View Full Version : TV shows with bad titles


TMC
05-30-2016, 03:17 AM
Have there ever been any TV shows that have really bad names, no matter how the quality of them is? Cougar Town is probably the most obvious (at least among recent years) example of this sort of thing.

Also, any show based on the main issue (e.g. Prison Break, Burn Notice, Under the Dome, Veep, New Girl, etc.) feels like this because unless the show only has a single season run or you can sustain that main issue over several seasons, the show ends up having nothing to do with the title.

bgva
05-30-2016, 01:13 PM
I grit my teeth at any TV show (or movie) that's simply called "The ___", i.e. "The View", "The Talk", "The Real". It's pretty lazy and cliche, IMO, but I guess it's easier to follow with there being so many TV shows out now.

JSP
05-30-2016, 03:07 PM
I thought "Nurse" was a pretty lousy title for a show back in 1981-82 that had Robert Reed (Mike Brady) co-starring in it. Just too simple and basic. It's like, ok, she's a nurse, but what makes her better than any other nurse? Why should we care about THIS nurse? I guess the television audience back then couldn't figure out the answer either, which was why the show was short-lived.

Zoneboy
05-30-2016, 04:37 PM
I guess the television audience back then couldn't figure out the answer either, which was why the show was short-lived.

The title of the show was based on the 1979 book by Peggy Anderson so that had nothing to do with it. More likely it was short-lived because it was scheduled against The Fall Guy on ABC & The Facts of Life & Love, Sidney on NBC during on Wednesday nights. When moved to Thursday, it was pitted against Barney Miller & Taxi on ABC & Diff'rent Strokes & Gimme a Break on NBC.

Nurse (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurse_(1981_TV_series))

1981-82 TV Schedule (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981–82_United_States_network_television_schedule)

JSP
05-30-2016, 04:42 PM
The title of the show was based on the 1979 book by Peggy Anderson so that had nothing to do with it. More likely it was short-lived because it was scheduled against The Fall Guy on ABC & The Facts of Life & Love, Sidney on NBC during on Wednesday nights. When moved to Thursday, it was pitted against Barney Miller & Taxi on ABC & Diff'rent Strokes & Gimme a Break on NBC.

Nurse (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurse_(1981_TV_series))

1981-82 TV Schedule (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981–82_United_States_network_television_schedule)
That was some tough competition they had to go up against, but I still think it's a bad title, either for a book, movie, or TV show.