# TV shows the inexplicably remain on the air. (or, Who watches this? Anyone?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 5, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458 "2004-08-05T15:19:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/81 "2004-08-07T18:18:40Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > How about a Bob Crane “accident?” As long as it’s never filmed, I’m cool with it. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/82 "2004-08-07T20:38:59Z")
> [@](#): > > > [@Askia](#): > > > > The only reason I watch Girlfriends occassionally is for 1) William, who cracks me up – ‘cuz that’s basically a tall me with a better job and 2) Jill Marie Jones bodacious’ ta-tas and pillow lips. Of course her character’s personality (at least, I pray to GOD that’s just her fictional character’s personality) is so fucking grating I can slice a block of cheddar and make a cheese pizza. > > > [@zamboniracer](#): > > > > Not a thing wrong with Jill Marie Jones, but the reason this middle-aged white guy tapes _Girlfriends_ is [the lovely Golden Brooks.](http://www.smoothmag.com/smoothgirls/images/golden_brooks03.jpg) Wow, I might have to tune into that show on mute. **Loach** , I was confused when I saw the Drew Carey show on last week. “ABC must be getting desperate in the summer if they need to rob their own graves,” I thought. Tough Crowd. How can people watch this crap after the intelligent and hilarous stylings of Jon Stewart before it. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/83 "2004-08-07T21:12:59Z")
> [@mrunlucky](#): > > And now there’s a spin-off, that looks like it’s stolen the whole concept from CSI, complete with zany-looking/acting forensic scientist. Who watches that? That’s no spin-off, that’s [_Navy NCIS_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364845/) – and despite its annoyingly redundant title, I watched the entire season. 🙂 I’ll admit that at first I only watched it for Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly, and even with those guys going for it I almost couldn’t get past some of the cheesy dialogue, but either the writing got better or I got used to it. It’s not the best show on TV or anything, but it’s ok…I like it enough that I was annoyed when the local CBS station totally pre-empted the end of the season finale to track a tornado warning. A _warning_. :rolleyes: I’m also a huge _COPS_ fan. I just love that show, along with anything like it: _Lights, Camera, Police_ (British), _America’s Wildest Police Videos_, etc. I don’t like the undercover drug/prostitution stings, but other than that I love me some police chase shows. 😃 I used to think _King of the Hill_ was a waste of time, until Fox included it in their late-night lineup a few years ago. I watched it out of laziness, and wound up liking it: some of the episodes are quite clever. I haven’t watched it regularly since the Fox lineup changed, but I don’t mind it when nothing else is on. And hey, I loved _Wings_! Shows that I don’t get (or didn’t get) include _The Nanny_ and _Murder She Wrote_. Both favorites of my Mom, bless her heart. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/84 "2004-08-08T02:09:14Z")
I heartily agree with **“Becker”, “King of the Hill” and “Full House”** as being incredibly bad. “Becker” surprises me the most of all. I am no fan of **Ted Danson** ’s and I’ve always wondered what pact he signed with the Devil to achieve the success that he’s had. How did he ever get that role in “Gulliver’s Travels” a few years ago? I bet he has compromising photos of highly-placed studio executives too. A show that hasn’t been mentioned yet is **Knot’s Landing**. Granted it was okay but I never watched it. Yet it lasted from the late 1970’s to the early 1990’s !!! I believe it was the ONLY show that lasted through the entire 1980’s decade. Yet do you know anyone that ever saw it? I really don’t like a lot of the “made for cable” shows. Perhaps everyone will agree that “Arliss” is one of the worst. Does anyone watch or even know anyone who watches this? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/85 "2004-08-08T02:38:29Z")
Up until recently I seriously thought that _Everybody loves Raymond_ was a…don’t laugh…_made for airplane_ show. It’s because the only time I had ever even heard of it was on those long airplane flights where you still have a couple hours left after the movie (or movies) and they play random crap. It was so sterile and unfunny I thought it couldn’t possibly be a real TV show. Oh, and _Cops_ is probably my second favorite show of all time (behind _Futurama_.) ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/86 "2004-08-08T04:09:03Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > Perhaps everyone will agree that “Arliss” is one of the worst. Does anyone watch or even know anyone who watches this? I watched a few episodes, but not regularly. There was one where a lesbian tennis player client of Arliss’s wanted him to provide the material for her turkey baster artificial insemination, and instead her gave her liquid soap. The result was quite humorous. But now that it’s cancelled, I don’t miss it and I don’t know anyone who does. Arli$$ (the official title included the dollar signs) was not of the caliber of the HBO comedies which preceeded it, like “Dream On” and “Sex and the City.” But I guess for every hit, you’ll have a few misses. (“Mind of the Married Man” was no great shakes either.) ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/87 "2004-08-08T04:14:55Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > I really don’t like a lot of the “made for cable” shows. Perhaps everyone will agree that “Arliss” is one of the worst. Does anyone watch or even know anyone who watches this? When I had HBO I loved _Arliss_! I don’t even like sports all that much, but I really liked that show. But then, I liked almost all of the premium channel stuff – _The Sopranos_, _Sex & The City_, _Six Feet Under_, _Queer As Folk_, etc. Not enough to keep paying for those channels after I joined Netflix, but I really do miss them. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/88 "2004-08-08T09:48:17Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > While flipping through channels last night, I ran across Full House. Full House. It stayed on the air for a number of years and there has never, ever, EVER been a worse show. Never. > > _Manima_ was better than Full House. > > Watching the TV Guide channel is better than Full House. Ron Popeil is an entertainment genius compared to Full House. > > _Watching mass on a Sunday morning_ is better than Full House. > > _sigh_ I don’t even have to go to things like “The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer” to find “Small Wonder”, which actually got renewed a few times. That’s worse than “Full House.” While distracted, I could probably still manage to have “Full House” on in the background. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/89 "2004-08-08T11:39:19Z")
I’m amazed that _I Love Lucy_ is still in syndication. Over the course of my 40 years, I have had to sit through a couple dozen episodes. No laughs in the ‘classic’ comedy. Not one. ---
**Author:** ![DarRRva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/53a042/32.png) [@DarRRva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarRRva)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/90 "2004-08-08T11:46:06Z")
Thank god somone mentioned Everybody Loves Raymond finally… I was reading, eagerly waiting someone to bring it up, and someone did. I hate that show. I simply cannot watch it. I think I’ve seen it once and I hated every moment of it. Everyone I tlaked to over here (New Zealand) thought all Americans must be mental, since it seems to rate really well over there and even recieved Emmys for its efforts. Yargh! I also can’t understand why any soap is still on… Why won’t people just let them go. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/91 "2004-08-08T13:22:45Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > Perhaps everyone will agree that “Arliss” is one of the worst. Does anyone watch or even know anyone who watches this? Does appearing on it as an extra count? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/92 "2004-08-08T13:24:46Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > I really don’t like a lot of the “made for cable” shows. Perhaps everyone will agree that “Arliss” is one of the worst. Does anyone watch or even know anyone who watches this? Apparently, nobody at HBO got the “Robert Wuhl is not funny or talented in any way, please do not give him a show” memo. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/93 "2004-08-08T13:40:32Z")
> [@DarRRva](#): > > I also can’t understand why any soap is still on… Why won’t people just let them go. I don’t know about soaps in NZ, but in the US we have a show called “Passions.” It’s supposedly a soap, but I swear that it’s a cunning satire. It’s the most hysterical thing on TV – funnier than “Everybody Loves Raymond” by a mile. It has a witch who used to have a doll that turned into a boy who she talked to. Then the boy died, because the actor who played him died. It was actually sad. But they found more than sufficient ridiculousness to take the place of Timmy the Doll-Boy. If all other soaps go away, I would be perfectly happy, but once in a while, I need a little bit of “Passions” to make me laugh my cares away in the middle of the afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/94 "2004-08-08T13:51:47Z")
> [@TeaElle](#): > > Then the boy died, because the actor who played him died. It was actually sad. According to this [site](http://www.soapcentral.com/ps/news/2003/0805-evans.php): > [@](#): > > In an eerie almost macabre twist of fate, Evans death came on the eve of the airing of an episode in which his Passions character dies. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/95 "2004-08-08T13:54:54Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > I’ll cheerfully admit to watching _Third Watch_. My husband is a volunteer firefighter, so that and the new F/X show _Rescue Me_ are popular with us. We’ve watched it faithfully since it started, and like catching the repeats on A&E during the day, too. > \* > I’d agree with this, too. _BB_ is promoted constantly, while _AR_ is like the bastard child that has to be kept in the dark, lest anyone find out about it. > I missed the first two seasons of _AR_, stumbled across it in the middle of the third installment and am kicking myself for not finding it sooner. Maybe CBS didn’t promote it enough? I don’t ever remember hearing about it during the first two seasons. I _LOVE_ _The Amazing Race_! AR gets shown twice per week so if you miss it during the week, you can catch it on Saturday. Besides that, CBS is constantly running commercials for the show. What else do you want, CBS to send people to everyone’s home asking them to watch it? How many shows on network tv get repeated during the same week? The profit difference between BB and AR has to be huge. BB has 13 people locked up in a house with constant product tie-ins. AR has teams travelling the world which includes sending multiple camera teams with each contestant team. How much do you think air fare from South America to Russia costs for 9 teams plus all of the camera crews? There are also no product placements to generate extra income. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/96 "2004-08-08T14:24:17Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > That’s no spin-off, that’s [_Navy NCIS_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364845/) – and despite its annoyingly redundant title, I watched the entire season. 🙂 I don’t know if it technically counts as a spin-off, but the cast of _Navy NCIS_ was introduced on an episode of _JAG_, and the show went on from there. Sort of how _CSI: Miami_ was introduced via the original _CSI_ and _CSI:New York_ was introduced via _CSI: Miami_. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/97 "2004-08-08T14:46:06Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > I don’t know if it technically counts as a spin-off, but the cast of _Navy NCIS_ was introduced on an episode of _JAG_, and the show went on from there. Sort of how _CSI: Miami_ was introduced via the original _CSI_ and _CSI:New York_ was introduced via _CSI: Miami_. From what I’ve seen, it counts as a spin-off. I recall when “Mork & Mindy” was announced as a spin-off of “Happy Days” because they had introduced Mork’s character on that show about two days before they announced the series. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/98 "2004-08-08T20:08:51Z")
Sorry to have inadvertently launched the whole ‘spin-off’ thing: when I wrote “that’s no spin-off, that’s Navy NCIS,” I meant it like “that’s no lady, that’s my wife.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/99 "2004-08-08T21:26:15Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > It did. It’s called Enterprise on the UPN. Dammit. :wally I meant Enterprise. I actually quite liked Voyager. ---
**Author:** ![supervenusfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@supervenusfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supervenusfreak)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/100 "2004-08-08T21:50:05Z")
> [@Lisa-go-Blind](#): > > 😕 > > No one has named _Yes, Dear_? That has to be one of the most painfully unfunny shows on the air. The only reason it’s a “ratings winner” is because it’s on after _Everybody Loves Raymond_. Does anyone name _Yes, Dear_ as their favorite TV show? Are there any fan sites in tribute to it? Do people organize _Yes, Dear_ parties to watch the show every week? If so, I’ve never met any of them. I about had a seizure when I saw this unholy crapfest was added to TBS’s “Very Funny” lineup. Very funny, indeed. Still _Yes Dear_ is Shakespeare compared to the unfunny horror that accompanies it on Monday night, _Still Standing_ . Its like someone said "Lets make a lukewarm remake of “Family Ties” and cast it like we did for “The King Of Queens” Generally speaking, netlets and cable stations allow this dreck to continue because it is cheap programming, and gets better ratings than a black screen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458.md?page=6)