Luck is kind of an anomaly on this list, as it's actually a pretty enjoyable show. It deserves a lot of the critical appraisal it received during its short air time. The premise is interesting (a study of gambling in horse racing), the cast is strong (Dustin Hoffman fronts it, for a start) and David Milch's writing easily outdoes that of John From Cincinnati. But it also represents a major error of judgement from HBO, and deserving to be taken down a peg from its position of critical admiration due to its despicable breaches of animal safety rules and regulations. Instead of taking the time to use found footage for the action sequences involving horse races, or even just avoid using them entirely, HBO and Milch elected to film their own. Clearly, the correct safety procedures weren't taken. 3 horses died due to to mistreatment, and PETA accused the show of further crimes against animal rights. The show was ultimately cancelled. Luck may have been a pretty great show, but it was morally flawed.
