Sephiroth
Wade Wilson
Surviving
Posts: 29,299
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Post by Sephiroth on Mar 5, 2018 7:16:03 GMT -5
I’m talking the type where a show tries tsome ridiculous gimmick in a blatant attempt to just generate a little buzz, most likely to temporarily revive sagging ratings. The later seasons of Family Matters were full of these with Urkel traveling in time, shrinking himself, and creating an evil dummy. But I think the worst one, IMO, was the episode of Seinfeld where they ran it in reverse sequence-even twenty years later I can’t figure out what the hell the motivation behind that was. Any other examples?
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Post by BorneAgain on Mar 5, 2018 7:28:38 GMT -5
Season 9 of How I Met Your Mother wasn't exactly filled to the brim with quality content, but the nursery rhyme episode just screams "Its the final season, let's throw some s*** at the wall and see what sticks".
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Post by SHAKEMASTER TV9 is Don Knotts on Mar 5, 2018 7:52:51 GMT -5
I don't know about that Family Guy example. The first few seasons had Stewie focused on world domination, I don't see how it could go off the rails from that.
But an example of a stupid gimmick was the Modern Family episode presented entirely on a computer screen with the actors appearing on social networking screens like FaceTime. I will say the episode could not be shot through conventional cameras, mostly because the story was also really stupid.
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Post by willywonka666 on Mar 5, 2018 8:32:49 GMT -5
Not that it was a bad gimmick, but whenever a show shoots live and everything runs smoothly, it's a little bit disappointing, BUT it's good to know the actors are that well rehearsed. That being said, there's not really any need.
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Post by wildojinx on Mar 5, 2018 9:41:20 GMT -5
That "dream" episode of the Cosby Show where all the men get pregnant and give birth to stuff like hoagies. Even as a kid I was like "WTF?".
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Post by OldDirtyBernie on Mar 5, 2018 10:10:19 GMT -5
Season 9 of How I Met Your Mother wasn't exactly filled to the brim with quality content, but the nursery rhyme episode just screams "Its the final season, let's throw some s*** at the wall and see what sticks". I actually really like that episode. In the same vein, however, the musical episode of Oz.
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Post by WoodStoner1 on Mar 5, 2018 10:49:12 GMT -5
I don't know about that Family Guy example. The first few seasons had Stewie focused on world domination, I don't see how it could go off the rails from that. But an example of a stupid gimmick was the Modern Family episode presented entirely on a computer screen with the actors appearing on social networking screens like FaceTime. I will say the episode could not be shot through conventional cameras, mostly because the story was also really stupid. Um....I hate to be the one to call you out, but....Family MATTERS? The MF episode was fine, and the conventional camera thing is an MST3K Mantra issue (but if you want to believe MG is a documentary, on the other hand...). Ending was convoluted,though, talking mostly about the explanation of what happened to Haley. But while we're talking about FG...there was an episode, think it's the Stewie kills Lois/Lois kills Stewie arc, where they just reveal it was all a simulation.
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Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
Hearts Bayformers
Posts: 35,163
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Post by Jiren on Mar 5, 2018 11:01:31 GMT -5
Musical
I f***ing HATE musical episodes
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Post by Killah Ray on Mar 5, 2018 12:32:42 GMT -5
For as much as I loved Community, I absolutely loathe the Christmas episode done in the style of Rudolph and Frosty.
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Post by Zaq "That Guy" Buzzkill on Mar 5, 2018 15:29:13 GMT -5
Death of Brian arc in Family Guy. Idiotic and pointless.
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Post by thetower52 on Mar 5, 2018 15:36:46 GMT -5
I love the west wing but the episode where they have a documentary crew follow around CJ is terrible
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Fade
Patti Mayonnaise
Posts: 38,435
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Post by Fade on Mar 5, 2018 15:43:37 GMT -5
The entire last season of scrubs. Hell of a gimmick.
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Push R Truth
Patti Mayonnaise
Unique and Special Snowflake, and a pants-less heathen.
Perpetually Constipated
Posts: 39,372
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Post by Push R Truth on Mar 5, 2018 15:44:49 GMT -5
Does TNA trying to restart the Monday Night Wars count as a gimmick episode? It sure felt like a gimmick. And it was stupid.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2018 15:56:38 GMT -5
Musical I f***ing HATE musical episodes
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Push R Truth
Patti Mayonnaise
Unique and Special Snowflake, and a pants-less heathen.
Perpetually Constipated
Posts: 39,372
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Post by Push R Truth on Mar 5, 2018 16:06:16 GMT -5
Musical I f***ing HATE musical episodes The only musical episode I ever really liked was the Reboot one. It felt... right as a finale EDIT: I forgot that was just the ending, not the entire episode. Sorry.
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Post by Friday Night SmackOwn on Mar 5, 2018 16:44:25 GMT -5
Does the "The Rock's Birthday" Raw count as a gimmick episode? If so, that has my vote.
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Post by YAKMAN is ICHIBAN on Mar 5, 2018 16:49:05 GMT -5
Musical I f***ing HATE musical episodes The only musical episode I ever really liked was the Reboot one. It felt... right as a finale EDIT: I forgot that was just the ending, not the entire episode. Sorry. I LOVE the Buffy musical episode
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Post by A Platypus Rave is Correct on Mar 5, 2018 16:57:23 GMT -5
Not usually a fan of "musical" episodes with a few exceptions.
Not really gimmick episode but the entire faux documentary gimmick of shows annoy me when there's no reason for it to be one or setup for it.
The Office which is more or less where it started, the idea was they were shooting a documentary and occasionally you heard the guys asking questions with the asides...
then other shows in that format just have them talking to the camera just because.
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Post by karl100589 on Mar 5, 2018 16:58:26 GMT -5
The creative writing episode of My Name Is Earl.
On that note, the "Earl in a coma" storyarc was awful too.
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Post by I'm Team Bayley and Indi on Mar 5, 2018 17:00:06 GMT -5
Community's puppet/musical episode from the gas leak year was one of my least favourite episodes from the entire series.
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