# Shows you keep watching out of habit/loyalty/some unknown reason... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2015, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004 "2015-09-30T01:24:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/21 "2015-09-30T16:38:22Z")
I stuck with NCIS until Ziva left, then I abandoned it. I watched CSI mostly out of habit and because it was the TV equivalent of comfort food. I still watch Bones for mostly the same reason as CSI. I have resolved not to get into any new shows this way, though. I watched the first season of Scorpion and found it groan-inducing and after finding myself fast-forwarding through parts of the season two premiere, I took it off my DVR’s record list. Other shows will follow, possibly including Bones. There’s just too much good stuff out there to watch out of habit. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/22 "2015-09-30T16:49:53Z")
I will also add The Big Bang Theory. I didn’t think last season was very good, but I keep hoping it will find its sweet spot again. How I Met Your Mother really fizzled away to nothingness, but you had to see him meet the Mother dammit! Alias was a show that REALLY tanked its final season, which was a total abomination. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/23 "2015-09-30T20:07:26Z")
My wife and I still watch \*\*Bones \*\*and **NCIS** … because they’re TV comfort food, not because they were ever particularly awesome or thought-provoking. **Big Bang Theory** is still entertaining, although with the evolution away from being a show centered around Leonard, Sheldon and Penny and to a show centered around the 3 main couples and Raj, it’s lost something without gaining anything in return. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/24 "2015-09-30T20:14:18Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Blue Bloods is another one. That was a series that by design had only about 2 or 3 seasons in it. I still watch it every once in a while, but I can say they have crossed the border into Meh-land. I still kinda like Blue Bloods, but it’s definitely gotten stale. I keep wondering when they’re going to kill off Frank’s dad, in an attempt to shake things up. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/25 "2015-09-30T21:09:25Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > **Castle**. Loved it for the first few seasons. > > Then it made me regret that love. The longer I stuck it out, the more it punished me. Yeah, the first two episodes of this season has moved it to the “Why are we watching this?” pile. Last season was crappy enough. Too many shows get recorded on our DVR and eventually get watched “just because”: _Bones_, _SVU_, _South Park_, _The Simpsons_. Of those, _SVU_ is really backing up. Didn’t come close to finishing last season and a new one is starting. Actually have an odd _Simpsons_ or two from a couple years ago that we haven’t watched yet. I feel “obligated” to watch a show once I’m well into it until the final episode. But too many shows are kept on the air way past their sell-by date nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/26 "2015-09-30T21:14:29Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I also learned my lesson and dropped _Castle_ after this season’s opener.Even through the silliness of the last couple seasons, I kept watching it. But, if they want to assassinate their own characters, I’m not going to follow it anymore. > [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > **Castle**. Loved it for the first few seasons. > > Then it made me regret that love. The longer I stuck it out, the more it punished me. > [@ftg](#): > > Yeah, the first two episodes of this season has moved it to the “Why are we watching this?” pile. Last season was crappy enough. Hah! I just came in here to post Castle. As a matter of fact I just created a thread specifically discussing [why do I keep watching Castle](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=770512)? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/27 "2015-09-30T22:36:23Z")
_The Simpsons_ and _Saturday Night Live_. ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/28 "2015-09-30T23:23:29Z")
Fortunately, 2014-15 put me out of my misery with a lot of these, although I still watch _Bones_ and _Grey’s Anatomy_, even though I stopped liking them a long time ago. _NCIS_ is dangerously close to entering this category. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/29 "2015-09-30T23:40:15Z")
> [@Reluctant\_A](#): > > Fortunately, 2014-15 put me out of my misery with a lot of these, although I still watch _Bones_ and _Grey’s Anatomy_, even though I stopped liking them a long time ago. _NCIS_ is dangerously close to entering this category. The season opener of _NCIS_ may push you over the edge. It had every cliche that I hate-- dream sequence while unconscious, seeing dead people, Gibbs rushing out of the room without telling anyone where he was going, Leon telling Gibbs he’s _off the case_ and Gibbs ignoring him…_sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/30 "2015-10-01T00:17:52Z")
NCIS and Castle. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/31 "2015-10-01T00:49:45Z")
For me it’s the **Walking Dead**. I got fed up with the idiots populating it seasons ago. I’m not sure exactly what is keeping me watching though, either A) it’s still zombies after all, B) Well I stuck to it this long may as well see it through, or C) It’s one of a small number of shows where my wife’s TV preferences intersect with mine, so it’s an excuse to sit on the coach and watch some TV together. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/32 "2015-10-01T02:16:58Z")
**Dexter**. A few strong seasons, and then it got so, so bad. Still watched it all, including that ridiculous series finale. ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/33 "2015-10-01T02:54:54Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > The season opener of _NCIS_ may push you over the edge. It had every cliche that I hate-- dream sequence while unconscious, seeing dead people, Gibbs rushing out of the room without telling anyone where he was going, Leon telling Gibbs he’s _off the case_ and Gibbs ignoring him…_sigh_ Yeah, I’ve seen it; prognosis is not good. I never thought I could ever see myself walking away from _NCIS_: I’ve pretty much figured, “Well, hell, I’ve already stuck with it for this long…” Same problem I had with _ER_. If I’ve got another 22 episodes of this to look forward to, though… ---
**Author:** ![missouri65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@missouri65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missouri65)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/34 "2015-10-01T05:37:37Z")
> [@GreedySmurf](#): > > For me it’s the **Walking Dead**. I got fed up with the idiots populating it seasons ago. > > I’m not sure exactly what is keeping me watching though, either > A) it’s still zombies after all, > B) Well I stuck to it this long may as well see it through, or > C) It’s one of a small number of shows where my wife’s TV preferences intersect with mine, so it’s an excuse to sit on the coach and watch some TV together. God, yes. It isn’t the idiots that populate the show that bother me; it’s the idiots writing it. It’s just so plodding. At this point, I think the race issue has to be the writers attempt at a joke. But it’s really not cute. I kind of want to know what happens next, but I won’t seek it out. I’m sure I’ll marathon it at the end of the season, but I’ll hate myself for it. And \*\* Big Bang Theory\*\*. I don’t feel any investment or hope anymore. Just boredom and disinterest. But my DVR keeps recording, so what else can I do? I don’t actually have any shows left, now. Not sure I’m going to try to fix that. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/35 "2015-10-01T06:23:00Z")
Hotel Impossible. I watched the first few shows and thought it was good for a laugh. But after watching four shows I decided that all these episodes were exactly the same somehow and I stopped watching it. I have never stopped watching a show so quickly in life. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/36 "2015-10-01T11:23:23Z")
I’ve never been a big TV watcher, but I’ll put Castle in this category. I was never really invested in it but, like NCIS, it’s one of “those” shows which both my husband and I find inoffensive enough to watch it together as in “he watches, I watch while doing something else”. Other shows which follow a similar pattern: Chopped and nearly everything on Travel Channel. My husband has his own list of can’t-miss TV shows. I end up “watching” most of them with him because it’s the only time during the day we spend together for an extended period. I always do something else while they’re on because, frankly, I don’t care of sci-fi/fantasy. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/37 "2015-10-01T11:46:32Z")
> [@mage-girl](#): > > I stuck with Grey’s Anatomy way, WAY longer than I should have. :smack: My wife. > [@mage-girl](#): > > I also kept watching House MD long, long after it started to suck. Me. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/38 "2015-10-01T11:52:07Z")
Bob’s Burgers. I’ve watched Season One and the first episode of Season Two. It’s… okay, sometimes funny. I’ve been told Season Two gets better. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/39 "2015-10-01T12:01:28Z")
I’ll probably watch Sleepy Hollow again, even though last year it turned into the Monster-Of-The-Week show. Now that Henry and Catherine are dead, I’ll be watching to see if Ichabod finally starts to jump Abby’s bones. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004/40 "2015-10-01T13:48:21Z")
I’ve long since given up on it now, but I should have been over _Criminal Minds_ after about six weeks (since every episode is identical). Instead I kept watching for like five years. > [@Nonsuch](#): > > **The Big Bang Theory**. It was always a pretty contrived, conventional sitcom, but the contrivances are getting harder to ignore. And yet I feel invested in some weird way and keep watching, even though I rarely laugh at it anymore. TBBT is clearly not what it used to be. But it couldn’t have been for long. It’s a show about young people. For one thing, Penny and Leonard were obviously going to have to get together at some point. For another, they use the same five to seven jokes in every episode. For me, attachment to the characters has taken the place of nerd-sorrow-identification and it’s still a good show. I don’t think I’d start watching if I saw my first episode today, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-you-keep-watching-out-of-habit-loyalty-some-unknown-reason/733004.md?page=3)