Even the best book, movie, or television show won’t get much attention without a catchy title. But some titles are so strange that they might be misleading. A few are flat out funny. Puns, alliteration, and rhymes are always popular—sometimes even in the same title. Here are a few current standouts:
Pimple Popper, TLC — File this title under misnomer. Dermatologist Dr. Sandra Lee, aka “Dr. Pimple Popper” does far more than pop pimples. She drains, removes and treats all types of nasty growths and cysts that can develop in human skin, often dramatically improving her patients’ lives.- Random Acts of Flyness, HBO — Random is one way to describe Terence Nance’s late-night series, but it’s so much more. It’s an unpredictable mix of thought-provoking sketches tackling anything from white privilege to death.
Schitt’s Creek, Pop — Uttered aloud, this comedy’s title sounds like where you might wind up when things go wrong, just as they did for the Rose family. But it’s also the name of the small town that’s the family’s only remaining asset after they lose their fortune. Better yet, the mayor is a descendent of the town’s founder.- Ugly Delicious, Netflix — Only the title’s second word hints that this series might be about food. But it’s really a hybrid travel-food-history show that explores the connections between culture, location, history, and food.
- Wives With Knives, ID – While these wives wield knives, it’s not necessarily in the kitchen. Through a combination of interviews and re-enactments, this real-crime series tells the stories of women who’ve used knives to either defend themselves or seek revenge on men who have hurt or betrayed them.
- Pinky Malinky, Netflix — Rhyming titles are always fun, especially in kids’ programming. In the case
of this animated series, the title is also the name of the main character, who happens to be a walking, talking hot dog. - Adam Ruins Everything, truTV — Adam Conover doesn’t ruin things as much as he fact-checks many of America’s common beliefs and assumptions. Whether you call it a comedy or edutainment, you’ll laugh while learning something.
- Naked and Afraid, Discovery — This salacious title belies the fact that this is a reality show where contestants—typically a man and a woman—are deposited without clothes in a remote area of wilderness. Due to expert blurring, you’ll probably see less actual flesh here than on most other television shows.
- Agatha Raisin, AcornTV — Part comedy, part mystery, this British import does not contain any characters made of dried fruit. And while it’s not related to Agatha Christie, it is a modern twist on the small-town British mystery genre she popularized.
- Outdaughtered, TLC —This may be the most accurate title ever. This reality show follows the lives of the Busby family—mom Danielle, dad Adam, their 4-year old daughter and a set of all-girl quintuplets. Enough said.
