I have to admit, there are times when I can be a snob when it comes to a new TV show. The fact that a show is getting rave reviews and millions of people are tuning in each week often only adds to my disdain. With the dumbfounding success of reality shows that do little more than exploit its stars or contestants, and procedural dramas that rely more on special effects than creative storylines and compelling characters, I don’t exactly have a ton of faith in the American public as far as entertainment goes.
However, my TV snobbery often comes around to bite me in the rear, as it were, and many a show that I deemed unworthy of my attention at first glance has turned out to be one of my favorites, once I gave it a chance. Here are a few of the shows that have proven me oh, so wrong.
Alias
Watching a commercial for Alias, I just didn’t get the appeal. I couldn’t fathom how Jennifer Garner running around in various costumes and wigs could carry a show. Little did I know, there was a lot more going on in the world of Sydney Bristow. I first watched a full episode during the third season and soon became captivated by the complex mythology that was created for this show.
I do admit that I agree with Keith that, now that it’s gone, I don’t miss it so much. But at the time I was catching up with it, I watched so many episodes back-to-back I’m surprised my butt didn’t become permanently conjoined to my couch.
Scrubs
How is it possible that one of the funniest shows of the decade seemed so unfunny to me? Well chances are, if you’re flipping through the channels and land in the middle of an episode of Scrubs and you’ve never seen it before, it might not look so hilarious. The show can go very quickly from zany to serious with lots of in-between moments, and watching a snippet here or there out of context just doesn’t do it justice.
In the end, it was the Janitor’s never-ending plots to make JD’s life miserable and Dr. Cox’s constant stream of girl names for him that won me over. After a lackluster seventh season and a move from NBC to ABC, let’s hope that Scrubs brings back the magic of earlier seasons and goes out on a high note.
Gilmore Girls
This WB (and later, CW) show took a while to grow on me. My sister loved it, but when I sat down to watch an episode with her, the fast-paced dialogue left me mentally exhausted. I gave it a few more tries though, and before long, other shows seemed to drag in comparison. The writing was clever and infused with the pop-culture references I love, and the characters were heartfelt and real without being cheesy.
My only complaint would be that TPTB had the nerve to cast Sherilynn Fenn as two different characters, first as the girlfriend of Jess’s dad and then as the mother of Luke’s daughter. It was an unnecessary bit of incontinuity, but a forgivable one that is completely made up for by seven seasons of great entertainment.
Lost
Yes, that’s right. Lost. For this one I can only say that I was completely clueless. I didn’t know anything about this show, except that it was about a plane crash on an island somewhere and something about a mystery. I must’ve been under a rock somewhere because I didn’t even know it was created by J.J. Abrams, just that it starred Matthew Fox and Merry from Lord of the Rings.
Lucky for me, the first episode I happened to stumble upon was a doozie: not long after I tuned in, I watched as a polar bear ran out of the jungle at the survivors, shot to death in the nick of time by Sawyer, and realized this was not just some dramatized version of Gilligan’s Island. Needless to say, it became THE show for me and I haven’t missed an episode since.
Supernatural
As much as I enjoyed Jared Padalecki on Gilmore Girls, it wasn’t enough for me to immediately give Supernatural a chance to win my affection. Even the first couple of episodes I did watch weren’t that amazing to me at first. Two brothers driving around to find demons to kill and then having a heart-to-heart at the end, it was all a little hokey for me. Eventually, it started to dawn on me that there was a lot more to Supernatural than procedural ghost-busting. Chemistry like Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki have (and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, when we are so fortunate to have him appear), is not seen every day on the TV landscape. When they laugh, you laugh with them and when they cry, well, you’re reaching for tissues.
More than anything, I hate when it seems like writers are making up the story as they go along. With Supernatural, there is a clear and definite story arc, and each season is a solid progression toward a long-planned ending that will take place at the end of season five, when I will likely stop watching TV for good, such will be my dismay. Dare I say it? I think that up to now, season four has been so amazing, it may even be better than Lost, which is an incredible feat and I am now ducking my head to avoid the objects sure to be chucked at it.
So, see? Sometimes you can’t judge a book by it’s cover TV show by its commercials. Or what network it’s on. Why not do yourself a favor and watch something new tonight? After all, ’tis the season of repeats.
Clacked by Cate Cropp
on Dec 24, 2008 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
Yes, supernatural es THE best show out there. Can say anything more :)
i agree with all but scrubs. its funny but most of the time its just background noise. all the other shows i’m glued to the tv when i watch, especially supernatural & lost!
Yep, this has been the best season so far for “Supernatural.” Love that show and you can tell the actors really do like each other. Best, most overlooked and under-rated show on TV!
Supernatural’s Quality-O-Meter has been stuck above 8 for a very long time. It’s brilliant.
Have to totally agree with Scrubs and Supernatural, especially Supernatural.
When I first heard about Supernatural I was reluctant to give it a try, it was a WB show, and I kind of thought it would just be another teen show, like the O.C. with ghosts or something. But about halfway through the first season, I managed to see the pilot when it was repeated during the winter hiatus and I was intrigued. I was impressed by the quality and feel of the show (the desaturated cinematography, the classic rock soundtrack) not to mention the great acting both from the principle actors and the guest stars. It was clear that whoever was running the show (I didn’t know the name Eric Kripke at the time) was taking great care with it, putting a lot of thought into every detail. You don’t find that kind of craftsmanship on TV very much. The show continues to be extremely superior in quality, despite the budget constraints that the CW, currently obsessed with crappy rich kid soap operas like Gossip Girl and 90210, has placed on it.
Too bad that Gilmore Girls only had a few seasons before the show became an awful mess.
Yaaaay Scrubs! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEe