There are so many TV shows out there, it can be hard to pick which one to watch as your next guilty pleasure. I usually read the little synopsis provided on streaming services, and let me tell you, some of these TV show descriptions really made me go, “WTF?!”
And it turns out I’m not the only one who feels this way. In this Reddit thread, people shared the most “ludicrous” non-sci-fi shows ever, and yep, it’s extremely accurate. So in case you’re looking for an absolutely bonkers new show to watch, here’s what they said:
1. “I’ll start with Prison Break. Amazingly fun first season, but it’s also beyond ludicrous 😂.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) is a highly intelligent structural engineer who robs a bank to be sent to the same prison as his brother, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), so he can break him out.
2. “Banshee.”
“What’s more hilarious is the pure volume of drop-dead gorgeous, model-caliber women in this tiny bumfuck shIthole of a Pennsylvania town.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: After serving 15 years in prison, an ex-con and master thief adopts the identity of small town sheriff, Lucas Hood (Anthony Starr) in fictional Banshee, Pennsylvania.
3. “Just quickly off the top of my head, The Blacklist. I think I heard people say they liked it at some point, so I gave it a try. What a ridiculous show.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: One of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives, Raymond Reddington (James Spader) works with the FBI in hunting down fellow criminals on his “Blacklist.”
4. “9-1-1. I watched it up until Season 6, and it already lost the plot then. Everything I’ve heard after, I’m just like…how? It’s a show about first responders.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: The series follows the professional and personal lives of Los Angeles first responders, including firefighters, police officers, and paramedics.
5. “Yellowstone. From the little I’ve seen, it’s the complete glorification of being massive Republican assholes.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: While dealing with the territorial dispute around Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, the Dutton family also faces internal conflicts.
6. “Tiger King. ‘Oh my god, I’m never gonna financially recover from this.'”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A docuseries centered around the life of former zookeeper and convicted felon Joe Exotic.
7. “Search Party.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Dory Sief (Alia Shawkat) and her friends begin investigating the disappearance of Dory’s college acquaintance Chantal Witherbottom (Clare McNulty).
8. “Murder She Wrote. The whole show revolves around this woman who is cursed by an ancient evil, but it’s never mentioned or explained.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Retired teacher and successful mystery writer, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), becomes involved in solving murders that take place in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine.
9. “Scorpion. I lasted two episodes. It’s a show about inventing science and ignoring reality.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Scorpion, a team of highly intelligent individuals led by genius Walter O’Brien (Elyes Gabel), is tasked with solving complex problems around the globe.
10. “Riverdale. It becomes a sci-fi show in later seasons, but even up until then, it was so ridiculous and ludicrous. Somehow, it was still watchable as long as you embraced the absurdity.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: The series follows a group of teenagers — originally from Archie Comics — who unravel a deep, dark secret hidden in their unassuming small town of Riverdale.
11. “Grey’s Anatomy. How is that hospital still in operation when basically every other disaster has hit it?”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Surgical intern Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) undergoes various challenges as she balances her personal and professional life while working at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital.
12. “Cop Rock. It’s a police and legal procedural where they break into full-on musical song and dance numbers multiple times per episode.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A group of police officers and detectives solve crimes in Los Angeles, while incorporating musical numbers and choreography throughout.
13. “Psych would have to be up there. Putting aside the premise that Shawn is just so amazingly observant and that his leaps of logic always turn out to be true, which is absurd enough, it also has the same problem as just about all murder-mystery shows: Santa Barbara gets about zero to five homicides a year, not the 20-plus a year in the show. It would be one of the most dangerous cities in the country if it were that high.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Shawn Spencer (James Roday) is a young crime consultant who uses his photographic memory and keen observational skills to help the Santa Barbara Police Department solve cases.
14. “24.“
“24is a fantasy — the fantasy being that Jack Bauer can cross LA during rush hour without a problem.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is a Los Angeles senior agent assigned to the fictional “Counter Terrorist Unit” (CTU), whose job is to handle any potential threats to the United States.
15. “Jericho. A terrorist organization launches nuclear strikes on all major United States cities and military installations, then sets itself up as the new reigning government while blaming foreign powers for the strikes. Great show…wish there was more of it.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Residents of the fictional city of Jericho, Kansas, deal with the aftermath of a nuclear attack.
16. “The Rookie. It started off super grounded and pretty realistic. Then it turned a bunch of newbie police officers into the bloody Special Air Service, infiltrating drug gangs to rescue colleagues who’d been kidnapped.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), a 40-year-old man from Pennsylvania, moves to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a police officer.
17. “Ozark. A hillbilly drug cartel growing their own poppies to make homegrown heroin is beyond absurd. Black-market marijuana is still very much a thing, as is manufacturing meth. They could even have a connection to a pill mill. Opium poppies won’t even grow in that climate. They might as well have had a show about them selling magic beans.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Marty Bryde (Jason Bateman) moves his family to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri to set up a money laundering operation for a Mexican drug cartel.
18. “Community.“
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: While attending the fictional Greendale Community College in Colorado, disbarred Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) joins a study group and goes through wild experiences with his fellow students.
19. “Pretty Little Liars. I honestly may never recover from what that show turned into.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: After the sudden disappearance of their friend Alison DiLaurentis, four friends begin to be tormented by a mysterious figure named “A.”
20. “Tracker. The dude has straight-up killed 30+ people, and his team of fixers and tech experts provides him with key stalker tools and the ability to break into secure facilities to enable his murder spree.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) is a skilled survivalist and tracker who helps law enforcement and private citizens in exchange for money.
21. “Midsomer Murders. How are there even any people left in that county? There used to be a Midsomer Murders Bot on X that would auto-generate ridiculous scenarios, and they were indistinguishable from the real thing.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Detective chief inspector Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) solves the various murders that take place in the villages across the fictional English county of Midsomer.
22. “Dexter. How many active serial killers are in Miami at any given time?”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is a forensic technician with the fictional Miami Metro Police Department who leads a double life as a vigilante serial killer, hunting down murderers left unpunished by the justice system.
23. And finally, “Baywatch. It’s truly one of the most absurd television shows ever made.”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A team of lifeguards’ personal lives become intertwined while keeping the beaches of California safe.
These shows may have some of the most out-of-this-world plotlines, but I know people love them for it. Is there a TV show that you believe has a completely ridiculous premise? Let us know in the comments below, or in this anonymous form!
Note: Responses have been edited for length/clarity.
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