(or Top 5 Show I Like that Everyone Else Seems to Hate)
They
are called guilty pleasures, those programs and movies which we
shouldn’t like but do. For example, I love watching Independence Day
even though that is generally considered a lousy movie. This applies to
TV shows also. I have no problem admitting I like Seinfeld, for example,
I mean who wouldn’t? However, there are some shows which I am afraid to
admit I like. Because they’re supposed to be bad and others hate them,
but I love them anyway. By the way, I already talked about Full House
and this show is not on here because I am not ashamed to admit I like
that. It was wholesome escapism.
#5.
Star Trek Voyager. I’m just gonna admit it, I loved this show. I loved
Kate Mulgrew as Captain Janeway. I loved Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine. I
even liked Robert Picardo as the occasionally annoying holographic
doctor. The stories were good
and the action satisfying. Not to say every episode was gold of course,
especially that ridiculous “Threshold” which was so bad the writer
himself apologized for it. The casting also wasn’t perfect. Garrett Wang
is a fine actor but he never fit into this show very well in my
opinion. If you’re wondering why I am afraid to admit I like this show,
here is the reason. I loved the series finale. I thought it was well
done, and a fitting end to the series. There, I said it!
#4.
Fear Factor. I am not a big reality fan; I love the old fashioned three
camera sitcoms which apparently are fading into history. I don’t care
for Surivior, American Idol, or any of them. This is the exception. My
now ex-wife actually got me into this show, and it was strangely
compelling. It was gross, sure, but watching people eat gross things and
be covered with bugs was, oddly, entertaining. One thing the show had
was a good host; Joe Rogan did a very good job of not being too serious.
They had theme shows and celebrity episodes, and it was just good fun.
#3.
Small Wonder. Ah, this little gem from the 80’s about the robot girl.
It was so cornball that it made Full House seems smart and
sophisticated. I have no idea why anyone would watch this, and yet it
was on for a few years. Maybe it was because Tiffany Brissette was
charming, or maybe…nah, she was the reason. She literally made the show
watchable, by being charming without being silly. The stories were ok
and the show even had a pair of classic annoying neighbors including
Eddie McClurg who would go on to be a less annoying neighbor on a much
better show. It’s the kind of show you won’t admit you like until
someone else mentions it. Corny, lame, and I loved it.
#2.
The Flash. Does anyone even remember this one? In 1990-1991, CBS
created a show about the DC Comics character The Flash. Starring John
Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen and with Amanda Pays, this show only lasted a
year. One big reason was that the genius minds at CBS put it on right
opposite NBC’s Thursday night lineup. In those days, that was recipe for
disaster. However, I think the show was pretty well done. They made the
characters real people, which was rare for a super hero show then and
done better later on with “Lois & Clark”. For example, they took
Captain Cold who is a silly comic book character and made him a stone
cold killer for hire. Unlike the lame “Superboy” that was on at the
time, this show actually had some effort put into it. I have episodes on
tape and bought the DVD set which was practically being given away. It
was underappreciated and if it had lasted longer, I think would have had
a more loyal following.
#1.
You Can’t Do That on Television. Yes, I loved this show. I couldn’t get
enough of it when I was a kid. Designed to be a children’s version of
Laugh-In, it was on for several years. The kids, the sketches, the green
slime…It was great. This was a Canadian kid’s show which aired on
Nickelodeon during the 80’s (you know, when Nick was worth watching).
Sometimes I’d even watch it twice a day, it was just that good. What
made it good weren’t the lame jokes, it was the cast. They hired some
great kids for this show and Les Lye was a great actor, if a bit under
appreciated. This was just enjoyable fun, and would watch it to this day
if I could.
An
honorary mention has to go to Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee (or
Kelly). I enjoy watching this show, back with Kathie Lee or now with
Kelly Rippa. I don’t know why, but I watch it every day. So?
Well, that’s my list. I left off cartoons because there are enough of those to fill another list. Maybe later on.
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