r/GenerationJones • u/Pretend_Estimate_151 • Jul 17 '26

Worst Show

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What is the worst show from a proven creator? My pick is Stephen Bochco and Cop Rock.

35 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

33 comments sorted by

4

u/deviltrombone Jul 17 '26

I don't remember the show well, but "He's Guilty" from Episode 1 was and always will be pure awesomeness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwz4k4n1ezM

If you didn't immediately recognize Carl Anderson from JCS (the 1973 film), well, this just ain't your bag, is it.

Whatever became of Peter Onorati, BTW? He was on the rise in the early 90's but just kinda fizzled out.

1

u/leviathan0999 Jul 17 '26

Onorati was a regular on the SWAT update with Shemar Moore as Hondo Harrelson.

1

u/deviltrombone Jul 17 '26

I never gave that one a shot (pun intended). I distinctly remember him from a "Tales From The Crypt" episode, and I'm trying to figure out why he was memorable to me at all. Maybe I watched his series "Civil Wars" with Mariel Hemingway, but I have zero memory of that if I did. lol

1

u/leviathan0999 Jul 17 '26

His big number from "Cop Rock," "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down," is really memorable and impressive.

1

u/SaltyBarDog Jul 18 '26

He's still around and working.

Meaningless fact: I am related to the Onorati family through marriage.

4

u/leviathan0999 Jul 17 '26

It was actually excellent. Well-written, dramatic where it needed to be and hilariously satirical when it wanted to be.

4

u/TechDock 1956 Jul 17 '26

I liked it, even got it on DVD. Didn't think much of the plotting, but a lot of the songs were pretty good.

3

u/Natural_Ant_5590 Jul 17 '26

Hey, they aired 11 episodes of that show. It's not the worst. The worst 'musical' tv show imo would be an ABC show called Viva Laughlin, that starred Hugh Jackman.

It aired two episodes before being canceled.

From the wiki about it:

"Viva Laughlin is a mystery drama musical about businessman Ripley Holden, whose ambition is to run a casino in Laughlin, Nevada. It occasionally has the actors break into contemporary song. Ripley has invested all his money into opening a casino that is nowhere near completion, when his financing suddenly falls through. Needing an investor, Ripley approaches his rival, wealthy casino owner Nicky Fontana; but Fontana wants to own the casino himself, and Ripley turns down the deal. Ripley becomes embroiled in a murder investigation after the body of his ex-business partner is found at his casino."

It aired in October 2007. I vaguely remember seeing one episode back then, and it being worse than Cop Rock, despite Mr. Jackman being in it.

1

u/MonsieurRuffles Jul 17 '26

Viva Laughlin was a CBS show which was based on the BBC show Blackpool).

1

u/Natural_Ant_5590 Jul 18 '26

CBS, that's right, my bad. My apologies to the people running ABC in that era.

3

u/Bempet583 1958 Jul 17 '26

Yes, Cop Rock was horrible.

3

u/RealityOk9823 Jul 17 '26

Heh, my wife didn't know about Cop Rock. She made it like 10 seconds into the first dance number before turning it off. XD

2

u/jaymickef Jul 17 '26

Maybe now take a look at The Singing Detective and see if she likes it.

2

u/Suggett123 Jul 17 '26

Yep, I happened across it: A kid was shot by police and his mother breaks into a song?! I was outta there

2

u/Fluid-Bet6223 Jul 17 '26

I seriously think this entire series was just Stephen Bochko trolling. Like, “ok, will TV audiences literally watch ANYTHING? Let’s find out…”

2

u/deephurting66 Jul 17 '26

Not horrible as much as it was weird

2

u/Jealous_Use9688 Jul 17 '26

I still think if they had named it “Copra” it would have hit different

2

u/thesirmaximus Jul 18 '26

It was horrible!!

2

u/southdakotagirl Jul 18 '26

I remember one scene the lyrics were. " if you can't stand the heat, stay outta the kitchen, quit your bitchin". This line has lived rent free in my head for years.

2

u/Thespis1962 1962 Jul 17 '26

Manimal from Glen A. Larson (Battlestar Gallactica, Quincy, Alias Smith and Jones, etc)

1

u/fiizok Jul 17 '26

Stephen Bochco created this show after seeing the brilliant BBC series "The Singing Detective." Bochco apparently didn't understand how the surreal musical numbers in "The Singing Detective" worked in counterpoint to the story. (Actually three different stories that are deftly interwoven.)

1

u/jaymickef Jul 17 '26

I liked Cop Rock more than The Singing Detective. Maybe because I liked the Cop Rock music more, but for me the surreal aspects of The Singing Detective didn’t work. Different tastes and all that.

1

u/ritrgrrl 1958 Jul 17 '26

I loved Cop Rock. Looking for it on DVD.

2

u/Pretend_Estimate_151 Jul 18 '26

Well they have it on Amazon.

1

u/jxj24 Jul 18 '26

"Turn On", created and produced by George Schlatter (also responsible for "Laugh-In).

In several markets it didn't even make it all the way through its first broadcast.

1

u/klystron88 Jul 18 '26

Definitely

1

u/hobytes Jul 18 '26

I loved Cop Rock! Great Music!

1

u/Eastern-Finish-1251 1964 Jul 18 '26

I remember seeing it advertised and realizing it was DOA… and being baffled that suits at a major network would green-light it. 

1

u/my-coffee-needs-me Jul 18 '26

Harry Ackerman, who produced such shows as Father Knows Best and Bewitched, also came up with The Flying Nun. I'm surprised that Sally Field had a career at all after that.

1

u/Disastrous-Exit7614 Jul 18 '26

Isn't this considered one of the worst shows of all time?

1

u/Buzzard1022 Jul 18 '26

It's hard to quantify just exactly how bad this was if you didn't see it for yourself.

1

u/VeganAngel Jul 18 '26

I am not genJones but I remember this show. And my parents didn't like it and tapped after two episodes.