10 TV Shows That Actually Benefited From Bad Acting

Taylor Schilling is a totally solid actress, and yet her performance as protagonist Piper Chapman in Netflix's hit prison drama Orange Is the New Black has received wildly mixed responses ever since the show's premiere.

There was much outcry after Schilling scored a Lead Actress Emmy nod for her work on the first season, many feeling that not only was Piper the most boring member of the series' massive ensemble, but that by extension Schilling's performance was nothing to write home about.

In Schilling's defense Piper isn't a particularly interesting character, though the actress plays her as so obnoxious as to erode almost all sympathy for her altogether.

With so many wonderful actors in the ensemble bringing life to excellent characters - Samira Wiley, Kate Mulgrew, Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Lea DeLaria, and Yael Stone, to name just a few - Schilling's work seems positively bland by comparison.

Evidently the show's creator Jenji Kohan herself realised this, as subsequent seasons edged away from Piper's story to rove around the infinitely more compelling supporting cast, which was ultimately an incredibly smart move to ensure the show's longevity.

Had Kohan kept the focus on Piper and Schilling, it's tough to imagine Orange sticking it out for seven seasons.