# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/121 "2004-08-10T22:16:03Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Am I the only person who is totally underwhelmed by **CSI**? I watched the entire first season on DVD and I found it to be breathtakingly mediocre, and frequently dumb and predictable. I agree completely. I don’t understand why anyone would want to watch _CSI_ when _Law and Order_ is infinitely better. (_Homicide: Life on the Street_ was even better than _Law and Order_ but, alas, it’s long gone.) ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/122 "2004-08-10T22:22:44Z")
I kind of like CSI, except for David Caruso. David Caruso is the incarnation of hideously pompous non-acting. David Caruso should be cancelled. I’m not being too subtle, am I? ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/123 "2004-08-10T22:23:15Z")
> [@Sean Factotum](#): > > But my favorite junk show that I used to watch was _The Mother-In-Laws_ but I could only see it when we were visiting relatives out in Los Angeles about 30 years ago. Never even saw it mentioned anywhere else, at any tme, for any reason. I remember that show! I suddenly feel _very_ old. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/124 "2004-08-11T15:28:45Z")
I vaguely remember **The Mother In Laws** , but I was pretty young. In fact, I don’t really remember anything about it other than the title and an image of somebody leaning over a Dutch door. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/125 "2004-08-11T22:12:17Z")
I was talking to a local police officer and he mentioned that during some portion of his training, clips of _Cops_ were shown as examples of _What not to do_ in particular situations. That kind of cracks me up. Also, I notice no one has mentioned _Nakita_ with that dreadful twat from Australia. hummm. I wonder if it’s one of our Ausie imports - I dunno, but it sure sucks ass. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/126 "2004-08-12T01:09:42Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > I was talking to a local police officer and he mentioned that during some portion of his training, clips of _Cops_ were shown as examples of _What not to do_ in particular situations. That’s why I’ve always called COPS “Fourth Amendment Violation Theatre.” ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/127 "2004-08-12T01:46:44Z")
> [@Jeff Olsen](#): > > I think the problem with _I Love Lucy_, _The Honeymooners_, and others from the same era is that everything has become obvious. Except that an awful lot of stuff from that era is still hillarious - Lucy and Honeymooners still have their moments, and the sketch comedies hold up particularly well. (Steve Allen, Abbot and Costello\*, & Jack Benny are among my favourite shows when I can catch them.) - I love the wordplay in a lot of A&C’s bits - Who’s on First, of course, but they also have one I keep catching, where people are trying to teach Lou about horse-racing and he just gets more and more confused, because they keep talking about mudders, and horses eating their fodder. I think their age does have something to do with the fact that for the most part the sitcoms are lame, but it’s not just that ‘everything has become obvious’ - it’s more that a lot of the jokes just don’t play well any more because, yes, some have been done to death, but also because it’s not the 50s any more, some things just don’t work any more - they’re quaint and naive, or conversely, sexist, racist, or otherwise offensive. ---
**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:** [August 12, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/128 "2004-08-12T02:14:36Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > I think their age does have something to do with the fact that for the most part the sitcoms are lame, but it’s not just that ‘everything has become obvious’ - it’s more that a lot of the jokes just don’t play well any more because, yes, some have been done to death, but also because it’s not the 50s any more, some things just don’t work any more - they’re quaint and naive, or conversely, sexist, racist, or otherwise offensive. They’ve also been in syndication seemingly forever, whereas the sketch comedies you mentioned haven’t. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/129 "2004-08-12T05:28:37Z")
> [@Lisa-go-Blind](#): > > I agree completely. I don’t understand why anyone would want to watch _CSI_ when _Law and Order_ is infinitely better. (_Homicide: Life on the Street_ was even better than _Law and Order_ but, alas, it’s long gone.) You’re kind of comparing apples and oranges here, though. CSI is more about the forensic science process (after it’s been appropriately “hollywoodafied” of course). You barely see any of the police work and none of the judicial process, as you do in Law and Order (which one of my professors, an actual ADA, can’t _stand_ by the way). That’s not it’s focus and they don’t pretend that it is, so it’s not really fair to compare the two. ---
**Author:** ![Fenneth\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Fenneth\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenneth_Jr)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/130 "2004-08-12T05:44:29Z")
I can’t believe anyone hasn’t mentioned _Jackass_ yet. I’m a teenage male, so i should be a huge fan of this; yet i find nothing funny about half-naked men throwing tennis balls at other half-naked men’s ballsack :eek: nor most of the rest of the shows Yet all of my friends love it. Huh? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/131 "2004-08-12T11:52:08Z")
Nobody’s mentioned **Saturday Night Live** yet? Everyone I know who still watches this show does nothing but complain about how bad it is these days. And that’s been the case for years. It seems that if a show survives long enough, it develops a kind of momentum, which will sustain the show for years even if the show devolves into total crap. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/132 "2004-08-12T14:34:54Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Nobody’s mentioned **Saturday Night Live** yet? Everyone I know who still watches this show does nothing but complain about how bad it is these days. And that’s been the case for years. > > It seems that if a show survives long enough, it develops a kind of momentum, which will sustain the show for years even if the show devolves into total crap. Good one! Add to it it’s bastard sister MAD TV. God! Convelesing sucks! Last year Comedy Central played SNL all day, now they play MAD TV all day. Thank god for books. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/133 "2004-08-12T16:20:03Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Can’t stand the show- but I looove the theme song. Once in a while I’ll tune in just for the song. Or, sometimes to count how many times in the show i can see the police violating someones Civil Rights- and what’s odd- they _still do it, even though they know they are being filmed!_ :eek: I’ve had precious few interactions with cops IRL, but ISTM that the Cops in COPS seem to go much lighter on the suspects than would happen IRL (since I have been treated about the same as they, well, without the physicality, and that was when I didnt even do anything, imagine how I would be treated off-camera if the cop thought I was dangerous!) On the other hand, I have noticed the opposite situation: the suspects clearly tend to push the cops in order to try to provoke a physical reaction. For instance, repeatedly trying to get up when the cop tells them to stay down. I think it would be funny if they did that and the cop, even though the camera was still rolling, gets out his pistol and shoots the suspect in the face and blows his face off. Wrong, but funny. People like the people who push cops to try to get a million dollar lawsuit do no good for anyone. OTOH if the cameras were NOT rolling, it would be the cops who would have the upper hand. I’m sure no suspects would repeatedly try to stand up when ordered not to, at risk of getting a beating. The cops on COPS don’t do that BECAUSE they know the camera’s rolling. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/134 "2004-08-12T16:30:38Z")
Interesting responses. I, for one, really like ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’, though I normally catch it in syndication. I think ‘King of the Hill’ can be brilliant as well. And I’ve been known to, once in a while, watch ‘Charmed’, which is very B-movie-esque and a whole lot of fun like Hercules and Xena used to be. The show I just don’t understand being on the air is ‘Will & Grace’. What a pile of dung that is! ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/135 "2004-08-12T19:03:59Z")
I’ll admit it. I may be the one keeping Smallville on the air. I can’t say it’s a great show. Hell, I’d barely call it a good show, but it has such untapped potential! The wrters obviously know the Superman mythos (and throw in nifty tidbits about the rest of the DCU now and again), and they are crafting a good story with Lex and Lionel, and the Jor-El plot, but they still feel shackled by the perceived need to do stupid romantic angst stuff. It’ so close to being an excellent show, but yet, so far. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/136 "2004-08-12T20:56:27Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > **Tough Crowd** has to be one of the most atrocious shows on right now. Wow, I’ve posted several times to this thread, and I completely forgot about Tough Crowd - and I’ve started several threads in the past to bitch and moan about how aweful it is! Good call. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/137 "2004-08-12T21:12:26Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Good one! Add to it it’s bastard sister MAD TV. God! Convelesing sucks! Last year Comedy Central played SNL all day, now they play MAD TV all day. Thank god for books. Yeah, MAD TV and SNL are still on, and they cancelled Hardcore TV!!! ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/138 "2004-08-13T01:26:44Z")
Reno 911 and Crank Yankers! God I even hate the commercials. ---
**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 13, 2004, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/139 "2004-08-13T03:00:57Z")
> [@Fenneth Jr.](#): > > I can’t believe anyone hasn’t mentioned _Jackass_ yet. > > I’m a teenage male, so i should be a huge fan of this; yet i find nothing funny about half-naked men throwing tennis balls at other half-naked men’s ballsack :eek: nor most of the rest of the shows > > Yet all of my friends love it. Huh? > > 😕 That’s the reason it’s still on the air, lots of people love and watch it. The point here concerns shows which you can’t find **anyone** who watches it but it remains on the air. Didn’t watch the show too much but the movie was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458/140 "2004-08-13T05:56:34Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > What about _Cops_? I have NEVER met a person who watches that show. Of course if anyone I knew DID watch it, I’d drop them like a stinky hot potato. My Mom and I watch this show. Mainly to laugh at the idiots, and to ogle the cute cops. We also are regular viewers of the Canadian version _To Serve and Protect_. It’s interesting seeing the old neighborhood and hell, even some of my old pals turn up.\* [sub]\*Quite serious. The corner bar was on more than once, saw an old school pal once. We pick out what area of the city the police are in by the scenery. I suspect this might be the answer to your question. People watch so they know what happened to their friends. “So that’s where Johnny went to. He got nabbed by the cops that night he went to pick us up some crack and took your uninsured car”[/sub] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-the-inexplicably-remain-on-the-air-or-who-watches-this-anyone/258458.md?page=6)