2015 - The Shows I Most Regret Watching

It's December again. That means it's time to look back on the year. By far, 2015 was the busiest year of TV (or whatever we call it now) ever. So many shows. So many channels. So many ways to watch it. So much that I can't ever cover it all in a single list.

Before I get to the best this year had to offer, I need to unburden myself with the 10 shows that I least enjoyed watching. Now, I do need to make something clear. These are all shows that I watched multiple episodes of. In some cases, the whole season. For each of these shows, I could name at least 3 that I didn't even bother with and that are probably even worse. That said, I will not be continuing with several of these in 2016.

Top 10
Next Top 10 (11-20)
The “20's Not Enough” 10 (21-30)
The “Somehow Not in my top 30” 10. (31-40)
Everything Else
Worst 10
Wish I Watched

Last Year

(From Least Bad to Worst)

Cougar Town (Season 6)

This was the sixth and final season of Cougar Town and it's sad how ready I was for it to go. For a show that I once loved (it was my 13th favorite in 2013), I don't understand how I fell out of love with it. I somehow missed the series finale and still haven't gotten back around to it in eight months since.

True Detective (Season 2)

Three things made season one so spectacular: 1) Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson's captivating performances, 2) Nic Pizzolatto's crazy writing, and 3) Cary Jojo Fukanaga's masterful direction.
For season 2, Rachel McAdams, Collin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, and Taylor Kitschnearly matched that star power, but the characters simply weren't as interesting. Pizzolatto returned to write everything, but ended up writing densely to the point of being gibberish by the end. Despite bringing in excellent directors like Justin Lin and Jeremy Podeswa, they weren't able to match the singular focus of Fukanaga. This was a mess of a season. I'm hoping the lessons have been learned and season 3 is a return to form.

Married (Season 2)

I love Judy Greer and Nat Faxon. They do fine work on this show. I watched season one last year entirely out of my respect for them even though the tone of the show was never a match for me. I began this season, hoping it would grow on me. After a few episodes, it still didn't click. I just had to stop. I hate to be "that guy" but, maybe if it was funnier...

Gotham (Season 1)

I like my Batman fan fiction to be building to something. In the fall of 2014, I accepted that the creative team had to figure some things out. By the spring, it was clear that they were mostly worried about developing all the villains at a rate too fast to fit any Batman narrative and lost interest in telling Gordon's story. I didn't bother returning in the fall.

Grace & Frankie (Season 1)

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are legends. I mean, I've never loved them in anything, but they are definitely TV and film royalty. They willed a lot of this show to work. Just, not enough for me. I didn't find the writing as clever as the show did, and the leisurely pace struck me as dull, rather than relaxed. It just wasn't for me.

Public Morals (Season 1)

Truth be told, I watched this show for Katrina Bowden and Lyndon Smith. It turns out that they were not used much at all. Take them away, and this is a generic 60's cop drama. It's what I expected for a TNT drama, and a reminder of why I don't watch TNT dramas. Luckily, it's not returning for a second season, so this one has been dropped for me.

The Comedians (Season 1)

Thanks FX. You made me hate Billy Crystal and Josh Gad. Thanks for that. This was a Hollywood satire with absolutely nothing new to say.

American Horror Story: Hotel (Series 5)

I see why the fans of this show like it. The actors are all having a blast. Angela Bassett and Lady Gaga have saved entire episodes for me. There's times when this is just the coolest looking show on TV. For instance, Gaga and Matt Bomer's introduction scene I had to immediately watch a second time.
I'm sorry, but it is all sizzle and no steak. It's a collection of ideas first and a good story second. Or maybe it's better to say it's directed first, acted second, and written last. I really tried watching this keeping that in mind but I couldn't. I'm determined to finish the season, but it's become a drag. Perhaps a lot of that is on Wes Bentley. He's dreadful, at least on this. Without him, this is immediately twice as watchable.

Fear the Walking Dead (Season 1)

Did they learn anything from The Walking Dead? This managed to move too fast AND too slow. I'm not even sure how that's possible. Nothing happened for five episodes, yet Los Angeles managed to get overrun by walkers. Then, throw in some of the worst characters on TV and this was almost unwatchable at times. Seriously, Frank Dillane deserves an award for having the least likable character on TV. The sad thing is, I'll be back next season, because the flagship show has trained me to expect wild variance in quality. Besides, I want to be there when any of those kids die. Keep Kim Dickens, Cliff Curtis, maybe Ruben Blades, and recast the rest with every leftover actor from The Wire. That would be a good start.

Mulaney (Season 1)

This isn't even fair. Mulaney was my worst show last year for the first part of its horrific, brief season. A handful of episodes aired in 2015 too. I don't want to relive a second of this awful series, so let's just leave it at this: RIP Mulaney. You won't be missed.