Good tv shows with an unrealistic character

[Immortal Weapon]

For that matter, I don't know how realistic/unrealistic it is or not, but goddamn, I really need Daniel to get over Mr. Miyagi. Was he a great teacher and mentor? Sure? Is he Daniel's single most important friend and guide in his life? Certainly. But I feel like Mr. Miyagi would tell him that, at some point, he needs to get his own life. It goes to show how you can have a comfortable lifestyle with a nice family, a profitable business, in a beautiful part of the world, and *still* peak in high school.

I feel the real problem here is Daniel ceases to be a functional adult during times he feels he needs Miiyagi. That level of dependence just isn't healthy. It's been 7 years since Miyagi died when the series starts. Daniel must have coped with it somehow.

[PCN24454]

House M.D

Everything about House seems highly unrealistic. From his job title all the way to his behavior and continued career. Loved the show though

The premise of the show is believable. It's the fact that he's so blatantly a drug addict that makes it unbelievable.

Anyone mention Urklel?

Over the top nerdiness aside, his scientific experiments would have been impressive in a cartoon or comic, much less a non sci-fi family sitcom. The guy built a jet pack, a cloning chamber, rewrote his and other ppl’s DNA, he built a frikkin’ time machine FFS!

Yes people have already mentioned Urkel before.

[Immortal Weapon]

House M.D

Everything about House seems highly unrealistic. From his job title all the way to his behavior and continued career. Loved the show though

I remember there was an episode when Omar Epps character pulled a House like stunt at another hospital he was working at and was immediately fired. Not only that, he got blackballed from every other hospital in the state. He had to go back if he wanted to continue his medical career.

The premise of the show is believable. It's the fact that he's so blatantly a drug addict that makes it unbelievable.

House was clearly a functional addict. He couldn't pop vicodin like candy I doubt he'll be able to wake up in the morning.

[useridgoeshere]

But to me, Patrick Jane from The Mentalist, not just was he good in everything, but half the time he just knew things, the only explanation was if he was a real psychic. Shawn Spencer for example, was also a super genius pretending to be a medium, but we actually got to see how he was solving the cases, wich clues he had and he almost never just knew things.

See, this is where I struggle with the question. Because in the case of the Mentalist, that’s the premise of the show. The show and character obey the internal logic and you are asked to buy into it. Like Columbo long before had a preternatural sense that wasn’t “believable” but it obeyed the rules of the Columbo universe. Or Murder She Wrote where she encountered 250+ murders, many in one small town.

I think this is whether you believe the premise of the show more than the character.

Sitcoms have wacky neighbors and secondary characters like Urkel or Kramer, so I don’t find them unbelievable as long as they follow the internal logic of their shows, too.

[Kirby101]

The OP question implies these unrealistic characters hurt an otherwise good show. So I infer he means that all the other characters are realistic and one stands out as different. Not sure how many shows fit this.

I mean there is Mork and Mindy, that is a good show because one character is unrealistic.

[Immortal Weapon]

The OP question implies these unrealistic characters hurt an otherwise good show. So I infer he means that all the other characters are realistic and one stands out as different. Not sure how many shows fit this.

I mean there is Mork and Mindy, that is a good show because one character is unrealistic.

I interpreted the OP question which characters are unrealistic in relation to a show's setting. Sitcoms are inheritably unrealistic no matter how grounded they can try to be. Even then those characters can stretch disbelief.

[Cyke]

Yeah, OP even mentions that these unrealistic characters can be good and worthwhile in their own right, they're just unrealistic.

To me some of the best comedy out there could also be ones that commit fully in grounding the unrealistic in realism. Sure, Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie (unless I'm mistaken with OP's intentions, could probably be the poster children of this thread) are fundamentally about the fantastic, but much of the humor came from realism creeping in, like hiding their powers from normal humans, or Samantha's family finding the suburban human world so mundane.

[Ra-El]

See, this is where I struggle with the question. Because in the case of the Mentalist, that’s the premise of the show. The show and character obey the internal logic and you are asked to buy into it. Like Columbo long before had a preternatural sense that wasn’t “believable” but it obeyed the rules of the Columbo universe. Or Murder She Wrote where she encountered 250+ murders, many in one small town.

I think this is whether you believe the premise of the show more than the character.

Sitcoms have wacky neighbors and secondary characters like Urkel or Kramer, so I don’t find them unbelievable as long as they follow the internal logic of their shows, too.

You are right, actually. The thing with the Mentalist is that it was a procedural, basically a murder every episode that Patrick would solve using his skills and usually make the killer confess by tricking them, but some episodes were better constructed than others, so sometimes it was believable and others just didn't make any sense.

[lowfyr]

I am no expert on autism or being on the spectrum in general, but from what I've gathered and it makes a lot of sense since its a sitcom, Sheldon Cooper wasn't that realistic. Granted, it was never outright stated he was either of these things, but the general comparisons at a surface level were always there.

I would say the fans had thought more about it than the people behind the show. But the rest of the "nerds" were not really any better thought out.

[lowfyr]

This reminds me of Ace Attorney. We never really question how all of Phoenix's clients just happen to be innocent. It's incredibly convenient.

I had that thought after watching the Matlock Episode with his statement " I only defend innocent people". Even for my 10 year old self that was unrealistic^^. And after that I watched stuff like Picket Fences to name just one....

[Riv86672]

Yes people have already mentioned Urkel before.

^^^Ah, thank you!

The trash ppl in s7 of The Walking Dead were pretty unrealistic w. the Hulk Speak.

[caj]

I interpreted the OP question which characters are unrealistic in relation to a show's setting. Sitcoms are inheritably unrealistic no matter how grounded they can try to be. Even then those characters can stretch disbelief.

Yeah, OP even mentions that these unrealistic characters can be good and worthwhile in their own right, they're just unrealistic.

Yes, you two understand what I was trying to say in the OP.

[Kirby101]

So it's not unrealistic in general, but doesn't fit with all the other characters in the show?

[caj]

So it's no unrealistic in general, but doesn't fit with all the other characters in the show?

No, like with my example of Monica on Friends, she fit in very well with the other characters. She just didn't act like someone who was obese as a child/teenager. Her back story didn't connect with the way she behaved in present day.

But it doesn't just have to be something like that. There are several good examples listed in this thread.

[Midvillian1322]

The premise of the show is believable. It's the fact that he's so blatantly a drug addict that makes it unbelievable.


Yes people have already mentioned Urkel before.

His job isn't real. They made it up for tv but yea it's believable enough I guess. Alot of people out there right now probaly think hospitals have a doctor who only takes hard cases other doctors can't figure out. Anyway his behavior was the unbelievable part. He made no attempt to hide his drug use. He assaulted people,broke protocols in insane ways, and kept his license. He would have to deal with circumstances once in awhile but yea not really. I guess the in story excuse would be he was indispensable and Cutty protected him. Cause as Immortal weapon said Foreman pulled a house one time and lost his job. Was blackballed and Cutty/House were the only ones who would hire him.

Anyway one of my favorite shows of all time. Only medical drama I ever got into. But the **** he got away with stretched credibility right out the gate.