World's Most Popular TV Show Is... - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

FanIn80 · 06-15-2009, 11:36 AM

House!

(Which makes sense, since it is the single greatest show ever created in the history of mankind.)

FireFly · 06-15-2009, 11:46 AM

That's excellent. Hugh Laurie is pretty hot for an old guy. I love House.

Table 5 · 06-15-2009, 12:18 PM

House is a good show, but a little too formulaic for my tastes. You know that the show will basically always be some new patient with some mystery illness, his proteges trying but never really getting the answer, and then House getting some epiphany at the end that solves everything.

I think a great show is one you can watch over and over, and pick up new things. I still find myself watching Seinfeld every night, and I swear I've seen every episode at least a dozen times. I doubt I could watch House more than once.

FlamesAddiction · 06-15-2009, 12:21 PM

I could never really get into that show. In general, I don't like doctor shows and it didn't seem that unique to me.

I guess it's not for everyone.

Thunderball · 06-15-2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Table 5

House is a good show, but a little too formulaic for my tastes. You know that the show will basically always be some new patient with some mystery illness, his proteges trying but never really getting the answer, and then House getting some epiphany at the end that solves everything.

I think a great show is one you can watch over and over, and pick up new things. I still find myself watching Seinfeld every night, and I swear I've seen every episode at least a dozen times. I doubt I could watch House more than once.

Agreed. I tend to catch the odd episode of House and enjoy it, but it really can't be a difficult show to write, save for House's pithy dialogue. It seems to be a pretty overused formula now, and with both Kutner's oddly done suicide, and House hooking up with Cuddy, you really have to wonder if they just Jumped the Shark.

FanIn80 · 06-15-2009, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunderball

Agreed. I tend to catch the odd episode of House and enjoy it, but it really can't be a difficult show to write, save for House's pithy dialogue. It seems to be a pretty overused formula now, and with both Kutner's oddly done suicide, and House hooking up with Cuddy, you really have to wonder if they just Jumped the Shark.

...except there never was any "hooking up with Cuddy."

Also, Kutner's suicide was written into the story line because he left the show to join Obama's staff. I think the way they incorporated it into the already-existing main story arch was rather brilliant, given the short amount of time they had to work with.

That whole jump the shark thing is fun to say, but ultimately overused. I don't think there are many people who would say it was applicable to House at all - at least not amongst those who watched the finale.

Phanuthier · 06-15-2009, 12:49 PM

I love the aristic shots and filming of emotion in the show, but... The writers really should really change up some of the dialogue. Be it House, Cuddy, House's pions or the random patients, everyone uses the "... how is that medically relevent?"

24 has the same problem too, everyone uses the same lines. Contrast that to a show like Frasier where Kelsey Grammer just flies by the seat of his pants - a lot more variation in dialogue for that show.

As for the plot... it became predictable by epi 3.

Thunderball · 06-15-2009, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FanIn80

...except there never was any "hooking up with Cuddy."

Also, Kutner's suicide was written into the story line because he left the show to join Obama's staff. I think the way they incorporated it into the already-existing main story arch was rather brilliant, given the short amount of time they had to work with.

That whole jump the shark thing is fun to say, but ultimately overused. I don't think there are many people who would say it was applicable to House at all - at least not amongst those who watched the finale.

Personally, I thought the Kutner suicide was interesting, but still rather odd. I know why they had to let Kal Penn go, still seemed odd and abrupt, despite the explanation.

As for the Cuddy thing, how did I forget that!? Wow, okay, never mind on that comment. I must need a beer, since I actually watched that episode and it was great.

I thinking saying things "Nuked the Fridge" or "Jumped the Shark" are just fun. I think we can all agree that both the Simpsons and Family Guy are in that zone now though.

Russic · 06-15-2009, 12:57 PM

I could get behind the formulaic opinion for the first few seasons, but the last few have really impressed me. The formulaic patients are still there, but those story lines have almost given way to more underlying plot developments. The Kutner suicide was abrupt and thrown together, but I loved how they dealt with it. I also really liked how they reintegrated Amber this year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunderball

...

I thinking saying things "Nuked the Fridge" or "Jumped the Shark" are just fun. I think we can all agree that both the Simpsons and Family Guy are in that zone now though.

Nope. I actually thought this years family guy was it's best. Simpsons I will agree with.

mykalberta · 06-15-2009, 12:59 PM

Temptation Island

Flames Draft Watcher · 06-15-2009, 01:03 PM

I prefer Lost

FanIn80 · 06-15-2009, 01:08 PM

House is a drama, Frasier and Sienfeld (mentioned earlier) are sitcoms.

In sitcoms, it's not uncommon for most of the main characters in the show to live in the same place, work at the same job, eat at the same restaurant and have the same relationships for the entire life of the show. Naturally, these shows are able to "mix up" the flow all the time, because everything else stays the same.

In a drama, the characters, relationships, and jobs are the things that change all the time, while the flow stays the same. That's why dramas always seem "formulaic" to some people. "It's always the same thing. Someone gets killed, then they try to solve it. No one listens to the smart guy until the end and then the bad guy goes to jail. Booorrrring."

What people miss, though, is that a drama is usually more about the characters themselves and how they relate to each other than it is about what they are doing. Sitcoms are the opposite: they're more about what the characters are doing than who they actually are and how they relate.

Some people like one, some people like the other, some people like both... and some people just watch Star Trek.

That's my take on things, at least.

awildermode · 06-15-2009, 01:08 PM

makes sense. ER was quite popular. i guess people like the hospital shows. i have yet to see a single episode of either.

Thunderball · 06-15-2009, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russic

Nope. I actually thought this years family guy was it's best. Simpsons I will agree with.

I think the problem with the new Family Guy episodes is (at least to me), they are getting far too hit and miss, and going for the sick joke, instead of the funny joke. Its very hard to offend me, and Family Guy really hasn't yet, but its been getting to the point where the joke just isn't funny, that its really just designed for shock. To me, its been on a steady decline since it was brought back, with the odd gem episode here and there. As well, I'd say the best example of Family Guy's decline was the Star Trek TNG episode, and how they turned that excellent (and probably not cheap) storyline into the B-plot for a genuinely un-funny atheist episode. I just really worry about the quality when its Family Guy, American Dad and Cleveland.

Prototype · 06-15-2009, 01:15 PM

Somewhere, David Hasselhoff is crying...

Thunderball · 06-15-2009, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Some people like one, some people like the other, some people like both... and some people just watch Star Trek.

That's my take on things, at least.

Its too bad Star Trek got too formulaic as well. The average season had maybe 8-10 standout, plot moving episodes, then another 12-16 forehead alien of the week/something's wrong with the holodeck/warp drive/transporter episode fillers with predictable results.

I don't think there's anything wrong with formulaic drama if there's enough movement from the basic formula, and strong drama. To relate it back to House, its at the point where it could be sliding downhill by trying too many shock plot twists, or it could be developing a whole new set of plot drivers to get them through the next few seasons well.

FanIn80 · 06-15-2009, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunderball

I don't think there's anything wrong with formulaic drama if there's enough movement from the basic formula, and strong drama. To relate it back to House, its at the point where it could be sliding downhill by trying too many shock plot twists, or it could be developing a whole new set of plot drivers to get them through the next few seasons well.

For sure. I think everyone is pretty anxious to see where everything goes next season. I read a comment somewhere about how awesome it would be if they brought Stephen Fry in as the psychiatrist... I think that would be pretty cool indeed.

KTrain · 06-15-2009, 01:27 PM

Baywatch and Hercules were #1 shows during their peaks. I don't have a lot of faith in world's opinion on television.

malcolmk14 · 06-15-2009, 01:28 PM

Just because it's the most popular doesn't mean it's the best.

Soccer's the world's most popular sport.

Enough said.

FurnaceFace · 06-15-2009, 01:31 PM

Quote:

House received the most votes — 33 percent — in a TVGuide.com poll about what show most jumped the shark this past season. The poll, which included the four shows that drew the most mentions when we asked what shows jumped, drew more than 5,000 votes.

http://www.tvguide.com/JumpTheShark/...p-1006877.aspx