Episodes you just can't stand to watch

[Stanislav]

It's one of your favorite classic TV shows. You watch reruns of it every chance you get.

BUT.....there's that one episode. Maybe it has an annoying guest star. Perhaps it's a very poor concept, or has your favorite character(s) acting horribly OUT of character. Or there's something that just rubs you the wrong way -- sticks in your craw. As much as you love the series as a whole, whenever THAT episode comes on, you groan and quickly flip the channel.

And that episode is.............?

 

[Prais]

Seinfeld waiting for a table in the Chinese restaurant and the episode when Elaine throws George's toupee out the window I'd like to slap her.
The Fugitive because I know how it ends.
The Soprano's when it's about Meadow or Tony Jr. or Tony's dreams.
Maury when someone doesn't know WHICH one of 10 guys is the baby's father.
"You are NOT the father."
Judge Judy episodes when she opens her mouth and speaks.
Larry King ; Any episode when he is asking someone who is controversial "softball" questions."

 

[Prais]

One more;
Most of the COLOR episodes of the Andy Griffith Show

 

[mleach]

OK..don't want to come across as being "mean" and someone who doesn't care but back in the late 90's Jerry Springer did an show about homeless teens. Nothing wrong with that but did Jerry Springer REALLY had to show an extreme close up shot of a toothless young man with open sores all over his face...and eating rotten food from a dumpster?

To this day I am not sure if Springer meant to bring into light the serious problem of homeless teens or if this was a case of "...look at what we found here !!!!!"

 

[BRNout]

The "Seven Dwarves" episode of The Brady Bunch. Bleech! Horrible. The writers simply mailed it in that day from the beach!

The very last episode of Seinfeld, which was unnecessarily mean-spirited.

There are others, I just have to gather my thoughts.....

 

[wbhist]

The Honeymooners episode "Trapped" (from the Classic 39); and most of the Lost Episodes (save for "Songs and Witty Sayings").

 

[gr8oldies]

Very early Simpsons episodes, and any Simpsons episode centered on Lisa.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Any episode of Ange 'n' Barn with the Darlings in it. Too much singing,
not enough comedy.

OTOH, a few others with (some) singing are good, such as the one where
all the locals except Elly come to think the A&R guy from National Records
is a con man. He's not, and Floyd's take on the advance check for 5 Gs
("c-c-cer-cer-tified") is priceless.

 

[NoWayNoCC]

I love 'The Dukes Of Hazzard', but in one of the very last episodes, a space alien visits. I hate to say it, but I just can't bear to watch such a silly concept.

 

[wbhist]

If sketches on comedy shows count in the "can't stand to watch" category, I'd nominate the "Superteech" sketch of the Jan. 5, 1983 edition of The Benny Hill Show, and the Dimpton traffic cops vs. street cleaners sketch of his Jan. 6, 1982 show.

 

[WMC2006]

I love 'The Dukes Of Hazzard', but in one of the very last episodes, a space alien visits. I hate to say it, but I just can't bear to watch such a silly concept.

Or any Dukes episode with Coy and Vance. :

 

[LKellerIII]

Any talk show re-run, whether I've seen it or not - that relies on topical humor in monologues or sketches. I'm including Letterman, Leno, Daily Show, Colbert, etc.

To me, there is nothing more irritating that two month old jokes about stuff that already happened. Lately, the networks are trying to run repeat episdoes that are very recent, and that's not so bad. It was much worse when Leno, Letterman, et al - used to repeat 3 or 6 month old episodes.

Actually, it would be interesting and nostalgic to see monologues from very old talk shows - like Carson doing Reagan jokes, or talking about "Governor Moonbeam" (California Governor Jerry Brown in the 70s).

 

[RicoGregg]

The episode of M*A*S*H, you know, the one where Hawkeye spends the last 10 minutes or so pontificating about how bad war is, and where they threw out the humor.

The episode of Three's Company, you know, the one where they had the misunderstanding.

The episode of Friends, you know, the one where they make New York City look like Stockholm, you know, no dark-skinned people exist.

And a big DITTO from me regarding Lisa Simpson. If Lisa Simpson was a real person, she would grow up to become an annoying feminist. In college, she would spoil the fun and good times of any sorority or club that she becomes associated with. At any of her class reunions, she's the former classmate that everyone else avoids like the plague. The main reason I don't watch The Simpsons like I once did is because of the Lisa Simpson character.

 

[gr8oldies]

I second that emotion on all three; MASH did get preachy about 2/3 of the way through, Three's Company was all about misunderstandings, and even though I didn't watch Friends, I know what you mean (same thing could be said about Seinfeld).

I still watch the Simpsons, but I think their best work is behind them.

I don't need to see the Surfin' Bird/Jesus working in a record store episode of Family Guy again, either.

 

[Legend City]

Any episode of Cosby where they meet a celebrity.

Color Andy Griffith shows (goober thinks a dog talks...Howard Sprague moves to an island, any episode with Ken Berry and his weenie son"

There is a Twilight Zone episode (kids swim through the pool to happier place) that I hate because they completely re-dubbed the voice of one of the kid actors, and it sounds like June Foray, but even higher pitched. Really bad ADR

Anything with Rich Little.

 

[LKellerIII]

There is a Twilight Zone episode (kids swim through the pool to happier place) that I hate because they completely re-dubbed the voice of one of the kid actors, and it sounds like June Foray, but even higher pitched. Really bad ADR

I don't remember that episode, but over the years, I remember June Foray's voice coming out of some kid's mouth on a number of occasions. It really ruined the continuity of a scene to have the kid suddenly sounding like Rocky the Flying Squirrel.

 

[gr8oldies]

When I was a kid, certain I Love Lucy episodes would end me out of the room...was I imagining that Fred Mertz used to kick in TVs a lot..like every time he saw one...or was it just one episode (or a completely different show)?

I'm curious about June Foray's voice coming out of a kid. Was the episode originally done that way or overdubbed in reruns? Either way, why?

I will say I can barely stand WKRP reruns with music replaced and lines overdubbed.

 

[RicoGregg]

There is a Twilight Zone episode (kids swim through the pool to happier place) that I hate because they completely re-dubbed the voice of one of the kid actors, and it sounds like June Foray, but even higher pitched. Really bad ADR

I don't remember that episode, but over the years, I remember June Foray's voice coming out of some kid's mouth on a number of occasions. It really ruined the continuity of a scene to have the kid suddenly sounding like Rocky the Flying Squirrel.

I'm curious about June Foray's voice coming out of a kid. Was the episode originally done that way or overdubbed in reruns? Either way, why?

Here's a link with all the info you would want on that episode. Click "trivia" on the left side column, and the reason for June Foray's dub is explained.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734631/fullcredits#cast

FYI: This was the very last episode of The Twilight Zone during it's original run.

 

[Stanislav]

There is a Twilight Zone episode (kids swim through the pool to happier place) that I hate because they completely re-dubbed the voice of one of the kid actors, and it sounds like June Foray, but even higher pitched. Really bad ADR

I don't remember that episode, but over the years, I remember June Foray's voice coming out of some kid's mouth on a number of occasions. It really ruined the continuity of a scene to have the kid suddenly sounding like Rocky the Flying Squirrel.

With all due respect to Ms. Foray (and I am a fan of her voice work), her stable of voices has never been huge. Really, she does about five basic voices: Little Kid (Rocky), Foreign Lady of Vaguely Eastern European Stock (Natasha), Sweet Old Lady (Tweety's Granny), Old Hag/Witch (Witch Hazel and a ton of hags in the "Fractured Fairy Tales"), and Cultured Spoiled Maiden (Nell Fenwick). Pretty much any voice she's ever done, major or incidental, is some slight variation on one of those. And because those voices are so identified with the major characters cited above, yeah, it can be somewhat disconcerting to hear those same, or very similar, voices in other contexts.

 

[LKellerIII]

There is a Twilight Zone episode (kids swim through the pool to happier place) that I hate because they completely re-dubbed the voice of one of the kid actors, and it sounds like June Foray, but even higher pitched. Really bad ADR

I don't remember that episode, but over the years, I remember June Foray's voice coming out of some kid's mouth on a number of occasions. It really ruined the continuity of a scene to have the kid suddenly sounding like Rocky the Flying Squirrel.

With all due respect to Ms. Foray (and I am a fan of her voice work), her stable of voices has never been huge. Really, she does about five basic voices: Little Kid (Rocky), Foreign Lady of Vaguely Eastern European Stock (Natasha), Sweet Old Lady (Tweety's Granny), Old Hag/Witch (Witch Hazel and a ton of hags in the "Fractured Fairy Tales"), and Cultured Spoiled Maiden (Nell Fenwick). Pretty much any voice she's ever done, major or incidental, is some slight variation on one of those. And because those voices are so identified with the major characters cited above, yeah, it can be somewhat disconcerting to hear those same, or very similar, voices in other contexts.

Sorry to keep wandering off topic, but I'm always curious about voice-actors who keep getting work despite the fact that their repertoire is severely limited. Don Adams is the most obvious example. I'm not putting him down - he was a funny and talented guy. But really:

Don Adams = Maxwell Smart = Tennessee Tuxedo = Inspector Gadget = a couple more I've probably forgotten.

Even Casey Kasem - despite the limitations of his voice - could make Shaggy sound like equal parts Kasem and Walter Denton.