TV: Shows that take themselves too seriously

[reckoning]

First one that came to mind for me was Survivor. We talk about it quite often in the dedicated Survivor threads, but the way production and host Jeff Probst specifically take the show has become grating... They speak like it's some Utopia of competition reality TV shows that will change the world with its very existence. Every year now they focus so much on how incredible and life-changing this experience is.

I've gotten into watching Survivor the last few seasons, and I enjoy it, but I feel like gagging everytime Probst refers to it as this grand "social experiment". Please, it's just something light and easy for people to watch when they're in the mood for something light and easy. Nothing more.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I've gotten into watching Survivor the last few seasons, and I enjoy it, but I feel like gagging everytime Probst refers to it as this grand "social experiment". Please, it's just something light and easy for people to watch when they're in the mood for something light and easy. Nothing more.

The earlier seasons of Survivor (and especially Big Brother) were definitely worthy of the title of social experiment. Nowadays it’s pretty much played out. It’s full of game bots that want to play a perfect game and be all kumbaya.

I still watch every episode, but it’s a shell of its former self. Join us in the survivor threads if you haven’t before.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Yeah, personally, I find the "serious" thematic content in Breaking Bad pretty much impossible to take seriously. Even if it hypothetically tracks and has logical value (debateable), it's PAINFULLY obvious that it was never the priority that everything else in the show is truly in service of, in my opinion. Instead, it just comes across as an excuse to sound intelligent while they get to do their entertaining rollercoaster of thrills, shocks, cliffhangers, and "What bad-ass way will Walt use to get himself out of yet another impossible situation" formula over and over again, which is what it always feels like they're actually after. Any substance feels completely compromised by that superficial primary thrust, in my opinion.

Right on.

It seems to be – alongside The Sopranos, The Wire and Mad Men – part of that general consensus TV Mount Rushmore of the past 20+ years. But I've always viewed it as a step down from those other three for everything you lay out. It is without a doubt a fun, engaging, entertaining show ... but it's not particularly deep or meaningful despite the creators and critics treating it as such.

Nothing wrong with fun and entertaining. I love fun and entertaining. But stop acting like you're Dostoyevsky when you're much closer to James Patterson.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Right on.

It seems to be – alongside The Sopranos, The Wire and Mad Men – part of that general consensus TV Mount Rushmore of the past 20+ years. But I've always viewed it as a step down from those other three for everything you lay out. It is without a doubt a fun, engaging, entertaining show ... but it's not particularly deep or meaningful despite the creators and critics treating it as such.

Nothing wrong with fun and entertaining. I love fun and entertaining. But stop acting like you're Dostoyevsky when you're much closer to James Patterson.

Part of it too is that was the peak of AMC's "who needs movies when you have our shows" era and they really pushed the hell out of Breaking Bad as the flag bearer for that. They really tried to build it up as being on the level of Sopranos and tried (admirably IMO) to market themselves as being as good as HBO at pumping out elite TV shows.

So you ended up with a situation where everyone kept upping the ante of being up their own backside

 

[Ceremony]

End thread. End television while you're at it.

 

[Peasy]

Never got the Breaking Bad hype. Solid show, but it doesnt really come close to my top 5 shows of all time.

As others have said, its lacking that extra oomph to put it at that top tier. Always surprises me it has the highest ratings on imdb, there is definitely a rabid fanbase that is attached to that show. They got so offended that Succession landed a 10/10 episode on imdb for over a week that their stans all went and 1 star review bombed it so BB could have the only 10/10 episode still.

Its somehow the "best show" every year on r/television too when they do their year end voting. I just dont get it. A show like The Wire touches on so many aspects of life that remain prevalent today. It teaches you so much about life and what others go through, and how stacked the systems and world are against others. It was so far ahead of its time.

 

[SirPaste]

End thread. End television while you're at it.

lol absolutely this. One of the cringiest scenes of all time, that show sucked so hard.

 

[I am not exposed]

Breaking Bad is a great show, but it isn't top tier for me. Seasons 2 to 4 are brilliant.

I did find the last season a bit disappointing. Which is not unusual for most shows. I am surprised how much love the last season gets though. Gus Fring/cartel > Nazis.

 

[Shareefruck]

End thread. End television while you're at it.

I honestly wasn't aware this was a thing, but it's perfectly walking that special kind of "so bad it's good" line for me at the moment, where you just know that just as many people probably sincerely think it's a great scene.

 

[Primary Assist]

Never got the Breaking Bad hype. Solid show, but it doesnt really come close to my top 5 shows of all time.

As others have said, its lacking that extra oomph to put it at that top tier. Always surprises me it has the highest ratings on imdb, there is definitely a rabid fanbase that is attached to that show. They got so offended that Succession landed a 10/10 episode on imdb for over a week that their stans all went and 1 star review bombed it so BB could have the only 10/10 episode still.

Its somehow the "best show" every year on r/television too when they do their year end voting. I just dont get it. A show like The Wire touches on so many aspects of life that remain prevalent today. It teaches you so much about life and what others go through, and how stacked the systems and world are against others. It was so far ahead of its time.

Honestly I think it comes down to fan service. Breaking Bad has that killer combo of legitimate great writing (not in the same league as The Wire or Sopranos, but great), a handful of incredible performances, but mainly loads and loads of fan service. Plus it also came out at just the right time when IMDb was still relevant and there weren't as many competitors.

Other prestige shows don't have the same level of fan service (outside of some nudity on HBO programming that's only there for the viewers) and so they don't drum up that same level of fanboyism.

Which is why it's pretty remarkable that The Sopranos has such a robust meme culture around it. The show debuted before the Internet was really even all that popular, yet it still resonates with younger generations today. In many ways it's more of a parable than a TV show - something Breaking Bad can't really claim.

As for shows that take themselves too seriously? There's a whole genre of late 80s/early 90s sitcoms that fit the bill. They go from zany antics one minute to the perils of popping pills the next. If anything it sets a bad example! You mean I can pop whatever pills I want, and the canonical status quo resumes next time? Ibiza here I come! I am about to have a very special episode

 

[DaaaaB's]

The Newsroom and The Leftovers were the first two to come to mind but I still really enjoyed both shows. Lost and Battlestar Galactica are both pretty heavy handed at times but again I enjoyed both shows. I still consider Breaking Bad to be just outside my top ten but I also haven't rewatched an episode since it ended and I always thought it was overrated. So obviously I can still enjoy shows that have this aspect but they're all well behind the likes of The Wire, Sopranos, Deadwood, and Rome.

 

[Nakatomi]

I recall finding Breaking Bad overrated even during its original airing, though I enjoyed the community around it and getting together with friends to watch. Maybe I should give it a re-watch sometime and see how I feel it holds up. I expect I will be a tad disappointed, but who knows.

 

[the valiant effort]

Walter White: “Jesse! Jesseeeeeeeeee!”

Emmy voters: “by gawd he did it again.”

 

[Ceremony]

I honestly wasn't aware this was a thing, but it's perfectly walking that special kind of "so bad it's good" line for me at the moment, where you just know that just as many people probably sincerely think it's a great scene.

I have only ever seen that and the other clip I'm going to post below. I've never seen The West Wing either (I tried and lasted about five minutes). I get the impression that its creator and everyone who likes it is completely sincere and actually believe in it.



When I first saw this clip do the rounds on twitter I thought it couldn't be topped. Then I saw the Bin Laden one. I'm sure there are others but I don't have the stomach to try and watch them.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

The Newsroom and The Leftovers were the first two to come to mind but I still really enjoyed both shows.

Agree on both of these as well though funny enough I LOVE The Leftovers and I absolutely loathe The Newsroom.

So self-importance doesn't seem to be a disqualifying factor for me.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

End thread. End television while you're at it.

I've only seen clips of this show, but it always seemed so lame.

Watched this clip you posted and holy shit, that's some intensely cringe fart-sniffing lol.