The 7 Most Overrated TV Shows of the Last 20 Years

[Drewsmum]

I've watched none of them.  I have seen a couple of episodes of "Friends" and one hideous episode of "Family Guy."  That's it.  I purchased "Lost" for someone but never watched it myself.  No loss.

Lost is really good.  And there used to be a commentary thread on FR, that made watching it that much better....

[kartographer]

LOST was great the first year or two then went downhill.

The problem with 'Lost' was that the audience figured out that the people were dead and in some sort of 'Purgatory' and the producers and writers said no that's not it,  but it was it they couldn't come up with a better answer and so there was a much longer convoluted story as they search for a way out of the corner they painted themselves into, but there wasn't one.

They would have been better served not worrying about the fact that the fans figured that part out and stuck with who was going to make it out (rising and being redeemed) and who was going to take the great fall and who and when would they realize what we knew that they were dead and being tested?

[Leto]

I knew there was a reason I played my computer game at night instead of watching the tube. Though I do like Game of Thrones.

[uglybiker]

Kind of like Seinfield.

Also overrated.

[Neverdul]

4. "Family Guy"

Some shows try terribly hard to be so clever but fall short, and "Family Guy" is one of those. It aims to be a slightly subversive family comedy like "The Simpsons" but pales by comparison -- especially to the glory days of Bart and his family. The characters are flat-out annoying and unlikable, and there's nothing funny about them.

"Family Guy" also seems to reach for the type of satire that "South Park" does so well, yet the former cartoon merely offends with crude humor that has nothing of real substance to say. Even their "Star Wars" parodies are dumb.

Then again, it all makes sense when one realizes that "Family Guy" stems from the mind of the odious Seth MacFarlane, who has a strange cult following. But what good is a cult following if you can't be funny or insightful? As with so many cult shows, "Family Guy" isn't as good as the reputation its fans give it.

I don’t think "Family Guy" ever aimed “to be a slightly subversive family comedy like "The Simpsons"” Anyone who ever thought Family Guy was even a slightly subversive family comedy has never watched it.  And FWIW, I never thought of “The Simpsons” as exactly family friendly fair either. Some people are under the mistaken impression that if in a cartoon format, it has to be geared toward children.

"Family Guy" also seems to reach for the type of satire that "South Park" does so well, yet the former cartoon merely offends with crude humor that has nothing of real substance to say. Even their "Star Wars" parodies are dumb.

And here I disagree again. Family Guy has gone for a lot of crude humor (not unlike South Park) and has had some big misses (again not unlike South Park has at times) but also some IMO brilliant social commentary. Yes, it leans rather liberal but has also as lampooned some liberal sacred cows rather unmercifully as well. And I for one loved the Family Guy Star Wars trilogy. It both was a loving homage to the 1st 3 movies and a parody of them at the same time.

[Dartman]

Proud to say I have never watched any of those shows. I did try to watch Seinfeld one time, but didn't find him funny.

[jmyrlefuller]

Proud to say I have never watched any of those shows. I did try to watch Seinfeld one time, but didn't find him funny.

I always liked Seinfeld. I guess I enjoyed the fact that it could make light of the mundane things we all experience. But it's one of those shows you either think is iconic or you hate it.

[truth_seeker]

Do not watch commercial laden TV except a few sports shows each year. Otherwise streaming is the ticket.

I watch what I pick, when I want to start and stop it. Commercial free. When my wife and daughter say let the cable go, it goes.

[goatprairie]

I always liked Seinfeld. I guess I enjoyed the fact that it could make light of the mundane things we all experience. But it's one of those shows you either think is iconic or you hate it.

What made Seinfeld superior to other comedies is that they made no pretense of being p.c. or having "wonderful" characters or characters who  learned i.e. improved as the series wore on. Many of the episodes were based on real experiences as experienced by real people.
I've not seen even one episode of all the other shows. Not into zombies or p.c. comedy or the other premises. 
There should be a category for shows that were good but wore out their welcome by being on too long. like "Mash" or "The Simpsons."