What show are you embarrassed to love? – Quibbling Siblings

Debbie:

CliqueClack’s new venture, CliqueClack Flicks (see feature box on front page), has got me thinking about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I was pretty satisfied with this movie; it gave me everything I wanted from the next installment in the Indiana Jones series, and I was easily able to overlook the alien thing that, well, alienated so many viewers.

So I translated this to television, and I thought about a show that I absolutely loved that everyone else thought laughable. I’m a little embarrassed to admit how much I loved the Nick and Jessica Variety Hour, back in 2004. They really were the cutest young married couple, like ever, and the show was an innocent throwback to Laugh In, Donnie and Marie and other long-living variety shows of yesteryear. Probably just me and a couple of octogenarians who were looking for the next Lawrence Welk Show watched, aside from the teenyboppers who tried it and thought it so uncool. But, damn, if it wasn’t entertaining and extremely well done. They were having so much fun and it was infectious, what can I say.

I can’t be the only one to love a show that people ridicule. Someone out there must actually think that with The Cape came TV’s ultimate answer to the superhero drama. And you know someone out there thought Undercovers was the greatest spy show since Alias.

What show do you completely adore that the rest of the world thinks is pure crap?

Bob:

I have certainly watched my fair share of low rated television, but I think they were all fairly high quality shows. When I don’t watch high quality shows, I tend to own up to it. For instance, I do enjoy the cheesy action that V provides, but I’m certainly not wondering why it’s not winning Emmys and why it is on the brink of cancellation. Hey, it’s good mindless fun, and Elizabeth Mitchell and Morena Baccarin are great.

One show that I found myself defending, even on CliqueClack, was Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I thought it was a really, really well done show. The writing was great, the acting was good (for the most part), and it really got the mood and feel of the show right. I think a lot of the fans of the movie series didn’t connect with the TV show, but I maintain that it was one of the better sci fi shows to be on TV for a while. I liked Dollhouse, and am a huge Joss Whedon fan, but I was definitely pulling for Terminator over Dollhouse when they were both up for renewal.

Debbie:

Oh, Bob, you’re a conundrum. One moment, you’re so high-brow that you can’t even come up with a lousy show you watch. I think a lot of people love all the shows you mentioned.

Then, the next moment, you completely miss a huge opportunity to make fun of me for liking the Nick and Jessica Variety Hour. Maybe not a conundrum — maybe you’re just off your game. How can I help?

Bob:

I suppose I was just being charitable. I didn’t watch it so I don’t really have any idea how horrible it was. Did it even air more than a single episode? Besides, I don’t think it was taking itself very seriously. It’s not like it was selling itself as high art.

Debbie:

You’re exactly right, and that’s what made it so fun. It was pretty tongue-in-cheek … but enough about Nick and Jessica. We can end this column pretending that you wrote about Saved by the Bell: The College Years and we’ll all be square. We’ll also try to forget your sudden spurt of charity … it doesn’t suit you.

Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Apr 14, 2011 @ 10:00 EST5EDT