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October 25, 2012

TV's Biggest Guilty Pleasures

by AOL TV Staff, posted Jan 2nd 2008 12:22PM
The Hills'The Hills' ... 'The Price Is Right' ... 'One Tree Hill' ... find out where they rank on our list.

In the privacy of our homes, we're doing something that would shock our friends and horrify our relatives.

We're watching ... 'Moonlight.' And 'Hannah Montana.' And sometimes, even 'I Love New York.'

Yep, we admit it. It's time to 'fess up and reveal our top 20 guilty pleasures on TV right now. You'll watch and love them (in secret) too.


Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

In the privacy of our homes, we're doing something that would shock our friends and horrify our relatives. We're watching ... <a href="http://www.aoltv.com/show/moonlight/1342116/main" target="_blank"><FONT COLOR="#2864B4">'Moonlight.'</font></a> And <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/hannah-montana/1099972/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Hannah Montana.'</font></a> And sometimes, even <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/i-love-new-york/1342031/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'I Love New York.'</font></a> Yep, we admit it. It's time to 'fess up and reveal our top 20 guilty pleasures on TV right now. You'll watch and love them (in secret) too.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

20. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/so-you-think-you-can-dance-1/421385/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'So You Think You Can Dance'</font></a>

<a href="http://www.aoltv.com/feature/dancing-with-the-stars" target="_blank"><FONT COLOR="#2864B4">'Dancing With the Stars'</font></a> may be a mainstream hit, but <a href="http://www.aoltv.com/show/so-you-think-you-can-dance-1/421385/main" target="_blank"><FONT COLOR="#2864B4">'So You Think You Can Dance'</font></a> has true dance aficionados who know a good pirouette when they see one. The moves that these amateur hoofers pull off are insane, and the choreographers' wild styles are like nothing else on TV. Now, if they'd only give it a shorter title.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

19. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/jail/1342185/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Jail'</font></a>

Have you ever wondered what happened to those crazy criminals on <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/cops/62781/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'COPS'</font></a> after they were incarcerated? Leave it to the geniuses who created <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/cops/62781/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'COPS'</font></a> to anticipate that need, which is where this new profanity-filled (but bleeped) reality series comes in. Is it mean to say that we're ever so grateful that these people are behind bars?

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

18. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/attack-of-the-show/91400/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Attack of the Show'</font></a>

Let's face it, sometimes you just need to geek out, which is where G4's late-night, highly interactive talk show fits in. Chockful of top viral videos and B-level comedy sketches, 'AotS' lets you openly admire someone's electrifying Guitar Hero skills without feeling like a lonely nerd ... or so much like one, anyway.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

17. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/wildfire/418692/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Wildfire'</font></a>

You may not have heard of this under-the-radar teen drama, an ABC Family series about a former juvenile delinquent now living on a ranch, tending horses and being constantly torn between the sweet but poor farmer boy and the flashy playboy next door. Seek it out -- it's totally cheesy, but instantly addictive.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

16. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/a-shot-at-love-with-tila-tequila/1333177/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'> 'A Shot of Love With Tila Tequila'</font></a>

A <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/the-bachelor-11/78483/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'The Bachelor'</font></a> knockoff that replaces the rose ceremony with Day-glo colored shots of alcohol? Bring it on. That's <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/tila-tequila/533301/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Tila Tequila</font></a>, just looking for a lover -- she's open to either gender. Sure it might seem a little low class, but where else could you see a grandmother get a lap dance from a MySpace music wonder?

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

15. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/the-bachelor-11/78483/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'The Bachelor'</font></a>

What good's a dating show that doesn't end happily ever after? 'The Bachelor' is batting 0 for 11, with the most recent hunk dumping both of the final two ladies. Maybe we believe love can conquer all (even reality TV) ... or maybe we just can't stop watching the catfights, soulful "connections" and mascara-running rejections.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

14. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/supernatural/422501/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Supernatural'</font></a>

We sooo look forward to settling in for a date with our two favorite demon hunters. There's smart dialogue, great guest stars and creepy monsters -- but the real draw lies in the show's devilishly handsome leads, <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/jensen-ackles/372050/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Jensen Ackles</font></a> and <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/jared-padalecki/334227/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Jared Padalecki.</font></a> The only conflicted feelings we have is when we're trying to decide which one is our favorite.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

13. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/judge-judy/51292/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Judge Judy'</font></a>

Judge shows come and go (and come and go, in a seemingly endless array), but none of those gavel-clenching clones can match the furious tongue lashings Judge Judy's doled out. Her no-nonsense attitude and witty quips have us anticipating her every verbal smackdown. That's the order of this court.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

12. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/one-tree-hill/188504/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'One Tree Hill'</font></a>

We're psyched for this season's big jump ahead four years -- much as it pains us to admit it, <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/chad-michael-murray/297984/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Chad Michael Murray</font></a> was getting a little long in the tooth to play a high school basketballer. Plus, we can't <i>wait</I> to see what kind of drama will unfold in the post-college world. We foresee lots of pretty people in juicy romantic entanglements. Yummy!

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

11. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/the-price-is-right/62979/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'The Price Is Right'</font></a>

"Come on down!" Who hasn't fantasized about hearing their name called and then running down the aisle to bid, play Plinko, spin the big wheel and win the showcase showdown? It may be a little hokey, and not quite as cool now that <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/bob-barker/3941/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Bob Barker</font></a> has passed the torch to <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/drew-carey/241668/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Drew Carey</font></a>, but it is still the American couch potato's dream.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

10. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/jerry-springer/62931/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Jerry Springer'</font></a>

Nothing makes us feel better (about ourselves) when we're home sick than a full hour of 'Springer.' This trash-talk show has been bringing lowbrow to its lowest depths for 16 years. We can't begin to count how many weaves have been pulled and how many chairs have been tossed. New York (<a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/i-love-new-york/1342031/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'I Love New York'</font></a>) has Springer to thank for her place in the reality airspace.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

9. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/hannah-montana/1099972/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Hannah Montana'</font></a>

Watching this hip tween show is cool if you're 10 ... but if you're, let's just say thirtysomething, and without age-appropriate children to watch with, it's more than a little embarrassing. But the songs are seriously catchy and <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/miley-cyrus/474330/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Miley Cyrus</font></a> is adorable. Plus, we're secretly happy that 'Achy Breaky' <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/billy-ray-cyrus/16392/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Billy Ray</font></a> has been able to show he's more than a<br>one-hit wonder.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

8. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/my-super-sweet-16/76920/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'My Super Sweet 16'</font></a>

Where else can you see nutty parents shell out beaucoup bucks in order to give their pampered little prince or princess the party of their teenage dreams, just so the kid can flaunt their wealth in the faces of their poor pals? It's a riveting look at class and cliques in modern society ... at least that's how we justify all our weekend-long marathons.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

7. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/moonlight/1342116/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Moonlight'</font></a>

Don't compare vamp PI Mick St. John (<a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/alex-oloughlin/501432/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Alex O'Loughlin</font></a>) with, oh, say <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/angel/264526/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Angel'</font></a> (Mick's not that deep). And the romantic tension he shares with reporter Beth (<a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/sophia-myles/271748/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Sophia Myles</font></a>) is not all that hot. Oh, and <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/jason-dohring/368132/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Jason Dohring's</font></a> nosferatu is a clone of his <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/veronica-mars/73285/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Veronica Mars'</font></a> character, Logan. Why do we like it then? Call us suckers for a cheesy vampire show.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

6. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/degrassi-the-next-generation/1254223/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Degrassi: The Next Generation'</font></a>

This juicy Canadian (yes, Canadian) teen drama delivers on its promise to "go there." They've tackled abortion, date rape, homosexuality, drug addiction, school shootings and pretty much every other topical teen issue. But we're <i>really</i> watching to see these cute teen hotties hook up and break up. Is that so wrong?

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

5. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/dirty-sexy-money/1342101/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Dirty Sexy Money'</font></a>

With <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/six-feet-under/99911/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Six Feet Under''s </font></a> <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/peter-krause/478155/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Peter Krause</font></a> as the lead, not to mention an impressive supporting cast (<a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/donald-sutherland/69192/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Donald Sutherland! </font></a> <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/jill-clayburgh/13546/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Jill Clayburgh! </font></a> <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/william-baldwin/3536/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>William Baldwin! </font></a>), we were confident this would be quality viewing. We were off the mark a bit on that -- but not disappointed. The high melodrama plus insanely indulgent plot twists make us feel 'Dirty' for loving it.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

4. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/gossip-girl/1341968/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'Gossip Girl'</font></a>

Spotted: Upper East Side teens flaunting their status and their deep, dark secrets. It's not on par with creator <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/josh-schwartz/372965/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Josh Schwartz's </font></a> <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/the-oc/67280/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'The O.C.,'</font></a> but we can't seem to resist lovely Serena, boho boyfriend Dan, best frenemy Blair and the whole glam, catty crew. Maybe it's peer pressure, maybe it's the clothes ... Just don't tell anyone. xoxo, Gossip Girl.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

3. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/i-love-new-york/1342031/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'I Love New York'</font></a>

Fighting, a haunted house, and a contestant named "Midget Mac" -- wow, this show really had it all, didn't it? Say what you will about her quasi-celebrity status, but New York brings high-octane drama only a diva of <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/tiffany-pollard/501822/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Tiffany Pollard's</font></a> caliber could deliver with conviction while still remaining likeable.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

2. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/the-view/52297/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'The View'</font></a>

Since <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/rosie-odonnell/53416/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Rosie</font></a> left, it hasn't been quite as much fun to sneak around and watch this show while we should be, um, working. But there is always the hope for a fantastic feud, a total meltdown or a really, really moronic comment from <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/sherri-shepherd/242498/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Sherri Shepherd</font></a> -- and that's why we just can't stop ourselves from tuning in. Just don't tell our boss.

Shows We Love to Hate ... and Hate to Love

1. <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/the-hills/223298/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'The Hills'</font></a>

We have every reason <i>not</i> to watch <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/show/the-hills/223298/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>'The Hills'</font></a>: the scripted dialogue, the lack of action (<a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/lauren-conrad/439051/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Lauren</font></a> and <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/brody-jenner/525588/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Brody</font></a> flirt! again!), the odious <a href='http://www.aoltv.com/celebrity/spencer-pratt/525587/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Spencer</font></a>. But though we hate ourselves for it, we're powerless to resist the show's vapid, soapy thrills. Is there hope for us? As Justin-Bobby might say, "Truth and time tells all." Whatever that means.

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