TV shows most people love that you hate

[texaskdog]

Boomer execs ruined television.

Compare sitcoms.  60s & 70s & 80s had some great stuff.  Then we got the Friends wave.  Now pretty much every network sitcom is completely unfunny.

[In_Correct]

Boomer execs ruined television.

Compare sitcoms.  60s & 70s & 80s had some great stuff.  Then we got the Friends wave.  Now pretty much every network sitcom is completely unfunny.

Boomer Execs:

That is true. They have people behave on television much differently from real life. This also includes Reality Television. There are some things they need to update in television that occurred in the 1990s. I might be wrong but I am remembering earlier episodes of programmes such as Daria and The Secret World Of Alex Mack set in classrooms with marker boards. But later episodes they have chalk boards. I think some executive said "No. That is not what classrooms have. Change it immediately."

At the same time on the air was Murphy Brown. While that is set in a Newsroom, and not a classroom ... There is a marker board in it, visible in the center of the wall. Yes, it (and Frasier) is a rip off of Mary Tyler Moore (and The Bob Newhart Show) ... pretty much exaggerated versions of the respective sitcoms. And despite being in 1970, The WJM Newsroom also has a marker board, but it is located almost off stage to the right of the water and coffee machine.

Comparing Sitcoms:

That is also true. There were a few sitcoms set in New York City, but are completely different from Friends, etc.

In the 1960s and 1970s, they needed programmes to be funny. But now that Show Business is invincible, they do not need to care.

[roadman]

IRT was great because it just showed something interesting.  Then they had to make it a competition for a jacket.  Eventually it got down to a competition between rival companies.  So fake!

IRT was really good for the first four seasons because, although they focused on the "principal" drivers and managers, they occasionally would feature other drivers or people as well (this was one of my favorite things about the first season).  I stopped watching the show about midway through the initial season with the Polar/VP rivalry, because it was so obviously staged.  Although IRT did give us one of the lessons of life TV taught us, which is "Never go to work for Hughie Rowland." (one of the other notable TV life lessons is "Never invite Angela Lansbury to a party.")

[PHLBOS]

Law and order SVU now is lame. Mariska what's her name is another Pricilla Presley and both can't act.

Hargitay, aka Jane Mansfield's daughter.  She's now doing an Alan Alda and directs some of the current episodes as well.

Since it lost most of its original cast it lost what it originally had.

IIRC, Hargitay's the only one that's been on the show since it began.  Ice-T's Fin character first appeared in Season 2.

[Rothman]

Boomer execs ruined television.

Compare sitcoms.  60s & 70s & 80s had some great stuff.  Then we got the Friends wave.  Now pretty much every network sitcom is completely unfunny.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is hilarious.

[texaskdog]

Boomer execs ruined television.

Compare sitcoms.  60s & 70s & 80s had some great stuff.  Then we got the Friends wave.  Now pretty much every network sitcom is completely unfunny.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is hilarious.

watched it once I didn't find it funny at all, or modern family or new girl.  Big bang was great.  last man standing is okay.  Roseanne too.

[In_Correct]

Roseanne, The Big Bang Theory, and The Conners. Technically are very recent programmes but I like all of them. And they are similar enough to each other.

[Rothman]

Boomer execs ruined television.

Compare sitcoms.  60s & 70s & 80s had some great stuff.  Then we got the Friends wave.  Now pretty much every network sitcom is completely unfunny.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is hilarious.

watched it once I didn't find it funny at all, or modern family or new girl.  Big bang was great.  last man standing is okay.  Roseanne too.

You have no soul.

[US71]

Roseanne, Friends, Big Bang Theory

[kphoger]

Roseanne, The Big Bang Theory, and The Conners. Technically are very recent programmes but I like all of them. And they are similar enough to each other.

How does this fit the topic of conversation?

[texaskdog]

Boomer execs ruined television.

Compare sitcoms.  60s & 70s & 80s had some great stuff.  Then we got the Friends wave.  Now pretty much every network sitcom is completely unfunny.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is hilarious.

watched it once I didn't find it funny at all, or modern family or new girl.  Big bang was great.  last man standing is okay.  Roseanne too.

You have no soul.

Andy Griffith had a laugh track.  If it was good enough for him...

[roadman65]

I never got into the Friends thing.  But many people like it!  Saved by the Bell is another one that people loved and to me I could not get into it.

[roadman]

When it comes to cartoons, I could never get why so many people think Scooby Doo is so great.  Sure, the first season of the original series had some merit because it was new and unique, as well as a radical departure from most of the more 'traditional' Hanna-Barbera cartoons of the time (Johnny Quest being the notable exception).  But IMO it wore out pretty quickly and has become just another example of milking a tired franchise - and IMO - the beginning of the decline of H-B.

[jeffandnicole]

I never really watched Friends.  I never watched Seinfield...until it was in reruns.  I never watched Big Bang Theory for several years. I never watched Modern Family for several years.  Ridiculousness & PD Live - Same thing.

This is a running theme for me.  Many times, I only start watching a show because my wife watches it every week, then I become addicted. 

9*1*1 - The show on Fox, I can't stand.  Most of their scenarios are incredibly unbelievable.   If you're with a fire department where the entire fire team applauds because you hooked up a hose to a fire hydrant to get water flowing, I would want you all to sit down, get out of the way, and don't destroy my house any more than it already is.

[In_Correct]

When it comes to cartoons, I could never get why so many people think Scooby Doo is so great.  Sure, the first season of the original series had some merit because it was new and unique, as well as a radical departure from most of the more 'traditional' Hanna-Barbera cartoons of the time (Johnny Quest being the notable exception).  But IMO it wore out pretty quickly and has become just another example of milking a tired franchise - and IMO - the beginning of the decline of H-B.

I do not like Scooby-Doo Where Are You? ... it looked tired and kinda cheap. The song even more annoying. The instrumental theme is just fine. They improved a little with The New Scooby-Doo Movies, and again another new theme song. My favourite was The Scooby-Doo Show. But when they added Scrappy-Dappy-Doo was bad and the other two characters disappeared (without even a mention of where they went or how Shaggy ended up with Daphne's red R.V. also)

I used to watch A Pup Named Scooby Doo.

I am a fan of the four anime style movies of the 1990s, especially Scooby-Doo And The Witch's Ghost. But after that the movies aren't the same any more. The last one that I watched regularly is What's New Scooby-Doo, which I find is the most outdated one ever made. The only other one made after that I am familiar with is Scooby-Doo, Mystery Incorporated.

The first Live Action cinema is great. The other one(s) not so much.

If Scooby-Doo is not good (or bad) enough for you, there is also Dyno-Mutt Dog Wonder. And of course any thing that Joe Ruby And Ken Spears made by them selves is going to have a dog at least in one episode of their programmes. Even though the music is usually Dean Elliott, they are annoying.

And a few years before Scooby-Doo, they have Astro from The Jetsons. He is also in his own mini series Space Ace, Astro, And The Space Mutts or just Astro And The Space Mutts (from Space Stars, not Saturday Supercade)

Also I am going to bust two myths about The Jetsons: They have brown skin characters in some of the episodes, some of them with speaking roles. Laser Jack and Skata Hara. (and Moleculad if you count Teen Force / Space Stars)

And yes you can see The Ground in like every other episode.

And since Hanna-Barbera is brought up I did not really like The Flintstones. They have been around as often as Scooby-Doo. On top of that they have famous cereals.

Some of the issues I just can not watch are the inconsistencies. The cars that they have are not the same. I think The Flintstones have an Orange car. The Rubbles have a Fuschia car and also a Blue car. The Blue car has no roof. And of course there is the Red car that Fred drives, but this car conveniently has no back seat some times and other times has a back seat. Perhaps these are two different cars. And the other cars I mentioned were around for like only one episode. Most episodes Barney and Betty have no car, and a lot of times have no job.

It is interesting that the opening and closing segments change a few times. My favourite is the first one, but they changed it in the middle of season 3 be cause of Looney Tunes "On With The Show This Is It".

Their houses are never the same. Fred has two bosses, a Mister Slate resembling Mister Spaceley. A Mister Rockhead, the tall bald guy with glasses. And then Mister Rockhead is renamed Mister Slate?!

Barney's Voice.

Some of the episodes (such as the Guest Star episodes with "Stoney Curtis" and "Ann Margrock") are higher quality.

Also, these numerous goofs stopped during The Pebbles And Bamm Bamm Show and The Flintstone Comedy Show, which deserve more appreciation. Only The Flintstones of the 1960s have been rebroadcast endlessly.

It is fun when Fred looses his temper, but other things such as all the various animals running the machines with perfection gets on my nerves ... and again, that goes back to the inconsistencies. How many "Vacuum Cleaners" does Wilma go through??

I guess I will keep going with Hanna-Barbera. ...

They had many usually low quality programmes in the 1960s ... the predecessors to Yogi's Gang and a few cinemas. My favourite "Yogi's Gang" cinema is Hey There, It's Yogi Bear.

[roadman]

@In-Correct  All valid points about H-B cartoons, and I generally agree with you.  However, the reason I singled out Scooby Doo is because, when discussions about favorite H-B cartoons come up, inevitably the majority of people identify Scooby Doo or the later spinoffs (like the dreadful "Scooby Doo and the gang meet a different guest star every week" series) as their all time favorite.

FWIW, with the exception of the original Yogi's Ark Lark special (as opposed to the later Yogi's Gang series), I never cared for any of the later "updates" of the 1960s 'classic' Hanna-Barbera cartoons.  I liked the original Yogi's Ark Lark because it was a neat reunion of most of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera characters that established H-B as a force in TV animation.

[Paulinator66]

Any reality show. . .because they aren't real.

[roadman]

Any reality show. . .because they aren't real.

My friends and I knew a couple of people who were absolutely fascinated by Survivor for the first two or three seasons.  Occasionally after a new episode aired, we'd say to them "So, how was Gilligan's Island last night?"

[kphoger]

Any reality show. . .because they aren't real.

A few weeks ago, a friend of ours educated us about House Hunters.

[In_Correct]

@In-Correct  All valid points about H-B cartoons, and I generally agree with you.  However, the reason I singled out Scooby Doo is because, when discussions about favorite H-B cartoons come up, inevitably the majority of people identify Scooby Doo or the later spinoffs (like the dreadful "Scooby Doo and the gang meet a different guest star every week" series) as their all time favorite.

FWIW, with the exception of the original Yogi's Ark Lark special (as opposed to the later Yogi's Gang series), I never cared for any of the later "updates" of the 1960s 'classic' Hanna-Barbera cartoons.  I liked the original Yogi's Ark Lark because it was a neat reunion of most of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera characters that established H-B as a force in TV animation.

Continuing with Hanna - Barbera ...

They created Tom & Jerry (half the time with Fred Quimby) which is a very high quality cinema programme. However, I do not like when they forget every body in the credits which Hanna - Barbera's Tom and Jerry did for a long time. (until The Tom And Jerry Show) ... Believe It Or Not my favourite character is Mammy Two Shoes. No body else will agree but I think she was not a stereotype. (The Black Faces And Red Bows appearing during mud splashed from a car, how ever ... is ) and the actress Lillian Randolph was probably treated worse (paid less, if paid any thing) than Mammy Two Shoes. I mean there were times when she got so fed up with Tom & Jerry fighting that she threw both of them out of the house.

Randolph was uncredited, but so was every body else.

... When Chuck Jones took over for 5 years, there were many more credits. Several cards filled with names.

And this apparent lack of credits is why I did not warm up to any of the early 1960s Hanna - Barbera shorts on Television.

When Cartoon Network was launched, they reinvented the wheel with all of these "new" programmes. They removed all the credits to every thing. This also includes Bird Man, The Herculoids, Space Stars, Saturday Supercade's Space Ace (both Saturday Supercade's Space Ace and Space Stars' Space Ace, Astro, And The Space Mutts packaged together on the same programme "Super Adventures") and none of them with credits either. The Pebbles And Bamm Bamm Show, The New Fred And Barney Show, The Flintstones Comedy Show are now known as "Back To Bedrock" and again some thing else now has no credits.

I was shocked to see all of these programmes and then some unedited for the first time.

Also going to bring up Filmation now ... be cause they also did Tom And Jerry ...

I used to like any thing Filmation, Spock Trek The Animated Series, but just as what happened to Hanna Barbera's Josie And The Pussy Cats' Valerie ... brown eye balls ... Interesting Filmation stopped doing that with Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids, and also The Fat Albert Halloween Special ... and BraveStarr are the only programmes I still watch.

Be cause Filmation used numerous times the same sound effects over and over again ... even on different programmes. The same screeching monster sounds over and over again with the production staff just pushing the button every second.

As for The Tom And Jerry Comedy Show ... Much better than Rembrant (William L. Snyder and Gene Deitch) with an attempt to stay faithful to classic Tom & Jerry ... Too faithful ... be cause they kept playing the same synthesized instrumental "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree With Any One Else But Me." over and over again.

If I did not type it earlier, I am a fan of Dean Elliott, so bad music is another reason why I do not like Filmation so much.

Taking it back to Hanna - Barbera lol be cause they did Tom and Jerry Kids, an era of different "kids" shows. Just retire all ready.

And then they did The Tom And Jerry Movie, which they spoke and sung show tunes fluently, retconning all the times that they mumbled, talked, and even sang previously. This movie seems to be based on The Tom And Jerry Show.

Any reality show. . .because they aren't real.

A few weeks ago, a friend of ours educated us about House Hunters.

It has not been the same for years. At least not for me. Ever since they changed the theme music to electric guitar (Devine Design also) I stopped watching them.

[roadman]

The "next generation" concept was applied to several classic cartoon characters in the 1990s.  Most notable of these was Steven Spielberg's Tiny Toon Adventures, which many have described as "Looney Tunes for the MTV Generation."

Filmation was never involved Had forgotten that Filmation was involved with Tom and Jerry at one point.  You're Was thinking of the Gene Dietch era cartoons, which were animated by a Russian company.

[hbelkins]

the beginning of the decline of H-B.

I think it started when I graduated from high school and picked an unprofitable college major. It's been downhill ever since for 40+ years.

[kphoger]

the beginning of the decline of H-B.

I think it started when I ...

They weren't talking about the decline of you, HB.   

[renegade]

the beginning of the decline of H-B.

I think it started when I ...

They weren't talking about the decline of you, HB.   

... but bonus points for that, all the same ... 

[In_Correct]

The "next generation" concept was applied to several classic cartoon characters in the 1990s.  Most notable of these was Steven Spielberg's Tiny Toon Adventures, which many have described as "Looney Tunes for the MTV Generation."

Filmation was never involved with Tom and Jerry.  You're thinking of the Gene Dietch era cartoons, which were animated by a Russian company.

What Do You Mean?!

In the 1960s they adapted theatrical Tom & Jerry for television, heavily censored.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9haRrw35gI0

In the 1970s (1975) they switched completely to television with Hanna - Barbera producing The Tom & Jerry Show. (This is completely different from the 2014 programme.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27JIbZ6E-BA

In the 1980s (1980) Filmation produced The Tom & Jerry Comedy Show. A Tom & Jerry Kids opening segment (After Season One) is based off of the opening segment from Filmation. Both are building a very large sign with the mice causing every body to crash in to each other. The Tom & Jerry Comedy Show opening has everybody trying to paint a bill board. Tom & Jerry Kids opening has them using cranes to construct the sign.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWCrzb7qMHY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLavsYfgut4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzYajnd0njo