Shows you think are lame but you watch because of the actors

[Sakrysta]

I feel like half the stuff I'm watching now is a waste of my time, but I like the actors, so I somehow find myself still watching. So yeah, smack me for stupidity. Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone else does this?

I'm watching Covert Affairs because I like Christopher Gorham, Kari Matchett, and Peter Gallagher.

I'm watching Warehouse 13 because I like Saul Rubinek and Allison Scagliotti.

I'm watching Burn Notice because of Bruce Campbell and Gabrielle Anwar.

I'm sure there are probably those who disagree with me about the quality of these shows, and that's fine. And I have a feeling I'm forgetting something I'm watching or will be watching when the seasons start again in the fall.

But I ask - what are you watching that if it weren't for the actors, you wouldn't bother with?

 

[PsychoPere]

There are no shows on my list like that. If I can't stand the show, I stop watching, regardless of how much I like the talent involved. For television, I follow writers more than I follow actors anyways.

 

[cultcross]

Early on, Merlin. I watched it for Tony Head. Glad I did though because I started enjoying it

 

[auntiehill]

Sakrysta, I too only watch Warehouse 13 because Saul Rubinek is on.

I also have to admit (*hangs head in shame*) to watching the entire run of The A-Team just to see Dirk Benedict.

Hubby likes Lie to Me because he thinks Tim Roth is awesome.

I was only interested in seeing Deadwood and Kings only because Ian McShane was in them. Thankfully, both turned out to be very interesting programs.

I suffered through a season Las Vegas just to see Tom Selleck---but, to be honest, a lot of it was simply fast-forwarded until I got to his scenes. Even *I* have my limits.

 

[PsychoPere]

Hubby likes Lie to Me because he thinks Tim Roth is awesome.

Oh, here's a perfect example of what I referred to in my previous post. I thought the premise of Lie to Me was interesting but didn't watch an episode of the show until the second season started -- and then only because Shawn Ryan, creator of The Shield, took over as showrunner. Since then, I've gone back and watched several season one episodes and, oh boy, Ryan's arrival really brought the show up from crap to pretty good.

And I agree with your husband: Tim Roth is awesome.

 

[melancholymecha]

Ill watch more for characters than actors. Like I thought Heroes got really lame around the middle of the 2nd season but I kept wathcing cuz I liked Nathan and Peter(& I liked Sylar until they made him an annoying Gary Sue villain).

Im mostly watching True Blood for Sam & Bill, but I think the show got a bit lame this season & I dont care for how they are developing Sam, but Ill probably stick to the show till the end unless they kill off Sam or make his character so horrible I cant take it(though it cant be worse than what they did to Nathan in the final 2 seasons of Heroes.)

and I guess this counts too: I only watch Ghost Hunters(which I think is a rather silly "reality" show about guys stumbling around in the dark pointing at shadows & dust specs & shouting "what the hell was that?" all the time) because I think Grant is hot.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I tried watching Hack out of my admiration for Andre Braugher and David Morse. Whooo-boy.

Like most guys, I've been sucked into watching a few crappy shows because I have a hormonal affection for an actress on it. Married with Children, Charlie's Angels... that sort of thing.

Generally, though, if I don't like the show itself, I avoid it, even if I'm a fan of the actors involved. If it ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage.

 

[Christopher]

The first few seasons of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers were pretty bad, but I watched for the very appealing cast, especially the lovely ladies, Amy Jo Johnson and Thuy Trang. Later on, as the personnel changed both on and off camera, the cast became less appealing but the writing got better, so I kept watching for different reasons.

The new V is horrible, but Morena Baccarin has kept me watching, not only because she's gorgeous but because she's really raised her game as an actress and is doing intriguing, sometimes compelling work.

I wouldn't call Covert Affairs "lame," but the only reason I'm watching it is for Piper Perabo. I don't have much interest in it otherwise. Similarly, the only reason I've bothered to tune into the new Nikita, which really isn't my type of show, is because of Maggie Q. (Whose name my hands insist on typing as "Maggie !" for some reason -- I keep overshooting the Q. Maybe because my left pinkie is much more in the habit of typing exclamation points than capital Qs.)

Similarly, while I wouldn't call Being Human lame, it's a show I often find unpleasant because of its dark subject matter (especially last week) and, conversely, its sometimes awkward and overblown attempts at humor. I think the main reason I keep watching is for Lenora Crichlow.


There are some shows that I've watched, not for the actors, but for the composer. I watched the silly Rambo cartoon in the '80s only because it used Jerry Goldsmith's score from the first two Rambo movies, and I then watched the movies only because I was curious to hear the music in its original context.

 

[Trekker4747]

Not quite the same thing but I watch Smallville because I like Superman. Well, and I like Allison Mack.

 

[Too Much Fun]

I used to love WWF Raw as a kid, then I got sick of it and stopped. When Joey Styles became the announcer, I started watching it again because I loved his unique style of commentary. It was kind of weird, watching wrestling only for the commentary, but he was that great. Then the company forced him to adapt a generic style before taking him off the air altogether and I quit for good.

I find "How I Met Your Mother" frustrating sometimes. I came close to quitting it a few times because while it can be a very clever, funny, touching, and original sitcom, it also sometimes falls into lame cliche sitcom traps. The show also has a tendency to piss me off with sexism and shallowness, but it has a wonderful cast that keeps me watching despite the crap.

Along with Neil Patrick Harris who is just incredibly charismatic no matter what he does, I can't resist a show that has Nick from "Freaks & Geeks" (Jason Segal) and Willow from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" playing a married couple. Segal is one of my favourite actors working today and as the show keeps him from making more movies, I've got to watch to get a fix of him.

 

[Jetfire]

Not quite the same thing but I watch Smallville because I like Superman. Well, and I like Allison Mack.

SMALLVILLE is not lame.



I watched ANTM alot in the past but the girls keep getting blah.

 

[Shanndee]

I have to admit to watching "Castle" just for Nathan Fillion. There are moments when I hope that the show will become something worth watching, then something really lame and increibly predictable happens...yet it doesn't matter.

The reason it doesn't matter? Nathan Fillion's incredible charm!

 

[sidious618]

I don't have any like that. I'm fairly elitist as far as TV shows go. I'm most likely going to drop House this season unless there's a vast improvement even though I love Hugh Laurie and the character (or idea of the character).

 

[Christopher]

Not quite the same thing but I watch Smallville because I like Superman. Well, and I like Allison Mack.

For a while, when Smallville was becoming increasingly awful around its 6th and 7th seasons, the only reasons I was still watching were Kristin Kreuk, Michael Rosenbaum, and John Glover. Then, toward the end of season 7, the show got so awful I stopped watching altogether. But then with season 8, even though all three of those actors left, the showrunners who'd driven the show into the ground left and it actually got good again. So it's a good thing I gave it one more chance despite the departure of the actors I was mainly watching it for.

 

[Sakrysta]

I find "How I Met Your Mother" frustrating sometimes. I came close to quitting it a few times because while it can be a very clever, funny, touching, and original sitcom, it also sometimes falls into lame cliche sitcom traps. The show also has a tendency to piss me off with sexism and shallowness, but it has a wonderful cast that keeps me watching despite the crap.

Good example. I don't watch the show regularly, but when I do, it's because Alyson & Neil are on it and are just all-around awesome.

 

[Jax]

There are no shows on my list like that. If I can't stand the show, I stop watching, regardless of how much I like the talent involved. For television, I follow writers more than I follow actors anyways.

This

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Heroes was like that for me, for S2-4. I watched Stargate: Atlantis just for Joe Flanigan. But Christopher Gorham isn't enough to get me to watch Covert Affairs. Basically, I'll lower my standards for sci fi but not normal shows.

 

[Agent Richard07]

House hs gotten really stale, but I'm sticking with it because of Hugh Laurie's Dr. House.

I initially started watching How I Met Your Mother because of Cobie Smulders, but ended up liking the show itself.

 

[RichMerk]

Sometimes I'll suffer through Stargate Atlantis just to catch a glimpse of Jewel Staite. She's just cute as a button.

 

[Starbreaker]

I can't stand to invest time in a show I don't like. Either I enjoy all aspects of it, or I'll watch something else.