# When Bad Actors Happen to Great TV Series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2006, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810 "2006-02-16T16:08:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/21 "2006-02-16T19:09:48Z")
I think _Fawlty Towers_ is possibly the most tightly written sitcom ever made. However, almost all the performances except for the four principle actors (Cleese, Scales, Sachs, and Booth) were just dismally amateurish. ---
**Author:** ![Bertie\_Wooster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58f4c7/32.png) [@Bertie\_Wooster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bertie_Wooster)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/22 "2006-02-16T19:17:22Z")
I though the fellow who played the Major (Ballard Berkeley?) was pretty good. Of course, the character’s a stereotype, but his scene with the moose-head was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/23 "2006-02-16T19:24:43Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Okay, I admit Benny Russell’s breakdown in Far Beyond the Stars is beyond embarassing and the perfect example of what you’re saying here but, that said, Sisko is second to Kira only in the Pantheon of Trek Awesomeness and you, sir, are dead to me. Dead. Benjamin Sisko the character is pretty damn great. Avery Brooks the actor is… well… kinda special. There’s an alternate universe somewhere where Morgan Freeman returned to television and played Benjamin Sisko for seven seasons. I wanna see those episodes of DS9. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/24 "2006-02-16T19:27:53Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > And as for the Boreanaz haters: are we forgetting Blucas? For the record, I’m a Boreanaz-lover. I even like Blucas. Elisabeth Rohm, however… ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/25 "2006-02-16T19:28:44Z")
Olyphant’s clench-jawed and stoical Bullock is, IMO, is deliberate rather than just bad acting. The Bullock character is repressed and keeps his emotions (sometimes just barely) controlled. Remember how coldy formal he and his wife are in their relationship; they even address each other as Mr. and Mrs. Bullock. I’ve seen Olypant in other things and he has a respectable range as an actor. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/26 "2006-02-16T19:30:01Z")
In the fall, I saw Avery Brooks in _Othello_ and I thought he was pretty damn fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/27 "2006-02-16T19:30:58Z")
Mark Harmon in _NCIS_. The show survives on the greatness of the other actors. Harmon and his character are awful ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/28 "2006-02-16T19:33:14Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Well you’re WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! And you couldn’t possibly be any wronger! > > Security eunuch! Take this man away and bring me a full dossier on his past activities! I want to know where he was when the first Danish embassy was torched and if the answer is not to my liking then I’ll assign him a location. (And find out if he owns a copy of the _Anarchist Cookbook_, buys fertilizer at a bulk rate even though he doesn’t farm and a directory of Olive Gardens!) Well, he was a drug dealer in **Go** … ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/29 "2006-02-16T19:40:22Z")
John Lovitz on NewsRadio. To be fair, he has more perfectly valid excuses than anyone else ever - I mean, who could have pulled off replacing Phil Hartman?? - but still. ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/30 "2006-02-16T19:43:48Z")
I’ll second E. Rohm in L&O! I couldn’t wait for her to go, but I’m not too crazy about the latest assistant DA either. And the redheaded DA on SVU is easily the weakest link there. One of the more Craptacular choices I’ve seen in an otherwise grand cast is Margo Kidder in Superman: the movie. In fact, if someone can explain her career, I would listen if it could be done in less than 30 seconds – she is AWFUL and makes Candice Bergen look praiseworthy as an actress. And while I’m here, I just want to say, if I had to pick a captain, any captain, it would be Sisko and that is due primarily to the power and presence Brooks brought to that role. (Though if you get your hands on the Morgan Freeman DVD’s give me a holler, he would have been really interesting in that role) I wonder in which Universe Martin Lawrence plays Sisko? Oh, and while I’m at it, except for six degrees of separation, Wil Smith is the weakest link in anything else he’s done. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/31 "2006-02-16T19:49:02Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Mark Harmon in _NCIS_. The show survives on the greatness of the other actors. Harmon and his character are awful At the risk of offending Twickster who loves this show, IMO the _entire_ cast is awful, the writing is awful. It’s a near parody of procedurals (which Twickster says is the whole point) but it doesn’t work for me. ---
**Author:** ![mazinger\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mazinger\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazinger_z)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/32 "2006-02-16T19:51:34Z")
When I saw the thread title, I immediately thought of Elisabeth Rohm. I’ve only watched one episode of Bones, but I liked it (Christmas ep). And, hey, I like Boreanz, even though his character on Bones seems like a just like Angel (aahhh…nice and familiar). I like Olyphant, too (where’s the shrug smiley), I thought he was pretty good in “The Girl Next Door.” (I really do have good taste in movies and tv, really, I do. I just watch a lot of stuff). I agree with **Askia** that one of things I found unwatcheable about DS9 was Sisko. I’ll contribute Alex Kingston of ER (one of the main reasons I stopped watching) and the one I’ll call the non-union Mexican equivalent of Robin Williams: John Leguizamo (however, I think he’s a guest star, and I’ve long stopped considering ER to be “good.”) ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/33 "2006-02-16T20:09:08Z")
Paul McCrane as Dr. Romano on E.R. E.R. started circling the drain when Anthony Edwards (Dr. Greene) left the show in 2002. Greene had really been the one who kept Romano somewhat in check within the storylines. With Greene’s death, Romano started running hogwild. It’s one thing to be a badass character, but Romano went wayyyyy overboard. He’s pretty much the reason I stopped watching E.R.; by the time they killed him off, it was too late. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/34 "2006-02-16T20:15:44Z")
Drew Carey on _The Drew Carey Show_ was a pretty terrible actor. I know he was primarily a stand up comedian, at which he’s hilarious, but as an actor even playing himself he emoted like a block of wood. I contrast him with Tim Allen and Bob Newhart, two other comedians who also basically played themselves, but who didn’t strike me as people trying hard to act. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/35 "2006-02-16T20:22:32Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Paul McCrane as Dr. Romano on E.R. > > E.R. started circling the drain when Anthony Edwards (Dr. Greene) left the show in 2002. Greene had really been the one who kept Romano somewhat in check within the storylines. With Greene’s death, Romano started running hogwild. It’s one thing to be a badass character, but Romano went wayyyyy overboard. He’s pretty much the reason I stopped watching E.R.; by the time they killed him off, it was too late. I’ve seen two episodes of E.R. - ever. In one of them, Romano gets his arm cut off by a helicopter blade. In the other, a crashing helicopter lands on him. I, for one, was totally satisfied with his character arc. 🙂 -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/36 "2006-02-16T20:27:22Z")
Oohh…I hate to say this one, but… Laura Prepon. Fantastically attractive, and pretty genuinely likeable - but her delivery of so many lines is just…wrong… -Joe…using too many… ---
**Author:** ![Moe\_Szyslak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Moe\_Szyslak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe_Szyslak)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/37 "2006-02-16T21:42:22Z")
The person I thought of when I saw the thread title was the person who plays Meredith Grey on Grey’s Anatomy. I think her name is Ellen Pompeo. She is supposed to be the star of this show but she is by far the worst actor in the cast. She always has the same tone of voice in every situation and always has this “ew, look at how smokey sultry I am” look on her face. I don’t watch the show because of her acting. ---
**Author:** ![nvad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@nvad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nvad)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/38 "2006-02-16T21:58:27Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > I thought this thread was gonna be about David Boreanaz. That’s funny…I immediately thought of Ted McGinley. But then I noticed that the OP referenced “great” TV series… ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/39 "2006-02-16T22:03:08Z")
The white trash (and assorted other colors) on “Jerry Springer” are just phoning it in these days. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810/40 "2006-02-16T22:07:27Z")
Except for the reluctant vote for Imperioli, who is not a bad actor, I have been scratching my head over which show I watch that has weak actors. I try to avoid such shows. There are only a few that fit the bill of being “Great TV Series” who have “Bad Actors” associated with them. That said, I believe Janel Maloney on _The West Wing_ gets my vote. She had some story/plot relevance back when Josh and Donna had a little spark thing going. But after her accident and then her leaving the White House to assist in the campaign for Vinnick, her character has seemed unnecessary and her job of making the character likeable unconvincing. Her whiny voice is almost impossible to understand without the Closed Captions on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-bad-actors-happen-to-great-tv-series/344810.md?page=3)