Monday, October 23, 2017

The 16 worst HBO shows, according to critics

1. "Ja'mie: Private School Girl" (2013), one season

1. "Ja'mie: Private School Girl" (2013), one season

Metacritic score: 40

"It's a painfully obvious shtick, so camp and arch it's impossible to enjoy the joke." — TV Guide

2. "Real Time with Bill Maher" (2003-present), 15 seasons

2. "Real Time with Bill Maher" (2003-present), 15 seasons

Average Metacritic score: 43

"Why would HBO, cable's most innovative network ... think it's a good idea to let Bill Maher bring the skeleton of his canceled ABC show, 'Politically Incorrect,' and stuff it into the tattered corpse of 'Dennis Miller Live'?" — Entertainment Weekly

3. "Lucky Louie" (2006), one season

3. "Lucky Louie" (2006), one season

Metacritic score: 47

"A show so vile, it makes you think the company's arrogant It's Not TV — It's HBO slogan isn't a brag — it's a threat." — USA Today

4. "Angry Boys" (2011), one season

4. "Angry Boys" (2011), one season

Metacritic score: 50

Audience Score: 7.3

It "leaves only the flashes of comedic brilliance, and even they don't light up the sky very often." — The Wall Street Journal

5. "John from Cincinnati" (2007), one season

5. "John from Cincinnati" (2007), one season

Metacritic score: 50

Audience Score: 7.4

"Watching HBO's surfing drama 'John From Cincinnati' is like sitting through a bad play at a tiny experimental theater. ... In short, if Gary Busey were a TV series, he would be 'John From Cincinnati.'" — The Boston Globe

6. "Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons" (2016), one season

6. "Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons" (2016), one season

Metacritic score: 51

"His interview style is an effective one — opinionated without being overbearing, with just enough smugness to give some of his questions a provocative edge." — Yahoo

7. "The Brink" (2015), one season

7. "The Brink" (2015), one season

Metacritic score: 52

Audience Score: 7.6

"The show operates at a tone of constant hysteria, which, as justified as that may be, begins to feel exhausting." — Variety

8. "Sex and the City" (1998-2004), six seasons

8. "Sex and the City" (1998-2004), six seasons

Metacritic score: 52

Audience Score: 8.0

"Parker's irresistible charm keeps us on Carrie's side even as the character's act grows old." — People

9. "Tell Me You Love Me" (2007), one season

9. "Tell Me You Love Me" (2007), one season

Metacritic score: 58

Audience Score: 6.0

"Unfortunately, it is difficult to stay interested in what happens to any of these characters because most of them are so absurdly unlikable." — Los Angeles Times

10. "Hello Ladies" (2013), one season

10. "Hello Ladies" (2013), one season

Metacritic score: 58

Audience Score: 7.4

"We've seen this show before, in fresher settings, with stronger comic structure — from, in fact, the same creators: [Stephen] Merchant and American 'Office' writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky." — Newsday

11. "How to Make It in America" (2010-11), two seasons

11. "How to Make It in America" (2010-11), two seasons

Metacritic score: 59

"As a portrait of struggling Manhattanites, 'How to Make It' effectively homes in on that hope-filled effervescence historically associated with the idealized American dream." — Slant Magazine

12. "Ballers" (2015-16), three seasons

12. "Ballers" (2015-16), three seasons

Average Metacritic score: 59.3

"[Dwayne] Johnson himself is the best part of 'Ballers,' a charismatic, mostly responsive force that is our window to the precarious world of retirement from football. His perspective on the life of the partying ball player is one of nostalgia. But in the absence of forward momentum, the camera turns to looking for shock value anywhere it can." — Salon

13. "Divorce" (2016-present) one season

13. "Divorce" (2016-present) one season

Metacritic score: 60

Audience Score: 5.2

"The laugh-out-loud viciousness of the opening, which involves both a gun and vomit, is clearly the work of series creator Sharon Horgan, who also co-writes and stars in Amazon's brilliant 'Catastrophe.' But 'Divorce' isn't always as biting as it is in those moments, leading to a solidly acted but somewhat mundane exploration of a breakup." — The AV Club

14. "Unscripted" (2005), one season

14. "Unscripted" (2005), one season

Metacritic score: 60

Audience Score: N/A

"A faux documentary on actors who are not famous but who are struggling to be isn't inherently interesting to non-actors ... 'Unscripted' isn't a complete flop. It's just rare that HBO fails like this." — The San Francisco Chronicle

15. "Carnivale" (2003-05), two seasons

15. "Carnivale" (2003-05), two seasons

Average Metacritic score: 61

"A bloated mess ... 'Carnivale' is a little too full of itself. Believing that it has a fascinating story to tell with all the complex themes you could imagine, the series nevertheless fails the first test of television: Move forward." — SFGate

16. "The Newsroom" (2012-14), three seasons

16. "The Newsroom" (2012-14), three seasons

Average Metacritic score: 61.7

"The series is kind of a mess ... but one you can't really look away from." — SFGate


Source: Business Insider India