# What series succeeded with an unpromising premise? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 20, 2009, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146 "2009-03-20T12:46:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/61 "2009-03-23T19:53:18Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > How about The West Wing? Who would have thought that a wordy, wonky show about politics would have succeeded? > > Ever since _Sports Night_, I have been impressed to hell and back again with Aaron Sorkin’s writing skills. He actually used the word “ensorceled” and I just melted in a puddle of goo. > > That said, where _West Wing_ succeeded, _Studio 60_ failed, so go figure. After what Aaron Sorkin did with The West Wing, I was so hopeful about Studio 60. And I would have watched the show too. BTW, there was an episode of Studio 60 in which the female network president wanted to hire a talented young television writer who proposed to create a wordy, wonky show about the United Nations. I think that was meant as a reference to The West Wing. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/62 "2009-03-23T22:02:35Z")
Fortunately, _30 Rock_ was around to give us an _entertaining_ behind-the-scenes look at a late night comedy show. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/63 "2009-03-23T22:37:00Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > BTW, there was an episode of Studio 60 in which the female network president wanted to hire a talented young television writer who proposed to create a wordy, wonky show about the United Nations. I think that was meant as a reference to The West Wing. I think so too. Wasn’t there some talk about _West Wing_ being on HBO? Cussing and nudity in the White House…fun fun fun!! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/64 "2009-03-24T00:22:44Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > The Adam West **Batman** series of the 60s cannot have been an easy sell. The character was popular to comics readers but no one else at the time. **Superman** had been a minor hit a few years earlier, but that was a pretty straightforward adaptation of the comic. **Batman** was campy, deconstructionist and trippy. Actually, it was a fairly straightforward adaptation of the comic as it had been written for the previous decade or so. ([Example](http://www.agonybooth.com/agonizer/Batman __147__ Batman_Becomes_Bat_Baby_.aspx)) ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/65 "2009-03-25T04:27:28Z")
The Flying Nun. a Series about a nun that can fly. 3 seasons 82 episodes ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/66 "2009-03-25T05:19:31Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Who would have thought that a show about a bunch of old broads sitting around taking about everything from their grandchildren to their sex lives would have succeeded? I thought you were talking about _The View_ for a moment. ---
**Author:** ![BunnyTVS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BunnyTVS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyTVS)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/67 "2009-03-25T13:38:03Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I thought you were talking about _The View_ for a moment. I thought it was about Sex and the City. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/68 "2009-03-25T14:04:13Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I image _Barney Miller_ must have been a tough sell–A show about detectives and it only takes place in the police station? You never see them outside the station? Where is all the action, all the fights, and the gritty cop stuff? All you see is them putting prisoners in cages and shuffling papers? > > Never work. I’ve been saying this for years. I think what made it work it that it was an excuse to TELL stories, usually about things that happened outside the setting, with different folks giving different versions. Humans have been telling stories for eons. Heck, when Barney Miller aired, there were probably plenty of viewers who were more of the listen to the radio around fireplace crowd than the been raised watching tvs in the living room crowd. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/69 "2009-03-25T14:23:26Z")
> [@audit1](#): > > The Flying Nun. a Series about a nun that can fly. 3 seasons 82 episodes Well, it had flown as a book. I don’t know how popular it was, what with being too young to have been particularly paying attention. The casino guy was added for television. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/70 "2009-03-25T14:33:42Z")
> [@BunnyTVS](#): > > I thought it was about Sex and the City. > > Go figure. No, no…_Sex and the City_ was about three prostitutes and their mother. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/71 "2009-03-26T07:48:09Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > **Scrubs** - oh, great, it’s another stupid hospital show. Oh, they’re _interns_. Fascinating. > > I needed a lot of persuasion before I’d try it. That, & it was advertised as bloody slapstick. I mean, literally bloody. I thought, “Give that a berth.” I happened on it sometime later, am now convinced it’s the best hospital show on US TV, maybe ever. Despite the excesses. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/72 "2009-03-26T13:02:22Z")
> [@audit1](#): > > The Flying Nun. a Series about a nun that can fly. Thanks for clearing that up. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/73 "2009-03-26T13:44:38Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I image _Barney Miller_ must have been a tough sell–A show about detectives and it only takes place in the police station? You never see them outside the station? Where is all the action, all the fights, and the gritty cop stuff? All you see is them putting prisoners in cages and shuffling papers? > > Never work. In the first season or two they did leave the squad room occassionally. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/74 "2009-03-26T13:52:45Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > In the first season or two they did leave the squad room occassionally. I watched the 1st season on DVD the other day.There are a few scenes at Barney’s house,one scene at Amenguale’s apartment and one scene at an empty apartment for a stakeout. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/75 "2009-03-26T16:07:07Z")
_Roseanne_ - A series about fat, relatively unattractive, workingclass parents that rarely do anything zany or wacky or in Hawaii. Sort of the anti-Brady Bunch. StG ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/76 "2009-03-26T20:00:15Z")
> [@palindromemordnilap](#): > > I’m mystified by the continued existence of “Lost”. I admit I have watched no more than a couple of minutes of it in all the years it’s been on, so maybe it’s all in the execution. But I can’t imagine getting into a show about a mystery that just gets more complicated and crazier and is never resolved. But that’s a shot against its EXECUTION, not its premise. The premise behind “Lost” is terrific - a bunch of strangers on an airplane are marooned on a jungle island, and next thing you know the Weird-Shit-O-Meter is pegged. That they didn’t know where they were going after the first season don’t mean the premise wasn’t good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146.md?page=3)