# What series succeeded with an unpromising premise?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146>\
**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:** 1\
**Showing post:** 16

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**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-series-succeeded-with-an-unpromising-premise/490146/16 "2009-03-20T14:33:38Z")

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> [@Annie-Xmas](#):
>
> Seinfeld. A show about nothing. A summer replacement show about nothing. A summer replacement show about nothing that went nowhere at first.

I disagree about this. It’s self-described as ‘a show about nothing’ but it was a show about a standup comedian in New York City. _And_ that comedian was Jerry Seinfeld.

_Family Ties_ certainly seemed to have nothing special when it premiered. Good thing Michael J. Fox was such a good performer and made such a real character out of a caricature.

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