Do you follow the "Three Episode" Rule when watching a TV series?

[AGXStarseed]

For those of you who aren't aware of this rule, it is used by many people when they try out a new TV show - although apparently it is most often used regarding Anime series - to decide whether said show has gained your interest and is therefore worth watching.
A sad side-effect of this is that some people who follow this rule will either whine at people who gave up on a show during/after the first or second episode of a show or actively 'bash' people online because of it.

As for myself, I generally don't follow it. If I choose to watch a new TV show - which is rather rare nowadays - I either choose to begin watching it because of some familiarity (such as watching the new series of Robot Wars as I watched the series when I was a kid) or because there is something in the promotional trailers for it that grabs my interest.
After that, I'll watch the first couple of episodes unless the first one is really bad or doesn't hold my interest before I decide whether I want to continue watching or not.

An example of the second part of my rule was when I saw a TV trailer for Relic Hunter and decided to give it a shot - I got to five episodes before the repetition began to bore me.
As for anime, the last one I watched that I hadn't seen before - and only watched because someone recommended it to me - was Elfen Lied...I didn't get past the first episode (Warning; blood, violence, bad language and nudity).

So what about you guys? Do you follow the three episode rule when it comes to watching TV shows, or do you have your own rules?

 

[8398]

I didn't know about the rule- at first I thought it would mean, only watch three episodes daily. Because I tend to forget things if I watch too many.

I think a three episode rule regarding anime would make sense, because there is so much of it out there that is ridiculously unoriginal and repetitive. There are also many I quit on the first episode, by the sound of it I'd probably not finish the first episode of elfen lied either. Often times people have preferences and wont watch everything, like how I need comedy 75% of the time. Besides anime I don't see the need for the rule vs a person's own judgement on when to stop.

 

[AustinTheAspie]

Didn't like Elfen Lied did you? Pretty intense, isn't it? I was the guy who recommended it. The story is kind of crappy, but the violence and gore is what keeps me interested.

 

[Streetwise]

DIDNT know it really worked i watch the one i see first but it depends on different circumstances if i watch it again

 

[AGXStarseed]

Didn't like Elfen Lied did you? Pretty intense, isn't it? I was the guy who recommended it. The story is kind of crappy, but the violence and gore is what keeps me interested.

I don't think it was you who recommended it to me - I was on a different Autism Social Network when I got recommended it (said network has now closed down).
In any case, I just couldn't connect with Elfen Lied. It was pretty intense as you've pointed out and I'm not a fan of large amounts of gore, while it also probably wasn't helpful that it was the first 'adult' anime I'd ever seen.

That said, I will watch shows that involve blood and violence in certain circumstances. The most recent is the new season of Samurai Jack:

 

[xudo]

I've heard of it, but I don't follow it. I usually try new programmes on TV if they look like they might be the sort of thing I'd watch (mostly police procedurals) but I've given up on stuff after the first episode before now. The one show I did stick with even though I was never entirely sure if I was actually enjoying it or not was "The Glades". Unfortunately, it was supposed to have a fifth season, but was cancelled unexpectedly...so the makers of the show decided to give no f***'s, and finish the final episode on the biggest cliffhanger they could.(The Glades (TV Series 2010–2013) - IMDb)

My sister sometimes says that I should stick with a certain programme because "it gets good after season 2"...and I'm like there's no way I'm doing that. If you can't make something decent until we're that far in then you can jog on.

 

[Sylar]

I follow the three episode rule, though I didn't know it was an established rule, I thought it was just my own personal preference. I only really use it for US series though, because the first episode tends to be a pilot that was filmed long before the rest of the season and a lot of things change between that and the season proper. I think it's unfair to judge an entire show based on an episode where the creators are still trying to figure the show out. 3 episodes is enough to see if the show has any kind of promise. Some shows already grip me in that time, others don't find their feet until halfway through a season or even in season 2, if the first 3 episodes tell me the show will get better I'll stick with it.

I only give UK series one episode because of the way they're made and because giving it 3 episodes means you've already seen half the series.

 

[toothless]

i judge from the first episode,if it holds my interest,ill go on.

 

[ZebraAutismo]

I follow the 3 episode rule to get to know the characters and let the show find it's place.

 

[Judge]

I don't count episodes. It's usually just a matter of when my interest wanes based on the flow of a story in real-time. That it could go bad at any point in time, regardless of how "invested" I may be in watching much of any series.

Especially given how one series may overlap at some point with an even better show. Besides, if I can catch a show on video-on-demand it won't matter to me. The show I like the most will be the one I watch in real-time.