Movies and TV shows I thought were going to be bad but turned out to be pretty great

This is my mea culpa. I’m usually good at predicting whether a movie or TV show is going to be watch-worthy or not, but there has been a bunch of cases I have judged way too quickly, without having given them a chance and then I realized how great they were. Sometimes, these flash judgement we make can cause us miss out on some pretty good content, which is why I now watch any new TV show for at least 3 episodes before deciding if I’m going to continue giving it a chance or if I want to ditch it. For movies, I must say that the art of making good trailers has been lost. All movies look bad now if we only watch their trailers.

Anyhow, I’ve compiled a list of my top five movies and TV shows that I have misjudged the most. Here they are.

movies

John Wick

When I saw the trailer for John Wick’s first installment, I simply thought “not another mindless action movie where Man gets mad, man wants revenge, 60 minutes of unrealistic action scenes, man kisses woman”. But you know what? As soon as the bad guy killed that puppy, I just saw red and wanted bloody revenge. Kidding aside, though my projected summary is relatively accurate (he did want revenge, but he did not kiss a woman at the end), the cinematography is way better than any contemporary action movie, like say, The Fast&Furious. The action sequences are very well thought of and well choreographed, and did not overly rely on CGI. I waited some time before agreeing to watching this film and I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised! I had a great time viewing it, so much so that I watched the second and third installments, and will probably watch the upcoming forth! John Wick 2 is not great. Far from it but John Wick 3 was a lot better.

Asterix : Mission Cléopâtre

The Asterix comics have been a staple in my childhood, as well as that of most francophiles in the world. The animated film versions became a must for all my Christmas holidays. I love the humor, the sarcasm, the stories and the characters so much that I’ve read the comics over and over again. When they announced they’ll be adapting them for the movies, in 1999, I was concerned and rightly so because Asterix et Obelix contre César was a horrendous film. I tried to watch it but had to stop. The costumes, the set, everything was horrible. In 2002, they decided to make another adaptation, this time written and directed by someone else, Alain Chabat. And behold, Asterix et Obelix : Mission Cléopâtre. Though I kept hearing good things about this film, I was reluctant to see it for fear of being disappointed again. I finally caved and went to watch it at the movies. It’s now by far one of my favorite comedies! I still quote some scenes every now and then for a laugh! Other adaptations have been made after this one but all failed to live up to it. This one and only Asterix cinematic adaptation is the only one worth a watch. Am I glad, now, that my sister literally forced me to go watch it with her! Though not all that faithful to the story line, the movie succeeded at encapsulating the mood, the in-your-face attitude of the characters, the humor of the comic series. And that’s what matters.

Jumanji : Welcome to the jungle

Every now and then, I plan a “Me” day. During such day, I just spoil myself by spending a whole day just by myself, doing what I want. It helps me disconnect a bit and not having to interact with anyone sometimes relaxes me. Over a year ago, during a particularly uneventful “Me” day downtown, I decided to go to the movies. The only film that hasn’t already begun was Jumanji : Welcome to the jungle. I really wasn’t a fan of the original film and hadn’t heard anything about that one, but, what the hell, I decided to go. It was mid-week so the room was empty (the best!). I really did not expect much from the experience and as it turned out, I had a lot of fun! This was a really imaginative way of rebooting the film, the jokes were very funny and the actors excellent! I came in expecting a boring movie for kids similar to the 1995 version but came out happy and satisfied because a lot of jokes are for people my age. It’s not great cinema but very good entertainment! The follow up film wasn’t as good, but that was kind of expected.

21 Jump Street

Really did not expect to like that film at all! I was not a fan of the original TV series, and I am not really a Channing Tatum fan. The only reason I went to see it was because we were bored and needed to pass some time before out dinner reservation. We didn’t want to watch anything dramatic or too serious and 21 Jump Street looked like the light comedy we needed at the time. To be perfectly honest, I expected some dumb teen movie with lots of slapstick and genitalia innuendos, but little did we know that we’d actually have a good time watching it! Some jokes and lines were actually hilarious! The follow up movie was good but not as much as that first one.

Spy

If there’s a movie that suffered from bad advertising and could use a much better trailer, it would be Spy. That film looked so stupid, judging from the trailer. I thought it’d be another lame spy comedy like Johnny English or Get Smart, filled with terrible slapstick jokes. I refused to give it any time a day for a while, till one night, it was playing on TV. There was nothing else to watch so I thought “sure, why not?”. As it turned out, I laughed so hard during Spy! Jason Statham’s character requesting the face-off machine still cracks me up! That movie, written and directed by Paul Feig really is hilarious. Check it out for a good laugh.

TV shows

Better call Saul

Breaking Bad was such a perfect series that I honestly thought that Vince Gilligan throwing himself into a spin-off so quickly (or at all, for that matter) would be a bad, bad mistake. And with Saul Goodman, of all the characters? He was the comic relief in Breaking Bad, but would an entire show revolving around him be watchable? Wouldn’t he get old and/or annoying after a while? The answer is no and no! Hence the genius of Vince Gilligan. He’s managed to create a whole new captivating show around a known character, brought back other characters from Breaking Bad, but it never felt like a Breaking Bad series. It’s something completely different, leading to the events of Breaking Bad. How amazing is that? I think Vince Gilligan succeeded where Fear the Walking Dead failed : a spin-off prequel that can stand on its own. We’re into the 5th season and I still can’t wait to see what happens!

Archer

I’ve never been a big fan of adult cartoons. Sure, there was a time when I watched The Simpsons and Family Guy, but that got old pretty quickly and I soon lost interest. I was told Archer was a perfect show for me but I was reluctant to give it a chance. I saw tidbits and thought it looked kind of vulgar, so I brushed it aside. One night, there was nothing to watch on TV and I stumbled on an Archer marathon while flipping through the channels. Since there was nothing else on, I decided to give one episode a chance. I ended up going to bed so late that night because I could not stop watching and laughing! Archer is rife with pop culture references and incredible humor. And it IS made for someone like me! I became obsessed with it. The good thing is that Archer had already been airing for a few seasons when I picked on, so I treated myself to an amazing marathon! Archer is the perfect mix between Arrested Development (Jessica Walter, who plays Lucille Bluth, actually lends her voice to play the mother in Archer as well!) and The Office.

Rick & Morty

I pretty much started watching Archer and Rick&Morty almost at the same time. I had heard of Rick&Morty before, hearing that it’s hilarious, super smart and funny, but like with Archer, I saw a clip and deemed it too vulgar as well. I mean, an old guy burping all the time as he speaks? Really? That’s supposed to be funny? And just like Archer, I started watching Rick&Morty when there was nothing else on TV! I actually gave it a chance because of how much I liked Archer and reconsidered my stance on animated shows for adults. And what a discovery that was! I could not stop watching and reveled at how smart that cartoon was! I was disappointed there was so very few episodes per season but loved them all nonetheless. This is a series that is filled with pop culture references, that sometimes deals with deep scientific facts in an incredibly humoristic context. I don’t know how they do it but I can’t get enough.

The Good Place

I was reluctant to give the Good Place a chance for two reasons : first, it comes from NBC, a regular network and not cable. It has been a long while since I’ve watched and enjoyed a show that comes from a network that isn’t cable or a streaming service. NBC and the likes are no longer what they once were, especially NBC. The times of Must-See-TV are long gone. The second reason I expected The Good Place to be bad is the super colorful, super bright visuals of the show. I thought it’d be too happy and obvious a show for me to enjoy. She’s a bad person who ended up by accident in the Good Place? Time for some ridiculous misunderstandings and over-the-top scenarios! Is what I thought the show would be. And how wrong was I to underestimate The Good Place! It has got to be one of the smartest TV shows there is. It teaches philosophy and morality in each and every episode, with great humor and originality. The Good Place is brilliant in how it teaches its viewers about complex concepts, how it renews its self every season and how hilarious it can be at the same time. The finale was a bit of a misstep but who cares when the rest is so great?

Schitt’s Creek

I have already talked about Schitt’s Creek in a previous post about the best TV shows of 2019, and I’m going to talk about it again, because I absolutely fell in love with this series. This is my biggest mea culpa. I used to roll my eyes whenever a commercial for Schitt’s Creek would play on TV or at the movies. The title sounded crass, it’s Canadian and quite frankly, a riches to rags story sounded unimaginative. Yes, I do have a bit of a prejudice when it comes to Canadian television, for many local shows I have watched haven’t demonstrated any level of originality or creativity. After a while, well, yes, I start assuming things. Anyhow, I don’t exactly remember how or why we decided to give the show a try, but I do know that we started watching 4 seasons in. I was hooked during the very first episode. Catherine O'Hara is amazing! Her weird accent, her wigs, her mannerism, are all priceless and her character will go down history as one of the greatest. The sitcom is now a few episodes short from its series finale and I cannot wait to see how it goes. I’ll be sad I won’t get to see all these colorful characters anymore, but I’ll be glad I caught on soon enough to live it with everyone!

Well, that’s it! If you haven’t watched any of the movies or TV shows yet, for the same reasons I did, may I suggest that you take the time to give them a chance. We may not have the same tastes, but you might discover something new! You never know.

Until next time, enjoy!

Great TV shows that were seriously underappreciated

Last week, I stumbled on a very mediocre sitcom while casually flipping through channels, looking for something good (or just okay) to watch. I was surprised (or should I rather say upset) to see that this unfunny, unoriginal, lame show was still on the air while so many better sitcoms or dramas had been cancelled and forgotten. I know there’s no accounting for taste, but still …

The point I’m trying to make is that I’ve seen a LOT of TV shows in my time, all ranging between life-changing to downright awful. Somewhere in that array, is a special selection of series that were a lot better than the ratings let on. They deserved more appreciation and must not be forgotten. Or at least, deserved more chance. It’s always baffled me why so many subpar shows live on for years on end, while much better ones just get tossed aside in a heartbeat. The titles in this article are some of what I consider the most underappreciated TV shows ever. Of course, there are many, many more, but these are my personal favorites.

DEAD LIKE ME (2003 - 2004)

I stumbled on Dead Like Me by pure accident. I just turned the television on, and there’s this show that’s about to premiere. Back then, I was very much aware of upcoming TV shows; I had a pretty elaborate calendar of what’s airing, where and when. Yet, I never heard of Dead Like Me. Seemed like it appeared without any promo. As soon as it aired, I immediately fell in love with it. As an antisocial (or is it socially awkward? or is it both?), I tend to identify with such characters. And George Lass is just that: a socially awkward girl who’s trying to figure out how she fits in this strange and hard to understand world. She dies in the first episode. Not much of a spoiler here, that’s the premise of the show. As the space station Mir was reentering Earth, it was fast disintegrating and its toilet seat broke off to fall directly on George, killing her instantly. First blow, she realizes that she’s dead. Second blow, some stranger (played by the amazing Mandy Patinkin), the only person on site who can actually see her, announces to her that she is now a grim reaper (the grim reaper who took her soul before she’s killed reached his quota and finally got a promotion). Then she learns that even dead, she must find work to be able to find a place to live and pay the bills. This is an exceptional show about family tensions, work place dynamics and basic human interactions, but with a morbid twist. Bryan Fuller left after the first season and, because of that, the second season wasn’t as tight as the first, but still, Dead Like Me deserved more viewership.

WONDERFALLS (2004)

Also created by Bryan Fuller and starring Caroline Dhavernas, this short-lived series is about an unambitious college graduate who works at a souvenir shop next to Niagara Falls. Her life is turned upside down when objects around her start interacting and talking to her and giving her orders, forcing her to meddle into other people’s lives for reasons she does not understand. This show was so original and witty that I have a hard time understanding why it only lasted one season! Upon some research, I quickly learnt that Fox did not give Wonderfalls any chance to succeed by not promoting the show at all and giving it horrible and always changing time slots. It’s a real shame because Wonderfalls, in all its perkiness and humanity, deserved an audience. Bryan Fuller went on and created another dramatic comedy in 2007, Pushing Daisies, which was very similar to Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls in its colorful style, but unlike its predecessors, Pushing Daisies was actually a success. Though it was fine a show, I always felt like Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls were much better. But despite its success (12 Emmy nominations), Pushing Daisies was cancelled after its second season.

RAISING HOPE (2011 - 2014)

I always felt like Raising Hope did not get the praise it deserved. It was there but no one was talking about it and as soon as it stopped airing, everybody forgot about it. It’s a shame because they succeeded at making a very funny and authentic family sitcom, which is hard to do considering the amount of family sitcoms that are made every year. Raising Hope is among the few recent sitcoms that’s made me laugh out loud; it produced some hilarious moments, played by a perfectly cast set of actors (Martha Plimpton, Garret Dillahunt and Cloris Leachman among others). If you get a chance to watch this show, please do and you will not be disappointed. It’s essentially about Jimmy, a clueless 23 year-old who lives with his parents and grandmother, who suddenly becomes the father of a small baby girl (the mother was arrested after their one-night stand, gave birth to the baby in prison and is on death row).

HOMICIDE : LIFE ON THE STREET (1993 - 1999)

If you asked people to name great cop shows, they will mention NYPD Blues, Law&Order, The Wire, but one thing’s for sure is that no one will say Homicide: Life on the street. Strange thing is, most TV fans or cop show fans I talk to don’t even know about it! Though it ran for 6 seasons and was critically acclaimed, Homicide always suffered from low ratings. I never understood why so many bad cop shows went on to become fan favorites while a riveting and raw procedural like Homicide just sunk into oblivion. I think it’s by far one of the most underappreciated show of all time. Real and realistic, intense, gritty and just riveting to watch, Homicide had it all: complex characters, convoluted story arches, captivating interrogations and most importantly, detectives Bayliss and Pembleton, the greatest yet most complicated duo of all police procedural. Like Wonderfall, Homicide suffered from bad promo from its network and an ever changing time slot that might have prevented it from maintaining a proper fanbase.

CARNIVÀLE (2003 - 2005)

Carnivàle was a bit ahead of its time. Had it aired some time around now, it would have been a huge hit, but back then, people seemed to be more into reality TV and lighter-themed programs. This is very frustrating because Carnivàle was one hell of a show. Set during the Great Depression, this supernatural drama is about an impending battle between what must be assumed to be good and evil, with a travelling carnival caught in the middle of it. Different, original, visually stunning and unnerving, Carnivàle deserved a much better fate. While it was considered too weird and slow-paced back then, it would have been called a masterpiece now… And though it won a few Emmys, the series was cancelled after the second season due to low ratings.

MillenniuM (1996 - 1999)

MillenniuM is a thriller with supernatural undertones, much like The X-Files (both shows were created by Chris Carter). The series follows the investigations of Frank Black, a retired FBI agent turned consultant who is gifted with the ability to see inside criminals’ minds. He also works for a mysterious society called MillenniuM Group, whose involvement in world affairs are somewhat murky. Though captivating to watch, the show was met with mixed reviews; viewers and critics alike found the story lines too macabre and thought they could be lighter and more fun, which is just ridiculous. The darker tone of the episodes, the creepy murders and Frank Black’s haunting visions are what made MillenniuM so great. Once again, had it aired more recently, in the era of everything-must-be dark, MillenniuM would have been a great success.

BETTER OFF TED (2009 - 2010)

Better Off Ted is another show that was met with a lot of critical acclaim but failed to pan out in the ratings. Its main character, Ted, is the head of the Research and Development department of Veridian Dynamics, a powerful, soulless and dehumanizing conglomerate that is willing do whatever it takes for a profit, even if that meant weaponizing everything and anything, testing on its employees, or creating weird things like killer pandas. This entertaining and original sitcom was cancelled and forgotten about after just two seasons despite receiving a lot of positive reviews by critics. The network didn’t even bother to air the last 2 episodes.

PEOPLE OF EARTH (2016 - 2017)

People of Earth is so good and so special. I sincerely do not understand how or why more people are not watching it! Because of that, this hilarious sitcom was cancelled after just two seasons. Half the show takes place on Earth, in a small town called Beacon. A journalist is writing a report about Starcrossed, a support group for experiencers (a.k.a. abductees but they don’t like that term) only to realize that he might have been one as well. Together, they share their experiences and try to figure out the reasons behind these encounters. The other half of the show takes place in the alien spaceship that’s doing the abductions. Three aliens, each of a different species, work together to abduct and test their human subjects. People of Earth is part The X-Files, part The Office and it is genius! Its two seasons were fantastic and it came as a considerable surprise to learn that People of Earth was not renewed for a third season. A great shame!

If you have the opportunity to watch any of the shows listed above, please do and you will surely have a great time. They are far from being masterpieces but they did go out of their way to be bold and different, and for that reason alone, they deserve more appreciation.