Original Desmond

I have to admit, i find it hard to get into new shows. Nothing like shows you are familiar with.

Still with many shows ending their runs, you need to get into new shows to replace them.

Summerland, i have all of season 1 but just couldn't get past watching the first couple of episodes.

Having a familiar actor(s) can help break in a new show. It sure helped with Las Vegas last season, having Vanessa Marcil and James Caan but the distinctive camera techniques helped keep my interest too.

The OC i only really got on the bandwagon midseason, when so many people are raving about a show, u gotta check it out.

I am watching the first episode of House and whilst i am a huge fan of Hugh Laurie, i miss his normal voice.

Overall my patience doesn't extend beyond two episodes. If i'm not hooked by then, that's it.

MrX

I finally gave up on CSI: NY about halfway through Wednesdays episode. That's 7&1/2 episodes.

I gave up on Summerland after 2 episodes

The Mountain after 1 episode.

Triple S

I'll give anything a minimum of two, because I usually hate pilots. But most I'll give an extended test before killing it off completely. CSI:NY got the axe from me after five eps, Listen Up after three, and Drawn Together with three episodes down.

tonyc3742

Generally 3 to at least show promise. I don't necessarily hate pilots, but a pilot may or may not be representative of the later product.
Sometimes, however, I can tell instantly I won't like it--you average teen drama or reality show gets about four minutes.
I've got the third episode of Huff on the DVR to watch to decide if I "like" it or not.

Jeraden

I think it depends. Sometimes you can tell after 1 episode that a show just isn't for you (the majority of all sitcoms for me). Others might have a mediocre first episode, so you might watch it one or 2 more times seeing if it will get any better or deeper.
Other shows, you keep watching even though you aren't really enjoying them, then after like half a season you finally ask yourself "Why am I still watching this garbage?" and drop it then (CSI: NY)

BizRodian

Totally depends.

Jackskeleton

It usually takes an episode or 2

lisadoris

I usually give about three episodes even if I know after the pilot that I won't like it. Father of the Pride got three even though there was nothing funny about any of the episodes. Listen Up got three as well because I kept hoping it would get better. Usually the network cancels the show before I have a chance to give up on it.

OldDude

My Mileage May Vary

It depends on whether I actually dislike it or just feel " ehhh"
If I'm still there for the fifth episode, I'm probably hooked, others, I've given up in the middle of the pilot.

DonnachaOne

If there's nothing that interests me enought to give a second watch, one.

movieking

Two to three on average, depending on how bad those first couple of episodes are (*ahem* North Shore *ahem*)

Charlie Goose

Usually give a borderline show a few episodes before I stop watching, as I did with "CSI: New York". On the other hand, sometimes one episode is more than enough, as in "Hawaii" and "Complete Savages".

bodomnet

Usually i'll know in the first ep. But I always give them 2 or 3.

movieking

I just gave up on Boston Legal despite really enjoying the first couple of episodes. Not enough Mark Valley and too many ridiculous storylines.

Rogue588

Quote:

Originally posted by movieking
I just gave up on Boston Legal despite really enjoying the first couple of episodes. Not enough Mark Valley and too many ridiculous storylines.

Shame. He had a sizeable role tonite [and by "sizable" I mean more than two lines -- he had five ]. And, I think the whole point of the show is to showcase ridiculous storylines to show how "off the wall" Denny & Alan are. Unless, by "ridiculous" you mean any storyline involving Monica Potter, well, then i'd be inclined to agree with you. However, the Spader/Shatner dynamic outweigh any possibility of me kicking it to the curb thanks to the speedbump that is Monica Pott-hole.

It could be worse though. It could be the Rohm-bot.

Oh, and to answer the initial thread's question...I have no "set" quantity. Hell, I gave Enterprise a season and a half before N'Pol's decontamination chamber rub downs became tedious.

xVladx

I'm pretty picky, so a show has to grab me pretty quickly for me to stick with it. The way I figure it, if it turns out to be a really good show and I skipped it in the beginning, I can always catch it on repeats or something.

Of course, it also keeps me from getting disappointed when shows that turn out good get cancelled before their time. For instance, I caught the first episode of Firefly, wasn't overly impressed (I did get a good chuckle out of the part where the main guy kicked the other guy into the ship's engine, though... nice unexpected scene), so I didn't bother sticking with it. Since I wasn't really into the storyline, I didn't care that it got cancelled.

Sure, it's a bit bleak, but it eliminates fluff

Also, I think that Desperate Housewives had me hooked with the blender scene in the beginning of the first episode...

Draven

Sometimes one or two episodes, sometimes I'll go a whole season or two before giving up on a show (when I gave up on 24 halfway through Season 2, for example.)

Most shows I choose to watch I enjoy from the beginning. I can usually tell from the commercials if it's even worth tuning in for.

Geofferson

Typically 2 (sometimes 3).

Phil L.

I think it took me about 5 or 10 mins to realize that LAX was gonna totally suck.

Yeah, yeah, I know. I should have known that without wasting the 10 mins.

Michael Corvin

it depends. If it is critically acclaimed I might give it an extra episode or two than I normally would just to see what the hype is about.

I do have to say it is hard to judge a show on the pilot, extra time effort and money are put into it so it may be more lavish than the weekly episodes.

I also have given up on CSI: NY. I have the past 3 weeks on the Tivo and doubt I will ever watch them.

DRG

Depends on what my reaction is. I only gave Drawn Together about six minutes, even though I actually laughed once during those six minutes. I simply had something I'd rather be doing than watch the show, and while it wasn't terrible it also wasn't good enough to bother with. In most cases I'll quit before I finish the episode if I don't like it.

Now for shows I actually "sort of" like, I have found that my order of interest level is such:

1. Will watch live or watch it on tape A.S.A.P. that night
2. Will watch the tape within a day or two
3. Will watch the tape sometime before the next episode airs
4. Have at least two weeks of unwatched episodes on tape
5. Neglect to record latest episode because I'm several weeks behind
6. Record over unwatched episodes to free up room for something else

Usually if I have two unwatched episodes and get to a third, it's a good sign I just am not interested enough in a show to bother. A lot of it also depends on conflict issues. I was watching CSI NY pretty faithfully until the return of South Park gave me something I'd rather watch at that time, seeing as I like CSI NY but not enough to record.

The same goes with Veronica Mars. We don't have UPN, but FOX shows certain UPN shows on the weekends after the regular FOX primetime stuff. Mars airs here on Sundays right after FOX primetime, but for two weeks it didn't air at all because of late baseball games. I just lost interest by the time baseball was over.

superdeluxe

It took me 6 episodes of xfiles to get hooked.

Took me 2 episodes of housewives..and 3 episodes of Lost

GuessWho

gave up on Joey after 2

Damfino

I gave up on Father of the Pride after 2 episodes.