10 Awesome Performances Trapped In TERRIBLE TV Shows
When a great performance is squandered on awful material.
Casting is an extremely important part of any TV series, because if you cast the wrong actor in a pivotal role - especially the lead - it risks ruining the entire series forever more, no matter how good it might otherwise be.
These 10 shows certainly didn't have that problem, though: quite the opposite, in fact.
While few would dare question these outstanding TV performances, it's just a shame they were left stranded in awful shows that absolutely didn't deserve them.
From adaptations of existing IP that flat-out missed the mark to original procedural series that failed to make a dent, these shows were all fortunate enough to secure the talents of an incredible actor in a major role.
And despite how poor the show was otherwise, the actor in question gave everything they had to their performance, enough that they might've compelled some on-the-fence viewers to stick it out regardless.
And though these performances are great no matter the less-than material they were saddled with, it's tough not to consider how they could've been even better with vastly superior writing. But alas, it just wasn't to be...
10. Lance Reddick - Resident Evil
Netflix's recent Resident Evil series really was just awful, wasn't it?
Though somewhat ambitiously attempting to do something quite different with the IP, the series ultimately strayed far enough from the source material as to basically feel like a generic sci-fi horror series with the Resident Evil branding cynically slapped on it.
Despite strong production values for the most part, the storytelling was an elongated, convoluted mess, failing both as its own story and a half-baked attempt to slot into the existing Resident Evil lore.
The single saving grace was the great Lance Reddick, who despite the dud show he was ensnared within, acted his ass of as this new iteration of villain Albert Wesker.
While some of the things the show does with Wesker are major head-scratchers - if not unintentionally hilarious - Reddick is the glue scarcely keeping it all watchable.
In a better show he could've easily become the definitive live-action version of Wesker - against admittedly slim competition - but instead he's the only truly laudable aspect of this trainwreck.
Unsurprisingly given the vocal fan backlash, Resident Evil was cancelled by Netflix after a single season.