Top 20 Worst TV Shows of the Century (So Far)
Script written by Andrew Tejada
#20: “Ironside” (2013)
Although detective Robert Ironside is severely injured on the job, he continues working in law enforcement while using a wheelchair. While putting the talented Blair Underwood in the lead role was great, people took issue with the fact that he can walk without assistance in real life. But that was far from the show’s only problem. Ironside and a few of his officers were all committed to being as gritty as possible. When they weren’t breaking pretty much every rule, they were dealing with a supervisor who mostly spoke in cop show clichés. “Ironside’s” questionable casting and lack of originality ensured that four episodes were shown before it was canceled. In a television climate full of great cop dramas, this one wasn't missed.
#19: “Disjointed” (2017-18)
A sitcom created by the famous comedy TV giant Chuck Lorre and starring Kathy Bates should’ve been a massive hit. But this Netflix series about a shop that sells products based around a certain recreational plant flopped instead. Despite having great talent behind and in front of the camera, “Disjointed” still relied way too heavily on cheap stereotypes to generate jokes. It also featured bizarre cutaway gags that were extremely hit or miss. And the cast of characters ranged from forgettable to absolutely intolerable. Since all of these factors didn’t mesh well together, we think “Disjointed” was the perfect title for this underwhelming sitcom.
#18: “Mulaney” (2014-15)
Do you remember the series where a comedian does stand up in real life before we cut to fictional stories set in New York with quirky people? Unfortunately, we’re not talking about “Seinfeld”. The “Mulaney” series borrowed all those recognizable elements from the legendary sitcom. Although the lead comedian had some funny jokes in his stand up, the rest of his series fell short of expectations. The ensemble cast was full of funny actors stuck with one-note personalities in mundane situations. And since its premise was so related to “Seinfeld”, it couldn’t escape comparisons to the much funnier show. If “Mulaney” had a more original setup and given its talents better material, it might have made it past a critically panned 13 episode run.
#17: The 2011 MTV Remake of “Skins”
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While the original “Skins” series garnered critical acclaim and helped launch careers, the same could not be said for its American remake. The edgy MTV teen drama faced heavy controversy as soon it aired. Viewers and critics were uncomfortable with the amount of mature situations the young actors playing teenagers found themselves in during the series. Outside of the controversy, some of the show’s awkward and oddly paced storylines didn’t really resonate with audiences. It didn’t take long for the ratings to start sinking for this troubled teen drama. The failure of the MTV program showed that not every idea can translate perfectly to a new audience.
#16: “Saint George” (2014)
Years after George Lopez appeared in a self-titled family sitcom, he tried his hand at a comedy aimed at a more adult audience. He starred as a man named…George Lopez who attempts to jump back into the dating world after a divorce. At the same time, he’s also a night school teacher who has to avoid a vice principal’s inappropriate advances. This weird premise has tons of mean-spirited humor and awful characters. And since the stakes are so low in the show’s bland plots, it was a slog to sit through. After ten episodes, FX chose to pull the plug on this unremarkable comedy. It easily stands as George Lopez’s worst sitcom effort.
#15: “Charlie's Angels” (2011)
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The original “Charlie's Angels” series was a fun romp where three women worked undercover to solve crimes while starring in over-the-top setpieces. When ABC rebooted the show, they decided to take the premise a lot more seriously. But the grounded tone didn’t work for the new angels. Although actresses like Rachael Taylor and Minka Kelly are great in other thrilling series, their characters felt underdeveloped here. And if all that wasn’t bad enough, the action scenes failed to impress due to their headache inducing editing and lack of creativity. Neither viewers nor the network stuck behind this reboot for long. Its cancellation was announced halfway through the season.
#14: “Dr. Ken” (2015-17)
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Ken Jeong is one of the funniest men working in Hollywood. So, we were very excited to hear that he was getting his own series where he played a funny doctor. But we were left sorely disappointed by the final product. Jeong’s doctor character falls into many of the typical sitcom husband clichés. He can be overbearing, idiotic and out-of-touch with what his family wants. And although the show has a unique medical premise at its core, the plots often drift into more mundane storylines that you’d be able to find in any sitcom. Dr. Ken failed to win over critics over its two season run. Unfortunately, Jeong’s charisma and actual medical experience wasn’t enough to save this comedic series.
#13: “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” (2016-17)
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On paper, using the successful “Criminal Minds” formula to create a spin-off where a team solves international cases sounds pretty incredible. It was also exciting to hear actors like Gary Sinise, Alana de la Garza and Tyler James Williams would make up the core ensemble. But the premise and cast were overshadowed by accusations that the spinoff was extremely tone deaf. Critics felt that “Beyond Borders” constantly made countries outside of the U.S. look violent and dangerous. As the show continued to promote harmful stereotypes, the cast failed to make the same good impression that the original “Criminal Minds” crew did. Even the most hardcore franchise fans didn’t mourn the loss of this controversial spinoff.
#12: “$#*! My Dad Says” (2010-11)
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Executives at CBS decided to take a twitter feed where Justin Halpern wrote down wild comments his dad made and turn it into a sitcom. Unfortunately, this gamble didn’t pay off. Although William Shatner can pull off comedy, his delivery and dialogue wasn’t the best during the show’s run. Viewership for the fledgling sitcom yo-yo’d back and forth as everyone struggled to decide whether the show was worth investing in. After the show got a mixed reception, Halpern revealed that the original scripts were significantly toned down for network tv. If the show had been as edgy as its title, it might not have gone down as an obscure social media adaptation.
#11: “Dads” (2013-14)
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Early Advertisements for “Dads” promised to give us a comedy where a duo played by Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi have to deal with their terrible fathers. But some viewers may have found the sons to be much more problematic. During the show’s short lived run, the two main characters came off as unrelatable and bad people. They’re so out-of-touch and self-absorbed that it's hard to root for them. The series also went out of its way to place actress Brenda Song in the center of gags that ranged from uncomfortable to horrifically offensive. Oh, and did we mention that the dads weren’t fun to watch either? There were simply no good reasons to watch this show full of bad characters.
#10: “Inhumans” (2017)
There are some Marvel fans who consider “Iron Fist” to be the most lackluster live-action show the company offered this century. However, the most awful adaptation they offered was unquestionably “Inhumans”. The show centered around a deeply unlikable group of superpowered royals who ruled over a strict class system on the moon. After the big bad Maximus stages a coup against them, the so-called heroes wander around Hawaii. The fish-out-of water premise leads to lots of lame jokes and boring side stories. And when we do get action scenes, they’re usually incredibly brief or ruined by lackluster special effects. These problems and more made “Inhumans” one of the worst superhero shows of modern times.
#9: “That '80s Show” (2002)
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During the run of the beloved “That’s 70s show”, Fox executives decided to see if they could get another hit by following a new cast of characters in a different decade. Future television superstars like Chyler Leigh and Glenn Howerton were cast to lead the comedy. Fortunately, their careers weren’t completely derailed by this lackluster sitcom. “That 80s Show” just didn’t have the charm of its more successful predecessor. The ensemble felt like lesser copies of the original characters and the setting wasn’t that retro when the series aired. Although “That 80’s show” tried to forge its own identity, it never gave fans a compelling reason to leave the 70s.
#8: “Insatiable” (2018-19)
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After spending years being made fun of for her weight, Patty Bedell has a violent encounter with a homeless person. She receives a jaw injury that requires her to go on a liquid diet that transforms her body. Patty eventually decides to use her looks and wits to get revenge on people who mistreated her. This problematic premise made people call the show out for confusing messages about body image and for putting Debby Ryan in a fat suit. Outside of that, one of the show’s many cringey subplot involves a mother falsely accusing someone of heinous crimes. While some viewers tuned into the offensive plotlines and humor, over 200,000 people asked Netflix to cancel it. The latter group got the cancellation they wanted.
#7: “Rob” (2012)
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Admittedly, Rob Schider’s “Real Rob” is far from a flawless sitcom. However, he starred in an objectively worse comedy before that Netflix show. “Rob” centered around a man with obsessive compulsive disorder who married a woman of Mexican descent before her family found out. He then must try to win them over while trying to avoid awkward situations. Throughout the show, Rob’s OCD’s and tired stereotypes about Mexican culture are often used as punchlines. And it’s hard to feel bad for the title character because he has few redeeming qualities. Ultimately, “Rob” is an unfunny and lazy sitcom starring Schneider that is best left forgotten.
#6: “South Beach” (2006)
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It’s hard to explain what this failed drama was even about. At the beginning of the premiere, Vincent and Matt leave their lives in Brooklyn behind and journey to Miami. That just so happens to be the place where Matt’s ex-girlfriend Arielle is working on a modeling career. Although this sounds like a romantic drama, the show quickly throws criminals and guns into the mix. While we appreciate seeing the legendary Giancarlo Esposito as a crime boss, his character and all the other darker subplots feel like they belong on a different show. It doesn’t help that Matt and Vincent don’t really have distinct personalities. Fortunately, most of the actors and all of the audience moved on from “South Beach’s” identity crisis and unremarkable characters.
#5: “Knight Rider” (2008-09)
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Watching a talking KITT instantly change its shape like it’s a Transformer should’ve been the most ridiculous part of the “Knight Rider” pilot. But this reboot constantly surprised us with one outrageous turn after the other. After the pilot throws us in the midst of an undercover mission with no explanation, the show’s events quickly devolve into a mix of campy action and fanservice. The first episode also has the unconvincing fake out death of main character Mike and sets up an amnesia plot. All of these hokey story turns guaranteed that the show stalled right out of the gate. Unfortunately, every attempt to course correct “Knight Rider” failed before this awful remake crashed and burned.
#4: “Cavemen” (2007)
If you think giving a mascot from a Geico commercial their own show would be a bad idea, congratulations! You officially have more foresight than whoever decided to greenlight this series. The show was marketed as a unique and hilarious look at what it’s like for three Cavemen to live in modern times. But the main trio were unfunny versions of characters you could find in literally any other adult sitcom. And more than a few viewers and critics felt like the show was using situations with cavemen to make light of actual racial prejudice. The show bombed so hard that American audiences didn’t see the entire first season. To add insult to injury, Geico made fun of the show in one of their commercials.
#3: “Fred: The Show” (2012)
We thought it was bad enough that the obnoxious and high-pitched internet character known as Fred starred in two television movies. Unfortunately, he also got his own tv series in 2012. Fred’s misadventures were somehow more annoying in these 11 minute segments than they had ever been before. Basically every episode saw the titular character complain, try to solve his issue in an absurd way and then whine some more before the story mercifully ended. But it wasn’t like there was anyone in the unpleasant supporting cast that we liked either. Viewership dropped pretty quickly for the show during its first and only season. Even Lucas Cruikshank acknowledged Fred’s program had issues after he starred as the character.
#2 “Work It” (2012)
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When two men have trouble finding work, they decide to dress up as women and apply to work at an office with a mostly female identifying staff. We can’t decide if it’s more shocking that their plan worked or that anyone on earth thought this show was worth putting on tv. “Work It” spends most of its runtime peddling lazy gender stereotypes and cringe worthy jokes. And it doesn’t help that the leads are detestable and insensitive men who constantly lie to their families and coworkers. While we’re still surprised ABC let “Work It” air at all, at least the network put this horrendous show out of its misery in the U.S. two weeks after the premiere.
#1: “Viva Laughlin” (2007)
A show that tried to combine a mysterious death, casino drama and random musical numbers is considered to be one of the worst television shows in recent memory. “Viva Laughlin” was meant to be an American take on the relatively well-received British series “Blackpool”. But the U.S. interpretation couldn’t balance its melodramatic scenes with its silly musical interludes. Every time an actor tried to deliver a serious line, audiences were likely to burst out laughing. Not even Hugh Jackman’s presence could improve this doomed show. While it was canceled after two episodes in the United States, Australia gave up after the first airing. “Viva Laughlin’s” silly premise, rough dialogue and hilariously bad execution made it a legendary 21st century tv flop.
