How long do you give a show?

corblimey

Just catching up on the new US season, and while some new shows have piqued my interest straight away (Modern Family, FlashForward), others just haven't gelled for me yet. Admittedly, I've only seen 1 or 2 eps of these, but there's just so many new and returning shows to keep track of that I'm more likely to let them pass even after just one ep - if they get picked up for a second season, then I'll check out the first season in its entirety during the summer lull. For example, Glee, SGU and The Middle.

I'm just wondering if I'm making any rash decisions (not on these shows in particular, but in general) and do other people make the same instant first impression that I do? Or are you more likely to watch a show 3, 4, 5 times before deciding whether to continue with it or not?

J-blk

I always try to watch 3 episodes of a brand new show. In many cases, the pilot can easily be wasted setting up the premise and introducing the characters, so it's really the next couple of episodes that help me decide if I'll stick with something or not.

There are exceptions though - usually shows so bad that I can only stomach 1 or 2 episodes at the absolute max (e.g last year's Knight Rider, The Vampire Diaries, etc).

And rarely... a show I give up on early on turns out to be brilliant (though I can only think of True Blood in the last few years).

corblimey

J-blk wrote: »

In many cases, the pilot can easily be wasted setting up the premise and introducing the characters, so it's really the next couple of episodes that help me decide if I'll stick with something or not.

Interesting, I've always been of the opinion that the pilot is the one thing that's had the most polish, the most time spent on the script, the acting, the pace and plot, etc. Once the pilot gets picked up, they have to churn out 23 weeks of shows in a contracted amount of time. Therefore, if the pilot doesn't stick its hand down my trousers and have a little rummage, I decline.

Kiith

I'm still watching Smallville after 9 years....so i give them a long time :pac:

TheIrishGrover

If it's a sitcom I give it 4 laughs from the audience. If the audience/laugh track laughs 4 times in a row without me finding anything funny I turn it off. If it's anything else I give it about 4 episodes

J-blk

corblimey wrote: »

Interesting, I've always been of the opinion that the pilot is the one thing that's had the most polish, the most time spent on the script, the acting, the pace and plot, etc.

I do agree that the pilot can usually be more polished - but I do find that because they always have to introduce the characters and why we should care about them, plus the main premise - you don't get to see a lot of how the show will work week-to-week (this is especially true with shows that have a large cast).

By the 3rd episode, a show starts (or at least should) finding its' feet and we should be able to see how the formula will work each week. If I'm still interested by then, I keep watching - otherwise, it goes in the "to watch when there is absolutely nothing on" pile or I drop it completely.

L31mr0d

Will usually give a show an entire season before I call it quits. Opinions on here will play a part as well. If someone says to stick it out to ep x or something, I'll stick with it to see what they are talking about.

Pretty much no show has pulled me right in with the pilot in recent memory. It was usually by episode or 5 or 6 that I started to get into the show. If I'd only given Breaking Bad 3 episodes I wouldn't of watched any more of it. I'm glad I didn't as it's one of the best shows on the box atm.

Of course the exception is LOST... best pilot ever tbh. Instantly sucked me in.

Richard Dower

L31mr0d wrote: »

Will usually give a show an entire season before I call it quits. Opinions on here will play a part as well. If someone says to stick it out to ep x or something, I'll stick with it to see what they are talking about.

Pretty much no show has pulled me right in with the pilot in recent memory. It was usually by episode or 5 or 6 that I started to get into the show. If I'd only given Breaking Bad 3 episodes I wouldn't of watched any more of it. I'm glad I didn't as it's one of the best shows on the box atm.

Of course the exception is LOST... best pilot ever tbh. Instantly sucked me in.

So why dosen't anyone take notice of me when i say The Hills rocks?!

:P

tvnutz

Usually 3 or 4 episodes but like J-Blk if there is something that is just so bad that you can't stomach it anymore,I would give up then. Most recent one was the Vampire Diaries which I turned off 12mins into the 3rd episode. It was actually making me start to gag.

humanji

I'll watch one episode and if it's rubbish I most likely won't watch it again. If it's bland, but I can see that there might be promise, I might watch 1 or 2 more episodes.

Life is too short to be wasting it on crap tv shows.

Richard Dower

Don't get the Vampire hate?....like i said i absolutely HATE Buffy or anything vampire/ghost/supernatural in nature. But The Vampire Diaries has engaged me and kept me watching.

Biggins

If its got Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson, Lohan or Britney in it, 5 seconds.

tman

If I can't quite decide about it, then 3 episodes seems to be the magic number. However, If I had stuck to that rule, I would have given up on True Blood before it bloomed into pure awesomeness...

I don't even make it past the opening credits of the first episode for some shows!

L31mr0d wrote: »

If I'd only given Breaking Bad 3 episodes I wouldn't of watched any more of it. I'm glad I didn't as it's one of the best shows on the box atm.

Ooooh, thanks for the reminder... I have the second season waiting to be watched

tvnutz

Richard Dower wrote: »

Don't get the Vampire hate?....like i said i absolutely HATE Buffy or anything vampire/ghost/supernatural in nature. But The Vampire Diaries has engaged me and kept me watching.

That's because it is not a vampire/supernatural show. It is the OC,One tree Hill,The Hills and all that teenage soap opera type nonsense mixed together. It just happens to have some vampires in it,but that's about it.

the_syco

One episode, but sometimes I'll get bored before even that is finished, and I never watch it again.

J-blk

Richard Dower wrote: »

Don't get the Vampire hate?....like i said i absolutely HATE Buffy or anything vampire/ghost/supernatural in nature. But The Vampire Diaries has engaged me and kept me watching.

Cause it sucks (which you'd think would be good for a vampire show...). Like Tvutz said, it isn't a vampire show at all, but more of a crapfest high school story aimed squarely at 13 year old girls.

I watch the first episode of each new show and then prioritise them into order of interest. I then wait till 6 or so episodes have aired and watch all 6 back to back. Even then I'll give most shows till the end of the first season as there have been some truly fantastic shows in recent years which really didn't get into the swing of things till near the end.