Why do TV programers put really bad shows in between 2 really good shows

[LynneSin]

I love "True Blood" and "Entourage". But HBO has set it up that I'm stuck watching that crappy "Hung" in between the two. In fact they do a double Whammy with forcing you to watch "Hung" but putting it on again after "Entourage" and before their repeat of "True Blood".

Sorry I gave "Hung" one season and it was ok at best. Season 2 is like listening to fingernails on the chalkboard. Thomas Jane does a good job as the lead in the show but those 3 women cast opposite of him totally ruin the show. Usually I end up doing Laundry when "Hung" is on.

NBC use to do with with "Friends" and "Seinfeld" by putting really crappy stuff on at 8:30 so you were stuck watching/waiting thru it before the next decent show came on.

[EOTE]

1. This is why god invented the remote.

After he invented all those channels, of course. He knew that man would get bored with just one channel and knew that legs would be far better utilized for other things. So, voila! The remote came into being. Oh, and women can use them too.

[LynneSin]

2. There are only 2 shows I watch on TV each week

So I'll just leave it run and do laundry instead.

[EOTE]

3. Good picks.

I watch True Blood weekly (although I fell asleep mid-way through last night's episode, it was a long weekend). Now I'm just waiting for Dexter and Weeds to start their new seasons. I agree with you about Hung. Least interesting show to come from HBO in a long time.

[LynneSin]

4. I'm about ready to give up on Weeds - I think it totally jumped the shark

I mean it was a fun show about this suburban widow mom selling pot but something totally jumped the shark when Agresto burned down and she got involved with the Mexican Mafia. And like any other show about ready to die off into the sunset, Showtime decided to bring in a baby into the show. That's a ploy that has been used for decades to prop up a sagging show.

The last few seasons I would order showtime when Weeds was on but honestly, just not worth me paying for Showtime this time around (plus they never have any really good movies). I'll probably just wait to watch this season of Weeds when it hits Netflix.

On paper "Hung" seemed like a great idea but Lenore really annoys me and there are too many relationships to follow - Ray with his ex-wife, Ray with his baseball team, Ray with his Kids, Ray with the next door neighbor's wife, Ray with Lenore and Tea-brain. It just gets boring.

[AngryOldDem]

5. Yeah...I've got Seasons 4 and 5 of Weeds on DVD

And I really haven't been able to get past the midpoint on Season 4. (I don't get Showtime, but I got hooked on the show when I had it where I used to live.) The show really went downhill once Nancy went "professional" -- it took a really dark turn that just isn't working for me.

I do like Mary-Louise Parker, though.

[rurallib]

7. we got the first four seasons and we have watched the first three

but then in season 4 - blah

[KamaAina]

6. It's called the "hammock effect".

Just like with NBC, they're trying to build up ratings for the crappy show in between. It rarely works for more than a few weeks, after which people realize how crappy the middle show is.

[Orrex]

8. "Friends" started as an unknown between "Mad About You" and "Seinfeld"

I could never really stand Mad About You, but it enjoyed high ratings at the time, and of course Seinfeld was Seinfeld.

Friends started out as a pretty weak show (complete with a monkey mascot, for a time) and almost certainly benefited from the "hammock" effect already mentioned in the thread.

So Friends is an example of that "really crappy stuff," though I suppose that it got better over time. Never got into it myself.