# What's The Worst HBO Program? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 22, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583 "2003-06-22T15:41:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/1 "2003-06-22T15:41:13Z")
In the opinion of the Dopers, what is the worst program that HBO has ever aired? ---
**Author:** ![DEVA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@DEVA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DEVA)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/2 "2003-06-22T16:27:54Z")
Well, I’m not sure…but I’m sure that my husband’s answer would be: **Oz**. He tried to watch it one night and saw a man get raped in jail. He said it was too fucked up for him to ever watch again. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/3 "2003-06-22T17:06:57Z")
Sex and the City. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/4 "2003-06-22T17:51:42Z")
Arli$$. Is that even on anymore? Second would be Sex and the City. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/5 "2003-06-22T17:54:09Z")
Sex and the city, because every man they come across is dumped for the most trivial of reasons IMHO…Miranda gets on my nerves ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/6 "2003-06-22T20:03:53Z")
I might be the ONLY one on the planet to say this but I do not like “the Sopranos” whatsoever. I watched it once and besides being boring, the show seemed it couldn’t decide if it was a comedy or drama so I made the decision for them. I stopped watching. ---
**Author:** ![Nichol\_storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nichol\_storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nichol_storm)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/7 "2003-06-22T20:18:07Z")
I never much cared for Sex and the City or Sopranos – just never understood the hype. I’ve never watched any of the sports shows either, they just don’t interest me. I LOVE OZ though. It’s my favorite show of all time. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/8 "2003-06-22T20:46:37Z")
Sex and the City annoyed me the one time I watched it. Kristen Davis is the only one of the four actresses I found remotely attractive, but they were all catty and bitchy, and the show was boring, with VERY little “sex.” ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/9 "2003-06-22T21:02:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > \*\*Arli$$. Is that even on anymore? > \*\* Only in re-runs, but it aires every night on HBO Comedy. I probably should have put this in the OP: Give reasons for your selections. It’s no help to just have a show title. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/10 "2003-06-22T21:16:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Governor Quinn \* > \*\*Only in re-runs, but it aires every night on HBO Comedy. > > I probably should have put this in the OP: Give reasons for your selections. It’s no help to just have a show title. \*\* The writing was bad, the characters were unsympathetic and they had all these cameos by athletes who looked completely awkward trying to act. Think Brett Favre in _There’s Something About Mary_, but all the time. And for longer. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/11 "2003-06-22T21:30:25Z")
Wasn’t aiming that at you particularly, but thanks anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/12 "2003-06-22T22:16:06Z")
The worst thing about **Arli$$** was the stilted expositions required before introducing the B-list athletes: “Of course! I’ll be happy to do a favor for my favorite Olympic Gold Medal Diver Kathy Johanssen!” I’m not Fan of **Sex and the City** and **Arli$$** sucks hard, but I think **The Mind of the Married Man** had em all beat. Generic male mid-life-crisis comedy about how hard marriage is. Blah blah. Barely lasted a season IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Diff\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@Diff\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diff_T)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/13 "2003-06-22T22:35:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wolf\_meister \* > \*\*I might be the ONLY one on the planet to say this but I do not like “the Sopranos” whatsoever. > I watched it once and besides being boring, the show seemed it couldn’t decide if it was a comedy or drama so I made the decision for them. I stopped watching. \*\* I’m not a big “Sopranos” watcher either. But why can’t it be both a drama with comedy mixed in? Six Feet Under uses the same technique. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/14 "2003-06-22T23:17:27Z")
Definitely “Arli$$”. The biggest problem is that HBO actually thought Robert Wuhl had talent. ---
**Author:** ![Foolonthehill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Foolonthehill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foolonthehill)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/15 "2003-06-22T23:52:05Z")
“The Mind of a Married Man” This pile is based loosely, on a really bad movie made about '97(?), called “Sex Maniac” with M. Hemingway. Several of the cast members from the movie, including M. Beeban, ended up in the series. Dialogue in this show can’t be written by anyone over 10 years old. ---
**Author:** ![TisDun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@TisDun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TisDun)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/16 "2003-06-22T23:54:49Z")
My vote is for “The Wire.” The characters are transparent and any semblance of a cohesive or entertaining plot is lacking, IMHO. Aside: Soprano’s, Sex in the City, and Arli$$ are/were among the best shows on tv. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/17 "2003-06-23T01:04:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alphagene \* > \*\*I’m not Fan of **Sex and the City** and **Arli$$** sucks hard, but I think **The Mind of the Married Man** had em all beat. \*\* Oooohh! Dammit! I was all set to say **Arli$$** , but then you reminded me of this one. I had hitherto blocked it from my mind. Now I have to give my brain a good scrubbing. How bad was TMotMM? It would be improved by the addition of Colin Quinn. It was THAT BAD. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/18 "2003-06-23T01:25:30Z")
I would agree with the consensus for the bottom three. _Arlis$$_ was pretty low brow but never pretended to be otherwise. _Sex and the City_ represents the most shallow values imaginable. Slutty, materialistic yuppie women sleeping around with rich, vacuous men. Not one male love interest on that show has ever had even a spark of personality. They are defined entirely by their cars and their clothes. The “Mr. Big” character is incredibly smug and insufferable. There is never any reason to give a crap about his relationship with Sarah Jessica Parker. We are expected to root for her to marry him solely because he is rich. he plot lines are also totally stupid and unbelievable. I had to stop watching the show when whatshername had a baby because I realized that this was a woman who, in real life, should not be trusted with a house plant. _Mind of the Married Man_ is even worse dreck than the above two. Witless misogynistic crap. One of the most aggressively offensive shows I’ve ever seen on television. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/19 "2003-06-23T01:27:07Z")
The last season of Oz sucked, but the rest of the series ranged from awesome to good. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583/20 "2003-06-23T19:11:24Z")
Sex in the City. It makes me want to smack my TV and yell “Be more Funny!”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-hbo-program/183583.md?page=2)