10 Awesome Performances Trapped In TERRIBLE TV Shows

Is there a more hilariously blatant example of an incredible actor pimping their talents out on a wretched procedural series than Viola Davis in the utterly ridiculous legal thriller show How to Get Away with Murder?

Now to be completely fair, the series was relatively entertaining for a season or two, but by the time it reached its sixth and final season, it had completely collapsed under the weight of its own laughably convoluted storytelling.

It's so clearly a show that didn't have long-term mileage in it, yet because the ratings remained high enough, it was run aggressively into the ground while the writers clearly had no compelling ideas left in the tank.

And yet, those solid ratings can largely be attributed to Viola Davis, who gave such a composed and magnetic performance in even the most poorly-written episode.

While it was obviously a paycheck gig to fund Davis' less-lucrative arthouse film projects, especially in its later seasons, Davis laudably didn't just phone her work in and fall asleep at the wheel. She continued to give an acting clinic while probably fundamentally aware she was starring in pure dreck.