Most Overrated TV Show of All Time?

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Comments

  • edited November 2013 Posts: 157
    But that's boring. Imagine if in LTK Bond had just turned himself in and given the DEA info about Sanchez rather than blowing up his base, chasing him down in a tanker and burning him alive. It would've been a boring finale but Sanchez should have been tried and sentenced by law, not killed by a rogue MI6 agent.

    Last time I checked, Bond wasn't a meth kingpin selfishly trying to help his family (at the expense of other families).

    No he's a goverment assassin selfishly fulfilling his own desire for revenge (at the expense of Sharky, those Chinese agents, etc)*. But that's not my point. My point was that it's always satisfying watching the hero get the bad guy.

    Sure, but by that point Walt has become a villain. I could simply no longer root for him.
  • edited November 2013 Posts: 157
    Ludovico wrote:
    That said, it was not a hugely popular show, it had its fanbase but that's it, so hardly overrated.

    You just said it - it received huge amounts of praise from working professionals, politicians and the media class, hell even the POTUS praised it. There was a consensus. All I'm saying is that I don't agree with it.
  • Posts: 14,800
    Ludovico wrote:
    That said, it was not a hugely popular show, it had its fanbase but that's it, so hardly overrated.

    You just said it - it received huge amounts of praise from working professionals, politicians and the media class, hell even the POTUS praised it. There was a consensus. All I'm saying is that I don't agree with it.

    And so far you did not show any reason why. I mean you have the right to dislike the show, it is not for everyone. I don't like Marcel Proust, but he is an amazing writer and I would never say he is overrated.
  • Ludovico wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    That said, it was not a hugely popular show, it had its fanbase but that's it, so hardly overrated.

    You just said it - it received huge amounts of praise from working professionals, politicians and the media class, hell even the POTUS praised it. There was a consensus. All I'm saying is that I don't agree with it.

    And so far you did not show any reason why.

    It feeds off ghetto crime stereotypes and encourages a particular liberal worldview. It's a pathological and fatalist take on human nature.

  • Posts: 14,800
    Ludovico wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    That said, it was not a hugely popular show, it had its fanbase but that's it, so hardly overrated.

    You just said it - it received huge amounts of praise from working professionals, politicians and the media class, hell even the POTUS praised it. There was a consensus. All I'm saying is that I don't agree with it.

    And so far you did not show any reason why.

    It feeds off ghetto crime stereotypes and encourages a particular liberal worldview. It's a pathological and fatalist take on human nature.

    Stereotypes? I haven't been to ghettos much, but that seems pretty much spot on to me. The worldview may be liberal, but I am not even sure that's even fair, liberals in the series fail too, and there are a high, high number of hypocrites among the characters who do have liberal views. Not sure what you mean by pathological, but fatalist? What's intrinsically wrong with having a fatalist take on human nature? You might as well throw away Greek tragedy, Dante, heck, a lot of literature from Antiquity until today. And that's why the show is so good: it is not an idealist take on human nature.
  • edited November 2013 Posts: 157
    Ludovico wrote:
    Stereotypes? I haven't been to ghettos much, but that seems pretty much spot on to me.

    From firsthand experience, what you see in The Wire is a very narrow and sensationalised depiction of life on the streets.
    Ludovico wrote:
    What's intrinsically wrong with having a fatalist take on human nature?

    Because in the contest of The Wire, it perpetuates victimhood, helplessness and crime. We're not talking Dante or Marlow here - this is a modern, very influential urban drama. It should've been the responsibility of the series's creators to show more positive role models for young black men and women.

    Give it long enough, and reality begins to resemble fiction.

    FWIW, I'm not necessarily asking for an 'idealistic take on human nature' - just an enlightened one.
  • edited November 2013 Posts: 14,800
    A drama, or art does not have to be moral or show positive role models. The characters in The Wire are full, complex characters, with the good sides and their dark ones. And it is modern the way crime fiction is modern, heck, the way fiction is modern, period. I do find many of its characters likeable, but this is not their aim to be good role models. That said, there are plenty that can fit the bill, if you insist: Cedric Daniels, Lester Freamont, Bunk Moreland, Bunny Bolvin... Despite their flaws. And being critical of many aspects of the Black community in Baltimore (Clay Davis exploiting shamelessly the community he claims to defend for instance) does not perpetuate victimhood. I don't see your point there either.

    For how sensationalist it is, I am not from Baltimore or from the ghetto, but since the creators have firsthand experience and use locals, I give them the benefit of the doubt. That it is exaggerated or tweaked or biased, I can take it. It is after all fiction. The way they describe the school world, I can say from first hand experience (although not in the US), is pretty accurate.

    And reality does resemble fiction, regardless of any TV show. Not sure what you fear here. One of my favourite movies is A Clockwork Orange, it was supposed to do the apology of violence, more particularly youth violence. And was there a single good model in it? Not even Beethoven's music was.
  • Ludovico wrote:
    A drama, or art does not have to be moral or show positive role models.

    No, but it should be. But then I've never believed 'art for art's sake.'
  • Posts: 14,800
    Ludovico wrote:
    A drama, or art does not have to be moral or show positive role models.

    No, but it should be. But then I've never believed 'art for art's sake.'

    Whether you believed in it or not is irrelevant. Besides, there are positive characters in The Wire, many of them Black and they are real characters.
  • edited November 2013 Posts: 12,837
    But that's boring. Imagine if in LTK Bond had just turned himself in and given the DEA info about Sanchez rather than blowing up his base, chasing him down in a tanker and burning him alive. It would've been a boring finale but Sanchez should have been tried and sentenced by law, not killed by a rogue MI6 agent.

    Last time I checked, Bond wasn't a meth kingpin selfishly trying to help his family (at the expense of other families).

    No he's a goverment assassin selfishly fulfilling his own desire for revenge (at the expense of Sharky, those Chinese agents, etc)*. But that's not my point. My point was that it's always satisfying watching the hero get the bad guy.

    Sure, but by that point Walt has become a villain. I could simply no longer root for him.

    Fair enough. I was rooting for Hank for the second half of series 5 but once he died I was rooting for Walt again.

    @Shardlake What do you mean by The Dark Knight of TV?
  • Posts: 14,800
    Is it me or do many "overrated" TV shows mentioned here were once good but dropped in quality? So they are not overrated per se.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited November 2013 Posts: 17,728
    Sandy wrote:
    I find Little Britain to be very annoying and repetitive. I know it has a lot of fans but I'm not one of them.

    I liked the originality of the first series but after that they just went way over the top!
  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 4,043
    I mean that BB is getting the kind of reaction that resembles the OTT praise that TDK got. Some will come to it later on and wonder what all the hyperbole is all about and it's going to dilute it's stature.

    As much as I loved BB I don't think it was culturally important as The Wire or Soprano' s the more declare it the best thing since sliced bread the more they'll be those who wonder what all the fuss is about hence the TDK effect.

    I have allot if time for TDK and personally think blockbuster cinema hasn't equalled it since but that kind of feeling by myself and those who praised even more ridiculously than me lead to its back lash and Breaking Bad is due similar treatment. I just don't think it's impact will be as long lasting as those other 2 shows and TV will throw up something as good or even better in time.
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    Dragonpol wrote:
    Sandy wrote:
    I find Little Britain to be very annoying and repetitive. I know it has a lot of fans but I'm not one of them.

    I liked the originality of the first series but after that they just went way over the top!

    Eh eh eeeeeeh?
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Dragonpol wrote:
    Sandy wrote:
    I find Little Britain to be very annoying and repetitive. I know it has a lot of fans but I'm not one of them.

    I liked the originality of the first series but after that they just went way over the top!

    Eh eh eeeeeeh?

    Anne!
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    Dragonpol wrote:
    Dragonpol wrote:
    Sandy wrote:
    I find Little Britain to be very annoying and repetitive. I know it has a lot of fans but I'm not one of them.

    I liked the originality of the first series but after that they just went way over the top!

    Eh eh eeeeeeh?

    Anne!

    Haha "Yes, Anne likes to feed the ducks. Ah, look! She's got some bread for the ducks!" *throws a whole loaf in the pond* "eh eh eeeeehhh!"

  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited November 2013 Posts: 17,728
    Dragonpol wrote:
    Dragonpol wrote:
    Sandy wrote:
    I find Little Britain to be very annoying and repetitive. I know it has a lot of fans but I'm not one of them.

    I liked the originality of the first series but after that they just went way over the top!

    Eh eh eeeeeeh?

    Anne!

    Haha "Yes, Anne likes to feed the ducks. Ah, look! She's got some bread for the ducks!" *throws a whole loaf in the pond* "eh eh eeeeehhh!"

    Anne to Cat Deeley: "Tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be Celine Dion", "Eh eh eh eh eh ehhh eh eh ehhh!"
  • The Walking Dead. It gets massive ratings and everyone seems to rave about it but I think it's one of the dullest shows I've ever watched with too many unlikeable characters and stupid moments for me to really enjoy it.

    It's alright but I don't think it deserves the success it's gotten.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited November 2013 Posts: 17,728
    Perhaps this doesn't count but I'd add The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing. Need I say more? I will: The opium of the masses.
  • Posts: 14,800
    Dragonpol wrote:
    Perhaps this doesn't count but I'd add The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing. Need I say more? I will: The opium of the masses.

    I loathe both programs, especially the first, but I don't think they are overrated. Over-popular yes, but not overrated. They receive their fair (and deserved) share of criticism.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Ludovico wrote:
    Dragonpol wrote:
    Perhaps this doesn't count but I'd add The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing. Need I say more? I will: The opium of the masses.

    I loathe both programs, especially the first, but I don't think they are overrated. Over-popular yes, but not overrated. They receive their fair (and deserved) share of criticism.

    Yes, perhaps you're right, though I don't watch them myself. Most of my TV comes from You Tube these days, in fact.
  • Posts: 14,800
    Many tv shows mentioned here are not so much overrated as popular.
  • Ludovico wrote:
    Many tv shows mentioned here are not so much overrated as popular.

    The two are mutually exclusive. Popular is an objective appraisal, overrated/underrated are subjective.
  • Posts: 14,800
    They are not mutually exclusive, in the sense that you can have a popular show that is also seen as intelligent by critics. But the popularity of a show says nothing about its quality. Even when Baywatch was a huge success, I doubt anyone thought it was very intelligent. So Baywatch, however popular, was not overrated.
  • edited November 2013 Posts: 12,837
    Ludovico wrote:
    They are not mutually exclusive, in the sense that you can have a popular show that is also seen as intelligent by critics. But the popularity of a show says nothing about its quality. Even when Baywatch was a huge success, I doubt anyone thought it was very intelligent. So Baywatch, however popular, was not overrated.

    People might not have thought it was intelligent but if a show is popular then lots of people must have thought it was good. And if it wasn't that good then it's overrated.
  • Posts: 14,800
    Believe me, you can enjoy Baywatch without thinking it is any good. I'm saying Baywatch but I could also mention many reality tv shows. Heck some shows make their audiences on their poor quality, or their trashy content.
  • edited November 2013 Posts: 157
    Ok, I see where you're coming from now i.e. calling X Factor, Jersey Shore or TOWIE overrated wouldn't make much sense.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    The Walking Dead. It gets massive ratings and everyone seems to rave about it but I think it's one of the dullest shows I've ever watched with too many unlikeable characters and stupid moments for me to really enjoy it.

    It's alright but I don't think it deserves the success it's gotten.
    I quite agree. Terrible show.
    "Lost" is another one. By Jehova, that was mindnumbingly boring.

  • Posts: 14,800
    I think Lost started off as overrated, but in the end only die hard fans would say it was great. I always found it too gimmicky. Same with 24: it started off good if overrated, it ended up criticized heavily as far fetched. I stopped watching after season 4, at that time I thought it was a soap with more violence and less furniture.
  • Posts: 2,400
    I think season 1 of The Walking Dead was fantastic. One of my favourite seasons of TV ever. It fell off a cliff right after though. Overall, yes, I'd say it's a pretty awful show.

    Also, Dexter went off the rails terribly. I'd go as far as to say the final season is the worst TV season ever; the finale the worst episode of TV ever. The praise the final four seasons continued to get was ridiculous. At least people realized how bad the show had gotten by the end.
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