Yep. Not Only Did The Dragon Drama Fail.

https://www.tmz.com/2026/04/02/artemis-space-flight-has-bathroom-issues/

It seems to have backfired rather spectacularly.

Of course the; "Good Quirky V.s Bad Quirky" debate has to include; "The Big Bang Theory" and its universe. It may well have been the start of the trend.

https://twitterwithbraincells.blogspot.com/2026/03/while-i-note-cleaning-lady-seems-to.html

Before Warner Brothers revoked the broadcasting rights, to use it to promote its Discovery+ Streaming platform via its TLC channel, the UK Channel 4 Network used to broadcast, at least, a dozen episodes of The Big Bang Theory each and every day. 

However they aired several seasons simultaneously. So you'd have one season airing at breakfast time, another at lunchtime and yet another at dinner time. Aside from making you hate the show with every fibre of your being it really helped highlight how the characters developed, softened and became less quirky over time.

Prior to the introduction of the; "Bernadette" character the International Space Station toilet designer, then NASA astronaut; "Howard Wolowtiz" is a seriously unpleasant person. His behaviour towards women goes far beyond socially awkward into full-on criminal. The episode where he uses spy satellites to track down and break into the "America's Next Top Model" mansion is up there with the notorious rape scene in "Sixteen Candles" (1984). The episode where he harasses Summer Glau on a train still gives me the creeps to this day. Although I might have some personal reasons at play there.

The spin-off; "Young Sheldon" centres around the incredibly socially awkward; "Sheldon Cooper." I think in the second season he befriends the equally socially awkward; "Dr. John Sturgis." Turning it into a show about two very socially awkward people. The focus on two people who are difficult to be around makes the show difficult to be around. Certainly not as fun and entertaining as you'd choose to watch.

Another noteworthy case study is the UK's; "Death In Paradise" universe. Despite featuring The Big Bang Theory alumnus John Ross Bowie it's probably something US readers need explaining to them.

Death In Paradise is one of those; "Cosy Crime" dramas. Yes each episode does revolve around a murder. However it's done in such a way that you don't believe for a moment that anyone's actually died. Even if you did then each episode ends with the murder being solved and the bad people being punished.

Over the course of 15 seasons there have been various detectives played by various actors. However it's a fish-out-of-water story in which a British detective is assigned to a Caribbean holiday island. Comedy comes from the clash of cultures. The current detective is Black and was born on the island before being adopted and being raised in Britain to become a London police officer. Highlighting that it's a cultural issue rather than a race issue. While the detective's behaviour is perfectly normal for London even the White, Creole Mayor of the island finds him to be pushy and difficult to be around. Not that it's really the sort of show which goes in for incisive political critiques. 

One of the Death In Paradise detectives, Chris Marshall's; "Humphrey Goodman" was so successful he got his own spin-off; "Beyond Paradise." I think his character can best be described as; "Bumbling." The sort of person who is constantly searching for his glasses, not realising they're on the top of his head. However despite his quirks he's a nice guy. Particularly in the spin-off he's shown to be a devoted husband and foster father.

The success of Beyond Paradise led to another spin-off; "Return To Paradise." Set in Australia this sees an Australian detective who has been working in London return to her Australian hometown. That detective, Mackenzie Clarke, doesn't have quirks. She has a really unpleasant, socially awkward personality which makes her difficult to be around, let alone watch. I think the actress, Anna Samson, has actually caught a lot of hate online over how dislikeable her character is.

It shows how big and long in the planning the Dragon Drama was that it was tied in with an episode of Return To Paradise. The detective tries leaping back into the dating pool with a plumber after a loose pipe starts vibrating in her house.

Not that much of my core readership are in any mood to be reading long, ponderous discussions of showbiz trends at the moment. You only need to look at the wild fluctuations in the Oil price to see that it's absolutely brutal out there at the moment.

Plus, discussing how US Republicans desire to bomb Iran has become a closed loop; They want to bomb Iran because they want to bomb Iran, does seem even more redundant while they're bombing Iran.