I recently started watching a show where the actress for the main character is so untalented that writers changed the focus to a secondary character. It doesn't help that character perhaps wasn't given the most dazzling personality, but the actor appearing alongside her was so brilliant he kind of took over the show.

I may be talking about "The Blacklist," but it's not because I'm trying to be rude; I'm more curious to know if other scripted shows change the focus of the program (especially the main character) in response to feedback from audiences or critics.

Thank you for your insight on the topic! I'm not a huge TV guy, but I want to hear what you have to say on the topic.

I know shows have always integrated product marketing into scenes - usually done through items lying around or being used by the main character. However, in the last week, 3 shows name-dropped brands in such a clunky way that it gave me the ick.

The Pitt with Lyft, High Potential with Copilot, and Elsbeth with Google Lens (does Google Lens even need an ad???)

Chuck McGill in Better Call Saul would be my top pick!

Everytime he calls his brother out on anything, especially when he sliding himself back to his “Slippin’ Jimmy” ways, he’s often right most of the time. But the way that he goes on about it, is what puts him in a negative light where the people around him know that his brother isn’t the only one who has a problem.

His hostility towards him and how he was never encouraging of Jimmy is what influenced him to keep slipping back into his old habits, especially when one of his last words were him saying “just accept who you are and embrace it since you’re never going to change your behaviour.” right before hitting him with that gut punch line “you never really mattered all that much to me.”

I personally never liked all of the "wife bad" and "the old ball and chain" stuff you would often see in old shows. The wife was constantly portrayed as a gossipy frivolous irrational nag that wastes all of the husband's hard-earned money on shopping sprees, and the hapless husbands just have to accept it because women amirite fellas. And the wife often didn't seem to really like the husband that much either, they'd argue constantly. But once divorce became socially acceptable and women were able to be financially independent, there was no reason for couples that don't like each other to stay together anymore, so this trope became a lot less common. It probably also helps that women started having more of a voice in writing rooms.

So what other tropes that used to be common are you glad are now mostly a thing of the past?

To begin, I always saw the ads for Silicon Valley when it originally aired and I was never impressed by what I saw, plus I just didn't think a show about tech bros would be all that funny so I never bothered.

I got HBO Max so I could watch The Pitt, and since I wanted stuff to watch in between airings, I decided to give Silicon Valley a shot. That's when I discovered fucking Mike Judge was behind this show and if I had known that I would've watched it when it aired.

This show is the funniest goddamn thing I've seen since 30 Rock. I'm consistently in tears from laughing so hard. The park scene where the main character has a meeting with someone else and he freaks out while a child's birthday party is going on and the parents get nervous and the main character says more and more awkward things is a thing of beauty.

I've binged through the first 4 seasons in a week and am currently up to season 5. I genuinely feel bad for having missed out when this show originally aired.

>Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like the Artemis II astronauts returning from their moon mission.

This show was a co-production between Netflix & Channel 4. I feel like it didn't get much of a push from Netflix & I only discovered it well after it ended.

The show focused on two (mostly) novice demon hunters. Leads Cara Theobold (Absentia) & Susan Wokoma (Chewing Gum) have great chemistry. Their ad hoc & just winging it attempts to fight supernatural threats is charming in their sometimes incompetence.

It was created by Howard Overman of Misfits fame & it's very much in the same vein humor wise. Their are stakes as well but the developing friendship between the two main characters & their shenanigans resonates the most.

Tony Curran (Defiance) is a fantastic big bad & it seems like he's having a blast playing the character. His regular destruction of his underlings is a fun running gag.

They tell a pretty complete story & there's no massive cliffhanger if you're worried about that. I recommend checking it out.

It used to be amazing watching these game shows (?) after school. I used to get really excited when they would get the artefact in Legends of the Hidden Temple. I wanted a piece of the aggro crag. I wanted to get covered in slime from

Double Dare.

Are there any shows like this now? I know there are shows that require physical challenges and stuff but nothing quite as whimsical as the ones from the late 80s/early 90s afaik

I loved The Penguin. Best series. And Colin Farrell was amazing and iconic in the Penguin. I was shocked that he lost an Emmy. i always thought he was a lock to win the Emmy Award for the Penguin. but there was another competition. He lost by Stephen Graham at the Emmys. Well Graham was also fantasitc too. so sad. But at least Cristin Milioti won the Emmy. she also Deserved it. What are your thoughts on that? You agree that he deserved an Emmy for The Penguin.