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Top Five TV Shows that Should be Canceled

msnbc.msn.com — MSNBC's list of TV shows that should be canceled. I have a feeling a lot of people aren't going to agree with the top three.

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  • GOVATENT, on 10/12/2007, -175/+74What the hell!!! are they out of their minds. the simpsons.
    • Ghazi, on 10/12/2007, -134/+336The Simpsons stopped being funny years ago.
    • Nobi-Wan, on 10/12/2007, -54/+482Saturday Night Live.
    • APHughes, on 10/12/2007, -87/+180Family Guy, After the first cancellation the show decided to do cut scenes every 5 seconds. In the older episodes the cut scenes were rare and it made them more enjoyable.

      If you think back to your top 5 episodes maybe 1 from the newer seasons will be on there but the rest will be dominated by the earlier showings.
    • HagbardCeline, on 10/12/2007, -17/+775Mind of Mencia anyone?
    • primehifi, on 10/12/2007, -75/+72I have to agree with them about Lost. If I was forced to watch every episode on TV and have to sit through commercials, I wouldn't watch the show. It is only because of being able to download the shows, then watch them all back to back over a week or so, that I even watch them. Shows like Prison Break, Lost and 24, I would end up changing channels at a commercial break by episode 3 because they're all just a long dragged out movie. Too much filler and not enough show.

      Lost needs to start getting down to business. It's losing it's appeal. Start answering questions outright already and get to the damn point.
    • Ungh, on 10/12/2007, -34/+500Funny, notice that all the shows they list are top shows from other networks! Seems to me like NBC wants the competition off the air!
    • CPoe, on 10/12/2007, -9/+72@ Hag
      Completly agreed, even his commercials bother me. How can those same jokes keep him on the air.

      "Burritto!"
      HAHAHA!

      Im sick of it.
    • drlha, on 10/12/2007, -30/+200Lost has got massively back on track after its dodgy 6 episode "mini season" or "pod" if you're in the business. IMHO its back to its best right now, and theres no way it should be cancelled.
    • Erowid, on 10/12/2007, -41/+243Err, why isn't The O'Reilly Factor on that list? :/
    • drlha, on 10/12/2007, -23/+176"Funny, notice that all the shows they list are top shows from other networks! Seems to me like NBC wants the competition off the air!"

      One of the 5 was ER you idiot!
    • natmaster, on 10/12/2007, -18/+81i.e., NBC's list of shows that are stealing their ratings.
    • OMGWTFROFLMAOx2, on 10/12/2007, -19/+410American Idol? Survivor?
    • NoStoppingUs, on 10/12/2007, -23/+9@nat

      what ratings?
    • illeatyourbrain, on 10/12/2007, -50/+11APHughes, your statement relies on the hypothesis that Family Guy was ever funny to begin with. I've yet to laugh once at any of the COUNTLESS clips I've been sent from friends who tell me how much of a scream it is.

      Since when does stealing wholesale from Internet meme qualify as "comedy"? Ooh, look...he's doing "DING, fries are done!" this week....in its entirety....that's...BRILLIANT!

      So, ditto on canceling Family Guy. It's time, if it ever had one, has come and gone....
    • KicktheDonkey, on 10/12/2007, -13/+309"American Idol? Survivor?"

      Add "Dancing With The Stars" and "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader" to that list, too.
    • TroubleInMind, on 10/12/2007, -5/+53@APHughes
      Reading your comment is worse than the time I saw Bobby McFerrin fall down a flight of stairs.
      [ insert cut scene ]
    • dbhaley, on 10/12/2007, -28/+73If I were to write that list, it would be a list of one: 1) All reality shows on television

      @Nobi-wan
      You can't cancel SNL. Yes, the writing sucks, yes, the cast members are mediocre except for a few. But it's a staple. It's been on forever, besides, what would you replace it with? A "saturday night movie"?
    • kingfoot, on 10/12/2007, -27/+7at least they didnt put heroes on the list, i would have had a heart attack!
    • mywhitenoise, on 10/12/2007, -27/+7"Lost has got massively back on track after its dodgy 6 episode "mini season" or "pod" if you're in the business. IMHO its back to its best right now, and theres no way it should be cancelled."

      ..yeah, you're right. A show about the most disposable characters in history dying over diamonds after one show really set it on track. Not only that, we established Sawyer as the new leader, and took away his power the next. Last weeks was good, but a little too late.
    • InetRoadkill, on 10/12/2007, -28/+18I agree with Family Guy getting nuked. The (alleged) humor in that show is pretty juvenile and more often than not, just plain lame. My take on FG is that it's written for 14yo's by 14yo's who have just discovered the wonders of bathroom humor. It lacks any of the sophistication that the Simpsons once had. And the Simpsons need to go to. That show ran out of gas years ago. Put it to sleep already.
    • Kyderdog, on 10/12/2007, -54/+77>The Simpsons stopped being funny years ago.
      Thats because you stopped watching, the last 2 years have been the best..
    • alamandrax, on 10/12/2007, -16/+83Gilmore Girls. 'nuff said.
    • ilyag, on 10/12/2007, -16/+54Summary of the article:

      "Let's cancel popular TV shows because I don't enjoy being entertained by them as much as I used to!"

      Andy Dehnart, the idiot who wrote this stupid article, is nothing if not a douchebag.
    • simpleid, on 10/12/2007, -30/+17How about Family Guy? Considering the affect that show has on the general population (lowering IQ on a daily basis) I believe there should be an immediate effort to remove that show from television.
    • ttntyler, on 10/12/2007, -28/+16"American Idol? Survivor?"

      Yeah.. Cancel American Idol, the highest rated show of all time. That show continues to blow everything else away by a mile.

      Diggers are so out of the mainstream it's ridiculous. I always get irritated reading some of these comments, but I shouldn't because the truth is 2% of the world share your opinions
    • davalf, on 10/12/2007, -20/+8They forgot Countdown with Keith Olbermann...but then you can't expect MSNBC to say that one of their own TV shows should be cancelled.
    • betterth, on 10/12/2007, -35/+51@simpleid

      Go ahead and try to cancel Family Guy (again).

      We'll just bring it back (again).

      ~Family Guy's adoring fans.
    • Skatmob, on 10/12/2007, -13/+40MSNBC's list lost me at Lost. A more accurate list would be to cut-n-paste NBC's current lineup and publish that.
    • Pile, on 10/12/2007, -3/+63Wouldn't it be easier to list the top 5 shows that SHOULDN'T be canceled?
    • orabox, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3Why would I want any show canceled?

      Now political dis-information shows, news networks is something I have an opinion on, but that’s free speech and that is another issue.
    • fluidfoundation, on 10/12/2007, -12/+6My vote is for Survivorman. Its got Ren&Stimpy-itus. It has 6 really good episodes that just keep rerunning over and over.

      Second vote is for Oprah.
    • bdurkin, on 10/12/2007, -9/+6@simpleid

      And I am sure you would want to replace it with some kind of dry humor that you username suggests. Perhaps an new Woody Allen series where he just complains about how bagels suck if your not in New York? You must be so smart.
    • haggie, on 10/12/2007, -19/+5who cares what gets canceled and what doesn't? they are TELEVISION SHOWS. if you are dumb enough to watch one show, you'll watch whatever tripe they replace it with.

      it's not like we are discussing whether Shakespeare and Tolstoy should stop being published or not because their overnights are weak...
    • betterth, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6@haggie
      How did you confused "author/creator" for "media".

      More applicably, you could have said "It's not like we're discussing Shakespearian theater or historical fiction".

      Sure, some great authors have made incredible advances for our culture in theater. Just because you find the newer forms of theater (where the actors perform and then the result is broadcast to you) "stupid" or "for the masses" doesnt' change the fact that TV today is what theater was 600 years ago. A novel form of entertainment mainly used to entertain the masses cheaply and by whatever means possible.

      We have great movies and great TV shows just like there were great playwrights. And we still have great authors, like always.
    • jordangta, on 10/12/2007, -5/+19Lost is back to its very best right now. Season one was phenomenal, season two was only great at the beginning and end, and season three is doing amazing.

      Lost is not dragging anything out. If you have been watching for the past few weeks, you would know that...
    • ellolazo, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3ooh yeah the Simpson's are really boring , but wait it's there a movie, oh and million want to see it. f*ck millions of nonsense idiot that liked the Simpson's like me. Doh!
    • itchytooth, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1@simpleid
      effect, smart guy
    • dWhisper, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7@dkco 1

      I agree, though that's part of the Simpsons formula as well. It really started to jump the shark when it had to start parody itself. It was pop culture satire at its highest, back in the day, but eventually, it became pop culture. It stopped being funny on a permanent basis back in season 12 (though as early as season 8 it was showing problems), and the last few seasons have only had a handful of even watchable moments. In the past three seasons, there's never been an episode that I've watched later and just wanted to kick myself for missing, and that's a sad sign.

      Ultimately, I'd say that of the Animation block on Fox, King of the Hill has remained the most relevant. It's matured well as a show, and stayed in that happy line between almost redneck humor and cutting commentary. Family Guy, a show that I loved to see back, has been mostly miss for the past season, and American Dad is simply "meh." To throw in South Park as well, I have been unimpressed with it since about season 8 (and last season had some of the absolute worst episodes ever, like that almost painful Oprah episode).

      All-in-all, I agree with the list, especially on the 24 and Simpsons entries. ER and CSI never really got me, and Lost stopped being interesting in the second season. I'd even lump a few others in there as well, like American Idol (last season was their best, and should have stopped with it).

      I'd rather see a show cut down at the top or before it's prime than see the wallowing slop some of these have become.
    • bobpaul, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4@InetRoadkill -- It's written for 14 yr olds by sea cows. Don't you know anything?
    • simpleid, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7@itchy: No, actually, I got it correct.

      And on another note, I'd actually replace Family Guy with another half-hour of South Park. :-)
    • CedEx, on 10/12/2007, -10/+3HEY! What's wrong with Mind of Mencia? They just have to change the name of the show a little bit and it would be just as funny.

      I propose "Mind of Mencia Looking Into Other People's Minds".

    • mattxb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9@ nobiwan

      I think SNL has always had its down periods, if you look at the history of it, every time it gets really good, all the main cast members leave to pursue movie careers and then there is a slump. So think, if they had canceled it during the Anthony Michael Hall days we would never have had the Will Ferrel days or Cris Farley Adam Sandler stuff.
    • smackhero, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2family guy and simpsons have both lost their edge. but at their worst they're still better than a lot of shows. my favorite shows on tv are still the animated shows: metalocalypse, american dad, aqua teen hunger force, futurama (i guess they're technically not on tv anymore), simpsons, family guy, and south park. perhaps i've just gotten sick of family guy and simpsons cuz they were on for so long (as well as south park). right now my favorites are metalocalypse, american dad, and aqua teen hunger force because they're still fresh and new to me. american dad has the same style as futurama and family guy, but the jokes aren't as played out as family guy's, which uses far too many self-referencing inside jokes that have gotten tiresome even for those who've watched the series long enough to get them.

      the only non-animated shows that i've been into in recent years was arrested development and the office. i was really disappointed to find out that arrested development got cancelled just as i was getting really into the series. why is it that all the best shows get cancelled while crap shows continue to run? arrested development was easily one of the most brilliant shows i've seen on tv. futurama also had pretty good writers. i guess i can only pray that metalocalypse, aqua teen hunger force, and american dad don't get axed. they all have a very unique brand of humor and an innovative/original style that's very refreshing to see in this day and age where most shows are just uninventive clones that follow formulaic molds of past shows that were successful.
    • MrKite, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3I have to disagree with some of you about Lost. The whole mystery thing was fine the first season, but now they're just stacking too many mysteries without any resolutions. You've got to balance them to keep people interested. Nothing ever really happens on that show. If anything happens, it just another mystery that doesn't get resolved. What a waste.
    • Niallgriff, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Their argument against the Simpsons is not very good. Yeah the show isn't is a great as it once was. But saying Family Guy is better? The most recent episodes of Family Guy have been almost unwatchable.

      As Far as 24, I am a huge fan of the show, but this season is ***** terrible, and if they don't get it right next year, it is time to stop.

      I don't watch the other 3 shows listed, but they should be replaced with 1: Mind Of Mencia; 2: Deal or No Deal? 3: Drawn Together (if they still even make that *****)
    • Jones82, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3I guess I'm one of the few who still enjoys Family Guy?
    • DryvBy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have to say any medical show these days. House can stay, but I'm tired of these fake-drama doctor shows. And there's always the stupid soap opera drama in them that add that touch of stupidity.
    • itchytooth, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@simpleid
      http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/effVaff.asp
    • haleym, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Say what you want about 'The Simpsons' quality declining over the years, folks... it still is, and will continue to be, far better than the vast majority of the crap on the air these days.
    • lindy82, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8What about The Apprentice? That show stopped being good after 5 minutes.
    • cantitoe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Simpons did have a few bad years but they are picking it up. The movie will bring the show back to the promise land. I also agree with every other show except Lost, which sucks but is still better than most of the garbage out there.
    • godmode, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2#1 show that should be cancelled:
      Are you smarter than a 5th grader?
    • Rage67, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1anyone else think that TBS plays the same episodes of Family guy
      over and over? I swear, if that episode with death plays one more time...
    • andersonmanly, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@Nobi-won

      I agree...SNL has lost it.....except for "Dick in a box"

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dmVU08zVpA
    • Sugars, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Simpsons is not that bad, I still get enjoyment out of the odd episode...Still better than Family Guy.
  • timbo1138, on 10/12/2007, -9/+99Don't necessarily agree about 24, as I've really enjoyed season 6, but I do agree that unless the formula gets a shakeup soon, it's hit its limit and can't keep working as a show.
    • DDRSkata, on 10/12/2007, -16/+7And they just ended the plot thread about the nukes and went into something more personal and interesting, so I think this article jumped the gun a bit.
    • RaistlinMajere, on 10/12/2007, -19/+8How dare they insult Jack Bauer. Reported as lame!
    • jspegele, on 10/12/2007, -23/+5They need to get rid of Kiefer. Don't get me wrong, Jack Bauer is one of my favorite TV characters of all time, but Jack can't keep outdoing himself. He can't get anymore badass and they can't keep finding ways to bring him back to CTU (he hasn't officially worked for CTU since season 3). As much as I hate to admit it, if the show is going to survive, they need to kill Jack.
    • turbod33, on 10/12/2007, -11/+36I love 24. I've seen it all, multiple times. But this article is dead on. Sometimes shows, even really good ones, just outlive their usefulness. Look at how low key the first season was, trying to save the life of an upcoming presidential candidate. Now we have nukes all over the place, and killer viruses, and WAIT, someone is always undermining / trying to kill the president, and plot twist after unthinkable plot twist. Season 6 has been very good, but still it's just not as fresh and getting somewhat unbelievable.
    • KicktheDonkey, on 10/12/2007, -28/+7"How dare they insult Jack Bauer. Reported as lame!"

      But Jack Bauer IS lame.
    • michaelbeckham, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5ER is on the list and is a NBC show. All the shows listed bar maybe 24 and Lost don't have spectacular ratings anyway.
    • imamessy1, on 10/12/2007, -10/+2I just find it interesting that someone can get so hooked on heroin in one hour, then a few hours later be perfectly fine.

      That and I wonder if they ever have time to eat or poop.
    • BrewBeau, on 10/12/2007, -3/+27This season was pretty bad. The season's over as far as I'm concerned. Who the flip cares about Audrey Raines? Every season has to top the previous one. Now that they've already involved Jack's brother, his dad, the prez, the vice prez, half the people at CTU, what's next? Maybe the Dhali Llama will join forces with the pope to nuke the dying polar bears and raise the sea levels in a plot to live under the sea. The twist will be that Jack is busy in space trying to stop a giant meteor but should be able to get back to LA, where everything happens, "within the hour".
    • lockedon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I agree this too. They have been repeating much types of scenarios. Hopefully next season they will make will be a whole different type of scenario.
    • lolgamoff, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Although i love the new season to death and think its a great show, I think 24 started going downhill when they killed off the "and friends" part of "Jack Bauer and friends". I miss michelle, tony, and edgar. Now we only have Chloe...
    • jdotter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8I would have agreed to the offing of 24 prior to this week. It's new plot right in the middle of the season is a nice change. The season started OK but quickly spiraled into repeated plot after repeated plot (The 25th amendment, both uses and more than once! Threatening to nuke an undisclosed middle eastern country. The whole consulate invasion bit. And my personal favorite, Mole or No Mole). I'm encouraged by the new direction of the story but I really hoped they would get back to basics this season. How about CTU just working a regular conspiracy more like in season one's first half with the get Jack back as a sub-plot or opening frenzy? When does Jack get on a rocket and save the universe? I love the show and I'll give them a free pass but they really need to get it together for next season or Fonzie will be getting his water skis ready again.

      @lolgamoff I couldn't agree more!
    • jordangta, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1124 died when Tony, Michelle, Palmer and Edgar died.
    • 60effects, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6IMO, this year has been a bust for 24. But just because they have an off year doesn't mean cancel it. I think there are still people who are just jumping on the 24 bandwagon, so the current season doesn't seem rehashed to them.

      Next year they need to reinvent themselves with a new location for Jack. Heck, I say ditch the whole real-time format. To me, the real-time is not a novelty anymore and it doesn't hook me to the show. Great storytelling and action hook me in, whether it's set in 24 hours or 24 weeks.
    • rzurad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10I wouldn't say cancel 24, but they really do need to change the formula (stop trying to assassinate the president, stop with the nukes, stop with the f**cking moles, etc). They need to change the setting from LA to something else. What they should have done for season 6 is have the entire season take place in China and focus on Jack kicking some ass over there.

      I also agree that Jack needs to die, only at the end of the series. Jack Bauer IS 24, so when he dies, so does 24. Forget about finding replacements.
    • CedEx, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4I think the 24 hour format is great! Though to be fresh, the 24 hour story line could be told from characters other than Jack Bauer (I mean, how many times can a single guy be a hero?). For instance, maybe 24 hours of a SEAL team mission, or 24 hours of an arms dealer, anything except another season of Jack. He was good, but it's time to retire.
    • ConservoHippie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+224's beauty was that, at its heart, it was a character-based show. Plenty of action laid on top, but what made the first few seasons great were that you felt tied to all the characters. You felt like Jack was a mere man who was getting bad deal after bad deal. Tony, Nina, Michelle were all characters that you felt some connection to. Even Kim was great to add in more stories. All the characters' plot lines going on at once, and each one having at least some relevance to you, was what made the show great.

      Too bad they killed everyone for the shock. One of the biggest mistakes they made, for the long haul.
    • MDrake, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Kill the source and you've kill the seed.
  • jewdiknight, on 10/12/2007, -7/+216How about instead of a show we just cancel G4.
    • Cumella, on 10/12/2007, -20/+3I can digg that.. such a horrible channel. At least they wised up with some eye candy. *heart Layla*
    • NeoCortex, on 10/12/2007, -20/+106I second that, and raise you Fox News.
    • midgetloompa, on 10/12/2007, -20/+7You can't get rid of G4, it has Ninja Warrior.
    • MadOgre, on 10/12/2007, -13/+4If we could just get G4 to have Olivia and Layla getting it on... then there is a reason to keep G4. Maybe a threesome with that girl that does the game reviews...
    • bob_the_alien, on 10/12/2007, -17/+6no need to cancel g4, just make it G4techtv again, like G4techtv canada is.

      Also, I have to admit, I love Ninja Warrior., and of course, how can you not still love X-Play. But other than that, the station is crap.
    • durex, on 10/12/2007, -1/+79Better yet... make it TechTV again... it went to ***** the second G4 touched it.
    • InetRoadkill, on 10/12/2007, -10/+9TechTV-G4 Actually has some good shows on once in a while. But it's so heavily infested with commercial interruptions that's it's completely unwatchable. I mean 3 minutes of program followed by 5 minutes of advertisement. Screw that.
    • Aaronichi, on 10/12/2007, -16/+4Arrested Development, people.
      That alone is enough reason to love G4.
    • brstilson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22Hear hear. Their schedule is just so droll nowadays...15 hours of Cops, 1 hour of X-play, 3 more hours of Cops, Ninja Warrior. What the hell does watching urban drug dealers and mulleted methheads getting the beat-down have to do with Video Games or Technology?
    • greysun, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8"Arrested Development, people.
      That alone is enough reason to love G4."

      I bought the DVDs so I could directly show my support for the show AND not have to (download it or) catch reruns on some crappy network that used to be good.
    • lockedon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+25We seriously need tech TV back.. it was a hundred times better then G4.
    • JJayguy23, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@lockedon

      I totally agree. I loved TechTV.
    • mattassin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I actually enjoy Cops on G4, only reason I watch. Well that and X-Play.
  • LemonHerb, on 10/12/2007, -6/+101If they cancel lost before it ends it would piss off a lot of very obsessed fans, the type that would stalk TV executives.
    • dredwolff, on 10/12/2007, -16/+12yeah, so they shouldn't cancel it, they should end it. or get better writers.

      anybody else waste their time watching the stupid jewel thief flashback episode?? what the hell were they thinking? "Oh, lets write an episode where we can try to blend these relatively new characters in with old scenes to prove they were there, show some "fake" bad acting, along with the real bad acting, and have nothing to do with the main story line AT ALL"
    • panique, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3That sounds like a veiled threat to me.
    • dickgrayson, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9its been said that lost has had a 5 season story arc since the writing of the pilot. so the show is more than halfway over in its entirety. ill try and find a link to the interview with jj abrams.
    • nomojunkscience, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11I don't like to start watching a serial show until its made it through its first season and appears that it will last. Lost seemed that way so I started watching it from the beginning and found it to be the best TV ever. So, if it gets canceled I don't know if I want to invest in any shows that may never be finished.
      Sucks that most people just don't have the attention span to endure a 4-5 season movie. Regular movies are basically cliff note versions of the real story. So, with these serial dramas on TV we get the whole story the way a story should be told. This is why books are always better than movies. They have to cut so much ***** out. Lord of the Rings is like 10 hours long and they still cut out a ton of stuff.
    • jordangta, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Lost is back to doing what it does best right now, and more...they aren't dragging out plot lines or anything right now...it is engaging and exciting. You would know this if you have been watching over the past few weeks.
    • pseudosoma, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Not sure what version of Lost people are watching, but there have been maybe 3 episodes in the shows run that I didn't like. That's it. The episode with the diamond theives is called a filler episode. Every serial has a few in their seasons to take up a week on the schedule. I still liked it though. It showed one thing: No one communicates on the island. Nikki and Paulo found loads of stuff before anyone else and even knew about Michael tricking the losties.

      Anyhow, this list is pretty much crap IMO. 24 is just having a down season I think.
    • jcnjcn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Lost was originally planned to be a three season show but after the network saw how popular it became they asked the writers to make it a 9 season show. I think if lost can get on with answering most questions and get off the island it would be good. They need to act like they're going somewhere. Thankfully they seem like they're going in the right direction by answering some questions. I think one more season to finish and explain the show would keep it from being one of those old shows and be remembered well in people's minds.
    • Daiken, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1If Lost goes on past 4 seasons, I'm gonna go crazy!
  • Trention, on 10/12/2007, -18/+5All five look like great candidates for extermination to me!
  • insanewriters, on 10/12/2007, -22/+102This coming from a network that NOBODY WATCHES.
    • seiha, on 10/12/2007, -13/+86@insanewriters: wrong, tons of people watch The Office
    • Philluminati, on 10/12/2007, -33/+6The one they ripped off (borrowed) from the BBC?

      It's no where near as funny as the original. It's too obvious like lying to a child and watching them say "Your silly daddy". You know what I'm saying, you need that ***** spelt out
    • bobothn, on 10/12/2007, -4/+65@insanewriters
      Scrubs, my name is earl, the office, 30 rock, snl (don't kid your self it is still extremely popular), heroes.
      yes no one is watching nbc. it is still higher ranked than fox.
    • Solardog, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17Learn to read. MSNBC is not NBC.
    • underthelinux, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11beaaaat me to it. MSNBC != NBC
    • FieldAnonymouse, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10"First - misspelling the word 'spelled' was ironic enough to get a laugh out of me. Please tell me that was intentional. "

      Spelt is a valid past tense version of spell. Cheifly British, but valid English none the less. Even if the spell checker here disagrees, places like websters.com say it's valid.
    • FieldAnonymouse, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Blarg, that should be webster.com, not websters. Still, the point stands.
    • ffejrey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2MSNBC and NBC are the same god damn company
    • po43292, on 10/12/2007, -7/+7The BBC version of the Office is funny in its British kind of way, but you can't say it's better than the NBC version.
    • bobpaul, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@underthelinux
      Whatever. MSNBC is the 24hr extension of NBC Nightly news. They aren't run the same executives that might have a steak in the article. Oh, wait, they are.
    • edeliz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@seiha

      NBC Shows that? I thought BitTorrent had all the rights now .
    • EdLesMann, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5"It's no where near as funny as the original."
      Eh. I disagree.
      While the BBC Office was hilarious, the boss character tried too hard to be an ass and was too over the top for me. The US Office boss character isn't trying to be an ass, he just is a bumbling oblivious idiot. Its the intentional vs the unintentional. Insulting someone because you know you will get a reaction is funny the first time, after that it just gets boring because there is only a limited number of routes you can take. Watching a character insult another not realizing they did it or not seeing why it is insulting allows for just about any emotional path (insulted, anger, sad, happy, confused, ect). Therefore, I personally find the unintentional funnier.

      There are also other character differences:
      I thought the Gareth(BBC) character was much funnier then his Dwight(US) counterpart but that Jim(US) was much funnier then Tim(BBC). Yet, I think the US combo of Jim and Dwight is way funnier then Tim and Gareth.
      Having Creed (the guy who doesn't care about anyone and talks about death, destruction, and war) as the Quality Assurance guy in the US version is brilliant IMO.

      There are many episodes that are almost the exact same between the two, and I have my favorite eps from both. However, now that the US version has taken the series far past where the BBC left it I believe that it proves that the US version can stand on its own. Its not something like Red Dwarf where the US version was a complete bastardization and utter rubbish*. The US version of The Office is quite entertaining. At this point in time, IMHO, I think the US version is better as a whole.
      Maybe that is just me.

      *If you have not seen the US Red Dwarf DON'T! It isn't worth the curiosity. Stick with the British version!
    • radix33, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I watch NBC for Heroes and PGA Tour events.
    • thepotatoman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1" @insanewriters
      Scrubs, my name is earl, the office, 30 rock, snl (don't kid your self it is still extremely popular), heroes.
      yes no one is watching nbc. it is still higher ranked than fox."

      Actually fox does get more viewers then NBC this season. NBC has a 6.0 rating season to date, fox has a 6.3 along with ABC. Of course CBS gets # 1 with most of its primetime being spent on tons of crime and news shows, all of which are rated really high. Of course I would also argue that nielson ratings are crap and pull its samples from way to much of the stupid and old then the smarter and more busy person basically because getting technitions to come out and put a box on the tv or wasting time doing diaries for 5 freakin dollars is so not worth it that only stupid and old would probably except the offer, but that might be best saved for another topic.

      http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,272|||weekly,00.html
  • coldfirenj, on 10/12/2007, -11/+14Its funny. I've watched every Season of 24 on DVD before I caught up to season 6... From what you read online season 6 seems to be rather unpopular. As someone who watches the show very diligently I don't really agree. Season 2 is probably my favorite, and three the worst (though I still loved it). Season six, in my opinion, is highly watchable. Every episode leave me satisfied and craving more. But, you know, thats just me.
    • ChumpChief, on 10/12/2007, -5/+9I'm right with you, I have no idea why people don't like this season as much. I think they did a good job this time around with balancing the action and emotional sides of the story and not ending up with action-heavy or emotion-heavy episodes. Plus, I think that nearly every episode had at least one, if not multiple plot twists that were virtually impossible to predict.

      Oh, and this season also does an excellent job of showing rational people with opposite political views working civilly together (Tom Lennox and Karen Hayes). Well done, 24.
    • jcm267, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Problem with 24... there isn't much else they can do now. I think they jumped the shark with this nuclear attack... Anything they come out with now has to be HUGE, like smallpox attack or something.

      Why isn't South Park on the list? I think that show is well in decline.
    • YellowJKT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah I'm with you guys as well. 24 has been a great show over the last few years.

      This season has been amazing, unlike last season which I thought was a complete disaster.
      You can see the more serious tone Jack is going through with his family, How all of this impacts him, and affects others.
      Oh, and there's none of that "wussy women's side of the story" stuff going on either. So far so good :-D

      I think it's time to wrap the show up while it's still on top. Seinfeld did it and it's STILL on re-runs everywhere.
      More Season(s) of 24 would just hurt the franchise. It's made FOX a mint and Kiefer a star.
  • azAZ09, on 10/12/2007, -20/+8That list is invalid. Please, an NBC calling for the cancellation of the other networks shows but not their own? This is really stupid.

    Lost is a really great show, it doesn't matter if they don't answer all questions or have flashbacks within flashbacks. I kind of reminds me of that quirky 1960's British television show --The Prisoner.


    • smallestmills, on 10/12/2007, -4/+16E.R. is on NBC.
    • triscuitbiscuit, on 10/12/2007, -2/+34They have a good distribution of the networks i see
      Fox - 2
      ABC - 1
      CBS - 1
      NBC - 1
      And they had to pick on somebody at least twice so it is pretty good in that department
    • Nat5an, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Well, I suppose they could have called out the CW too, although they probably would have had to pick the one should that _shouldn't_ be canceled on the CW.
    • brufleth, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9LOL @ the CW
    • katyggls, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2nat5an (#6203387) said: "Well, I suppose they could have called out the CW too, although they probably would have had to pick the one should that _shouldn't_ be canceled on the CW."

      The CW is already canceling Reba, Seventh Heaven (finally), and Veronica Mars. If they cancel anything else, they won't have anything left. I just hope they don't cancel Supernatural. It's a great show! A lot of people don't give it a fair shake because they hear it's on the CW and think it's teeny bopper crap like Smallville and BTVS. That was my thought too when I first heard about it. But then I watched the first few episodes, and I was hooked. People should give it a try. If you liked the X-files, you'll like Supernatural (in fact, they share many of the same writers).
  • blumph, on 10/12/2007, -5/+33i never watch it and i'm glad i don't.

    ladies and gentlemen, clocking in at more than 7 minutes of david carusso gold one liners,

    csi miami:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sarYH0z948
  • edmoney90, on 10/12/2007, -2/+123My Super Sweet Sixteen and all the other shows on MTV maybe
    • mrwoo, on 10/12/2007, -6/+18Yes MTV should burn in hell and all those who featured on that show should be roasted slowly.
    • donkz, on 10/12/2007, -3/+64mtv should be cancelled
    • TheSaladMan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+57Remember when a channel called "Music Television" actually had music on it? Seems like so long ago....
    • forcedfx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9How about the whole channel? That would get my vote.
    • EvilGnome, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12Not only does MTV not play music, the music that is played on it is terrible. They bought some plasma TVs for the gym at my school (University of Delaware) and now you are stuck listening to MTV2 while you lift. So much for getting riled up to push out one more lift, I'd rather let it drop on my chest.
  • jobeus, on 10/12/2007, -5/+63How come I can't vote for American Idol to be axed? :(
  • 4815162342, on 10/12/2007, -14/+55Lost is still the best show on television. I guess MSNBC didn't see it last week.
    • hhravn, on 10/12/2007, -10/+0I agree that its a great show, but its been three seasons now, and in my opinion were getting very close to the point where it should end (after an extensive wrap-up, ofcourse). Its getting kindda messy, with lots of smaller stories, that doesn't really add anything (not for me, anyways). If it doesn't end soon its gonna come out as a the-first-seasons-were-better show instead of a pretty awesome one.
    • profOblivion, on 10/12/2007, -12/+32"Lost is the best show on television."

      Maybe. Until next Monday.

      It's time to save the world.
    • blakyce, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17I love Lost and I am fine with never finding out all of the answers. People had the same problem with X-Files in that they wanted to know what was happening. I understand their frustration but for myself I enjoy the journey more than my need to bring things to a conclusion. As long as we have great characters like Locke, Sayed, Sawyer, Kate ... I will continue to enjoy what the island throws at them. If the show has all the questions answered it becomes Gilligan's Island and i don't want that.
    • TheSaladMan, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5You think Kate is a good character? Did you completely miss her last two filler flashbacks?
    • mikesherov, on 10/12/2007, -2/+27Lost, as a show, was designed for 5 seasons. In my opinion, that means there should be more questions then answers up until around 2.5 years into the show, especially since the show has one main concept that should be solved by the end.

      If you noticed, Lost hit it's main arc a few weeks ago. They have been consistently revealing more than they've been obscuring since they came back from the mini-season, but they will never stop introducing mini-mysteries up until the end. If you don't have the patience to wait for the show to fully reveal itself and need nice little pre-defined packages where you know there is a big answer every week, please go elsewhere.

      Lost is about coming up with theories and testing them week after week without getting 100% validation. It's about scouring the internet and piecing movie clips together, and talking to friends about what is going on on the island. It isn't about "Did you see what happened?". It's about "What the hell happened?". It's about not getting the full answer while believing you already know what the full answer is. If Lost just tied everything up nicely every other week, it would just be Heroes. Some people like long drawn out mysteries. If you're that type of person, Lost is for you.
    • reddevil3, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2"Lost is still the best show on television."

      Nah....The Sopranos, The Shield, Battlestar Galactica, and more importantly, the magnificent show which is "The Wire" are alll waaaaaaaay better than Lost.

      I'm only taking dramas into consideration...not fair to consider comedies I think.
    • TheMattrix, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Actually Lost ranks in at 58 according to TV.com.
      http://www.tv.com/shows/topshows.html?tag=subnav;highest_rated_shows

      The three top-rated shows are:
      1) Heroes
      2) Dexter
      3) House

      And if you've never heard of Dexter, I suggest you look it up.
    • thezettabytes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Those are not the ratings. And when it comes to deciding how much a show gets for advertisements what you posted is completely irrelevant. What matters is the 18-49 and 18-34 demo numbers and Lost and 24 both own those demographics. Lost is the number 1 show at 10 pm on any night on any network in 18-49 and 18-34 demo. 24 gets second most amount of money for a 30 second advertisement clip after Idol LOST gets the 4th highest amount of money for a 30 sec clip out of all the shows. I am guessing that the amount of money LOST makes for ABC and 24 makes for Fox is more than what all of NBC's shows combined make.
    • 4815162342, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@thematrix

      I think that list is skewed because of the number of votes, clown. Lost has 27K votes, Dexter has 3K votes. LOLZ moron
  • ElectricFuneral, on 10/12/2007, -6/+45why isn't american idol on that list?
    • mywhitenoise, on 10/12/2007, -7/+29Gets too many ratings. But I totally agree, that show is ***** horrible and proves how useless our country is. We can get millions upon millions to vote for some douchebag with gay hair, but we can't get nearly as many to vote in the presidential election.
    • mooninite, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@mywhitenoise

      You can vote multiple times on Idol, correct? You don't *technically* have to me of legal voting age to vote for Idol, correct? Therefore, the voting numbers will be drastically higher and won't tell you the number of humans that voted.

      I doubt the true numbers are as high as a presidential election.
    • 60effects, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Fetching up to $620,000 per 30 sec of ad space is what keeps American Idol around.

      http://www.frankwbaker.com/2006_2007_ad_rates.htm
    • LethalGeek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2My understanding is I can pick up my cell phone and vote for idol. To vote for an elected official I have put pants on, go find a polling location, & be 18. Big freaken difference right there.
    • jobenly, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1First person to vote without wearing pants gets dugg to the front page!

      Of course, pics or it didn't happen.
  • BananaAmbush, on 10/12/2007, -6/+11The Simpsons has had it's run, I agree 100% with them on that. It's pretty sad that at least half of the episodes I couldn't care less to see. That means that any rerun I see will have a higher chance of being bad instead of being one of the glory day episodes.
  • Ibanezfoo, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1And yet another list of some tools opinions.............................. Seriously, what is with all the lists of crap people post on digg? We've reduced substance and actual information to opinionated lists.... sad.
  • mywhitenoise, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2yes to all of them. There's a lot that also needs to be canceled though. I saw 'the Winner' a few weeks ago, if that isn't canceled already, get to it. I ***** hate sitcoms.
  • mrwoo, on 10/12/2007, -9/+1Yeah this seasons 24 has blown... Lost is finishing this season is it not?
    • checksumz, on 10/12/2007, -6/+5I don't think so, or rather I hope not. Lost is freaking awesome.
  • tsetem, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2Big ones I didn''t see:
    * Desperate Housewives. They've jumped the shark. End it.
    * American Idol (Go Sanjaya!!!!! Make Simon have a nervous breakdown)

    Umm, ok, maybe that's about it. Certainly don't watch enough TV to really qualify this...
  • ManHammer, on 10/12/2007, -6/+23American Idol, American Idol, American Idol
  • theokandroid, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2If Lost is cancelled Id have a *****-fit, at least let em finish the damn story. If they can.
    • imasuperhero, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think that was the point made in the article, end it right, and try not to milk it for all it's worth. Let these shows die a dignified death.
  • lowryba, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5I agree with the MTV shows... cut all that out and maybe the collective IQ of the nation will rise slightly. I don't agree with Lost being #1. I love it and have got several people hooked... it's a love hate relationship. Guess what? Nobody is forcing you to watch these shows... if you don't like them, don't watch them.... how simple is that?

    Also, NBC wanting to cancel the most popular shows on other networks..... Come on now....
    • mywhitenoise, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5"Guess what? Nobody is forcing you to watch these shows... if you don't like them, don't watch them.... how simple is that?"

      Yet you suggested to cancel all of MTVs line up. And as far as your retarded statement, if people DON'T watch, shows get canceled.
    • kaz928, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Actually I do feel kinda forced into watching lost, not the gun to your head "you'll watch or else" but the kinda "well i've watched it this far, gotta hang in there no matter how bad it gets just to see the ending."
  • TroubleInMind, on 10/12/2007, -2/+24ER is still on the air? WTF?
  • checksumz, on 10/12/2007, -7/+8Buried. I don't need some hack telling me what I should and should not enjoy watching.
  • lostradamus, on 10/12/2007, -8/+524 should have been gutted a long time ago.
  • Zarile3, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2Yeah, most of those need to be gone. ER isn't that bad, but the rest can just go.

    I am still pissed that they canceled The Black Donelly's.
  • moisie, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4Cancelling Lost won't help you see the ending. Cancelling it with fair warning and forcing them to wrap it up next season might be the best idea.
  • tofuninja, on 10/12/2007, -3/+32I'm sorry, but anyone who posts a top 5 list like that without AMERICAN IDOL on it is not a credible source.
    • jiggawoot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Perhaps a top 10 list was in order.
  • energyguy78, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10Those are the only 5 shows that I watch!
    Did they only put shows that have been on for more than 5 years?!?
    They should cancel every reality t.v. show out there. Those are pointless.
    They should bring back Firefly.
  • nebbo, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3Agree with all 5.
  • FIRTEEN888, on 10/12/2007, -8/+6What's MSNBC smoking, they listed some of the best shows on TV there. 24???? Lost??? I just lost all respect for MSNBC. Morons
  • jonathanle, on 10/12/2007, -4/+16Dancing with the Stars.
  • ABlix, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I can't really say I agree that 24 should be cancelled. I'm a huge fan of the show and I think Season 6 is very strong. With a show that has 24 episodes every season, you can't expect an A+ for every single episode. The beginning of this season was, in my opinion, very well done and perhaps one of the best. Not every single episode may leave you satisfied, but if you wait until the DVD you won't be able to stop watching the show. It's just waiting a week for the next episode on a potentially lame hook that makes me angry.
  • donkz, on 10/12/2007, -10/+3Totally agree with Lost. I've watched every single episode (most on 4x forward) and I hate the damn show.

    24 is getting old. "Thousands of people will die if you dont tell us *"

    • gnslngr1919, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6"Totally agree with Lost. I've watched every single episode (most on 4x forward) and I hate the damn show."

      Well, that makes a lot of sense.
  • Majin_Raditz, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1I agree all those show should be canceled.

    Now how about bringing back Firefly?
  • cybermort, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4funny the won't let me vote to kill any of the reality shows that i so much loath (practically all of them)
  • rmayo87, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3are you f***ing kidding me???? what is wrong with these idiots?!?!?!?!
  • Essefgy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3I was worried when I clicked on the link, but after seeing the list I could not agree more. All these shows were once great but have since become sad, tired, repetitive shadows of themselves. It's time to let them go.
  • frequenicity, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1How about some reality shows?!? Or, as Amanda Peet's character on Studio 60 brilliantly stated, "Illiterate Programming"
  • MadOgre, on 10/12/2007, -2/+21Still pissed they canceled Firefly.
  • youngjjohnson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Cancel ER, no please,i like er. Its realistic in the fact that the same doctors aren't always there, just like in real life some people move to different hospitals and so on and so forth. I particularly like that you can see the growth in some people. Like some one will come in as a intern, and then five years later or so they are a doctor, you see their confidence change...the whole nine yards. Plus the show still entertains me, thats just my opinion, i know i have it set to record on my dvr
  • HHP2K, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I don't even watch TV and I completely disagree with all of these.

    CSI New york might be worthy of the boot, but it's still CSI to me.
  • Philluminati, on 10/12/2007, -6/+285 comments in 18 minutes!

    I can't believe they would cancel Simpsons, doh!
  • halfemptyfilms, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0While I agree that this season of 24 is somewhat weak, I think its pretty clear that season three is the worst.

    It is, however, time to kill Jack. Could Doyle take over?
  • cottenhamr, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3Whoever wrote this is smoking crack. 24 is the most well written show on TV. The actors are the most competent.
  • greyspace, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0Wow. That's a neat bit of hubris: one network (well, okay, the subsidiary partnership of one network) arguing for the cancellation of shows on other networks. Personally, I have no use for such reasoned argument from a group that can't see their way clear to let SNL die.

    Yeah, it's a logical fallacy. Sue me.
  • techwrekfix, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3Most network TV these days is crap. I can thing of only one show I would be sad to see go, Heroes. Cable isn't much better.
    • ZebraCrew, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I agree, Heroes is the only show i watch since going to college.
  • burn0ut, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I lost respect for Fox when they let 24 push Arrested Development into such a ***** spot that it got canceled (halfway through the third season).

    And I'm content as long as NBC doesn't cancel Scrubs.
    • dchaosdx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4virtual five!
    • hater2win, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Frito Bandito!
    • VioletArrows, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Um... Scrubs is almost on its last season. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrubs_%28TV_series%29#Season_7
    • VioletArrows, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Darn it. The site and my browser are sluggish since there are so many replies (Kevin, for god's sake upgrade the comment system). I'll probably be dugg down, but you have to admit, there's this sweet spot for shows. They can't go on forever or they turn into nightmares where you remember the golden seasons and then wondered when it turned to crap, or the point was not made fast enough and the execs ditch it for the next sure yet repetitive thing. I love Scrubs, but lets get it out on a good note.
  • kitaljevich, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1Wait... what?

    Hmm, every show that MSNBC thinks should be cancelled belongs to another network...

    Go figure.
  • jrtcs, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Deal, or No Deal-The only requirements to be on this show are to be desperate, stupid, and loud.
  • 91degrees, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3My views:

    Lost: "Lost direction" would have been a good name a fewweeks back, but seems to be back on track. I heard rumours that they were told not to make sure the series could run as long as neccesary so they were treading water and padding it a bit rather than continuing plot development. It would be a little disappointing if this show eneded before all the questions were answered.

    Simpsons: We've had almost 400 episodes. I think we can survive on repeats for a while. The show is getting a bit stale. None of the most memorable episodes seem to have been made in the past 5 years.

    24: I think this should have ended after season 1. That was great. It just got silier each season. They coul dat least lose the conceit that events happen in real time. The justification for keeping CTU up all night always seems flimsy at best. If they do another series, then something needing to be stopped in 24 hours might be a start.

    ER: Is that show stil on the air?

    CSI: NY: I'll not get tired of this franchise until they do CSI: Some small Hick town that nobody's ever heard of (with the theme tune of Pete Townshend singing the hedgehog song)
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