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

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.

Yeah, all the good actors left (mostly Rosenbaum, Glover and O'Toole) but when the original showrunners left I think the show picked up some but I think last season was a bit rough.

But the show still has plenty of moments of lame. ;)
 
I initially started watching How I Met Your Mother because of Cobie Smulders, but ended up liking the show itself.

Where you a fan of hers based on something else she did before that series? She wasn't as well known as Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan, or even Jason Segal before the show started, so I'm curious.
 
If it weren't for Elizabeth Mitchell, Morena Baccarin and Laura Vandervoort I probably would've dropped V half way through the season. I watched the premiere of Hellcats just to check out the actresses playing the cheerleaders. I probably won't keep watching though.
 
I initially started watching How I Met Your Mother because of Cobie Smulders, but ended up liking the show itself.

Where you a fan of hers based on something else she did before that series? She wasn't as well known as Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan, or even Jason Segal before the show started, so I'm curious.
I first saw her in 2003 on a show called Veritas: The Quest. Then she popped up again on Smallville before How I Met Your Mother came along.
 
I tried watching V for Morena Baccarin, but couldn't stick with it just for her. Funnily enough, I thought Elizabeth Mitchell was dull as powder. But over the last few weeks, I finally drank the Lost kool-aid (first five seasons - disc 1 of season 6 is "very long wait" on Netflix - grr), and found Juliet to be one of my favorite characters. Pretty sure that's more about the writing than the actress, though. She always strikes me as slightly sleepy and/or inebriated - she tends to blink long and think very carefully about saying just the right words in precisely the right way, like she's focusing hard not to lose her train of thought or give away that she's been nipping on the side. ;)
 
Oh yeah, I tuned into The Vampire Diaries because of Nina Dobrev. I stopped watching the show after an episode or two though. I even forgot it existed. Then I tuned back in later in the season just to see Mia Kirshner.
 
Right now Robert Carlyle is the only reason I am willing to put up with Stargate Universe. He's not even bringing his A game to the show, but it is hilarious to watch him outperform 90% of the cast and see him get to be a badass as the producers try to keep him interested in the show.
 
I think there are many shows I've briefly tuned into because they featured actors I've liked, but if the show itself really doesn't appeal to me at all, I'm usually gone by two commercial breaks regardless of who is on it.
 
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. :D 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.

Actually, I first checked out HIMYM because of Segel & still check it out sporadically. If anyone from Freaks & Geeks or Undeclared is doing something, I'm inclined to check it out. I got a kick out of Martin Starr's guest appearance in the first season.
 
Anyways, I like Jeremy Sisto. I only watched Kidnapped because hes in it. But, after a couple of eps I enjoyed the tv series.
 
^ Me too, but as you said, Kidnapped was actually quite interesting.

There is a limit to what I can endure because of an actor. If it's a show that's really horrible, I'll stop watching it no matter who's in it. I watched the first few episodes of the new The Bionic Woman because of Katee Sackhoff, and I planned to watch at least a few more for Callum Keith Rennie and Mark Sheppard, but I really couldn't make myself go through with it, since the show was really awful.

OTOH, if a show is average/OK, I'll watch it for an actor I really like. I watched Wildfire all the way through for Nana Visitor - well, almost all the way through; the show went from an OK drama to really lame around season 3, so I drifted for a while, especially since Nana's character didn't have a lot to do like she did in the first 2 seasons; then I came back near the end of the series, to see how it ends, and because she got a bit more to do again.
 
I watched FlashForward because of Jack Davenport, Sonya Walger, Dominic Monaghan, and Courtney B. Vance but I didn't really like where it was going after just a few episodes. I haven't bothered catching up since the mid-season break.
 
Actors you like a enough to get you to check out a show but if the show doesn't interest you at all then you'll stop watching. At some point or another the show has to hold your interest. If it doesn't all your favorite actors in the world won't save it.
 
I tend watch a lot of shows, but none of which I'd call lame for any particular reason in and of themselves.

I just try to judge a show appropriate to what it's trying to be, and decide to stick with it if it's living up to it's own rules and I find it entertaining.

I enjoy characters, plain and simple. If a show can give me compelling characters and relationship moments between them, the show can be about pretty much anything.

Granted I tend to already like certain genre-type fare, but there are lawyer, doctor, cop, shows that also satisfy.

That said, there are a lot of shows that I probably would not of been drawn into (just by reading the premise) that I only checked out because of a particular actor.

The new show Terriers on FX (for example) I only watched because Donal Logue was in it. Wasn't sure I was going to enjoy another P.I. show, but it was good, and Logue brought some game.
 
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