POLL: the most overrated tv show (cancelled/not airing)

[Nylan]

Firefly's wild West theme was really overdone. They did everything they could to beat you over the head with it.

They made the Serenity feel like a real ship, so there was more sailor speak than anything.

Also, I didn't think the show's plot was that coherent. It would introduce a villian, and then promptly ignore him/her for the rest of the show (I remember one or two repeats). Also, what were with the Reavers? They really didn't incorporate the plot elements all that well--the only theme that was developed episode-to-episode was that crazy girl's character and the doctor. Who knows, maybe with another few seasons it would have come together...

To be fair, the show was kinda shafted on that end.

Oh, and I would have appreciated subtitles when the characters were speaking Mandarin.

I think that was the point.

 

[Annex]

You know I used to really like seinfeld, but I am really tired of the reruns always being on. Why can't they just put some of the bad shows that didn't make it in those time slots?

Because unlike you and me there are people out there who have not seen every episode!

 

[Antilogic]

They made the Serenity feel like a real ship, so there was more sailor speak than anything.

They also had those goofy fights where Mal would stand out in the opening firing like an old school gunslinger. I still can't believe he was never shot in the head.

 

[scherbchen]

They also had those goofy fights where Mal would stand out in the opening firing like an old school gunslinger. I still can't believe he was never shot in the head.

I assume everyone here has seen/heard of the series in question, spoiler alert anyhoo. one of the reasons I adore Whedon is

Spoiler :

that with Whedon you always know that your favourite character is not safe. when they die you really care, well, if you cared about them in the first place. works on me like a charm. Buffy's mom, Tara, Wash, Wesley, even Lindsey... all powerful and touching deaths, sometimes as random as life just is. only the shepherd left me in a kind of a "meh" mood.

 

[Irish Caesar]

my guess would be Jennifer Aniston's hair... but I liked the show so what do I know.

I liked the rest of her, too.

 

[scherbchen]

I liked the rest of her, too.

and I wholeheartedly concur

also she and Courtney Cox just had great exchanges and comedic timing in my book, throw in Matthew Perry and I can see why it was as highly rated as it was (some say overrated. it was superb for many of my generation as far as quality goes). it was a funny (gasp! they can do that?) sitcom that did not go by the traditional rules. additional bonus: no child actors! well, one. so it didn't break all the rules.... sue me.

 

[general_kill]

Arrested development wasn't THAT great.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

I voted Friends but the real culprit is Lost. That show is so overrated it's truly insane.

 

[holy king]

what the hell is firefly?

 

[Cutlass]

what the hell is firefly?

A short lived science fiction tv show on Fox. Was produced by Joss Whedon, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. Was a big hit with Joss fans, but didn't find a big audience, But then Joss stuff doesn't appeal to a really wide audience. It has a smallish, but typically very loyal audience. Things that are smart and clever don't tend to do well on US network tv.

 

[scherbchen]

A short lived science fiction tv show on Fox. Was produced by Joss Whedon, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. Was a big hit with Joss fans, but didn't find a big audience, But then Joss stuff doesn't appeal to a really wide audience. It has a smallish, but typically very loyal audience. Things that are smart and clever don't tend to do well on US network tv.

well the timeslot and the tampering by the network didn't help either. I'd urge our Austrian friend to check out the first two episodes. either you love it or you don't like it.

 

[holy king]

if it's any worse than the sopranos i fear i wont like it that much.
but those morons spoiled tv for me forever anyway with their ridiculous standards.

 

[Cutlass]

if it's any worse than the sopranos i fear i wont like it that much.
but those morons spoiled tv for me forever anyway with their ridiculous standards.

Like anything in the arts, it's a matter of taste. It's nothing like Sopranos. So you really have no idea if you'll like it without taking a look.

 

[holy king]

i guess it isnt anthing like it.
it's just the standards that didnt even let me enjoy rome that much.

 

[warpus]

A short lived science fiction tv show on Fox. Was produced by Joss Whedon, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. Was a big hit with Joss fans, but didn't find a big audience, But then Joss stuff doesn't appeal to a really wide audience. It has a smallish, but typically very loyal audience. Things that are smart and clever don't tend to do well on US network tv.

Well, the main reason it didn't find an audience was because Fox decided to mix things up and show the episodes in a strange order.

They didn't show the pilot first, for instance... so if you wanted to get into the show, you'd get confused by the strange progression of events going from episode to episode.

 

[Cutlass]

Well, the main reason it didn't find an audience was because Fox decided to mix things up and show the episodes in a strange order.

They didn't show the pilot first, for instance... so if you wanted to get into the show, you'd get confused by the strange progression of events going from episode to episode.

I know. And that certainly made things worse. But it would have had a fairly small audience in any case.

 

[warpus]

I know. And that certainly made things worse. But it would have had a fairly small audience in any case.

I think it would have survived if they marketed it right and didn't do stupid stuff like show the episodes out of order.

 

[Cutlass]

I think it would have survived if they marketed it right and didn't do stupid stuff like show the episodes out of order.

Maybe on the WB, but not on Fox. Fox needed better ratings. On the SciFi channel it could have probably done pretty well. Or syndication. But Fox at the time needed over 5 million viewers. Maybe over 6 million. Fox in those days had no patience for anything less. I don't think it was very likely to work even if Fox hadn't screwed up the schedule.

 

[warpus]

Firefly is selling TONS of DVDs.. There is an audience out there for this stuff - it just can't be marketed to by people who don't know what they're doing.

 

[scherbchen]

meh, the early demise only serves to show the brilliance of the few episodes we did get to see (and I agree that it is therefore liable to be overhyped). me, personally, believe it was Joss at his best, turning network demands for characters around into assets. maybe two shows were lacking, the rest were clearly way above the fold, sometimes you only get it with a second viewing (again: possibilty for overhypage).

simply tv at its best. I know that this fanboyism can be a deterrent to many, I face it as well. yet there is a reason why so many people love this (half of a) show. I give it the scherbchen seal of approval.

PS: don't be discouraged by this, holy king. my taste for music does not interfere with my desire for quality moving pictures entertainment.