I have several “rational” criteria I use in deciding NOT to wach a TV series. I won’t, for example, watch any show which tries to glorify or humanize the Mafia. But I also have some rather “irrational” criteria as well. As interesting as the new show “The Dresden Files” sounds, I decided after seeing the promos not to watch it because I do not watch any show where the hero can’t take the time to shave and walks around with stubble on his chin. (I watched 5 minutes of House before I gave up on it permanently.) Does any one else have an “irrational” criteria such as this?
Nope. All my criteria are completely rational. This is why I watch so much reality TV. 
I don’t watch any (new) show centering on a lawyer/law firm, a cop/police station, or a hospital/doctor. I have my reasons for it (like, it’s been done to death, already; find something else to write about), but I haven’t analysed where they come out on the rational/irrational scale.
Not a criteria, but a specific instance. I used to know a guy who auditioned for Buffy. He got pretty far along in the selection process (I think he was going to be Xander, but I no longer remember that much), but was ultimately cut. People in our group said, “Well, fine! We won’t watch, then, if they can’t appreciate you!” You can imagine how long that lasted…for everyone except me. In my case, I was never able to recant, because in a series with that much interplay between the characters, I have to watch from the very beginning, because I hate having to play catch-up on whose loyalties lie where, and how what happened three episodes ago affects what’s happening now. I could have availed myself of the DVDs, of course, but by that time the idea was daunting. And I didn’t want to watch the episodes in syndication, because I couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t be shown out of order, and syndication always makes cuts.
I don’t watch anything that takes place in New York. I mean sure, it’s the ancestral homeland of pop culture and all, but geez.
I do not watch any “reality” TV. If I want to see reality, I’ll look out a window. I watch TV to escape, dammitt!
Well, except the dance shows…
It comes on Friday nights and I’d be a “loser” if I admitted to watching it.
The lead actress is way too skinny.
I’m sick of “women with supernatural or kung-fu powers” as the main character in a television show. Consequently shows like Medium never got my attention.
Marc
My reason is that I don’t own a TV.
Most of my co-workers seem to think it’s irrational.
Same here. I also refuse to watch shows that are “stressful work-related dramas” (Like West Wing). I don’t want to think about anything even remotely work-related when I’m not at work (or sometimes when I’m at work).
Another one is that I won’t watch shows where people are mean to each other for no apparent reason (like Lost).
If the they made pi into a series , I wouldn’t watch it.
I have a hard enough time with NUMB3RS.
Shows that were so heavily advertised that I was sick of them before even watching them. The same ad for the same damn show, over and over. During football games seems to be the worst.
For this reason I have never watched Prison break or 24.
I know it’s only on reruns (are they even doing that now?) but I refuse to allow the show Coach on my television. I really don’t know why except I have this feeling that I shouldn’t. Good thing it’s off the air now…
For a while, I’d avoid all reality shows because I kind of felt like I was being pandered to, or that it was totally pointless. I’ve made an exception in the past year for a few shows: Top Chef, Project Runway, and the occasional “help, my child’s a monster!” or “swapping wives for a week” show. I don’t watch any show with a measurable standard of regularity, but I do tend to watch semi-educational shows more geared towards my geeky interests.
That is slightly irrational. The networks have to promote shows like that heavily, especially before the season starts. They know if people don’t watch from the beginning then they won’t start watching in the middle of the season. To punish shows like that means the networks will go back to just making more of the usual catch the killer in 40 minutes shows.
I agree with you when they do it for the newest recycled sitcom. I hate watching the same lame joke over and over again.
I won’t watch any show with David Spade in it, because he irritates me so much that I often can’t see straight from the anger. And there is no reason for the anger, either, except for David Spade’s unfortunate David-Spade-ness.
Ditto for Jennifer Aniston. She is the only reason why I could never watch “Friends.”
Wow, that’s interesting. What parts has he been able to get?
I have irrational hate for Mary Louise Parker, and will therefore not watch Weeds, no matter how good people say it is.
I will never watch The War at Home or that new Brad Garrett show because I still lament the passing of Arrested Development and over time that sadness has morphed into irrational hatred for “comedies” that remain on the air when AD is not.
:smack:
Now that’s irrational!