# Awful shows that you can't stop watching **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 21, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088 "2011-02-21T04:46:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/61 "2011-02-22T23:37:59Z")
“Eureka.” Jack Carter keeps me watching; the rest of the show can take a flying leap. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/62 "2011-02-23T01:14:22Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > …I was absolutely addicted to America’s Next Top Model. Me too. I know it’s horrible, but I just get sucked in to the all-day marathons. I especially enjoy it when my husband starts watching with me. He gets downright opinionated about who should win! [quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:41, topic:572088”] I love NCIS, too, but it makes me cringe when McGee and Abby work on computers… [/QUOTE] Watching right now: It’s less a matter of “suspension of disbelief” as of expelling disbelief entirely. But it’s so enjoyable! > [@Heyoka13](#): > > I am surprised to see Chopped mentioned in this thread. > > (Yeah, I watch it) I usually spend the hour wondering just how much the judges are getting paid to eat those ingredients! > [@Stoid](#): > > _ **Criminal Minds.** _ > > Any real worth it ever had went left with Mandy Patinkin, and while I love Thomas Gibson and I have massive hots for Gubler, it is some of the worst writing I’ve ever seen on a successful TV show. > > But I never miss an episode! An awful lot like NCIS to me: The show would be completely unwatchable if I didn’t enjoy the cast so much… > [@pinkfreud](#): > > _Mike & Molly_ isn’t a very good show, but I watch it week after week because I just love Swoosie Kurtz. Some of the other cast members (including the two leads) are quite good, too. The scripts suck, though. I started watching this because one of the castmembers is married to a former classmate, but I just can’t turn away. The plots are so trite, but again, I like the cast. And finally: iCarly. Sure, I like to pretend I just watch because my 10-year-old enjoys it, but secretly? I love it. (Sam rocks. And Gibby.) ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/63 "2011-02-23T02:01:16Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > V (the new series.) Alien lizards in human skin. And the human skin gives the ruthless reptiles emotions somehow. Aliens have all this technology but can’t locate those fighting against them. You never see a soldier, diplomat, mayor, president, a politician of any sort, yet there are V ships over major cites throughout the world. And they are allowed to build healing centers for the humans, hover their ships low over the cities, and have humans live on board their ships. Highly improbable plans succeed. Easy leaps of logic aren’t taken. And Anna (leader of the V’s) is searching for the human soul to eradicate it. That can’t end well. > > At least they keep the pace up, the plot isn’t slow. like **Capitaine Zombie** , I came in here to say this. but **control-z** said it better than I could. ---
**Author:** ![cdsilv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cdsilv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cdsilv)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/64 "2011-02-23T04:53:24Z")
\*\*\*Hillbilly Handfishing \*\*\*on animal planet - these people stand in muddy streams/rivers and ‘noodle’ or try to get large catfish to swallow their hand or foot and then ‘catch’ it by running a stringer thru the gill and out the mouth. Some of these fish are HUGE - 3-4’, 60-100 lbs. It has now become a tourist thing. The scary part is that this is also done in swamps (brackish water) where alligators and gar live. It continually amazes me what people will do when they are bored enough. “Hey y’all watch this!!!” - the death cry of the redneck. (I are one and am entitled to say that). ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/65 "2011-02-23T04:59:03Z")
_Supersize v Superskinny_. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Anyway, it’s on the Lifestyle Channel, which pretty much guarantees it’s rubbish but I can’t stop watching it. Six stone non-eater has to eat the diet for a week of a 20 stone overeater. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/66 "2011-02-23T05:34:25Z")
> [@gonzoron](#): > > like **Capitaine Zombie** , I came in here to say this. but **control-z** said it better than I could. Yep. And I don’t “watch” it, really.. it’s kinda playing in the background and I zip forward a lot. I realize that I mostly watch it just to take in Morena Baccarin. She’s riveting to look at. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/67 "2011-02-23T06:04:46Z")
-looks around- … **The Young and the Restless**. Growing up, mum would tape this, and her and grandma would watch Y&R and the Bold and the Beautiful every single night in the hour before Jeopardy was on (which may also explain my propensity to watching Jeopardy). I still catch at least part of it every weekday when I visit the family for dinner. It’s a daytime soap. It’s not as bad as “passions” with witchcraft and zombies and the like, but it’s still pretty terrible. But I feel the insatiable need to follow along and see what happens to the characters. ---
**Author:** ![KennerTheGreat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@KennerTheGreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennerTheGreat)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/68 "2011-02-24T21:22:50Z")
_Maury_ ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/69 "2011-02-24T22:33:04Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Cops. Campus PD. Bait Car. What, no Parking Wars? > [@pinkfreud](#): > > _Mike & Molly_ isn’t a very good show, but I watch it week after week because I just love Swoosie Kurtz. Some of the other cast members (including the two leads) are quite good, too. The scripts suck, though. I keep watching too, because I hope it will adjust itself. There are good moments, but overall, disappointing writing. And I think Vince is unnecessary. Toddlers & Tiaras on Netflix?!? That answers “what’ll I watch next?”. Hawt dawg. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/70 "2011-02-25T00:11:52Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Cops. Campus PD. Bait Car. > [@gwendee](#): > > What, no Parking Wars? I do have standards. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/71 "2011-02-26T05:20:39Z")
I’m so ashamed of myself, but I can’t stay away from MXC. It’s this bizarre old Japanese game show with different voice actors. It’s hysterical though; I can’t stop laughing at the double entendres and how “Kenny” is abused all the time. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/72 "2011-02-26T09:10:26Z")
_Judge Judy_ is my guilty pleasure. Horrible, terrible TV. It’s like Jerry Springer with less profanity/flashing. But Lord help me, I always push the ‘record’ button on my DVR for it! I _absolutely refuse_ to watch _Jersey Shore_ or any of the _Real Housewives_ franchise, for fear of being sucked in. Bad shows I _don’t_ normally watch, but get sucked into when the hubby watches them are the _Ice Road Truckers_, _Men Who Put Their Balls On The Line To Accomplish Something Meaningless_ type shit. I have a love/hate relationship with the narration: “Bradley, Gene and Larry need to make it to SomeTown, AnyState, by nightfall if they have any hope of finding food; if they don’t make it, chances are excellent that two of them will end up dining on the weakest of the three. . .And we can only hope they like steak tartare, because their match supply ran out yesterday afternoon. . .” Dreadful stuff. But if he’s watching it, I’m at least listening in. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/73 "2011-02-26T20:14:09Z")
I used to watch Manswers all the time, but then I realized they weren’t very rigorous. Mythbusters, Pawnstars, and many other shows do a lot more research. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/74 "2011-02-26T21:18:13Z")
[QUOTE=smaje1] Oh, I’ll also watch the Nanny if I happen across it late at night. I mean, seriously. The Nanny. Anyone else love that show? It’s so stupid, and I love it. [/QUOTE] Guilty. I especially love Fran’s mom and the Niles:CC exchanges. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/75 "2011-02-26T22:40:36Z")
> [@Maiira](#): > > I love Bait Car. I also watch all of those “stupid people doing stupid things” shows (like Most Shocking and Most Daring). The narration is silly and inane, but the videos are entertaining. From the same channel, I love “The Smoking Gun Presents…” (‘People Doing Stupid Shit’). Combine those videos with commentary from not-well-known comedians/writers and washed-up B-list actors. I should not love that show so much. Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares (the Fox episodes are worse than the British-produced ones, but BBC America has started running those as well so that’s no help), Hell’s Kitchen, Restaurant Impossible, Tabatha’s Salon Makeover. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/76 "2011-02-26T23:05:54Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Bad shows I _don’t_ normally watch, but get sucked into when the hubby watches them are the _Ice Road Truckers_, _Men Who Put Their Balls On The Line To Accomplish Something Meaningless_ type shit. I have a love/hate relationship with the narration: “Bradley, Gene and Larry need to make it to SomeTown, AnyState, by nightfall if they have any hope of finding food; if they don’t make it, chances are excellent that two of them will end up dining on the weakest of the three. . .And we can only hope they like steak tartare, because their match supply ran out yesterday afternoon. . .” > Dreadful stuff. But if he’s watching it, I’m at least listening in. 😉 I always wonder about the camerman - what’s he doing for food? How endangered are they really if they’re toting around a camera crew and equipment? Though I guess it’s possible that the camera crew is made up of fellow ice road truckers or lumberjacks or people who look for cannibal tribes or whatever. 😉 My daughter loves the ghost hunter type shows, much to my shame… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/77 "2011-02-26T23:15:24Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > I’m so ashamed of myself, but I can’t stay away from MXC. It’s this bizarre old Japanese game show with different voice actors. It’s hysterical though; I can’t stop laughing at the double entendres and how “Kenny” is abused all the time. My brother showed me this show a few years ago. While it’s not one that I never miss, I have an appreciation for it, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/78 "2011-02-27T01:34:01Z")
I used to watch _The Brady Bunch_ as well. I’d turn it on just about every day after school when TBS was airing it. I would also occasionally watch those awful early '90s Fox sitcoms like _Herman’s Head_ and _Drexel’s Class_, although I actually kind of liked the latter. ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/79 "2011-02-27T01:44:51Z")
I’ve watched enough Bridezilla episodes that I have an opinion on what kind of bitch the ANNOUNCER is. (Total) ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088/80 "2011-02-27T01:46:10Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > My brother showed me this show a few years ago. While it’s not one that I never miss, I have an appreciation for it, as well. MXC is excerpted and overdubbed, from an actual Japanese game show called “[Takeshi’s Castle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeshi's_Castle).” While MXC is a spoof of the original, they were both extremely zany. For the record, the very rarely seen game where the contestants are all in these bulky horse get-ups, and have to “jump” over obstacles while wearing rollerskates, pretty much made me laugh until I cried. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awful-shows-that-you-cant-stop-watching/572088.md?page=5)