My friend and I were discussing Bad TV Shows the other day, and kept trying to “one-up” each other…which, in this context, means naming a *worse* show than the other guy just mentioned. Here are the ones that I remember:

She’s The Sheriff: “Widowed mom Hildy Granger takes over as the Sheriff of Lakes County, Nevada after her husband dies.” Famous for starring Suzanne Somers, in between her Glory Years on “Three’s Company” and resurgence as a Vegas star/Larry King regular. I never saw this show, but have fuzzy memories of Somers wearing the sheriff uniform in commercials.

Manimal: “Jonathan Chase is a British college professor…who has the unusual ability to transform into any kind of animal he wants.” Yeah, I’d call that “unusual.” Lasted all of eight episodes. Never saw it.

Charles In Charge: “Charles, a college student, moves in with (a) family as the housekeeper, baby-sitter, and friend to the children.” Famous for starring a guy who used to be a Chachi, as well as a guy who traded seven siblings for the job of Bibleman. Never watched a single episode.

Carter Country: “This sitcom was set in the small Georgia town of Clinton Corners. The lovable redneck chief of police…was ably assisted by his ultra-intelligent black deputy…who had been trained in New York City.” Trying to capitalize on President Carter’s accent and hometown - how could this show possibly have failed? I seem to recall watching bits-n-pieces of this show.

Man From Atlantis: “…last survivor of the lost continent…he has piercing green eyes, gills instead of lungs and webbed hands and feet…he can swim faster than a dolphin and has superhuman strength and senses.” I vaguely recall watching a few episodes, and even then I realized that this show belonged firmly in the Irwin Allen camp. Notable for featuring a pre-”Dallas” Patrick Duffy, who, IIRC, cautioned youngsters after each show to not attempt to swim the way his character does. On a side note: why is this not shown on the Sci-Fi channel?

That was our off-the-cuff list of bad shows…yes, there are plenty more, which I will discuss later. There’s only so much Bad TV one can contemplate in one sitting, after all.