What is the appeal of bad television?

People enjoy the same things, things that are familiar. That’s why formulaic shows, particularly sitcoms, are so popular. That’s why people watch news programs that only reinforce what they already think about the world. The same goes for books, really. The mass produced ones that all follow the same formula are the ones that sell the most.

Yes, those shows are “unequivocally bad” because your opinion is authoritative and correct.~

That said, I do like to watch Jersey Shore with my friends sometimes when we’re drunk. Sometimes it’s fun to watch morons be morons and get in fights and know we’re better than that. :\

If you think CSI is bad, you would probably collapse if you saw Jersey Shore…

I disagree that all of the shows that yo listed are bad. Luckily for us, you’re not a programming executive.

I like Big Bang, it’s rightly funny. The rest I’ve never even seen one second of them. Tastes vary, so one man’s trash is another one’s treasure etc. etc. etcc…..

How is Fringe bad? Add some historical monsters and it’s a larger grouped X Files.
I watched a couple episodes of Big Bang Theory and thought it was okay. Not as good as The IT Crowd (UK version) but all right.

Are you asking why doesn’t everyone not like the shows you don’t like?

Two and a Half Men is hilarious. :\
However, I feel the same way about shows like The Bachelor or Jersey Shore or The Ghost Whisperer, but that doesn’t make them bad.. it just means that I don’t like them. If everyone likes something that’s awful, I have to assume that it isn’t actually awful. Entertainment is relative, and the viewers decide what is good and what is bad.

CSI and NCIS are bad television shows? Really? Since when? I guess there’s no accounting for taste, unfortunately.

@marinelife and @12Oaks

Obviously these are just “my opinions” but I pick on these shows because I find them so terrible that I have trouble believing a person could sit through multiple episodes of them. I’m not talking about subject matter, target audiences, genre or anything that should vary extremely between different people, I mean BAD. Jokes and plots that can be seen a hundred miles before they unfold. Plots so stretched they aren’t even believable within the reality of the show. Ideas for content taken from the latest headlines and rehashed without adding anything new.

@mrentropy – X Files had engaging characters and exciting themes and subplots. It got silly after a while, but the first few seasons created mood and tension unlike anything on television to that point. Fringe, as far as I can tell, taps the same crazy magical thinking veins, but isn’t even close to being “believable.”

Also, you point out something important, yourself. If they “had something going for them once…”
People get attached to characters. We follow the stories every week, so, you develop loyalty. I’m a Grey’s Anatomy watcher, for example – and you notice how I didn’t defend that one? It used to be great. Now it sort of wavers between awful, predictable, and sometimes good again. But, I like the show. I like to know what will happen next, because I’ve been watching this story unfold for years. In fact, for several years it was the only show that I watched on TV. So, the answer to that part is loyalty, in many cases.

@Smashley Oh, well, there you go. I don’t expect fantasy/sci-fi shows to be ‘believable’ except in the context of their own ‘universe.’ I find the show entertaining and that’s all I really care about.

@Smashley No problem. We all have different tastes and like different things. Probably why there’s like 4,862 channels, growing in number everyday.

@marinelife – True. It’s a good thing that I’m not a TV executive either, or god awful shows like Firefly, Clone High, Dead Like Me, Futurama, Freaks and Geeks and Deadwood would have been given a fair shake, which they clearly never deserved.

Oh. This is just a vanity thread to see how many people you can piss off. I should have realized sooner.

@mrentropy – I did explicitly state believable “within the reality of the show.” I have no problem with suspending my disbelief. I bought into Twin Peaks, but when it went from a twisted, possessed, murderer to jars of black goo that let you enter the dream world and do battle with aliens, I checked out.

@mrentropy Oh good, I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought that.

@JmacOroni – Thanks for the input. As a follow up, do you find Grey’s Anatomy to be entertaining currently, or something more like “relaxing” or “comforting”?

@mrentropy – With the difficulty properly communicating through computers, I’m afraid I don’t quite follow. Did you read my sarcasm in the post as a true bashing of all of those quality shows? I hope not, those were all classics. Anyway, I’m sorry this might be bugging some folks, clearly there’s a reason why these shows are popular. In my opinion, bad shows are bad when they routinely employ bad writing. Sure we can debate what makes bad writing bad, but I was looking more for opinions on why bad shows are popular. You seem to be getting stuck on which shows are bad. Can we at least agree that many or at least some terrible shows are quite popular? Maybe we can move on and discuss why bad shows make good shows, if you catch my meaning.

Appeal? What appeal? You want appeal—come to fluther.

I don’t watch TV any more.

@DominicX – Yeah, I intentionally disregarded “reality” based shows, since their appeal is clearly something entirely beyond me. It’s hard for me to call one of them “good” or “bad,” they’re either “entertaining” or “not entertaining.” To me there’s a big distinction.

Okay, I have been addicted to trash TV lately. It is trash TV in my opinion. Some of the shows are like a train wreck to me. I flip to the channel and I immediately find out the show is trash, but I just can’t look away.

I hide my face in shame.

@optimisticpessimist – Trashy scripted shows or trashy unscripted? I can understand the voyeurism of reality shows, but I don’t quite get the enjoyment of shows that pay their writers in bananas.

@Smashley Trashy unscripted… even my kids say, “Why are you watching that?”

Some of my favorite scripted shows were pulled… Firefly and Jericho

@optimisticpessimist – Trashy reality shows seem to always bring out the worst in the people depicted, and to me it’s always seemed like they give some sort of artificial social gratification to the viewer, sort of like pornography does with sexual gratification. We aren’t doing anything, but we tend to feel like we are “better” than the people we are watching. Say what you will, I’d still rather watch trash TV than poorly written TV.

@Smashley I agree on both points. I did say it was like watching train wreck; I just can’t look away:)

Currently? Entertaining. It’s full of drama.

I don’t know what you’re talking about. Television is such a great band. Therefore, it can’t be “bad”.

@Michael_Huntington – Touche.

I’ve got some issues with Big Bang Theory because it competes with Community (which is awesome) on Thursday nights, and I don’t watch any of the other shows mentioned. But, I do watch The Kardashians and Jersey Shore from time to time and I still love the really silly stuff on Nickelodeon. As long as I’m watching it, I don’t consider it bad TV. It’s entertaining enough and I realize not every sitcom can be Arrested Development and I can’t watch PBS docs all the time.

@podwarp – Fair enough. Entertainment is very subjective. I’m a Spongebob lover myself. I’m just picky about writing styles, clearly, and a joke that I can see coming just isn’t funny to me, hence my dislike of many sitcoms.

Some of the shows that you listed are extremely funny and well written, and some of them are fun and interesting mystery shows (that remind me of one of my favorite authors Arthur Conan Doyle and his Sherlock Holmes series) and some shows have interesting attractive characters that are fun to look at and listen to. No one has the exact same taste.

I have recently come to love The Nanny (which a lot of people make fun of). I never watched it when it was on in the first place, because everybody said it was dumb and that Fran Drescher has an irritating voice. But then one of my good friends discovered it and said I should take a look. I’ve been hooked for the last 2 months. It’s very funny, it’s sweet in the most delicous romantic way and Fran Drescher does have kind of an annoying voice, but I’ve grown to love it because I really like her and the character that she plays, and I especially love the will they or won’t they love affair between her and her co-star Charles Shaugnessy (Maxwell) and I love the fabulous and witty banter between the 2 of them and between the actor Daniel Davis (who plays the British butler, Niles) and Lauren Lane (who plays CC, the jealous business partner). It’s a great ensemble show, the actresses who play Frans mother, Sylvia and grandma Yetta are terrific too. I also love the fact that they gently educate Americans about Jews and Jewish culture in America, while at the same time embracing Christmas traditions and blending them with Jewish traditions. It’s a lot more enlightened than I ever would have thought. This show gives me a lot of pleasure, to block out some of the more difficult and unpleasant situations that are going on in my world these days. If this TV show could be compared to a sweet treat, it would be a giant chocolate bran muffin with dried cranberries and walnuts. It tastes delicious, it’s actually good for you and has a little bit of something for everyone, although it might have appeared a little bit un-appealing at first glance and upon hearing that it was a bran muffin. But it keeps me happy and regular.

But I also have a pretty wide range of tastes in TV. I love The Big Bang Theory and Sh*t My Dad Says, but I also watch news programs like a junkie and I adore anything that is ever on Masterpiece Theater, and I enjoy watching old Laurel and Hardy films and classic movies on AMC and I love home improvement shows and cooking shows. Good is in the eye of the beholder.

@Kardamom – Thanks for the loving tribute to “The Nanny.” I can’t say I’m terribly familiar with it, other than a couple late night incidental viewings, but your passion makes me want to give it a shot. But nothing anyone can say will convince me that The Big Bang Theory is well written.

I don’t even get the appeal of what most consider good TV.

@Smashley What particularly do you not find “good” about the writing on Big Bang? I have a lot of nerdy friends that relate to all of the Star Trek and super-smarty stuff (and I have a few cousins who have PHd’s) so it’s all funny to me, because they do sort of act like these guys. Plus I just love how the character Sheldon is able to blurt out all of those huge scientific terms in such silly and refreshing ways. The actor who plays him said that it is very taxing, sometimes, to be able to memorize all of the dialogue, because he isn’t really a genius and often doesn’t even know what the terms are. My brother had a few friends in high school that were totally socially awkward (it wasn’t funny then) but it reminds me so much of them that it’s hilarious to us now. Even though I’m not anywhere near the smart level that these fellows are supposed to be, I do have a lot of interest in some of the nerdy things that they like (the Star Trek and Star Wars references are particularly funny to me) and practically all of my friends have attended either Beatlefest, Comic Con, The Renaissance Fair and similar “fests”. So I guess I find it funny, because it’s right on the mark. The dialogue is what all the real nerds wish they could have said. Plus all four of those guys are very cute.

With the Nanny, I just feel the love. It’s like watching a really funny version of a great romance. The kissing scenes actually make me swoon. It’s been reported that Fran Drescher and Charles Shaugnessy actually had a thing for each other, but it’s really never been validated, but when you see them interact together, it’s not hard to see why people thought they were really in love. Most of us romantics will only dream of having such a sweet romance. I don’t think guys really appreciate that kind of thing (on TV) and most women can’t live without it.

Big Bang Theory is bad? In my opinion it’s funny shit. Especially considering my husband and son are rather “Sheldon-ish”.

BTW- I thought when reading this question it would reference all of the “Housewives” shows. Now that’s bad tv…but i watch it..It’s funny and escapism. ;)

Two and ½ Men is pretty funny even though its main star is a douche. You want bad TV? try sitting through “Dog the Bounty Hunter”. Bet you can’t. Bet nobody here can.

@woodcutter No need to bet. I can’t make it past a minute & a half…& I’ve tried ;)

@SpatzieLover You’ve tried?

@woodcutter There was a some reason a while back. They talked about it on “The View”, so I tried..but alas I just couldn’t watch that amount of trash for more than one Looooooooong minute.

@SpatzieLover I see. Shows like that give rednecks a bad name and that’s mighty hard to do. That, and that show (forgets name) but they are car repo people. They have certain things in common like big hick dumbness, lots of jewelry all over, long fingernails and buttloads of makeup smeared on with a trowel, ladies AND men. They could just as easily be on Springer. Who watches this?

I’ve not seen any of those shows listed, but I think many people just want something they don’t have to think about at the end of a long day, hence the popularity of formulaic, banal programming.

I like the shows you blasted and I consider myself an intelligent woman. Different strokes.

@woodcutter I’ve actually seen an episode of Dog the Bounty Hunter. They got new neighbors and were planning a barbecue for them. The neighbors were Jewish though so Dog and his wife were trying to find all this kosher stuff. So, barbecue day comes and Dog’s telling the neighbors about how everything should be kosher, but the neighbor says that if some pork ribs had been on the grill ages ago it still wouldn’t be kosher… but it was okay and all that. I don’t remember what else happened, but I just it was a nice effort that they tried. And I learned about what’s kosher.

This was… I don’t even know how long ago. I must have been bored or something. But anyway, watching that for more than a minute is achievable.

I truly think it’s because people are really lazy and just want to distract themselves from feeling guilty that there is a world out there that they aren’t bothering to experience.

I didn’t watch TV all through college. Why? B/c I was doing things. After college I started getting into some shows, and I felt disgusted by it. There truly is very little quality on TV. Now that I’ve joined a gym again and have made some new friends and reconnected with some old ones, I don’t watch TV anymore.

Do things people!!!! When you are on your death bed do you really want to think “well I spent a pretty good portion of my life sitting on the sofa and watching CRAP” ? I can’t think of a worse way to waste your life away.

When I was young I thought I’d NEVER become an adult and grow out of video games. Sadly, I “have less and less time to play” :(

My name is earl is one and so is Family guy, the simpsons…...American dad…..etc

@mrrich724 You don’t watch TV but you’re clearly online, which is just as easily a way to be lazy and “distract [yourself] from feeling guilty that there is a world out there that [you] aren’t bothering to experience”.

Your condemnation of the entire group of television watchers is pretty ludicrous. Heads up, it is possible to have a life and watch TV and play video games occasionally. On my death bed I’d like to think “Yes, people, you can have it all!”

@BLITsZ I love those shows. Don’t forget “Archer”.

I think it’s pretty fair to say that you have a different take on what constitutes bad television than other people. I love the Big Bang Theory because I get all of their sci-fi jokes and to be brutally honest I have dated every single one of those main male characters.

It really does all come down to subjectivity. For example, some people listed Fringe and X-Files as being good shows but I hate them. That having been said, I’m not the target audience of either of these shows. There is a pretty big difference between mainstream sci-fi and the kind of sci-fi that hardcore sci-fi fans love. Someone up there mentioned how horrible Firefly is I couldn’t find the comment, thank god but, to me and to many other hardcore sci-fi fans that is the epitome of awesome sci-fi. It was so popular or “good” that a movie was made even though the show was canceled.

Remember, just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s bad. It just means you don’t like it.

@KatawaGrey I love the fact that you dated guys like all the cuties on Big Bang. Is your current boyfriend one of those fellows? There are aspects about all of them that I love and aspects about each one of them that would drive me to distraction. I think Howard (Simon Helberg) is a total hottie. He reminds me of a young Ringo Starr. And Raj’s (Kunal Nayyar) voice is sooooooo sexy. I’ve always had a little crush on Leonard (Johnny Galecki) ever since he was on Roseanne (and I love to see him every Xmas in Xmas Vacation) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) is just about the funniest most original character that I have seen in years, he’s sweet yet exhasperating. I’ve laughed so hard during this show that I’ve started coughing and felt like I might wet myself. Joy is completely subjective.

@Kardamom: My current boyfriend isn’t like any individual character but he does have aspects of all of them. He doesn’t like the show though. :P

And, yes, I really have dated guys like all of them. Junior year of high school I dated a guy who was rather like Sheldon and Raj. Senior year was the most Leonard-esque and Freshman year of college was the most Howard-esque except he was mostly the creepiest parts of Howard.

@Kardamom I’m married to a Sheldon. And my son is developing into one of these characters as we speak. ;)

@SpatzieLover Lucky! Hee Hee.

Now if only I could find me a Maxell Sheffield (The Nanny) but I’m not lucky enough to be as pretty as Fran Drescher. Dang!

But I would be plenty happy with a Harry Kim (Star Trek Voyager) or a Captain Picard (Star Trek TNG or a Spock (Star Trek 2009)! And although he was supposed to be gay, I always loved me some Will (from Will and Grace) and Niles (from Frasier). I guess I like the gays and the nerds!!!

@Kardamom Well with the nerds, you’re going to have to not play hard to get and you’ll do better if you initiate things, IMHO ;)

@Kardamom – Maybe my problem with The Big Bang Theory has more to do with the fact that most of my male friends are some kind of uber-nerdy, socially awkward geek, and though not awkward, I do nerd out quite frequently. In the few episodes I’ve watched, it always seemed more like a normal person’s interpretation of what nerds are like, rather than a truly “nerd-friendly” show. Clearly it’s a character driver show (Sheldon is autistic, right?), the plots are fairly standard sit-com stuff, but the dialog has always felt contrived, and more than a few times, I noticed that the writers clearly had no familiarity with the nerd stuff they talk about. I mean, a strategic Magic: The Gathering-like card game with teams, single card laydowns, and a fixed deck? Puh-leeese.

@Smashley Sheldon has Asperger’s Syndrome for sure. ;)

That is why the dialogue may feel contrived to you…but to me it feels exactly like real life in my home.

@KatawaGrey – I was the one who mentioned Firefly, but I don’t think anyone here said anything negative about it. That show was fantastic. I was being a tad sarcastic when I mentioned it, replying to a “thank god you don’t make the decisions” post, with a “yeah, thank god, since I would have given Firefly a fair shake, which it clearly didn’t deserve” but I think a couple people misread it and thought I was just bashing good shows left and right.

@podwarp you are correct. Internet is just as bad. And I know, no one is 100% productive 100% of the time, which is why I mentioned videogaming.

I wasn’t condemning all TV watchers, I was mainly making a point about people who acknowledge that what they are watching is “Crap TV” yet they still continue to watch it. And unfortunately, most of what’s broadcast is crap. But there is good stuff out there.

My TV used to be pretty much on the History, Science or Discovery channel; however, there are a lot of repeats and some things I am just not that interested in learning about. So, trash TV is to me kind of like reading a book which is just purely for entertainment value like a trashy romance when I am in the mood to just relax.

The longing for escapist entertainment perhaps.