For me, it’s The Walking Dead. It’s just too dark. I’m not saying that it’s not well-made. Overall, it is; overall, the good episodes still outnumber the clunkers. It’s just too depressing. I was watching “The Suicide King” last night, and it occurred to me that Rick’s baby daughter is probably going to be eaten alive by zombies at some point, that the little blonde girl whose name I can never remember will probably be captured and subjected to unspeakable horrors by the General, that there is virtually no chance of a hopeful resolution for any character that would not be a cop-out. If I want to read a story about the triumph of evil and chaos over good and order I will read the Iliad again, because at least that has Odysseus in it.
But that’s just me. What still-in-production TV shows have you given up on recently, and why?
I haven’t given up on Criminal Minds, but I’m close. At this point everybody on the show has been raped, kidnapped, shot, had their one true love murdered, or all of the above, but keep at their murderously horrific jobs because hey, we’re catchin’ us some bad guys! Hey BAU, I’ve got a profile for you: your writers are sadists.
I stuck with Once Upon a Time for longer than I should have, but I finally gave up. It had some promise, and the production design was pretty good, but eventually they just kept throwing more and more characters from widely different stories in, and trying to follow story lines in 3 different universes/time streams was driving me up a tree.
It occurs to me that I rarely give up on shows–I stick with 'em to the bitter end. Also, I have a fairly good track record at avoiding drek, though some might disagree since I did watch all five seasons of Leverage.
Anyway, I think the last show I actually gave up on (rather than quitting after one episode (The Walking Dead, Last Resort) or never quite bothering to watch at all, despite having on the DVR (Vegas)) was House. Sometime when he was with Cuddy, and the whole show was just him and Cuddy being a couple and I think maybe he remembered to cure somebody in between snugglefests and longing gazes. That was it for me.
I didn’t mind House and Cuddy as a couple. I gave up on the show in disgust when he got a slap on the wrist for ramming his car into a house with a toddler in it.
Other than whatever it is NBC is showing Mondays at 10 (Deception?) which I dumped after the first ep, not much that I start and give up on.
I have had a few shows I haven’t even started even though they seemed interesting, because I just don’t have faith they won’t get canned right as I get interested. The Following on Fox, and some show on NBC that I can’t recall the name of (wow, what is it with me and NBC show titles) about a guy with two personalities or some such (sounds a little like another NBC show, My Own Worst Enemy (hey I remembered that one!) from a couple years ago that I enjoyed but of course got killed way too soon) Oh hey, that NBC one is already canned it looks like, good thing I didn’t bother. Fuck you NBC, but you didn’t get me this time.
“Glee,” after sticking it out for two full annoying seasons and half of this one (in addition to the first season, which was sublime). I finally just said, “enough.”
Same reason I gave up on Mad Men, Downton Abbey, and to a lesser extent, Spooks, and am probably about to give up Doctor Who (don’t kill me anyone, plz!)
I have also given up on Walking Dead, for similar reasons. Miserable, dark, and nowhere to go but more misery. There’s no entertainment value for me in that.
I won’t be watching Falling Skies any more either, but that’s mostly because it’s so badly written. I realised that I’d have it all lined up to watch, and I’d keep putting it off and never getting around to it. That’s a sign, if you don’t want to watch something, whatever the reason, then why waste your time? I went through the same process with shows like FlashForward and the V remake. It just seemed like they were trying too hard at providing big epic mystery, and failing at the small character moments. Nobody would smile, and it just gets too much of a burden as a viewer to have to take all that misery on each week.
And I’ve given up on Downton Abbey, after the most recent Christmas Special was just so poorly constructed, with the dumbest ending ever. It may as well have been an episode of Neighbours.
Most of the generally popular shows are of a subject matter that doesn’t appeal to me. Breaking Bad, Girls, Boardwalk Empire, even Game of Thrones (even though I love mediaeval fantasy, GoT is just too miserably unhappy for me). I want levity mixed in with my drama, alleviation from the endless dirt, grime, hatred, and excessive drug/sex/violence combination that is dominating TV.
I think I’m just getting old and the average entertainment is no longer aimed at my corner of my generation.
This season I quit Revolution. I started watching **Lost Girl **on Netflix and gave up 3 eps in. I didn’t bother with How I Met Your Mother at all this season.
House, after he ran his car into Cuddy’s house.
Bones, after her and Booth hooked up.
Supernatural after Castial became God. Should have stopped after Sam jumped into hell.
Simpsons. Haven’t watched any of the new season. Same for Family Guy and American Dad.
Warehouse 13. Just not interested anymore.
About the only show still in production that I watch anymore is futurama and Arrow.
Well, Last Resort didn’t last long, and I only lasted ten minutes into the first episode. Too much “introduce each person one by one, with setup of soap opera for that person”, not enough plot movement.
I survived an episode and a half of Revolution, and gave up in disgust. Just couldn’t stand Princess Bossy Brat any more, and refused to waste time on her.
Sadly, I have to agree with the previous poster who thinks Mythbusters is played out.
Gave up on falling skies, the V remake, and the land of the lost remake (I can’t remember the shows actual name - a bunch of people get sent back to Dino land).
I’m close to giving up on Once upon a time and Being Human.
Beauty and the Beast. Wake me if it ever gets interesting, k?
If I like something enough to watch the whole first season, I usually stick with it. So generally it’s only during season one that I bail on anything. That’s the only reason I’m still watching Once Upon a Time…
