Once a television show goes into syndication (after 4 years on air I believe), it’s a great way to catch up on episodes or discover new shows. This past year I have discovered 3 shows through syndication. Some good, some bad, and some ugly.
Ugly first, *Three and a Half Men *- why is this show popular? It’s not funny, not written well, and can be vaguely offensive depending on how touchy-feely you can be. My father adores this show, he’s a 77 year old white male. Is that their target audience?
Bad, Without a Trace - it started out so well but once they got into Jack’s screwed up life, I lost interest. Plus, this show has so many bizarre accents it’s hard to follow the dialogue. 2 Aussies trying to do an American accent, 1 Brit trying American, and a woman with a heavy Spanish accent.
Good, Criminal Minds - it isn’t Shakespeare but I am really fascinated with serial killers so this show is up my alley. Mandy Patinkin also can do no wrong. I also have a crush on Dr. Reid. Also, apparently every member of the True Blood cast has played a character on the show.
How about you? Have you discovered/rediscovered some shows in syndication?
I generally don’t get into a show until it’s in syndication. If I really enjoy a show, once a week is not enough! USA Network is great for running marathons of NCIS, et. al.
I love Criminal Minds, probably more than I should, given the show’s content. I also have a huge crush on Dr. Reid - that may have something to do with it.
I know syndicators usually remove things from syndicated versions of shows, but I was unaware they added an extra man to Two and a Half Men. The things you learn.
There are about a dozen half-hour sitcoms currently on network TV. When your father was your age, there were probably closer to 50 (distributed among fewer networks). Two and a Half Man is TV the way it used to be: static, one- and two-dimensional characters having self-contained misadventures that can be wrapped up in 20-odd minutes without anything too challenging. The main difference I can see is that they’ve done away with double-entendres and simply make direct sexual references, but the laugh track still reacts as if there were actual jokes involved.
Loved the link! I was able to catch up on every episode ever aired for Law & Order CI. I print out an episode list and cross out the ones I catch via DVR.
Two and a Half Men - I get it! :smack:
For those of you who haven’t seen How I Met Your Mother, it’s in syndication on Lifetime. I highly recommend the show if you’re in your late 20’s/early 30’s.
I’ve only recently discovered Veronica Mars which, despite the preponderance of precocity, I’m actually enjoying. Maybe it’s just a relief to find a main character in a teen-focused drama who isn’t a shallow idiot.
It has also improved my opinion of Kristen Bell after her role as the deeply irritating Elle on Heroes (but then, to be fair, I eventually found everyone on Heroes deeply irritating).
I found NCIS via the syndication on USA, and it’s now my favorite show on TV and I’ve finally seen all the episodes. That I have a crush on Gibbs (which runs in order from my crushes on Agent Simon Donovan, Dr. Jack McNeil, Dicky Cobb and Dr. Caldwell) doesn’t hurt.
I’m waiting for the Criminal Minds loop on A&E to come back to where I’ve left off with DVDs, midway through the first season. It’ll be faster to catch up via TV and DVR than Netflix. And where CM is concerned, my crush is on Morgan, not the adorable but too-clueless-for-grownup-thoughts Dr. Reid.
Other good ones to pick up, if you can handle the horrible fake science (I couldn’t) and the occasionally hammy acting (no) are the various flavors of CSI on Spike, A&E and TNT (original, Miami and NY, respectively) and Bones on TNT. None of them could hold my attention though.
I’m feeling badly that I didn’t jump into the first cycle of Numb3rs on TNT, though. I’m waiting for that to come back around to the top so that I can get on that bandwagon, too.
This is what happens when you work from home in a capacity that goes in fits and starts and have a DVR that can pause live TV. You get caught up on (in?) TV.
I never would’ve watched Buffy if FX hadn’t started airing reruns. Sadly, they don’t seem to show them anymore, nor has any other channel picked them up. Kinda weird TNT hasn’t grabbed them, they sure run Angel a lot.