Are there any comedy shows that you once dismissed as poor, refusing to watch them for months or years, that you now admit are/were actually really good? I'm guilty of ignoring South Park for a good few years, before realising how clever and funny it actually was.
South Park, 30 Rock, Malcolm in the Middle.
Family Guy, Friends (at the start) The first ones are now my favourite ones.
Scrubs - I hated the idea of the show when it came out. Thought it was trying to hard with its cartoon like comedy. Started watching it ala DVD (while the show itself was in some of its last few seasons) and now its one of my favourite sitcoms.
Sienfeld - Couldn't stand George to the point that I couldn't watch the show. Now that I'm older and have a higher tolerance for cringe comedy I can appreciate its awesomeness.
I'm a rather late fan of the office, I don't think I watched an episode until I was about 17 which was nearly 3 - 4 years after it was first televised.
Quote: Curt @ October 22 2009, 3:52 AM BSTSienfeld - Couldn't stand George to the point that I couldn't watch the show.
Still never seen Phoenix Nights or League of Gentlemen - didn't really try to avoid them, just never caught them first time round and haven't got round to buying them on DVD, but I will. Seen clips of both and I like what I see.
I refused to watch Father Ted when it first aired, as the premise seemed completely unfunny and rather lame. On reflection, it was a schoolboy error of gargantuan proportions.
Yeah, I watched the first episode of The League of Gentlemen and didn't get it at all at the time. Watched it last year (what -- 12 years later?) after people banged on about it for pretty much all that time and it was really good. Still to watch series 2 and 3, but that's down to a lack of time really more than anything else.
Dan
Most shows for me were more totally-passed-me-by than something I actually refused to watch. Examples: South Park, Top Gear, The League Of Gentlemen, Spaced, The Office, Phoenix Nights... Plenty of others I'm sure.
South Park I've still not seen. Top Gear I love. The League Of Gentlemen and The Office I'm ambivalent towards. Phoenix Nights and Spaced I wish I'd never got around to watching.
Oh, Snuff Box! I watched half of the first episode when it first aired and thought it absolutely abysmal. I tried it again last year and bloody loved it.
I remember thinking The IT Crowd was awful when it first started. I kept with it though, and now love it lots 
Oh, not comedy but Band of Brothers first episode was so dull and boring I was seriously considering not watching any of the rest of it. I persevered with episode 2 and was not disappointed. One of the best TV series ever, that turned out to be!
Dan
If we're mentioning non-comedy, I'd like to add Primeval. Just caught up with series three, after watching the first two a few weeks ago. It's not the best thing ever, but it's thoroughly enjoyable. Glad to hear it's coming back. Glad I didn't dismiss it as Doctor Who rubbish.
Quote: Leevil @ October 22 2009, 12:40 PM BSTIf we're mentioning non-comedy, I'd like to add Primeval. Just caught up with series three, after watching the first two a few weeks ago. It's not the best thing ever, but it's thoroughly enjoyable. Glad to hear it's coming back. Glad I didn't dismiss it as Doctor Who rubbish.
Primeval is pants.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ October 22 2009, 12:58 PM BSTPrimeval is pants.
It's not pants it's wanktacular... which is worse by the way.