# Which popular TV shows have you not seen a single episode of? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 2, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880 "2012-06-02T17:16:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/41 "2012-06-04T10:54:19Z")
You missed out “Sex and the City” (I’ve never seen it though, so don’t know what you’d be missing) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/42 "2012-06-04T11:44:19Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > I wonder if you could find a show that every Doper has seen? My bet would be on _I Love Lucy_. And if you did you’d be a very good example of why some non-Americans find some people here very US-centric. I’d imagine that most of the people I know, spanning several generations, nationalities and classes, have never seen a single episode. I can’t name a single character (except, perhaps, Lucy?) or actor. Several of the shows in the list were similar for me, for example “All in the Family”, “Barney Miller”, “The Bob Newhart Show”, “Gilligan’s Island”, “NewsRadio” … ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/43 "2012-06-04T16:21:39Z")
I checked off 26 boxes. If anyone cares: Angel The Avengers Breaking Bad Buffy Carnivale Deadwood Dr. Who ER Fawlty Towrs Freeks n’ Geeks Good Eats House I, Claudius Lost Mad Men My Name is Earl NCIS News Radio Northern Exposure The Office Rome The Shield Six Feet Under The Sopranos Twin Peaks The West Wing The Wire I don’t have HBO, so that might explain some of those. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/44 "2012-06-04T16:32:53Z")
Okay, folks! We hit the mark of 280 Voters, which is the number who voted in the old poll of “favorites” (or whatever) so the comparison of this poll (in ascending order) versus the old one (in descending order) should help in deciding what relationship (if any) applies to the two criteria. Maybe somebody can formulate a theory and start yet another poll to test it! 😃 =================== View Poll Results: Which popular TV shows have you not seen a single episode of? ```auto The Simpsons 11 3.93% M*A*S*H 23 8.21% Seinfeld 24 8.57% Star Trek (original series) 27 9.64% Cheers 30 10.71% Gilligan’s Island 31 11.07% Monty Python’s Flying Circus 41 14.64% Star Trek: The Next Generation 48 17.14% The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 50 17.86% The Golden Girls 50 17.86% Whose Line is it Anyway? 54 19.29% Futurama 57 20.36% Family Guy 59 21.07% All in the Family 63 22.50% NOVA 67 23.93% WKRP in Cincinnati 69 24.64% The Dick Van Dyke Show 76 27.14% House 78 27.86% [ERROR - DISREGARD] 80 28.57% The Bob Newhart Show (Chicago psychologist) 83 29.64% Barney Miller 87 31.07% ER 93 33.21% Fawlty Towers 98 35.00% Northern Exposure 107 38.21% NewsRadio 108 38.57% My Name is Earl 115 41.07% Firefly 122 43.57% Buffy the Vampire Slayer 124 44.29% Lost 132 47.14% The Sopranos 133 47.50% Arrested Development 136 48.57% NCIS 139 49.64% Twin Peaks 139 49.64% The West Wing 150 53.57% Doctor Who (2005) 152 54.29% Battlestar Galactica (2004) 154 55.00% Good Eats 159 56.79% Mad Men 161 57.50% The Office (UK) 165 58.93% Six Feet Under 170 60.71% The Avengers 178 63.57% Angel 181 64.64% Band of Brothers 183 65.36% Breaking Bad 186 66.43% Deadwood 188 67.14% Rome 204 72.86% I Claudius 205 73.21% The Wire 206 73.57% Freeks & Geeks 216 77.14% Carnivale 223 79.64% The Shield 223 79.64% Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 280 ``` ========================================= [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12688537&postcount=51](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12688537&postcount=51) View Poll Results: Your Top Five Most Preferred TV Shows (Final Poll) ```auto The Simpsons 78 27.86% Firefly 60 21.43% Buffy 55 19.64% Seinfeld 54 19.29% The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 50 17.86% Arrested Development 47 16.79% Futurama 45 16.07% The Wire 39 13.93% Battlestar Galactica 37 13.21% House 35 12.50% Jeopardy! 34 12.14% Mythbusters 34 12.14% M*A*S*H 33 11.79% The Twilight Zone 33 11.79% Dexter 32 11.43% The Sopranos 32 11.43% South Park 31 11.07% The West Wing 30 10.71% Doctor Who 30 10.71% Monty Python's Flying Circus 30 10.71% Deadwood 29 10.36% The X-Files 28 10.00% Lost 26 9.29% Big Bang Theory 25 8.93% Star Trek: TNG 23 8.21% Fawlty Towers 22 7.86% The Office (USA) 21 7.50% All In The Family 20 7.14% Mystery Science Theater 3000 20 7.14% Frasier 19 6.79% The Muppet Show 19 6.79% NOVA 19 6.79% Star Trek Deep Space Nine 19 6.79% Star Trek: TOS 19 6.79% 30 Rock 19 6.79% Roseanne 18 6.43% Band of Brothers 17 6.07% Friends 17 6.07% WKRP In Cincinnati 17 6.07% Dick Van Dyke Show 16 5.71% Carol Burnett Show 15 5.36% Cheers 15 5.36% Barney Miller 14 5.00% Get Smart 11 3.93% Northern Exposure 11 3.93% The Office (Original -- UK) 11 3.93% Red Dwarf 10 3.57% King of the Hill 9 3.21% Taxi 8 2.86% The Bob Newhart Show 7 2.50% Bob Newhart (the first one) 6 2.14% Night Court 6 2.14% 3rd Rock from the Sun 6 2.14% Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 280 ``` ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/45 "2012-06-04T16:36:49Z")
If you could see my specific response it would be clear that I stopped watching TV around 1991 or so. Almost completely. I have seen episodes of Futurama on Netflix because of my 12 year old. But that might be it since then. Honestly, even the highly though of ones seem weakly written (at least by my standards) and I always hated being locked in to having to watch on specific times and dates. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/46 "2012-06-04T16:50:50Z")
Here’s my list. I think the more interesting thing is the number of “popular” TV shows that I have not even heard of. I’ve put those in italics: \*\*\*Angel \*\*\* Arrested Development \*\*\*The Avengers \*\*\* Band of Brothers Breaking Bad Buffy the Vampire Slayer \*\*\*Carnivale \*\*\* Doctor Who (2005) \*\*\*Fawlty Towers \*\*\* \*\*\*Firefly Freeks & Geeks \*\*\* Good Eats House I Claudius Lost Mad Men My Name is Earl NCIS \*\*\*NewsRadio \*\*\* NOVA The Office (UK) Rome \*\*\*The Shield \*\*\* The Wire ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/47 "2012-06-04T17:01:41Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > I checked off 26 boxes. If anyone cares: \ And, of course, I list 27 shows. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/48 "2012-06-04T17:32:01Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > I wonder if you could find a show that every Doper has seen? My bet would be on _I Love Lucy_. I’ve seen clips, but if I’ve ever watched a whole episode from start to finish, it was long enough ago that I don’t remember it. I doubt there is a show that every Doper has seen. If I had to guess one, I’d guess that all of us have seen at least one Bugs Bunny cartoon, but that doesn’t really count as an episode of a TV show. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/49 "2012-06-04T17:40:29Z")
I don’t have any premium cable stations, so any shows that were on Showtime or HBO I’m unlikely to have seen (Rome, Sopranos, etc). Also I haven’t watched nearly as much TV since my kids were infants, so I’m less likely to have seen shows less than five years old. What have I become ??!! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/50 "2012-06-04T17:47:02Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I doubt there is a show that every Doper has seen. If I had to guess one, I’d guess that all of us have seen at least one Bugs Bunny cartoon, but that doesn’t really count as an episode of a TV show. Hmmmmmmm. Rocky and Bullwinkle? Johnny Quest? The Flintstones? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/51 "2012-06-04T17:58:04Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Hmmmmmmm. Rocky and Bullwinkle? Johnny Quest? The Flintstones? :dubious: Speaking as a non-US doper: yup, never even heard of, and yup! ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/52 "2012-06-04T20:20:16Z")
Easier to list the ones I HAVE seen: Arrested Development, Daily Show, Family Guy, Futurama, House, I Cladius (assume you mean the 1976 version?), NewsRadio, Seinfeld, Simpsons, Star Trek and TNG, West Wing, and Whose Line. I’ll probably watch Firefly, Battlestar Galactica and Breaking Bad someday, but haven’t gotten around to 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/53 "2012-06-04T20:23:59Z")
Zero vampires. Almost zero sci fi, _Trek_ excluded. Very little narrative comedy. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/54 "2012-06-04T20:28:53Z")
> [@magnusblitz](#): > > Easier to list the ones I HAVE seen: Arrested Development, Daily Show, Family Guy, Futurama, House,\*\* I Cladius (assume you mean the 1976 version?)\*\*, NewsRadio, Seinfeld, Simpsons, Star Trek and TNG, West Wing, and Whose Line. Just out of curiosity, did you see it in the UK? I did, and I can tell you it was considerably bowdlerized when it was aired in the States. Also, I wish people would start differentiating between the comic book Avengers and the classic TV series: [The Avengers Forever: Table of Contents](http://theavengers.tv/forever/guide.htm). I’m afraid of getting involved in a conversation thinking that we’re discussing the latter when in fact we’re not. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/55 "2012-06-05T08:46:56Z")
The ones people would probably be surprised I haven’t seen are all modern and action heavy. They use too much revolving camera for me. And I missed checking The Shield. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/56 "2012-06-06T03:08:37Z")
Am I the only person who has never watched an episode of _Friends_? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880/57 "2012-06-06T03:18:54Z")
> [@Rico](#): > > Am I the only person who has never watched an episode of _Friends_? ::raises hand:: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-popular-tv-shows-have-you-not-seen-a-single-episode-of/623880.md?page=2)