# TV Shows where the main driving force is dishonesty **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 5, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865 "2012-02-05T15:12:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/21 "2012-02-05T21:34:18Z")
HIMYM has an unreliable narrator, not lying. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/22 "2012-02-05T21:35:33Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > HIMYM has an unreliable narrator, not lying. But Barney’s plotlines almost always involve a lot of lying… ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/23 "2012-02-05T21:37:15Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > But Barney’s plotlines almost always involve a lot of lying… True enough, I was thinking that he thought Ted was lying to his kids. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/24 "2012-02-05T21:40:04Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > True enough, I was thinking that he thought Ted was lying to his kids. P.S. Dendarii Dame is “she” ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/25 "2012-02-05T22:04:15Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > P.S. Dendarii Dame is “she” :smack: Wasn’t even paying attention to the username. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/26 "2012-02-05T23:21:49Z")
_Married With Children_ ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/27 "2012-02-05T23:30:30Z")
**House.** , obviously. It’s about a dishonest doctor who believes everybody is a dishonest patient. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/28 "2012-02-05T23:34:57Z")
_The Shield_. Vic Mackey really ties himself up into knots in the last few seasons, but his character is unbelievably corrupt and totally dishonest right from the first episode. The only thing more amazing about how much of a liar he is, is how _good_ of a liar he is. He manages to wriggle out of just about _everything_, and it’s amazing to watch. It doesn’t hurt that Michael Chiklis and supporting cast are great actors. Such an underrated show. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/29 "2012-02-06T00:17:26Z")
_Psych_ ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/30 "2012-02-06T04:00:04Z")
The Bob Cummings Show aka Love That Bob. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/32 "2012-06-10T20:45:07Z")
**Hu$tle** and its American counterpart **Leverage**. Both follow a team of scam artists. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/33 "2012-06-10T21:46:59Z")
**Columbo** obviously centered around the suspect of the week being dishonest about whether he did it; a typical episode might involve the guy talking up his false alibi while lying about whether he had a motive, all while framing someone else altogether. This often leads to a “perfect crime” scenario, forcing our hero to use dishonest tactics for the win: rigging up fake evidence that only the real culprit would know how to foil, say, or planting false information in the police files to con his superior officer, or playing the unsuspecting idiot who’s getting a little too close while suckering his mark into repeating that Get Away With Murder plan before it’s too late – this time with a sabotaged weapon and an eyewitness at the ready. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/34 "2012-06-10T21:52:53Z")
_It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia_. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/35 "2012-06-11T00:06:49Z")
Most everyone on Justified is full of shit, even the marshals. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/36 "2012-06-11T00:07:27Z")
Pretty much any show on ABC Family, most notably Pretty Little LIARS and The LYING Game. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/37 "2012-06-11T03:30:30Z")
[To Tell The Truth](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Tell_The_Truth) ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/38 "2012-06-11T12:47:12Z")
“Remember, it’s not a lie if \*you \*believe it.” – George Costanza ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/39 "2012-06-11T13:06:29Z")
Cspan ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/40 "2012-06-11T13:45:21Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **Hu$tle** and its American counterpart **Leverage**. Both follow a team of scam artists. > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > **Columbo** obviously centered around the suspect of the week being dishonest about whether he did it […][often] forcing our hero to use dishonest tactics for the win If we’re going old-school, was thinking of the _Mission Impossible_ TV series. Every episode was someone impersonating someone else. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865/41 "2012-06-11T13:46:50Z")
_The Simpsons_. Homer’s lies to his wife, family, boss and coworkers often drive the plot of the show. Bart lies quite a bit, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-main-driving-force-is-dishonesty/611865.md?page=3)