Best and worst US shows of all time
Glenn A
Posts: 23,877 Forum Member
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My favourites:
The West Wing, gripping political drama starring Martin Sheen as the President and as good as House of Cards, has never been bettered.
New Adventures of Superman, nineties update which was as good as the films and carried on the
Lois and Superman love story, LL reinvented as some martial arts whizz which worked.
The A Team, you had to be a teenage boy in the eighties to get this, weekly mayhem and action fix for me.
Roots, classic story about slavery in America and its aftermath in the Deep South, one of the finest dramas to come out of America.
Starsky and Hutch, excellent buddy police show that made a singing star out of David Soul and its mixture of humour, car chases and crime fighting was great for the times.
The worst:
Harry and the Hendersons, probably would rate as the worst sitcom ever, annoying suburban family adopt a yeti, about as funny as flu.
Murder She Wrote, gentle crime drama aimed at old ladies, about as exciting as watching a whist drive.
Paris Hilton's Best Friend Forever, rubbish reality show where 12 deluded people think a z list celebrity will be their best friend( as if).
Diagnosis Murder, male version of Murder She Wrote starring an elderly Dick Van Dyke.
Dr Quinn Medicine Woman, Jane Seymour puts on a terrible American accent to play some 19th century doctor, cloying rubbish popular with ITV regions in daytime.
The West Wing, gripping political drama starring Martin Sheen as the President and as good as House of Cards, has never been bettered.
New Adventures of Superman, nineties update which was as good as the films and carried on the
Lois and Superman love story, LL reinvented as some martial arts whizz which worked.
The A Team, you had to be a teenage boy in the eighties to get this, weekly mayhem and action fix for me.
Roots, classic story about slavery in America and its aftermath in the Deep South, one of the finest dramas to come out of America.
Starsky and Hutch, excellent buddy police show that made a singing star out of David Soul and its mixture of humour, car chases and crime fighting was great for the times.
The worst:
Harry and the Hendersons, probably would rate as the worst sitcom ever, annoying suburban family adopt a yeti, about as funny as flu.
Murder She Wrote, gentle crime drama aimed at old ladies, about as exciting as watching a whist drive.
Paris Hilton's Best Friend Forever, rubbish reality show where 12 deluded people think a z list celebrity will be their best friend( as if).
Diagnosis Murder, male version of Murder She Wrote starring an elderly Dick Van Dyke.
Dr Quinn Medicine Woman, Jane Seymour puts on a terrible American accent to play some 19th century doctor, cloying rubbish popular with ITV regions in daytime.
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Comments
What was the need to point that out? He wasn't actually that old when he did that show. He was in his late 60's. Whether he was 90 or 100, his age should not needed to come in to it.
I respect you don't like the shows but can't help but feel there is snobbery with your views on Diagnosis Murder and Murder she wrote. The characters were of an older age but they were not aimed at old ladies. You could easily say the same with The Golden girls but that proved to be entirely false as people of all ages enjoyed it. I respect you do not like the shows. But to use age as an excuse for why, is a little offensive.
Dr Quinn wasn't just some rubbish to cloy up with ITV regions in daytime. It was popular and successful because a 19th century female doctor was considered a wrong occupation for a woman to do in that time. Jane seymour's accent was fine in the early seasons but i agree, her accent got worse as the show continued. Again, i respect your opinion, but even for something you dislike, you need an open mind to see why the show did well.
I personally didn't like House of cards, but i wouldn't label as one of the worst US shows because it isn't. It's well acted. It's fantastically written. But it just wasn't for me.
My views on Murder She Wrote and Dr Quinn were formed in my earlier days, they just weren't the shows people under 25 watched back in the day. Also for all Dr Quinn did quite well in America, it was considered schmaltzy and too sweet over here and surely an American could have taken the role. The press massacred it as it was a fairly leaden show and then French and Saunders buried it in a parody.
Anyway back to my good and bad.
Good: Star Trek, NCIS, Jericho, JFK, Dallas( first four series).
Bad: The Colbys, Nash Bridges, Thunder in Paradise, Manimal, American Idol.
You obviously haven't endured an episode of Melissa and Joey...absolutely dire. Not one lol moment, nay, not even one moderately humourous moment. It's absolutely Horrendous
comedy
friends
The goldbergs
2 and a half men
Drama/Sci fi
Lost
Breaking bad
Twin peaks
Worst
Joey
Flash forward
Harry and the Hendersons never raised one laugh from me in the three times I watched it.
OTOH the Americans have sent some good comedies across. Taxi, for all it was a bit surreal in places, was good, Happy Days was a well loved sitcom in the seventies that was repeated for years afterwards and The Golden Girls was excellent.
Frasier...I could watch it on a loop and still find something funny in each episode.
Apart from a mid season dip, it has remained for me, one of the most sublime shows ever. I never, ever tire of it.:)
Yes, quite good, also I found Sex and the City, very funny and very daring for an American sitcom. Friends I was bit meh about, sometimes it was funny, sometimes not.
Other US greats:
Dynasty, could only be made in America in the eighties and unashamedly OTT and not ashamed about glorifying wealth( even if the protaganists came a cropper).
Kojak, wisecracking New York detective in New York during its most crime ridden and rundown era, Telly Savalas was brilliant.
The Phil Silvers Show, still hilarious now with Phil Silvers in top form as the slippery and dishonest but likeable Sgt Ernie Bilko.
Cagney and Lacey, loving the re runs now on BBC Two, clever female buddy cop series again with a dirty and dangerous New York as a backdrop.
Dukes of Hazzard, yeee haaah cars and country music comedy drama set in Georgia, my favourite show in 1980.
OTOH a couple of stinkers:
The Colbys, Dynasty spin off where the cast were abducted by aliens and probably starred Hitler in a cameo( too stupid to watch).
Lace, TV version of notorious Shirley Conran bonkbuster, there was more sex in Coronation St( big let down when you're 16).
Hotel, tedious TV version of sixties film, only lasted one series.
Beauty and the beast - current remake - Poor acting and zero direction
Till Death - Poorly written despite two great leads
Rules of Engagement - Acting is too contrived and the writing is horrendous
Eastwick - A creative mess
Charlie's angels - remake - Campy and cringey
Buffy - Teenage and then adult metaphors morphed into supernatural occurences. Snappy writing. A great cast. Brilliant performances. Writing is always to the point. Was more than just a blonde girl staking vampires.
The X files - Creepy, ambigious, mind boggling, smart and one of the best television duo's of all time.
Sex and the city - Very much out there, bold, unapologetic, honest and four fabulous actresses in the roles
The Golden girls - Proved that despite age, your life doesn't slow down. The writing was real, raw, honest and just damn right hilarious. Another four fabulous actresses (three of which are no longer with us) in such great roles.
Breaking Bad
True Detective
Game of Thrones
The Walking Dead
Modern Family
The Middle
Fargo
Prison Break Season 1
Worst:
Hostages
Any half hour CBS Sitcom
Prison Break Seasons 2,3,4,Specials
Rubbish like Melissa and Joey and 2 Broke Girls are currently the worst US output I've had the misfortune to see, with Kenan and Kel being a massive culprit from the past.
Queer as Folk USA
Six Feet Under
Roswell (High)
Best Comedies:
Frasier
Third Rock from the Sun
Phyllis
There are probably loads more, but those come immediately to mind.
I've seen 2 Broke Girls and the sets are like something from a seventies daytime soap, it's really cheaply made and never goes out of the studio.
However, for all American humour doesn't always transfer well here, they have produced some excellent comedy like Soap and Sex and the City.
Also how about some of their kids shows, Scooby Doo, the cartoon version of Superman, Hong Kong Phooey and Batman must be right up there.
Columbo
Battlestar Galactica (the reimagined version)
Cheers
Mash
Twin Peaks
Band of Brothers
X Files
Worst
Mrs Columbo
Joey
Life on Mars
Best
Zorro - Goes downhill once Monastorio leaves but still great childish fun
MacGyver - Escapist, OTT but damn watchable and sometimes informative
Golden Girls - Production line of one liners but vitally interesting characters to say them
The Pretender - Until it got bogged down with The Island was good mystery and intrigue
Bad
Love Boat - Repeated ad nauseum at one time often paired with Fantasy Island. UGH.
Beverly Hillbillies - Okay for about 5 minutes then dire. The same plots every episode.
Diagnosis Murder - Predictable, sappy, the two Van Dykes couldn't act and nor could their naive young assistant.
NCIS - Ridiculous programme, shouldn't be more succesful than CSI/Law and Order
The Golden Girls was good, particularly the very old actress.
Best dramas: Breaking Bad, The Wire, Six Feet Under.
Best factual: The Civil War.
Not sure I want to do the worst. I've tried to erase certain things from my memory banks.
Lost, Breaking Bad, Pushing Daisies, The West Wing, The Newsroom, Dexter (early seasons), Prison Break (Seasons 1+2, Final Break), Big Bang Theory (less so now)
Worse
Friends (I know I am in the minority but the gags are signposted a mile off)
PJ
Also on my good US list, Planet of the Apes( sadly flopped in America but was big over here, good show), JFK( Sheen played JFK excellently in this), Kung Fu( clever TV cash in on the Bruce Lee boom, David Carradine was excellent as Kwai Chang Caine) and The X Files( brilliant sci fi and crime series and still respected now).
On the bad list, most miniseries derived from Jackie Collins novels that mercifully don't get made any more. With the sex removed, they seemed pointless.
Best:
- Friends
- Buffy
- Arrow
- Grimm
- The Middle
- Angel
- Teen Wolf
- Orange is the New Black
- Modern Family
- The Inbetweeners
- Game Of Thrones
Slowly making their way up to the 'best':
- Dexter (just finished S1 and if it sustains, it will be in the best column)
- The Goldbergs
Honourable Mention:
- Smallville
- Baby Daddy
Worst:
- Beauty and The Beast
- Flashforward (great premise, went nowhere for me)
- Joey (initially, it was OK, then it got worse and worse)
- Charlie's Angels (2011 version)
- The Inbetweeners USA (it was so painful).
Game of Thrones
The Newsroom
Arrow
Banshee
Fringe
24
Grimm
Married With Children
Roseanne
MASH
Battlestar Galactica (reboot)
House
Great for it's a day watching as a kid, but really terrible rewatching as an adult:
A Team
Knight Rider
Airwolf
Automan
Street Hawk
CHIPS
Worst:
Marvel Agents of Shield
Alcatraz
Dallas
Knots Landing
Dynasty
Glee
I admire how easily people sit through episodes of shows they don't like.
For example, it is not really right to choose as bad or worst a show which is deliberately fairly lowbrow and aimed at a daytime audience perhaps with children about.
And Friends as a 'best'? Really? Still, comedies depend upon whether they are funny for a particular viewer. I think that Seinfeld is funny, while my wife just doesn't get it. For example, she just said 'That is daft, how would they possibly know that the book had been read in the toilet?'. (For anyone who didn't see it, George tried to get money back from a shop that had cheated him, by stealing a book and then pretending he wanted his money back, but he had read it while in the loo so they refused. If that wasn't funny you'd better give up watching anything, in my view)
I'd like to see a category called 'Unsung wonders'. That is, things that went unnoticed but were good. Such as WKRP in Cincinnati.