[TV] TV box-sets you gave up on (or wish you hadn’t bothered with)

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Another vote for Lost.
It was the first series that myself and Mrs DFP watched together, we thoroughly binged it as we couldn’t believe how good it was…and then it just went to utter sh!t.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Killing Eve - just ludicrous story lines.
Game of Thrones - just can’t get on with most fantasy stuff
Downton Abbey - gave up half way through the first episode. Have dipped in to it since but….. no. We are just prejudiced against anything the overly bumptious Julian Fellowes has anything to do with.

Why would you even attempt to watch GoT if you don't get on with fantasy stuff?

That is similar to me sitting down with the missus to pretend to watch Bridgerton with her, as I don't get on with soppy romantic costume dramas...however the time spent has got my fantasy team top of my mini-league through meticulous planning and research only occasionally looking up to see if there's any topless action in the next love scene.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Killing Eve - just ludicrous story lines.
Game of Thrones - just can’t get on with most fantasy stuff
Downton Abbey - gave up half way through the first episode. Have dipped in to it since but….. no. We are just prejudiced against anything the overly bumptious Julian Fellowes has anything to do with.

Blasphemy! Downton is my dirty little secret.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Breaking Bad

Got a season and a half in and decided I just wasn’t enjoying it very much

Agreed. Loved the first season but the second was far too slow so gave up.

I'll throw in Orange is the New Black - loved the first couple of seasons but after that gave in.

From a British perspective I also gave in on the last series of Line of Duty .... a series too far.

 

[Medwayseagull]

I inevitably watch something through to the end and enjoy most of them. The one exception was "24" - what a repetitive borefest. I find one-off mini series are more enjoyable.

 

[B-right-on]

Poldark. Bloke is supposed to be a war hero and a 'real man' and lets others crap all over him. Gave up after season 1. Just annoying.

Walking Dead. Gave up after a few episodes. How many zombies can you watch getting killed?

House of Cards. Did about 3 seasons but it just got more and more in fantasy land

 

[Stat Brother]

There's a running theme.

It's how the Americans, pre Netflix et al, finance their big budget shows.

Do a load of one off pilot episodes.
Finance the 'winners' for one full series.
Halfway through that series finance those winners for 3 series.
By series 2 finance those winners for 7 series.

So they always follow the same pattern

Start really strong.
End series 1 stronger still.
Back with a bang then tail off by end of series 3.

Bibble around for 3 more series before finishing strong in series 7.

 

[Giraffe]

Blasphemy! Downtown is my dirty little secret.

Mine too. That said once Matthew was shamefully killed off I did struggle a little to get through the last two series. New film out soon though!

 

[The Optimist]

Megan Boone only gets you so far

View attachment 146499

My wife gave up after a few episodes, she didn't like Megan Boone's character at all.

James Spader is the star of the show though.

 

[Stat Brother]

My wife gave up after a few episodes, she didn't like Megan Boone's character at all.

James Spader is the star of the show though.

Somehow I don't think the casting director had the good lady Optimist in mind when handing Ms Boone the role.

 

[Brovion]

There's a running theme.

It's how the Americans, pre Netflix et al, finance their big budget shows.

Do a load of one off pilot episodes.
Finance the 'winners' for one full series.
Halfway through that series finance those winners for 3 series.
By series 2 finance those winners for 7 series.

So they always follow the same pattern

Start really strong.
End series 1 stronger still.
Back with a bang then tail off by end of series 3.

Bibble around for 3 more series before finishing strong in series 7.

I don't think that's totally true. For me the problem seems to come when the Showrunner either hasn't got a firm idea of where they're going, or the Network love the fact they've got a hit and want them to string it out as long as possible. 'Walking Dead' I think falls into the latter category. I've never watched it but I've heard that if you only watch the first and last episodes of any season then you really haven't missed much.

 

[Spiros]

Lost, obviously a while ago now. Season 3/4 of Prison Break.

If you managed to get to season 3 of Prison Break I admire your stamina, I gave up early into season 2

Also gave up on US version of House of Cards near the end of season 1, just kept seeing too much of the original (and fantastic) UK version in my head and the US one was nowhere near as good

 

[Badger Boy]

The problem for House of Cards was Trump. Their show was supposed to be the most outrageous and outlandish version of a presidency/candidate - and then Trump comes along with his pussy grabbing and overt racism and all of a sudden their character was tame. So they had to really up the ante and lose touch with any real credibility.

Breaking Bad I had to be persuaded to continue on with, which I'm forever glad I did. It gets incredible, and that's not a word I'd use generously.

Prison Break was rubbish after the first season, which was brilliant. Parts of 2 are fine, but afterwards it becomes sillier and sillier and when they (Really insincerely and unbelievably) mourn for the tosser Prison Guard they became acquainted with, I called it a day.

Another vote for I, Robot. I thought that was lazy and uninspired. There was barely any hacking activity at all, everything was just conveniently in someone's email. Ridiculous.

 

[Arthur]

Breaking Bad

Got a season and a half in and decided I just wasn’t enjoying it very much

I was EXACTLY the same. Was late to the party so had 4 seasons to catch up on. Watched the first two seasons and couldn't get my head around why it was so loved by pretty much everyone. People kept assuring me to stick with it and I'm sooooooo glad I did. It is by far and away the best television ever made in my opinion.

It can be slow at times but most of it becomes very important to the story in the end.

Better Call Saul is even slower build up and I did give up on it at one point before someone on here (I think) told me to stick with it and once again I'm glad I did. Very much looking forward to the new season of that in the next couple of weeks.

I gave up on Lost very early doors. I think when the polar bear turned up. That was enough for me.

The Man In the High Castle. Really enjoyed the first season but the second season was just far too depressing.

 

[Giraffe]

Britannia, didn't actually give up, but wife was moaning about being forced to watch it. Got to the end and the ending was just weird. Really weird.

 

[Justice]

My guilty pleasure at the moment is the Power seasons. Helping me through covid at least.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Gave up on Orange is the new black after 2 seasons - started well but became increasingly ludicrous.

So many series have a great premise, but struggle trying to spin that out for as long as possible.
I think Netflix are getting better at that now though.

 

[MJsGhost]

I just opened the thread to add Killing Eve. Loved the first series, gradually bored through the second until I realised I didn't give a shit what happened after the end of series cliffhanger. Never watched S3.

^This^ is the correct answer to the Killing Eve question.

Another vote for Lost.
It was the first series that myself and Mrs DFP watched together, we thoroughly binged it as we couldn’t believe how good it was…and then it just went to utter sh!t.

^This^ is the correct answer to the Lost question (including being the first series that Mrs MJ'sG and I watched together. However, I threw in the towel halfway through S2 and she carried on to the bitter end (much to her disappointment in the end)

Britannia, didn't actually give up, but wife was moaning about being forced to watch it. Got to the end and the ending was just weird. Really weird.

^This^ is the series I came on the thread to mention. We gave up towards the end of S1. There were flashes of promise, but what I really didn't like was the really forced 'comedy' element. Mostly Julian Rhind-Tutt's character. Just sh|t.

On a more positive note, I really wanted to ditch Schitt's Creek after episode 1, still wanted to ditch it after E2, was tempted to ditch it after E3, but it steadily grew on me and I ended up loving it.

 

[maltaseagull]

Breaking Bad

Got a season and a half in and decided I just wasn’t enjoying it very much

I gave up on it after the first episode.
Went back a few years later and loved it and watched all the seasons.

 

[m@goo]

Breaking Bad

Got a season and a half in and decided I just wasn’t enjoying it very much

What the actual f...