Top 10 TV Shows So Bad They Were Canceled After One Episode
Well...they can't all be winners. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Shows So Bad They Were Canceled After One Episode.
For this list, we'll be ranking the television programs which were either so poorly received (or ignored altogether) that they didn't get another chance on the air. Some of these programs might have already had other episodes produced and then made available after the fact, but all of them were canceled after their respective pilots hit the small screen, entering them into the annals of embarrassing television history.
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#10: "The Hasselhoffs" (2010)
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We open our list with a bit of a fudge, as this 2010 reality show actually aired back-to-back episodes during its premiere, before getting the axe. "The Hasselhoffs" was an attempt by A&E to create a reality hit following former "Knight Rider" star David Hasselhoff and his family. Only 718,000 viewers tuned in to watch the pilot, however, while the subsequent episode dropped the numbers down even further, to just over five hundred thousand. The series was canceled, and David Hasselhoff never did anything again. We're kidding, obviously, as The Hoff continues to appear in just about any aspect of pop culture that will have him.
#9: "South of Sunset" (1993)
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Glenn Frey was a part-time actor, but a full-time musician, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member of The Eagles. BUt forget “fame”, "shame" is perhaps a better word to describe Frey's 1993 series "South of Sunset," which only mustered up one episode before cancellation. To be fair, audiences on the West Coast didn't even get a chance to see much of the show, as its debut was largely preempted by news coverage of the Malibu wildfires. This didn't stop "South of Sunset's" fate, however, leaving the four other filmed episodes unseen, until they were broadcast, years later, on VH1.
#8: "Lawless" (1997)
The NFL career of Brian Bosworth may have been something of a bust, but that didn't stop the former All-American from trying his hand at acting. "The Boz" scored something of a cult hit with the 1991 action flick "Stone Cold," but still couldn't resonate with the mainstream. "Lawless" was an attempt at rectifying this, and featured Bosworth as a special forces op who solves crimes and rides a Harley on South Beach. If this premise sounds flimsy and generic, that's because it is, and "Lawless" only got its pilot episode out the door before its demise. "The Boz" continues to act, though, so don't feel too bad for him!
#7: "Secret Talents of the Stars" (2008)
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"Secret Talents of the Stars" was an attempt at replicating the runaway success of the celebrity competition show "Dancing with the Stars" . . . but ended up a disaster. The show was set up in a similar fashion to its touchstone, with celebrities competing against each other in a talent show of sorts. Each week, viewers at home would have been able to vote forward their favorites, while three judges would add in their own commentary as to who should stay and who should go. "Secret Talents of the Stars" was the one to go, however, and didn't even get to air another episode before getting the axe.
#6: "Emily's Reasons Why Not" (2006)
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Millions of dollars reportedly went into the promotion of "Emily's Reasons Why Not," a hopeful hit which hinged upon its star, Heather Graham; and which molded itself as the network’s take on HBO's popular "Sex and the City" franchise. Unfortunately, the pilot episode, which was chock-a-block with gay stereotypes and stale humor, bombed in the ratings department, and was canceled, you guessed it, after airing just one episode. "Emily's Reasons Why Not" did live on afterwards, however, as all seven of the show's filmed episodes were eventually aired in other countries, and released on DVD in 2012.
#5: "You're in the Picture" (1961)
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Our next entry proves that sometimes, you just gotta roll with the punches and make lemonade out of some damn lemons. "You're in the Picture" was a disastrous attempt at a game show hosted by "The Honeymooners" star Jackie Gleason, which was axed after its first episode. Gleason owned up to it, though, and appeared in the following week's time slot with a half hour apology, complete with live commercials. Strangely enough, the apology received better ratings, and Gleason was allowed to replace "You're in the Picture" with "The Jackie Gleason Show," an interview program which filled out his contractual obligations for the network.
#4: "The Will" (2005)
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Ever seen a movie where a bunch of sleazy relatives are competing and conspiring against one another to win a huge inheritance? Ever wanted to see that scenario in a reality show setting? No? Neither do we. That's probably why "The Will" was such a notorious bomb when it debuted in 2005. The show centered around a group of people vying to inherit a Kansas ranch from "The Benefactor." The usual backstabbing and drama ensued, only this time marinated in the sort of bad taste one might expect from a premise this stupid. Thankfully, "The Will" qualified for our list, though some of its banked episodes later aired.
#3: "Co-Ed Fever" (1979)
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This sitcom’s concept was an all-girls college going co-ed, and was a bald-faced attempt at replicating the big-screen success of "National Lampoon's Animal House" for a television audience. Thing is, it barely had a chance to get out of the starting gate. It aired its sole episode, "Pepperoni Passion," as a special preview on February 4th, 1979, but was then canceled even before it could start airing on its scheduled night. "Co-Ed Fever" was eventually put to good use, though, as its dorm set was eventually adapted for "The Facts of Life."
#2: "Turn-On" (1969)
This one was ahead of its time. "Turn-On" was a surreal sketch comedy show which made history by being the only series to be canceled partway into its pilot episode. Yeah, you heard right. The show was created by the folks behind "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In," but was yanked due to its psychedelic approach, wild synthesizer music and bawdy sexual humor. Today, it's known as one of the biggest critical and commercial bombs in history, although its blink-and-you-missed-it existence serves as a tantalizing example of what could have been for fans of transgressive comedy. Before we name our number one pick, here are a few honorable (or is that dishonorable?) mentions! "Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos" (1992) "Who's Your Daddy?" (2005-) "Public Morals" (1996)
#1: "Heil Honey I'm Home! (1990)
File this one under: what the HELL were they thinking? Well, the intention behind the British "Heil Honey I'm Home!" was to satirize what the creators saw as stupid and stock clichés of the typical American sitcom. The results, however, featured Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun as a "Desi and Lucy" sort of couple, who live next door to a Jewish family, The Goldensteins. Complaints were swift, with many accusing the show of trivializing Hitler and the Holocaust, despite the existence of other World War II parodies, like "Hogan's Heroes." The show was immediately canceled, although it's been reported that other filmed episodes do exist, somewhere out in the mist of bad taste.
