# The New TV Season -- what looks gawdawful? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 12, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168 "2005-09-12T00:34:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/21 "2005-09-12T13:32:49Z")
Yeah, I could have revived that thread – didn’t occur to me. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/22 "2005-09-12T14:08:10Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Yeah, I could have revived that thread – didn’t occur to me. Oh well. Well, looking at my prediction later in the thread, I think I blew it with _Prison Break_. So far, I like it. And, what I like best is that it is limited to thirteen episodes. Or, so I thought until I read somewhere that they were already planning for a second season… ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/23 "2005-09-12T14:12:22Z")
What’s the name of that show with Benjamin Bratt? The E Ring I think? I am going to go out on a limb and say it will suck. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/24 "2005-09-12T14:50:38Z")
The Ghost Whisperer- Medium ripoff, but with more saccharine and John Edwards style New Agey crap. Commander in Chief- You know, if absolutely no one thinks you should be president, including the People and the president who appointed you, for some reaosn, then maybe you should step down, if only to let someone who could actually accomplish anything in. The War at Home- Ugh. Even the commercials pollute my viewing experience. E-Ring- Like the West Wing, but with more 'splosions and jingoism. My Name is Earl and Threshold look worthy (was that Peter Dinklage I saw? It was! And Data’s in this thing tooo!), though. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/25 "2005-09-12T15:20:13Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > **Scott Plaid** , the kid turned out to be straight, but had to convince his parents he was a transvestite to cover up illicitly borrowing the family car (dressed as his Mom in case anybody saw him taking it). In addition (and I’m only using a spoiler because you did, even though it’s really not worth it – the show’s already rotten spoilage incarnate) the kid’s a geeky teenager desperate to get laid, and he and his friend were taking the car because he wanted to impress some girls that he was driving already. He remembers to take off the wig when he gets to the girl’s house, but forgets to take off his mom’s blouse. We never see these events – just the conversation with his friend after the fact. And the conversations between him and his friend before and after the car trip… horrible horrible horrible acting. Absolutely horrible. Sounded like they were reading their lines off cue cards. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![JerH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@JerH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerH)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/26 "2005-09-12T15:45:50Z")
I agree on _Reunion_ - the writing in the first minute was enough to turn me off. On sitcoms: I expect _Freddie_ and _The War At Home_ to be pretty much unwatchable, but still get good enough ratings to be renewed and further lower my expectations of every seeing good network television again. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/27 "2005-09-12T15:58:39Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > The first episode of _Reunion_ WAS gadawful. I couldn’t even make it all the way through. Too bad, too. It could have been a mildly interesting gimmick, even if they did rip it off from 24. Okay I whole heartedly agree with you about the show being terrible… but how is it at all a rip off of 24? 24 takes places in real time over a twenty four hour period. Reunion takes place over 20 years…using flashbacks to tell the story of a murder. If anything it owes it’s structure from dreck like Cold Case. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/28 "2005-09-12T16:08:13Z")
I saw _The war At home_ last night just because (like probably everyone else) I was waiting for _Family guy_. Man, did that suck. The only spark the show might have had to at least show some edge (if not laughs) was the possibility that they might have a gay teenage son. But they didn’t have the guts to follow through even on that. Other shows that look like ass include the sea monster show, the stupid _Ghost Whisperer_ show and the Geena Davis as President show (How about a President show that doesn’t bore us with personal lives and actually shows some hard boiled political machinations. I want to see a lead character in a show like this who is _cynical_…who makes calculated _political_ choices. Instead we’re going to get some insipid pap with a guileless, squeaky clean lead character and nothing whatever in the way of realism or balls. I bet they won’t even acknowledge political parties. They won’t want to take sides and offend anybody). The Chris Rock show will at least get a look from me and probably _My Name Is Earl_ will too. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/29 "2005-09-12T16:27:19Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > Okay I whole heartedly agree with you about the show being terrible… but how is it at all a rip off of 24? > > 24 takes places in real time over a twenty four hour period. Gotta get me one of them “24” jet cars that can speed me all over Los Angeles then. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/30 "2005-09-12T16:29:39Z")
\*Bones \* looks pretty stupid. The woman in it is already annoying, and the character’s name is Temperance Brennen. _barf_ ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/31 "2005-09-12T16:30:05Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > Okay I whole heartedly agree with you about the show being terrible… but how is it at all a rip off of 24? > > 24 takes places in real time over a twenty four hour period. > > Reunion takes place over 20 years…using flashbacks to tell the story of a murder. Each episode of “Reunion” takes place over a one year period. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/32 "2005-09-12T16:30:24Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > Okay I whole heartedly agree with you about the show being terrible… but how is it at all a rip off of 24? > > 24 takes places in real time over a twenty four hour period. > > Reunion takes place over 20 years…using flashbacks to tell the story of a murder. > > If anything it owes it’s structure from dreck like Cold Case. Not a ripoff, necessarily – but it’s “inspired by” a similar gimmick, of moving a story one time-unit/episode at a time over a season-long arc. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/33 "2005-09-12T16:30:33Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > I hope that CBS suffers a black hole at 8 p.m. on Fridays for years to come as punishment for getting rid of _Joan of Arcadia._ Hear hear! I have vowed to boycott whatever show they put on Fridays at 8pm on general principles. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/34 "2005-09-12T16:39:43Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > \*Bones \* looks pretty stupid. The woman in it is already annoying, and the character’s name is Temperance Brennen. _barf_ Temperence Brennan is the name of the character in the book series that the show is “based on”, so I can’t blame the show for that. However, judging by the commercial I _can_ blame the show for making an intelligent woman character into an insufferable obnoxious twit. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/35 "2005-09-12T17:05:18Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Not a ripoff, necessarily – but it’s “inspired by” a similar gimmick, of moving a story one time-unit/episode at a time over a season-long arc. Ehhh, tenous at best. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/36 "2005-09-12T17:11:33Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Not a ripoff, necessarily – but it’s “inspired by” a similar gimmick, of moving a story one time-unit/episode at a time over a season-long arc. Right. It’s like the Fox people said, “hey, 24 is popular, how can we copy it for other shows? One hour per show? How about one year per show?!” ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/37 "2005-09-12T17:16:40Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Right. It’s like the Fox people said, “hey, 24 is popular, how can we copy it for other shows? One hour per show? How about one year per show?!” Maybe they shoulda made it one day per show. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/38 "2005-09-12T17:19:06Z")
Well then 24 owes it’s format to “Watching Ellie” with Julia Louise Dreyfus. That was the sitcom that originally took place over 22 minutes in the characters life. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/39 "2005-09-12T17:23:29Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > Well then 24 owes it’s format to “Watching Ellie” with Julia Louise Dreyfus. That was the sitcom that originally took place over 22 minutes in the characters life. Yeah, but each episode was completely disconnected from any other episode – what “24” added was the season-long story arc. Well, either added or ripped off from my beloved **Murder One** / 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168/40 "2005-09-12T17:28:50Z")
That’s my point exactly. No one really ripped anything off from anyone. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season-what-looks-gawdawful/321168.md?page=3)