Young people's awful taste in television

Wibbs

Azureus wrote: »

I couldnt sit through Lost if someone paid me.

+1000. I thought Lost to be a steaming pile of overhyped manure. Watched the first episode, then tried the second and gave up. Dropped back in here and there and the steam was still rising.

Snakeblood

Azureus wrote: »

TV choices are as subjective as any choice any individual makes. Just because you dont like it doesnt make it crap.

I admit I watch some shockingly bad tv (the only way is essex and the xfactor for example) and I can complately switch off during it. Im also partial to a bit of Jeremy Kyle and Judge Judy after a days work. I can admit these are crap-I would never defend that-but I still enjoy it.
I love shows like Big Bang Theory-I personally find it hilarious. I couldnt sit through Lost if someone paid me. This doesnt mean Im stupid. If Im actually watching TV, as opposed to having it in the background to switch off, I watch National Geographic/science programs/art shows etc. Depends on my mood but I dont see what my intellect has to do with my television choices and dont get when people relate the two.

I find it hard to switch off. Not that I have amazing taste in tv shows, but the OH watches Xfactor, and that show drives me into a mad rage with its vacuity. And I like vacuous stuff.

Now I have to go into another room when it's on so I can't hear them say things that infuriate me.

OneArt

I don't watch most sitcoms out now, mostly watch British programs like Blackadder (the Elizabethan one is hilarious), Ab Fab. I'm not a huge fan American comedy in general.

Though I have to say I love Will and Grace, purely because of Karen Walker. If anything she's even funnier than the two main characters.

Captain Darling

Wibbs wrote: »

+1000. I thought Lost to be a steaming pile of overhyped manure. Watched the first episode, then tried the second and gave up. Dropped back in here and there and the steam was still rising.

It was like an episode of the Twilight Zone written by a baboon. Awful bloody show.

I watch the occasional war documentary now, but to be honest if i'd to sit through any of the reality tv trash that constitutes television today i'd crack up.

Every time i accidentally switch TV3 on it seems they have Xfactor on. Are they broadcasting that 24 hours a day now? Television for the fcuking mentally deficient!

uncle_sam_ie

I'm with the OP, it's all ****e nowadays. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-MqIIoc5r0&feature=related

The King of Moo

They should just show Pointless round the clock on every channel.

As others have said, you need a nice balance of thought-provocation and entertainment, and Pointless provides both: racking my brains to get pointless answers, and also swearing loudly at the stupid contestants.

Or at least have every programme hosted by Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman.

WoollyRedHat

Some tv showsare guilty pleasures... they're stupid and flawed and the audience know that, but they still watch it...

Take 90210, the script writing is pretty ridiculous, with characters on the missing after their relevance is gone, with no logical explanation as to how exactly they fell off the edge of the earth.

old hippy

Wibbs wrote: »

+1000. I thought Lost to be a steaming pile of overhyped manure. Watched the first episode, then tried the second and gave up. Dropped back in here and there and the steam was still rising.

One of the greatest sci fi shows ever written spoilt only by the ending that they promised they wouldn't resort to.

Reminds me of the seminal Twin Peaks 20 years ago which is now regarded as classic & influential but I remember people carping at it at the time.

Killer Pigeon

candlegrease wrote: »

I've noticed a growing trend amongst young adults (say 18-25). They watch horrible, horrible tv programs. A lot of my friends in college watch stuff like Two and A Half Men, Entourage, The X-Factor, The Big Bang Theory (probably the best of this bunch), Gray's Anatomy. All these programs are terrible IMO.

In fairness The Big Bang Theory isn't that bad, the rest of the stuff you mention is.

Snakeblood

old hippy wrote: »

One of the greatest sci fi shows ever written spoilt only by the ending that they promised they wouldn't resort to.

Reminds me of the seminal Twin Peaks 20 years ago which is now regarded as classic & influential but I remember people carping at it at the time.

Twin Peaks was much better, it didn't promise answers, the journey was the thing.

Lost started off hot and for the first season was pretty great, then it became obvious they had no idea where they were going in the second season, weren't going to answer any questions, just pose more, and the cast attrition went through the roof.

Miss Olenska

Wibbs wrote: »

Well I'd defo say it's not nearly as dire as some seem to make out.

I think Two and A Half Men is every bit as dire as people make out. To me, it has always blatantly been washed-up Charlie calling in favours from his Hollywood connections to provide him with a paycheck to fund his lifestyle. It is terribly, terribly lazy fare, and terribly unfunny too. And as for subversive? Pah!

Don't rate TBBT either because it simply doesn't make me laugh.

Oh_Noes

dsmythy wrote: »

TV seemed less crap before because there were less channels on which to put crap on.

In fairness I was on a ntl package with only about 12 channels a few years ago, at least three of the channels seemed to constantly show re-runs of "friends" twice to ten times a day. That pile of rubbish had universal acclaim for some bizarre reason and it lowered the bar for everything else. Sitcom has gone downhill drastically since.

If only they had have taken their lead from Seinfeld instead things might be a lot different.

old hippy

Snakeblood wrote: »

Twin Peaks was much better, it didn't promise answers, the journey was the thing.

Lost started off hot and for the first season was pretty great, then it became obvious they had no idea where they were going in the second season, weren't going to answer any questions, just pose more, and the cast attrition went through the roof.

Oddly, I thought that Lost was more about the journey than the answers... I guess we got different things out of it

The Sarah Connor Chronicles, btw, had another one of those endings that you either love or hate. I felt cheated but at the same time, I thought "yeah, interesting way to bow out". Shame it wasn't renewed.

And then there's Caprica...

Miss Olenska

Oh_Noes wrote: »

In fairness I was on a ntl package with only about 12 channels a few years ago, at least three of the channels seemed to constantly show re-runs of "friends" twice to ten times a day. That pile of rubbish had universal acclaim for some bizarre reason and it lowered the bar for everything else. Sitcom has gone downhill drastically since.

If only they had have taken their lead from Seinfeld instead things might be a lot different.

I actually think Friends is maligned much more than it should be. It's really not that bad and certainly light years ahead of the likes of Two and A Half Men.

OK, it's cloying, it's emotive, it's overly-sentimental, it's cutesy. Yes, it's all these things.

BUT it is also deceptively sharp with lots of neat little one liners and observations. The cast also have great chemistry, which is something important to me at least in a television comedy.

I also strongly get the impression that a lot of people bitch about it because it's not cool to admit to enjoying the show.

rounding tattenham Corner

Oh_Noes wrote: »

In fairness I was on a ntl package with only about 12 channels a few years ago, at least three of the channels seemed to constantly show re-runs of "friends" twice to ten times a day. That pile of rubbish had universal acclaim for some bizarre reason and it lowered the bar for everything else. Sitcom has gone downhill drastically since.

If only they had have taken their lead from Seinfeld instead things might be a lot different.

oh god friends, that was a ****, in college in the late 90's got the cold shoulder from a lot of fans of this crap when i let them know i certainly was not a fan

old hippy

Miss Olenska wrote: »

I actually think Friends is maligned much more than it should be. It's really not that bad and certainly light years ahead of the likes of Two and A Half Men.

OK, it's cloying, it's emotive, it's overly-sentimental, it's cutesy. Yes, it's all these things.

BUT it is also deceptively sharp with lots of neat little one liners and observations. The cast also have great chemistry, which is something important to me at least in a television comedy.

I also strongly get the impression that a lot of people bitch about it because it's not cool to admit to enjoying the show.

Friends is one of my guilty pleasures. It does, on occasion, crack me up. But Seinfeld was always the perfect comedy of a bunch of New Yorkers who hang out in each others flats... no saccharine and cuteness

Snakeblood

old hippy wrote: »

Oddly, I thought that Lost was more about the journey than the answers... I guess we got different things out of it

The Sarah Connor Chronicles, btw, had another one of those endings that you either love or hate. I felt cheated but at the same time, I thought "yeah, interesting way to bow out". Shame it wasn't renewed.

And then there's Caprica...

I suppose I got annoyed because the first season you had awesome stuff like the Hatch, WAAAALT going missing, the smoke monster, and whatsisface being able to walk, and the dreamquests and that, and most of them were brought up, and pondered, and not answered. Maybe they were later, but by that point, I'd given up.

I liked the Sarah Connor Chronicles, myself, but it never felt sufficiently captivating.

For the record my favourite shows are/were:
Buffy
Angel
Supernatural
the Wire (ahead by a mile)
Sopranos
WWE wrestling, 97-04
Simpsons (91-97)
Arrested Development
Battlestar Galactica - Another ending, incidentally, that just went off the rails entirely and lost me.

Miss Olenska

old hippy wrote: »

Friends is one of my guilty pleasures. It does, on occasion, crack me up. But Seinfeld was always the perfect comedy of a bunch of New Yorkers who hang out in each others flats... no saccharine and cuteness

I really need to watch more Seinfeld.

Hate Curb Your Enthusiasm though. Larry David's joke on the world, I like to call it.

old hippy

Snakeblood wrote: »

I suppose I got annoyed because the first season you had awesome stuff like the Hatch, WAAAALT going missing, the smoke monster, and whatsisface being able to walk, and the dreamquests and that, and most of them were brought up, and pondered, and not answered. Maybe they were later, but by that point, I'd given up.

I liked the Sarah Connor Chronicles, myself, but it never felt sufficiently captivating.

For the record my favourite shows are/were:
Buffy
Angel
Supernatural
the Wire (ahead by a mile)
Sopranos
WWE wrestling, 97-04
Simpsons (91-97)
Arrested Development
Battlestar Galactica - Another ending, incidentally, that just went off the rails entirely and lost me.

What, no True Blood? :eek: That's the show that Heroes wishes it could have been...

Snakeblood

old hippy wrote: »

What, no True Blood? :eek: That's the show that Heroes wishes it could have been...

I actually didn't make it past the first 2 eps of True Blood. I don't find Vampires particularly interesting, it was more Joss Whedon writing that had me going back to Buffy and Angel. I think it was when someone was recording someone having sex with the vampire I just went 'Right. I'll watch summat else then'.

Bit of a prude, me. graphic sex on TV that is not porn throws me off drama.

Unless it's prison rape of course.

old hippy

Snakeblood wrote: »

I actually didn't make it past the first 2 eps of True Blood. I don't find Vampires particularly interesting, it was more Joss Whedon writing that had me going back to Buffy and Angel. I think it was when someone was recording someone having sex with the vampire I just went 'Right. I'll watch summat else then'.

Bit of a prude, me. graphic sex on TV that is not porn throws me off drama.

Unless it's prison rape of course.

Hmmm. It's not just about vampires, mind but I think you've missed out on something special.

Snakeblood

old hippy wrote: »

Hmmm. It's not just about vampires, mind but I think you've missed out on something special.

I have the first season on bluray, I may check it out again.

Corkfeen

I only watch The Big Bang Theory from that list which I rather enjoy. In fact , I'd say that I have rather brilliant taste in tv. Breaking Bad, Community and Curb your Enthusiasm = a 20 year old with great taste.

Miss Olenska

Corkfeen wrote: »

I only watch The Big Bang Theory from that list which I rather enjoy. In fact , I'd say that I have rather brilliant taste in tv. Breaking Bad, Community and Curb your Enthusiasm = a 20 year old with great taste.

IMHO, Curb Your Enthusiasm is terrible. I'm telling ya, if anyone other than Larry David created the exact same show, it wouldn't be raved about like it is.

Corkfeen

Miss Olenska wrote: »

IMHO, Curb Your Enthusiasm is terrible. I'm telling ya, if anyone other than Larry David created the exact same show, it wouldn't be raved about like it is.

I'll stand by it as being one of the best comedies to come out of America in the last few years. Definitely far superior to the drivel that is 2.5 men.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si9gZc0vouE

old hippy

Miss Olenska wrote: »

IMHO, Curb Your Enthusiasm is terrible. I'm telling ya, if anyone other than Larry David created the exact same show, it wouldn't be raved about like it is.

It's a masterclass in social awkwardness, improvisation and cringe factor to the nth degree.

Extras and Lead Balloon are not a million miles away from Curb and they got relatively good reviews

upandcumming

Miss Olenska wrote: »

IMHO, Curb Your Enthusiasm is terrible. I'm telling ya, if anyone other than Larry David created the exact same show, it wouldn't be raved about like it is.

Dead right, it is dire!

parker kent

Miss Olenska wrote: »

IMHO, Curb Your Enthusiasm is terrible. I'm telling ya, if anyone other than Larry David created the exact same show, it wouldn't be raved about like it is.

I would deem that a capital offence if I were a dictator. Curb is fantastic and even if you don't like it, you can't deny it is extremely well made, intelligent TV. Same way that I don't like Band of Brothers but can admire the way they made it. It is as good a show as it can be, despite not being to my personal taste.

Anybody that doesn't like Curb really is a "beloved aunt" :pac:

dark crystal

mfceiling wrote: »

Just to clear this up........

2 and a half men is not funny full stop
If you watch the x-factor you do not have a brain
Anything reality is probably shíte
Soaps are shíte

If you disagree with the above then you do not deserve to own a television...

All wrestling is coreographed sh!t. The winners are all pre-ordained anyway.
Family Guy fans are just as crude and peurile as the show itself
Football is for the feeble minded (no intellectual aspect to it at all)
Top Gear is mindless unfunny cr@p of the highest order.

Anyone who disagrees with me is an idiot.


Woo! It's so much fun generalising and demeaning those with different viewing tastes from me....

cock robin

Having reared my daughter to the flower of womanhood and sat through many and various shows with her for many years (begining way back with that purple bastard barney). I can honestly say that modern TV is pure and utter sh1te.

bb1234567

well i dont know who you talk to as everyone i know thinks 2.5 men is one of the least funny shows on tv.im 15 and i hate it with a passion, ugh the kid is so unfunny, the nerdy dad is retarded and annoying and charlie sheen well ..you heard how messed up he is. big bang theory is really funny and shouldnt be on that list!
i dont know why glee isnt on your list! i quite like it though:o other shows i watch and like are the walking dead( fav show ever so amazing) terra nova(that should be on your list it sucks but i like it ) modern family- funniest show of all time! there some shows i like
oh i hate xfactor so much, dont see why its so popular at all.

Snakeblood

cock robin wrote: »

Having reared my daughter to the flower of womanhood and sat through many and various shows with her for many years (begining way back with that purple bastard barney). I can honestly say that modern TV is pure and utter sh1te.

You've never seen Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9IApEbVs00

Miss Olenska

parker kent wrote: »

Curb is fantastic and even if you don't like it, you can't deny it is extremely well made, intelligent TV.

Here's the thing though - I don't think it's all that intelligent. I find it quite wearisome and hackneyed. I actually know a fair few people who would be considered to have 'Good Taste' TM who don't like it. It's never been popular in any of my circles.

parker kent wrote: »

Anybody that doesn't like Curb really is a "beloved aunt" :pac:

This is probably a Curb reference I don't get. Oh well.

sashafierce

This post has been deleted.

AlmightyDublin

sashafierce wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Agree 100%

Lord Nikon

Geordie Shore, this is perhaps the worst crap I have ever watched, so I'm so glad I turned it off when i did.

There is so much crap on TV, i tend not to watch it. I will watch movies and play video games.

Corkfeen

Miss Olenska wrote: »

Here's the thing though - I don't think it's all that intelligent. I find it quite wearisome and hackneyed. I actually know a fair few people who would be considered to have 'Good Taste' TM who don't like it. It's never been popular in any of my circles.



This is probably a Curb reference I don't get. Oh well.

There's people who say the exact same about Woody Allen films, it's just purely a person not understanding the brilliance of what you're watching.

AlmightyDublin

neuromancer wrote: »

Geordie Shore, this is perhaps the worst crap I have ever watched, so I'm so glad I turned it off when i did.
There is so much crap on TV, i tend not to watch it. I will watch movies and play video games.

This. Well said.

Abi

X factor is for the mentally challenged.

Abi

Abi wrote: »

X factor is for the mentally challenged.

I can't tell if you're trying to be offensive to people who watch the X factor or people who are mentally challenged, but could you give a reason?

I get that X factor is pretty bad, but I don't get why it's always so acceptable for people to slag people who watch it...

AlmightyDublin

Forget todays tv, i'd take Seinfeld anyday

PeefsPixie

Glee. Bad shows are one thing but bad shows who try to ruin some good music... Too far. Most TV is crap though, thats why I rarely watch it and have my laptop for entertainment instead

AlmightyDublin

I agree

ToddyDoody

Anyone mention Hollyoakes? Bit crap, bit of eye candy from time to time but knowing the characters names and plot lines???

LuckyFinigan

The big bang theory is bearable but that how i met your mother show thats gotten popular over that last few year is one of the worst things Ive ever seen.

Abi

true-or-false wrote: »

I can't tell if you're trying to be offensive to people who watch the X factor or people who are mentally challenged, but could you give a reason?

I'm being offensive towards X factor watchers. You're right though, the mentally challenged would never watch that kind of shit.

I get that X factor is pretty bad, but I don't get why it's always so acceptable for people to slag people who watch it...

Why isn't it?

Scruffles

true-or-false wrote: »

I can't tell if you're trying to be offensive to people who watch the X factor or people who are mentally challenged, but could you give a reason?

I get that X factor is pretty bad, but I don't get why it's always so acceptable for people to slag people who watch it...

intelectual disability is probably what is refered to as opposed to the americanised term mentaly challenged [aka catch all bin for everything learning/developmental] as intelectual impairment causes difficulty with complex thinking.
-people associate xfactor and others such as big brother with it because its a dumbed down format and doesnt require mental power.

people will always argue over something or other on tv,personaly cant stand the damn thing and dont even own one [though thats partly own fault but have never bought a new one].
the only tv programme that watch is every sunday when staying at dads -supernanny US on e four,have got a strong routine about it but also a fan of jo frost.

papajimsmooth

Sheldon: "Bazinga"
hilarity ensues

Acacia

In fairness, most of the people I know who like Two and a Half Men are auld wans. Probably cause it's the same style of sh1te sitcom that's been on since the 1970's and it's familar and comforting to them.

marxcoo

The Big Bang Theory is great....... I must be a young person. That's the only good news I've received today.