriend.

 I can't stand Piper, but for me the other characters are good enough to carry the show so I put up with her entitled ***.  Pennsatukey's sudden turn around was a bit unrealistic, but I like the "new" version of her enough to give the writers some slack.  


Soul_29 said:


jeffl said:
Here are two for starters:
Big Bang Theory (This one is by far the top of my list.  Just never got it.  Could never understand how the rest of the world thought it was so hilarious.  Must be me.)
House of Cards (Can't stand shows where I don't like any of the characters.  I wanted them all to get their comeuppance and I knew it would never happen.  Similar with Billions.)






What cha got?
 I've never watched Big Bang Theory... House of Cards jumped the shark midway through second season. Never went back. 

 House of Cards jumped the shark two times after that, as well! What a crock.


I don't know, I think after seeing what is actually going on in the White House today, House of Cards seems pretty lame. 


nan said:
Orange is the New Black.  Have not been able to make it through the first season.  Like some of the cast, but hate the main character and her boyfriend.

 +1. 

I had high hopes given the very interesting backstory and considerable hype, but I just never could get into it and bailed after a handful of episodes.  


One of the reasons we initially signed up for Netflix streaming was because everyone was raving so about OITNB. We watched through the first ten minutes of the 2nd episode and couldn't take another second. I'm sure over the years I must have seen something on TV that I hated more, but I honestly can't think what it would have been. Wretched.


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