Top 10 Biggest TV Sellouts

Top 10 Biggest TV Sellouts

Welcome toWatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the distinguished actors, filmmakers and personalities who most shockingly took a step down on the small screen.

#10: Ozzy Osbourne

Heavy metal’s first frontman took the sound and lifestyle of hard rock to diabolical heights with Black Sabbath. As Ozzy Osbourne’s solo career saw him clean up his act, at least off-stage, fans embraced the novelty of his and wife Sharon’s family image. The tune changed when MTV expanded their bizarre episode of “Cribs.” “The Osbournes” humorously and often wholesomely chronicled the personal life of the Prince of Darkness, who was naturally condemned for taking the artless route of reality TV. The show’s massive success wound up pioneering the genre’s celebrity family format, while Osbourne continued to play up his less morbid eccentricities in the media. There’s no denying the absurdity of this rebrand, or that it made us love Osbourne even more.

#9: David Caruso

“An Officer and a Gentleman,” “King of New York,” and other esteemed movies relegated David Caruso to the status of character actor. He earned more clout on cop shows, before heading the first two seasons of the groundbreaking “NYPD Blue.” The stage was set for a bright career as a leading man, but not the track record. After several cinematic duds and a Razzie nod for Worst New Star, Caruso hitched his legacy to Lieutenant Horatio Caine on “CSI: Miami.” But cool sunglasses and cheesy one-liners at murder scenes was hardly the original plan for his career. When the show ended after 10 seasons, Caruso opted to retire with the reputation of a TV legend, rather than an unsuccessful movie star.

#8: Taylor Sheridan

Actor-filmmaker Taylor Sheridan won huge acclaim for penning the gritty thrillers “Sicario” and “Hell or High Water.” From Paramount Network’s astonishingly successful “Yellowstone,” he built one of the busiest careers in Peak TV. Unfortunately, some say Sheridan peaked early. “Yellowstone” courted controversy for dragging under its own tropes and forgoing nuanced, ambiguous politics to cater to a conservative fanbase. The huge merchandising campaigns were also irritating. Aside from his breakout show’s acclaimed prequels, mixed reviews suggest that the sheer volume of Sheridan’s hit projects have led to inconsistent quality and recycled motifs. Surely, Paramount Global’s annual budget of about $500 million for this one showrunner means heady content obligations. But Sheridan’s bold auteurism arguably belies a greedy excess to his productions.

#7: Ice-T

The frontman for rap metal pioneers Body Count revolutionized heavy confrontations with a broken system. He even faced serious controversy for the track “Cop Killer.” Ice-T maintained this grit on the screen, until he joined “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in Season 2. NYPD detective Fin Tutuola was meant to be a recurring guest spot, but he became one of the most enduring characters throughout the franchise. Ice-T’s hardest fans have never fully forgiven his service to network TV’s romantic image of cops. He defends Fin for his humanizing, aspirational representation, while remaining a vocal critic of police corruption and brutality. “Law & Order” addresses this dilemma regularly. Nonetheless, Ice-T’s tamer acting career has proved as controversial as his music.

#6: Rob Lowe

The most scandalous member of the Brat Pack led a number of dark dramas and comedies. When Rob Lowe did settle into TV, it was on NBC’s prestigious political drama “The West Wing.” And yet, Lowe left after four seasons to pursue projects that better valued his talent and experience. He instead found a string of mediocre TV movies and shows. The biggest hits were an intermittent stint on “Parks and Recreation” and the short-lived “The Grinder.” The firefighter soap “9-1-1: Lone Star” and the gameshow “The Floor” have renewed Lowe as a household name, but he’s seemingly abandoned the edgy entertainment that made him. On the upside, he’s turned his public image around as a spokesperson for health and sobriety.

#5: Tim Allen

From a life of crime to edgy stand-up, Tim Allen wasn't exactly the model of a sitcom dad before ABC’s "Home Improvement." Along eight beloved seasons, he secured a family-friendly brand with the "Santa Clause" and "Toy Story" film franchises. Past that, however, Allen has mostly endeared fans with TV comedy... of a specific formula. "Last Man Standing" followed another conservative family man with a masculine career. Except instead of hosting a home-improvement TV show, Mike Baxter hosted a sporting goods vlog. After "Last Man Standing's" nine-season run on two networks, there was “The Santa Clauses” on Disney+. Given Allen’s track record in film, one can forgive his comfortably familiar brand. It's just ironic that his latest familiar sitcom is titled “Shifting Gears.”

#4: Charlie Sheen

Coming from a distinguished acting family, Charlie Sheen starred in the drama and comedy “major leagues” even as his personal life plummeted into scandal. Then he jarringly replaced Michael J. Fox for the last two seasons of the sitcom “Spin City.” As the tabloids continued to overshadow his big-screen brand, Sheen landed the super-hit “Two and a Half Men” in 2003. The character of Charlie Harper was a charmingly overt spoof of his actor’s sleazy lifestyle. But after professional controversy cost Sheen the highest-paying gig on TV, he continued with meta appearances in sitcoms. There’s something endearing about that, yet the fact is that a once-respected movie star has copped to being the butt of the joke that is celebrity gossip.

#3: Robert Reed

Three-time Emmy nominee Robert Reed made his name on heavy films and edgy TV projects like “The Defenders” and “Mannix.” Now, he’s usually referred to as “the dad on ‘The Brady Bunch.’” Throughout the 1970s, with regular specials thereafter, Mike Brady won the hearts of millions as the head of America’s first blended TV family. Unfortunately, he never won over Reed, whose disdain for his contractual obligations was an open secret surrounding the lighthearted sitcom. He continued to take on challenging projects, including the short-lived medical drama “Nurse.” But since his tragic passing at 59 years old, Reed’s legacy is divided between lovable family fare and an elevated artist who was cursed by it.

#2: David Benioff and D. B. Weiss

HBO’s “Game of Thrones” won showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss epic acclaim for seven years. And yes, the show ran for nine years. In 2018, Benioff and Weiss secured a deal to make a series of “Star Wars” films. Their eagerness to move on to bigger, at least financially better things was linked to a decline in quality and narrative logic in “Game of Thrones’” final season. Fans’ backlash escalated when the duo were poached from Lucasfilm by Netflix. The product of this deal, “3 Body Problem,” was generally a hit with critics and viewers. But compared to Benioff and Weiss’s initial praise, this project’s flaws and very foundation still haunt their legacy with questions about artistic dedication.

#1: Jerry Springer

As Mayor of Cincinnati and a reporter for NBC affiliates, Jerry Springer distinguished himself in political media. His syndicated talk show unpacked pressing issues with controversial figures like Jesse Jackson, Oliver North and shock rocker GG Allin. Then “The Jerry Springer Show” evaded cancellation by featuring non-celebrities with sensationalistic lifestyles. This led to public humiliation, on-camera fights, and the murder of Nancy Campbell-Panitz. But ratings were so hot that other daytime shows embraced the “trash TV” format. Springer escalated sensationalism until his show ended in 2018, then degraded his legal career with “Judge Jerry.” His passing in 2023 brought perspective to one of the most versatile and influential TV host careers in the business. Still, this once-hard-hitting personality asserts that television is ultimately a business.

Which stars’ TV turns did you find most disappointing? Dish in the comments below.