List of television series considered the worst
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of television series notable for negative reception, from around the world, either by published critics or by network executives. A judgment of a "worst television series" can be based on poor quality, the lack of a budget, rapid cancellation, very low viewership, offensive content, and/or negative impact on other series on the same channel. In some cases, a show that is acceptable on its own merits can be put in a position where it does not belong and be judged "worst ever." Note that in many cases, "worst television series ever" lists are slanted toward more contemporary events (for instance, the XFL
was rated more highly on worst TV series lists in 2002, shortly after it was canceled, than it was in 2010, when the recently canceled The Jay Leno Show
topped lists).
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
was rated more highly on worst TV series lists in 2002, shortly after it was canceled, than it was in 2010, when the recently canceled The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
topped lists).
Animated shows
- The Adventures of Paddy the PelicanThe Adventures of Paddy the PelicanThe Adventures of Paddy the Pelican is an animated television series that debuted in children's local stations in Chicago in 1950s. It consist of six episodes airing in 1954 It is exceedingly rare, but has gained some fame for appearing on Jerry Beck's "Worst Cartoons Ever." On the DVD, he states...
– Six animated episodes of this series were produced, all bearing the date 1954, making it one of the first ever efforts at a made-for-television cartoon (which would not become commonplace until the late 1950s); the characters were originally from a local TV puppetPuppetA puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
show on Chicago's WENR-TV that began airing in 1950. It is exceedingly rare, but has gained some fame for appearing on Jerry Beck's "Worst Cartoons Ever." On the DVD, he states that he has not found any evidence that it was aired on TV. The show is infamous for its shoddy pencil-sketch artwork, reused animation, rambling voiceoverVoiceOverVoiceOver is a screen reader built into Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X, iOS and iPod operating systems. By using VoiceOver, the user can access their Macintosh or iOS device based on spoken descriptions and, in the case of the Mac, the keyboard. The feature is designed to increase accessibility for blind...
s, muffled soundtrack, and general low-budget problems.
- BattletoadsBattletoadsBattletoads is a platformer video game created by Tim and Chris Stamper and developed by Rare. Starring three anthropomorphic toads named after skin conditions , the game was created to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games....
– The video game franchise spun-off an AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
half-hour, traditionally animated television special produced by DiC EntertainmentDiC EntertainmentDIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
, airing in syndication on the weekend of Thanksgiving 1992. It is assumed that the series was an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesThe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
. Incidentally, DiC Entertainment would try this again later on by producing Street SharksStreet SharksStreet Sharks is an American animated television series about crime-fighting half-man/half-sharks. It was produced by DIC Entertainment and aired from 1994 to 1995, originally as a part of the Amazin' Adventures lineup. Later, in 1996, the Street Sharks teamed up with the Dino Vengers and the...
and then later Extreme DinosaursExtreme DinosaursExtreme Dinosaurs is an American animated series from 1997 based on a 1996 toy line from Mattel starring a group of dinosaurs that were transformed into super warriors by an interdimensional criminal. They rebelled against their creator and do battle with his second group of warriors, the evil...
. However, only the pilot episode made it to the airwaves; it was never picked up as a full animated series, despite comic-style ads in GameProGameProGamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
magazine claiming otherwise. In 2008, Battletoads was given the #5 place on the list of The 5 Worst One-Shot TV Cartoons Ever Made by Topless Robot.
- Bucky and PepitoBucky and PepitoBucky and Pepito was a 1958 animated television series produced by Sam Singer. Two episodes appeared on a compilation DVD of the worst cartoons ever made, and it was described by Harry McCracken as setting "a standard for awfulness that no contemporary TV cartoon has managed to...
– Two episodes appeared on a compilation DVD of the worst cartoons ever made, and it was described by Harry McCrackenHarry McCrackenHarry McCracken is creator of Technologizer, a technology-oriented website. He also presently writes a weekly column with the same name for the TIME.com website. Harry is also a contributing editor at CNET....
as setting "a standard for awfulness that no contemporary TV cartoon has managed to surpass".
- Clutch CargoClutch CargoClutch Cargo is an animated television series produced by Cambria Productions and syndicated beginning on March 9, 1959. Notable for its very limited animation, yet imaginative stories, the series was a surprise hit at the time, and could be seen on 65 stations nationwide in 1960.- Plot :The...
, Space AngelSpace AngelSpace Angel was an animated science fiction television series produced in the United States from early 1962 through 1964. It used the same Synchro-Vox lip technique as Clutch Cargo, the first cartoon produced by the same studio, Cambria Productions....
and Captain FathomCaptain FathomCaptain Fathom was an animated television series produced in 1965 by Cambria Studios. Like Cambria's other productions, Clutch Cargo and Space Angel, it was produced in Synchro-Vox. 18 30-minute episodes, all in color, were filmed. The episodes could be broken down into 5 6-minute segments in...
– These three Cambria Studios productions (listed in order of production) were serials produced using the process of Syncro-VoxSyncro-VoxSyncro-Vox is a filming method which combines static images with moving images, the most common use of which is to superimpose talking lips on a photograph of a celebrity or a cartoon drawing. It is one of the most extreme examples of the cost-cutting strategy of limited animation...
, a widely derided animation shortcut that involved plastering the moving lips of a voice actor onto a drawing. While the illustrations and voice work in the Syncro-Vox series were generally praised, animation for these series was extremely limited even for the standards of the dayLimited animationLimited animation is a process of making animated cartoons that does not redraw entire frames but variably reuses common parts between frames. One of its major trademarks is the stylized design in all forms and shapes, which in the early days was referred to as modern design...
, featuring mostly still pictures with dialogue "Syncro-Voxed" overtop. A Captain Fathom episode is included in the aforementioned Worst Cartoons Ever compilation.
- Pinky, Elmyra & the BrainPinky, Elmyra & the BrainSteven Spielberg Presents Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain is the retooling of the American animated television series Pinky and the Brain , with the title characters being joined by Elmyra Duff from their other show Tiny Toon Adventures...
– The continuation of the successful cartoon Pinky and the BrainPinky and the BrainPinky and the Brain is an American animated television series.The characters Pinky and the Brain first appeared in 1993 as a recurring segment on the show Animaniacs...
, this cartoon was poorly criticized by fans of both the former and Tiny Toon AdventuresTiny Toon AdventuresSteven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures, usually referred to as Tiny Toon Adventures or simply Tiny Toons, is an American animated television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. It began production as a result of Warner Bros....
, from which new lead character Elmyra DuffElmyra DuffElmyra Jessica Duff is a cartoon character from the Warner Bros. animated television series Tiny Toon Adventures. She is one of the main characters from the show. Elmyra is voiced by Cree Summer in all of her appearances...
came. Despite receiving a few award nominations including voice actor Rob PaulsenRob PaulsenRobert Fredrick "Rob" Paulsen III , sometimes credited as Rob Paulson, is an American voice actor, best known as the voice behind Raphael from the 1987 cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Yakko Warner and Dr...
winning an Emmy for the role as "Pinky", the cartoon was cancelled after five episodes, and the rest were chopped into segments on The Big Cartoonie Show. The show's producers showed particular disdain for the series concept; Peter Hastings quit the studio as a result of the idea, writing his last episode as a parting shot to the network (in said episode, the demise of Pinky and the Brain is blamed on network executives), and even the show's theme song stated that the change was "what the network want[ed], why bother to complain?"
- Robotech 3000Robotech 3000Robotech 3000 was Harmony Gold's attempt to reboot the Robotech franchise before the turn of the millennium. After the relative success of Voltron: The Third Dimension and Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, a new Robotech sequel was proposed that would use 3D CG visuals, with producer Jason...
– Robotech 3000 was Harmony GoldHarmony GoldHarmony Gold may refer to:* Harmony Gold , a South African gold mining company* Harmony Gold USA, an American television producer and distributor...
's attempt to revive the RobotechRobotechRobotech is an 85-episode science fiction anime adaptation produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. and first released in the United States in 1985...
franchise before the turn of the millennium. After the relative success of Voltron: The Third DimensionVoltron: The Third DimensionVoltron: The Third Dimension was a computer-generated series was released in 1998 to a mixed response, because of its departure from the original Lion Voltron's animated look, as well as some character changes, such as the physical appearance of Prince Lotor...
and Roughnecks: Starship Troopers ChroniclesRoughnecks: Starship Troopers ChroniclesRoughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles was a CGI animated television series based on both the novel by Robert A. Heinlein and the 1997 film adaptation directed by Paul Verhoeven...
, a new RobotechRobotechRobotech is an 85-episode science fiction anime adaptation produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. and first released in the United States in 1985...
sequel was proposed that would use 3D CG visuals, with producer Jason Netter and writer Carl MacekCarl MacekCarl F. Macek was an American writer and controversial anime pioneer and producer of the 1980s and 1990s.-Robotech and Harmony Gold USA:...
at the helm. Some of the new concepts presented were Veritech Excavators, Proteus-group starships, but none of the trademark anime-look and transformable mecha of the earlier series were seen. The response to the Robotech 3000 promotional trailer at the 2000 FanimeConFanimeConFanimeCon is an annual anime convention run by the Anime Resource Group . It is the largest anime convention in Northern California and one of the ten largest anime conventions in North America...
anime convention was disastrous. Much of the negative feedback concerned the distinctive artistic style of the original anime series being replaced by generic CGI characters in a style that resembled ReBootReBootReBoot is a Canadian CGI-animated action-adventure cartoon series that originally aired from 1994 to 2001. It was produced by Vancouver-based production company Mainframe Entertainment, Alliance Communications, BLT Productions and created by Gavin Blair, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell and John Grace,...
. By the 2000 San Diego Comic-Con, it was revealed that the CG project had been cancelled, not only due to negative feedback from fans but also because American animation studio Netter DigitalNetter Digital'Netter Digital Entertainment was a company created by Douglas Netter in 1995. The company produced the show Hypernauts before moving to digital EFX work and replacing Foundation Imaging in the final two seasons of Babylon 5 as the sole producer of CGI special effects for that series as well as...
, which had been hired to produce the project, had gone bankrupt earlier that year.
Live-action children's shows
- Barney & FriendsBarney & FriendsBarney and Friends, also referred to by HiT Entertainment as Barney the Friendly Dinosaur, is an independent children's television show produced in the United States, aimed at children from ages 1-8...
– Although the show has been criticized for its lack of educational value, YaleYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
researchers Dorothy and Jerome Singer have concluded that episodes contain a great deal of age-appropriate educational material, calling the program a "model of what preschool television should be." One specific criticism is: [H]is shows do not assist children in learning to deal with negative feelings and emotions. As one commentator puts it, the real danger from Barney is denial: the refusal to recognize the existence of unpleasant realities. For along with his steady diet of giggles and unconditional love, Barney offers our children a one-dimensional world where everyone must be happy and everything must be resolved right away. It is ranked on TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
s List of the 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time at #50.
- MinipopsMinipopsMinipops was a television series broadcast in 1983 on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. Focused primarily for younger viewers, it consisted of music performances on a brightly coloured set, featuring preteen children singing then-contemporary pop music hits as well as older classics...
– This Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
show featured young children singing then-contemporary pop music. The children were usually dressed to look like the original performers, including the clothing and make-up. The show made many adult viewers uncomfortable because it often showed the child singers dressing and dancing in imitation of the provocative styles of the original adult performers. One performance by Joanna FisherJoanna FisherJoanna Fisher found fame in the UK in the popular if controversial programme Minipops in 1981, with their first series named Mini-pops for new UK broadcaster Channel 4 in 1982. At five years old, she was the youngest member of the group...
, where she sang the Sheena EastonSheena EastonSheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
song "9 to 59 to 5 (Sheena Easton song)"9 to 5" is the title of a popular song written by British songwriter Florrie Palmer and recorded by Sheena Easton in 1980, becoming her biggest hit...
" caused national outrage, over Fisher (who was only five years old at the time) singing the lines "night time is the right time/ we make love". The show's creators and child cast were somewhat shocked at the response to the program and its misinterpretation. Despite the show's popularity, the resulting controversy caused Minipops to be cancelled shortly afterwards. It was voted the second-worst UK show by TV critics.
- Junior ShowtimeJunior ShowtimeJunior Showtime was a British variety show for children made by Yorkshire Television and shown on ITV between 1969 and 1974.Presented by Bobby Bennett from the Leeds City Varieties theatre, the show consisted of song and dance routines and was produced by Jess Yates...
– Jeff EvansJeff EvansJeff Evans is a British writer and journalist. He is the author the Good Bottled Beer Guide, and was the editor of the Good Beer Guide from 1991 to 1998. He has also written about television.-Biography:...
, the author of The Penguin TV Companion has also identified it as being amongst the twenty worst shows of all time.
- Little Muppet Monsters – This 1985 series was designed as a companion series to the very successful animated series Muppet BabiesMuppet BabiesJim Henson's Muppet Babies is an American animated television series that aired from September 15, 1984 to November 2, 1991 on CBS. The show portrayed childhood versions of the Muppets living together in a large nursery in the care of a human woman called Nanny...
, but was pulled from the air after only three of the thirteen episodes that were produced were aired. While intended as a vehicle for some of The Jim Henson CompanyThe Jim Henson CompanyThe Jim Henson Company, an American entertainment organization, traces its origins to the founding of Muppets, Inc. in 1958 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. The Muppets helped the company gain worldwide acclaim in family entertainment for more than four decades...
's younger puppeteers, the juxtaposition of the animated baby muppets alongside a show containing both the real, grown-up ones and new, younger Muppets proved to be confusing, leading to unfavorable comparisons between the two shows. The network and the Jim Henson Company both indicated that the show was not up to the standards of other Muppets productions, leading to its abrupt cancellation (most Saturday morning programming lasted at least thirteen weeks).
Dramas
- The BradysThe BradysThe Bradys is a six-episode American drama series that aired on CBS in 1990. It was a revival of the early 1970s sitcom, The Brady Bunch , and was about the trials and tribulations of the extended Brady family some 15 years after the end of the earlier series...
- The Bradys critics called this return of The Brady BunchThe Brady BunchThe Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
"Bradysomething", a takeoff of ThirtysomethingThirtysomethingThirtysomething is an American television drama about a group of baby boomers in their late thirties. It was created by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick for MGM/UA Television Group and The Bedford Falls Company, and aired on ABC. It premiered in the U.S. on September 29, 1987...
. It lasted six episodes.
- Cop RockCop RockCop Rock is an American musical police drama series that aired on ABC in 1990. The show, a police drama presented as a musical, was co-created by Steven Bochco, who also served as executive producer...
– Cop Rock has been cited as one of the worst television series, ranking #8 on TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
s list of the 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time list in 2002. The show was a critical and commercial failure from the beginning and was canceled by ABC after 11 episodes. Owing to the combination of its bizarre nature and its high-powered production talent, it became infamous as one of the biggest television failures of the 1990s. The final episode concludes with the cast breaking character and joining crewmembers in performing a closing song.
- Charlie's Angels (2011 TV series)Charlie's Angels (2011 TV series)Charlie's Angels is an American reboot television series developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar for ABC, based upon the 1976 series of the same name created by Ivan Goff, and Ben Roberts. The series ran on ABC from September 22, 2011 to November 10, 2011.Charlie's Angels was canceled on October...
– The show has received mostly negative reviews, with many of the reviews criticizing the acting, confusing plot, and useless action scenes. It has received a 30/100 on Metacritic. Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe gave the show a "C" grade commenting "The underwhelming cast brings nothing to the boilerplate action. Minka KellyMinka KellyMinka Dumont Kelly is an American actress. She starred in the NBC series Friday Night Lights as Lyla Garrity from 2006 to 2009 and has also had roles in The Roommate and the reboot series Charlie's Angels.-Early life:Kelly was born in Los Angeles...
is miscast as a biker chick, and making Bosley a hunk with computer skills fails to add life." IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Matt Fowler named it the worst pilot of the fall, pointing out the bad acting and writing, saying that he didn't "believe that these ladies could change a flat tire, much less take down a notorious human trafficker" and that the series should have gone dark like NikitaNikita (TV series)La Femme Nikita is a Canadian action/drama television series based on the French film Nikita by Luc Besson. The series was co-produced by Jay Firestone of Fireworks Entertainment and Warner Brothers. It was adapted for television by Joel Surnow...
or copied the tone of Burn NoticeBurn noticeA burn notice is an official statement issued by one intelligence agency to other agencies. It states that an individual or a group is unreliable for one or more reasons...
.
- Crossroads – The ITV soap opera was badly received by TV critics throughout its 1964-88 run, with writer Hilary Kingsley stating "Some of the acting would have disgraced the humblest of village halls; many of the plots were so farcical they could have been written in a bad dream, and much of the dialogue was pathetic."
- De Oro PuroDe Oro PuroDe Oro Puro was a Venezuelan telenovela that was produced by and seen on Venezuela's Radio Caracas Televisión. Julio Cesar Mármol came up with the idea for De Oro Puro. José Antonio Mendez was the general producer, Jhonny Pulido was the executive producer, and Rafael Suarez was the director...
– De Oro Puro is better known for having been a notorious flop in the history of Venezuelan television, which was worsened by being broadcast in the same time slot that was previously occupied by the very popular and long lasting Por Estas CallesPor Estas CallesPor Estas Calles was an iconic telenovela, broadcast by Radio Caracas Televisión between 1992 and 1994. It was extremely popular in Venezuela, due to its very realistic approach to the day-to-day life of the country and local tone...
. Despite the production values and the big names behind the series, the public became confused by the complicated plot and storyline, and the ratings were poor. It has been postulated that De Oro Puro contributed to the downfall of RCTVRCTVRadio Caracas Televisión Internacional is a Venezuelan cable television network headquartered in the Caracas neighborhood of Quinta Crespo. It was sometimes referred to as the Canal de Bárcenas. Owned by Empresas 1BC, RCTV Internacional was inaugurated as Radio Caracas Televisión on 15 November...
in late 1990s. RCTV publicized De Oro Puro, in an effort to attract viewers, but these efforts failed. When the plot became more confusing and the ratings further lowered, the channel aired a series of shorts where famous first actress Amalia Pérez Díaz resumed and explained the plot in a didactic way. This effort backfired when people began to perceive De Oro Puro as being difficult to understand to the extent that it had to be explained, and Ms. Pérez Díaz's apparitions became the subject of mockery.
- EldoradoEldorado (TV series)Eldorado was a British soap opera that ran for only one year, from 6 July 1992 to 9 July 1993. Set in Coín on the Costa Del Sol and based around the lives of British and European expats, the BBC hoped it would be as successful as EastEnders and replicate some of the sunshine and glamour of imported...
– This British soap opera from 1993 was, despite heavy advertising, a notorious flop. Many of the cast were inexperienced actors whose limitations were clearly exposed on such a new and ambitious project; the acting was derided as amateurish, while the attempt to appear more 'EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an' by having people speaking other languages without subtitleSubtitle (captioning)Subtitles are textual versions of the dialog in films and television programs, usually displayed at the bottom of the screen. They can either be a form of written translation of a dialog in a foreign language, or a written rendering of the dialog in the same language, with or without added...
s or bizarre/unconvincing accents was met by viewers with incomprehension and ridicule. To this day, Eldorado is remembered as an embarrassing failure for the BBC, and is sometimes used as a byword for any unsuccessful, poorly-received or over-hyped television programme. It ranks #36 on the Daily Mail's list of the 50 worst TV shows of all time.
- The Playboy ClubThe Playboy ClubThe Playboy Club is an American television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 2011 to October 3, 2011. Set in 1961, the series centers around the employees of the original Playboy Club operating in Chicago....
- This 2011 television series, originally aired on NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, received widespread condemnation both from conservative family-oriented watchdog groups and from feminists, for its depiction of Playboy ClubPlayboy ClubThe Playboy Club initially was a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first club opened at 116 E. Walton Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States, on February 29, 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room...
s and the corresponding association with Playboy, a pornographic magazine. At least one station, Mormon Church-owned KSL-TVKSL-TVKSL-TV, virtual channel 5, is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. KSL-TV is owned by Bonneville International Corporation, which is in turn owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
in Salt Lake City, refused to air the show; the network canceled the series due to low viewership three episodes into the show's run. Meredith Blake, reviewing the episode "A Matter of Simple Duplicity" for The A.V. ClubThe A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
, stated "One thing you have to give The Playboy Club credit for: When it comes to doling out cliches, this show is utterly fearless". Blake also criticized the show for being derivative of Mad MenMad MenMad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
and argued "after The Playboy Club is inevitably yanked off the air in a few weeks, the only time we’ll think of it in the future is to wonder how such a rotten show wound up on prime time". Discussing The Playboy Club post-cancellation, Tim Goodman of The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterFormerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
gave a negative assessment of the program: "It was [a] bad show, period. The writing was weak, the acting spotty and the sexism too ridiculous and obvious to comment on more than once."
- The Secret Life of the American TeenagerThe Secret Life of the American TeenagerThe Secret Life of the American Teenager is an American teen drama television series created by Brenda Hampton. It first aired on ABC Family on July 1, 2008. The show was renewed for a second season consisting of 24 episodes on February 9, 2009, which began airing on June 22, 2009...
– Secret Life has received a score of 47 out of 100 from review aggregator MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. The New York PostNew York PostThe New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
praised the series for having a set of characters that are "... real and come from families of all stripes – from intact to single-parent households to one boy in foster care..." However, most mainstream critics haven't embraced the show, indicating it as a TV-series version of an after school special, "filled with didactic messages and a lotta wooden acting," in the words of Ken Tucker of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
. The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
claimed that Secret Life must surely be the collective effort of an anti-pregnancy cabal. [...] ABC Family means well but could not have done worse. Secret Life doesn’t take the fun out of teenage pregnancy, it takes the fun out of television" and calls the show a "Prime-Time Cautionary Tale". Variety Magazine reports that "ABC Family's latest original drama wants to be a slow-motion version of Juno but settles for being an obvious, stereotype-laden teen soap [...] based on first impressions, The Secret Life of the American Teenager should probably stay a secret." ReporterMag's Andrew Rees says, "The show...might be the worst scripted drama on television. Suffering from gag-worthy dialog, horrific plot twists, terrible acting, and characters who not even the best of 3-D glasses could give depth to, it’s a wonder how this show stays on the air."
- The SpikeThe Spike (TV series)The Spike was a controversial Irish drama television series, broadcast by Raidió Teilifís Éireann in 1978. The ten-part series was set in a secondary school. The script was written by Patrick Gilligan who was a vocational school teacher.-Reviews:...
– The Spike was featured on RTÉRTERTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
's scandal series, Scannal with the Irish IndependentIrish IndependentThe Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
naming it as one of their "Top 10 Worst Irish TV Programmes".
- SupertrainSupertrainSupertrain is an American television drama/adventure series that ran on NBC from February 7 to May 5, 1979. Nine episodes were made, including a 2-hour pilot episode.-Overview:...
– Supertrain was the most expensive series ever aired in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the time. The production was beset by problems including a model train that crashed. While the series was heavily advertised during the 1978-1979 season, it suffered from poor reviews and low ratings. Despite attempts to salvage the show by reworking the cast, it never took off and left the air after only three months. NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, which had produced the show itself, with help from Dark ShadowsDark ShadowsDark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
producer Dan CurtisDan CurtisDan Curtis was an American director and producer of television and film, probably best known for his miniseries The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, his afternoon TV series Dark Shadows, and the made for TV movie, . Dark Shadows originally aired from 1966 to 1971 and has aired in syndication...
, was unable to recoup its losses. Combined with the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics1980 Summer OlympicsThe 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
the following season, which cost NBC millions in ad revenue, the series nearly bankrupted the network. For these reasons, Supertrain has been called one of the greatest television flops.
- TriangleTriangle (TV series)Triangle was a BBC television soap opera in the early 1980s, set aboard a North Sea ferry which sailed between Felixstowe & Gothenburg and Gothenburg & Amsterdam. A third imaginary leg existed between Amsterdam & Felixstowe to make up the program title, but this was not operated by the ferry company...
– A soap opera about a British ferry which starred Kate O'MaraKate O'MaraKate O'Mara is an English film, stage and television actress. She is perhaps most widely known for her role as Caress Morell, the scheming sister of Alexis Colby in the 1980s American primetime soap opera Dynasty, though is also known for playing other villains such as The Rani in Doctor Who and...
, Triangle is remembered as "some of the most mockable British television ever produced".Triangle came third in a poll of worst UK shows ever.
- Viva LaughlinViva LaughlinViva Laughlin is an American musical–dramedy series adapted by Bob Lowry and Peter Bowker from the popular BBC British serial, Blackpool. They also served as executive producers alongside Hugh Jackman, John Palermo, Paul Telegdy and Gabriele Muccino. The latter also directed the pilot...
– CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's American adaptation of the British series BlackpoolBlackpool (TV serial)Blackpool is a British television musical comedy drama serial, produced in-house by the BBC. It was screened on BBC One as six one-hour episodes on Thursday nights at 9pm from 11 November to 16 December 2004...
lasted only two episodes, one in Australia. Like the aforementioned Cop Rock, the series was an attempt to create a musical TV drama. The New York Times asked the rhetorical question "Is it the worst show in the history of television?" NewsdayNewsdayNewsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
concurred and called the series "jaw-droppingly wrongheaded," quipping "Let us count the way it bombs." The opening line of The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
review said, "Viva Laughlin on CBS may well be the worst new show of the season, but is it the worst show in the history of television?" NewsdayNewsdayNewsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
s review started with, "The stud is a dud. And that's only the first of a dozen problems with CBS' admirably ambitious but jaw-droppingly wrongheaded new musical/murder mystery/family drama Viva Laughlin. Let us count the ways it bombs..."
Game shows
- The ChamberThe Chamber (game show)The Chamber is a short-lived game show television program that aired on FOX. It was an hour-long show that debuted on January 13, 2002. The show featured contestants answering questions while strapped into a torture chamber.-Pre-game Faceoff:...
– Matt VasgersianMatt VasgersianMatt Vasgersian is an American sportscaster and television host. Vasgersian is a host for the MLB Network and has served as an announcer for NBC Sports' coverage of the Olympics, and on Fox Sports' MLB coverage...
, formerly of Sports GeniusesSports GeniusesSports Geniuses was an American sports-themed game show that aired from May 2000 until June 2000 on cable channel Fox Sports Net. It was the network's second game show ....
and the XFLXFLThe XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
, was originally slated to host, but was disgusted by the show's premise (in which contestants answer questions while strapped into a torture chamberTorture chamberA torture chamber is a room where torture is inflicted.- Methods of coercion :According to Frederick Howard Wines in his book Punishment and Reformation: A Study Of The Penitentiary System there were three main types of coercion employed in the torture chamber: Coercion by the cord, by water and...
) and left before it even premiered. The show lasted three episodes, with Rick SchwartzRick SchwartzRick Schwartz is an independent producer and financier whose credits include The Departed, Black Swan, Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Others....
hosting the first two and unnamed announcers serving as host of the third. Much like many Fox programs of the time, The Chamber was a knockoff of, and response to, ABC's The Chair, itself a short-lived and poorly received game show.
- Naked JungleNaked JungleNaked Jungle was a one-off television game show produced by the United Kingdom terrestrial TV station Channel 5 in 2000. In itself a fairly innocuous gameshow with an assault course format, it was controversial because its contestants were all nudists. The programme's presenter, Keith Chegwin, was...
– A UK game show on Channel 5 which revolved around naturists performing an assault course. Naked Jungle was savaged by critics, denounced by nudists for being exploitative and even condemned in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. A group of TV historians later voted it the worst British TV show ever. Host Keith ChegwinKeith ChegwinKeith Chegwin is an English television presenter, former child actor and singer.-Early career:Chegwin's early roles were in works of the Children's Film Foundation, appearing as Egghead Wentworth in The Troublesome Double Egghead's Robot . He also appeared as a stowaway in Doomwatch episode...
later called presenting the show "the worst career move I made in my entire life".
- Our Little GeniusOur Little GeniusOur Little Genius is a game show produced for the Fox network that was pulled before making it to air, hosted by Kevin Pollak. The program was slated to premiere on Fox on January 13, 2010, at 9:15 PM Eastern following American Idol with a special 45-minute episode, with further episodes being 60...
– On January 7, 2010, one week before its scheduled premiere, the show's creator, Mark BurnettMark BurnettMark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...
, announced that he'd asked Fox to postpone it due to concerns about its integrity. Burnett said that issues with how information was relayed to contestants were serious enough that he felt compelled to reshoot the episodes. Fox supported Burnett's decision, and added that all contestants would keep their winnings. The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported that some contestants may have known what questions were going to be asked (though not the answers) rather than just the topics to be covered. The Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that Burnett's main concern was that contestants somehow got more information than they should have prior to taping. The Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications CommissionThe Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
soon opened an inquiry into the show. According to The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, a member of the production team gave a prospective contestant and his parents specific answers to at least four questions. If the show were found to be deliberately rigged, it would mark the first known instance of such a deception in America since the quiz show scandalsQuiz show scandalsThe American quiz show scandals of the 1950s were a series of revelations that contestants of several popular television quiz shows were secretly given assistance by the show's producers to arrange the outcome of a supposedly fair competition....
of the late 1950s. Rigging a game show is a felony under the Communications Act of 1934Communications Act of 1934The Communications Act of 1934 is a United States federal law, enacted as Public Law Number 416, Act of June 19, 1934, ch. 652, 48 Stat. 1064, by the 73rd Congress, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, codified as Chapter 5 of Title 47 of the United States Code, et seq. The Act replaced the...
, which was added to the law in 1960 in the wake of the scandals.
- ShaftedShaftedShafted was a British quiz show on ITV, presented by Robert Kilroy-Silk, based on game theory.- Format :The quiz begins with six players. In the first round each must declare how much money they would like. This is important as a lot of money is needed to bet on questions during the show...
– A UK game show aired on ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
presented by Robert Kilroy Silk. It is most notorious for Kilroy-Silk's laughable actions on the show, which have since been frequently mocked on popular satirical show Have I Got News for YouHave I Got News for YouHave I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
since late 2004. Particularly notable is his delivery of the show's tag-line, "Their fate will be in each other's hands as they decide whether to share or to shaft", and the associated hand actions. The show was dropped just four episodes after it started in 2001, and was listed as the worst British television show of the 2000s in the Penguin TV Companion (2006).
- You're in the PictureYou're in the PictureYou're in the Picture is an American television game show that aired on CBS for only one episode on Friday, January 20, 1961 at 9:30pm, the evening of the Inauguration of John F. Kennedy....
– A CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
game show starring Jackie GleasonJackie GleasonJackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
, the premiere received such extremely hostile reviews that the following Friday, host Gleason appeared in the same time slot (but in a studio "stripped to the brick walls") to give what TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine called an "inspiring post-mortem", asking rhetoricallyRhetorical questionA rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effect without the expectation of a reply. Rhetorical questions encourage the listener to think about what the answer to the question must be. When a speaker states, "How much longer must our people...
"how it was possible for a group of trained people to put on so big a flop." Time later cited You're in the Picture as one piece of evidence that the 1960-61 TV season was the "worst in the 13-year history of U.S. network television."
Reality shows
- Celebrities UncensoredCelebrities UncensoredCelebrities Uncensored is a TV program on the E! network that edited together amusing paparazzi footage of celebrities, usually in public places such as public sidewalks, restaurants, nightclubs, etc. The celebrities were often friendly, but sometimes their more unfriendly antics were featured in...
– E! canceled this show the end of Season 2 (in June 2004) after movie stars, unhappy with the show refused to appear on E!'s red carpet shows. This came around the time that Mindy Herman was forced from the network and the new executive put in her place decided to take the network's programming in a direction that was gentler to celebrities and less exploitative about their private lives.
- FameFame (2003 TV series)Fame is a television series that ran on NBC in the summer of 2003. The show was essentially NBC's attempt to duplicate the success of mega-hit American Idol, right down to their selection of judges...
– Although the Fame premiere did well in the ratingsNielsen RatingsNielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, much criticism was heaped upon the program for a number of reasons. Unlike American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, where the producers had absolutely no connection to any performers before the auditions, Debbie AllenDebbie AllenDeborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities...
personally knew and had worked with a number of those who made it to the final rounds. In the middle of the season, the show announced they would bring in a "spoiler", a new finalist who could make it to the last round if the public enjoyed his or her work. They asked viewers to send in audition tapes by July 1. On July 2, they announced the winner - Tyce Keith DiorioTyce DiorioKeith "Tyce" Diorio is an American dancer and choreographer. He is best known for his work as a choreographer and guest judge on the Fox television series So You Think You Can Dance. He has choreographed and performed with Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Jennifer Lopez, and Ricky Martin...
. Diorio was introduced to fans as a dance instructor, but his actual credits included being a former backup dancer for *NSYNC (host Joey FatoneJoey FatoneJoseph Anthony "Joey" Fatone, Jr. is an American singer, dancer, actor and television personality. He is best known as a member of the boyband, 'N Sync, in which he sang baritone. In 2007, he came in second place on the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars...
's boy band), Paula AbdulPaula AbdulPaula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
, Janet JacksonJanet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, Ricky MartinRicky MartinEnrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
, Jennifer LopezJennifer LopezJennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, and dancing in an Academy AwardsAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
piece choreographed by Debbie Allen. Diorio was eliminated a week later, but many remained skeptical of the casting methods. Unlike American Idol, which focused on singing, or Star SearchStar SearchStar Search is a television show that was produced from 1983-95, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Alfred Masini. A relaunch was produced in 2003-04. The show was originally filmed at the old Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd...
, which divided talent up into several categories, Fame sought a "triple threat", someone who could dance, sing, and have star quality. In the eyes of many viewers, most of the finalists had shockingly poor singing abilities, and so much emphasis was placed on dance numbers that their voices never improved. Viewer reaction quickly gave way to apathy and the ratings fell considerably.
- H8RH8RH8R is an American television series for The CW Television Network. The hour-long series, hosted by Mario Lopez, premiered Wednesday, September 14, 2011...
- Critical reception for H8R was extremely negative. Many critics criticized the show for its questionable morality in tracking negative anonymous internet commenters whose comments, under normal circumstances, would not have brought them into the spotlight for "bullying" a celebrity. The show's attempt to connect the premise of internet criticism of celebrities with bullying was also highly scrutinized.
- Iron Chef USAIron Chef USAIron Chef USA was the first American adaptation of the Japanese television series Iron Chef. Iron Chef USA appeared on the UPN television network in 2001. Only two episodes were aired : "Las Vegas Showdown" and "Holiday Battle"; neither received critical acclaim...
– Like the original Japanese series, the show featured an eccentric chairman, played by William ShatnerWilliam ShatnerWilliam Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
, who creates his own Gourmet Academy with four elite chefs who take on challengers in a specially-constructed Kitchen Arena ("Kitchen Stadium" in the original). However, unlike the original and the later Iron Chef America adaptation, Kitchen Arena was set in Garden Arena (a venue often used for boxing) in the MGM Grand HotelMGM Grand Las VegasThe MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the third largest hotel in the world and largest hotel resort complex in the United States in front of The Venetian. The MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in...
in Las Vegas and not on a sound stageSound stageIn common usage, a sound stage is a soundproof, hangar-like structure, building, or room, used for the production of theatrical filmmaking and television production, usually located on a secure movie studio property.-Overview:...
. Fans of the series, and critics at large, point to many aspects of the show for the reason why the series failed. Among the most notable reasons was the audience factor: the original Iron ChefIron Chefis a Japanese television cooking show produced by Fuji Television. The series, which premiered on October 10, 1992, is a stylized cook-off featuring guest chefs challenging one of the show's resident "Iron Chefs" in a timed cooking battle built around a specific theme ingredient. The series ended...
(and Iron Chef AmericaIron Chef AmericaIron Chef America: The Series is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's Iron Chef, and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed Iron Chef USA. The show is produced by Food Network, which also carried a dubbed version of the original Iron Chef. Like the...
) had only minimal guest and VIP seating, while Iron Chef USA was shown in front of a larger audience. The audience also tended to be louder and rowdier, in sharp contrast to the relatively quiet audiences of Iron Chef. Another sharp point of criticism was directed at the commentators, who often showed their lack of knowledge of food (with lines such as "What? It's the sperm? We eat that?" in reference to sea urchin roe; "What's that tool called he's using to cut the ravioliRavioliRavioli are a traditional type of Italian filled pasta. They are composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin egg pasta dough and are served either in broth or with a pasta sauce. The word ravioli is reminiscent of the Italian verb riavvolgere , though the two words are not...
?", "That would be a ravioli cutter"; and "it's a sauteed Ho Ho", "He's got a flour thing going" and "It looks like he enjoys cooking with booze."). However, critics saw Shatner's portrayal of the chairman in Iron Chef USA as a redeeming quality, as his performance paid homage to Takeshi KagaTakeshi Kagais a well-known stage and movie actor in Japan who is probably best known internationally for his portrayal of Chairman Kaga in the Japanese television show Iron Chef produced by Fuji TV. His real name is .-Biography:...
and his antics on Iron Chef.
- Jersey ShoreJersey Shore (TV series)Jersey Shore is an American reality television series that premiered on MTV on December 3, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast...
- The popular MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reality show has been universally panned by critics. The show, however, has received worldwide fame.
- Living LohanLiving LohanLiving Lohan is an American reality television series that debuted on E! on May 26, 2008. The series aired for a total of nine episodes, ending its run on July 27, 2008.-Synopsis:...
– Gillian Flynn of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
graded the show F and commented, "The irritation turned to repulsion around the first minute ... Dina snipes about the paparazziPaparazziPaparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
's invasion of privacy, but thanks to her, there's not much left to invade." Troy Patterson of SlateSlate (magazine)Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
magazine said, "The show is crisply edited and tangily ironic without pushing its points too hard .... Living Lohan is not just a symptom of cultural decay but an active agent of it, commodifying the very youth and soul of Ali Lohan—younger sister of poor little LindsayLindsay LohanLindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
... Living Lohan is one big exploitative mess." Mark A. Perigard of the Boston HeraldBoston HeraldThe Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
graded the show D and said, "Living Lohan scrapes the bottom of the stupidity barrel." Brian Lowry of VarietyVariety (magazine)Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
said, "It's a tedious exercise, joining E!'s Keeping Up with the KardashiansKeeping Up with the KardashiansKeeping Up with the Kardashians is an American reality television series that airs on E!. The series premiered in October 2007. It focuses on the personal and professional lives of the members of the Kardashian and Jenner family. There will be a 7th Season to premiere in 2012.As of September 2011,...
in the realm of mother-daughter bonding experiences, with limited appeal beyond, perhaps appropriately, those pesky tabloids for which the featured "talent" profess disdain ... The show at times provides unintended comedy, representing E!'s best hope of transforming Living Lohan into a guilty pleasure, if not for the reasons Dina (who doubles as a producer) would doubtless like ... the most salient aspect of the series is that it's profoundly boring, wringing out sprinkles of drama as best it can." While on Live with Regis and KellyLive with Regis and KellyLive! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
, Anderson CooperAnderson CooperAnderson Hays Cooper is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories...
bashed the show during the opening segment of the chat show. Kelly RipaKelly RipaKelly Ripa is an American actress and television host. Since February 2001, she has served as the co-host of talk show Live with Regis and Kelly, along with Regis Philbin and now solo host of Live! With Kelly...
proceeds to show Cooper what the show is about. Video of Cooper's comments was placed in the "Top 20 Best Clips of the Year" by The SoupThe SoupThe Soup is an E! Entertainment Television weekly series; it is a revamped version of Talk Soup that focuses on recaps of various pop culture and television show moments of the week...
. "I cannot believe I'm wasting a minute of my life watching these horrific people" – Anderson Cooper
- Man vs. BeastMan vs. BeastMan vs. Beast is a series of sensationalistic television specials aired in the United States by the Fox television network. The shows were produced by Brian Richardson and directed by Bob Levy. They involve a variety of challenges in which people and animals compete against each other. Although the...
– This 2003 Fox reality contest featured contrived competitions between world class humans and trained animals; for instance, hot dog eating champion Takeru KobayashiTakeru Kobayashiis a Japanese competitive eater. He held the world record for hot dog eating for nearly six years, and holds several other eating records, including four Guinness Records for hot dogs, meatballs, hamburgers, and pasta....
faced off against a bear in a hot dog eating contest (the bear won), while Navy SEAL Scott HelvenstonScott HelvenstonStephen "Scott" Helvenston was a former United States Navy SEAL, and worked as a security contractor for Blackwater Security when he was killed in the 31 March 2004 Fallujah ambush within days of arriving in Iraq....
won an obstacle courseObstacle courseAn obstacle course is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual or team must navigate usually while being timed. Obstacle courses can include running, climbing, jumping, crawling, swimming, and balancing elements with the aim of testing speed and endurance. Sometimes a course...
race against a chimpanzee. The first special drew negative reviews from critics and protests from animal rights groups, but nonetheless led to a sequel in 2004.
- Married by AmericaMarried by AmericaMarried by America was a reality television program hosted by Los Angeles DJ Sean Valentine that aired in the United States on Fox in the spring of 2003. It was produced by the production company Rocket Science Laboratories .-Premise:Five single people agreed to be paired up sight unseen with...
– The show was controversial when Fox aired it; many observers thought that it was degrading to both the participants and to the general notion of marriage. Because of this, the Fox affiliate in Raleigh-DurhamThe Triangle (North Carolina)The Research Triangle, also known as Raleigh-Durham and commonly referred to as simply "The Triangle", is a region in the Piedmont of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by North Carolina State University, Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and cities of...
, WRAZ (Channel 50) refused to air the program in its entirety due to the network refusing to preview the program for the station before air so the station could determine if it met its broadcast standards, pre-empting the hour with reruns of The Andy Griffith ShowThe Andy Griffith ShowThe Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
instead http://www.crosswalk.com/1189857/. Fox defended its programming decision and there was no great outcry, probably because very few people watched the show, in spite of a premiere which aired after an episode of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
.
- The Marriage RefThe Marriage RefThe Marriage Ref is a TV reality show and panel game hosted by comedian Tom Papa and produced by Jerry Seinfeld, in which a rotating group of celebrities decides the winners of real-life marital disputes. The show premiered on NBC on Sunday, February 28, 2010 on the final night of the Olympics...
– The show received an overwhelmingly negative reception from television critics. It currently receives a 41 out of 100 on MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
based on 11 reviews. According to the news agencyNews agencyA news agency is an organization of journalists established to supply news reports to news organizations: newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasters. Such an agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire or news service.-History:The oldest news agency is Agence...
, ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, the television program received "scathing reviews". An analysis of reviews in The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
noted that The Marriage Ref, "has been so thoroughly panned by critics its future looks in doubt even before it begins." A review of the program on National Public Radio called the television show "painfully bad"; the reviewer commented, "I was optimistic that I'd be writing something of the 'Don't assume this show is terrible' variety. But it's ... terrible." The newspaper The Star Ledger described it as "heinous", and called it an "ugly, unfunny, patronizing mess".
- My Super Sweet 16My Super Sweet 16My Super Sweet 16 is an MTV reality series documenting the lives of teenagers, usually in the United States, Canada and UK, who usually have wealthy parents that throw huge coming of age celebrations. Parties include the quinceañera , the sweet 16, and other birthdays including a My Super Sweet 21 ...
- The show has been criticised for its excesses and the effects of presenting such over the top parties as an aspirational norm to impressionable young people. One episode in particular that drew criticism involved a girl called Audrey who, upon receiving a $67,000 LexusLexusis the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...
for her 15th birthday, subjected her mother to a torrent of abuse due to getting the car on the day instead of during the party. The Daily Mail said: "In an age of celebrity, where anyone desperate and rich enough can get their 15 minutes of fame, the series is a depressing indictment of our next generation's goals and aspirations" displaying "the crippling excesses of fame and capitalism that have come to symbolise our society. British satirist Charlie Brooker discussed the show on BBC4's Screenwipe, calling it a "stonehearted exposé of everything that's wrong with our faltering, so-called civilization" and calling the protagonists "unbelievably spoiled rich and tiny sod[s]" who throw "despicably opulent coming-of-age part[ies] for themselves and their squealing shitcake friends." He also described the show as "an Al-QaedaAl-QaedaAl-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
recruitment film".
- The One: Making a Music StarThe One: Making a Music StarThe One: Making a Music Star was an American reality television series that aired in July 2006 on ABC in the United States, and CBC Television in Canada. The show was hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos, known to Canadian viewers as the host of CBC's The Hour...
– Despite (or perhaps because of) heavy advertising comparing the show to American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, the most popular show in the United States at the time, the Canadian-American adaptation of the global Star AcademyStar AcademyStar Academy is a highly successful television show format based on the Spanish format "Operación Triunfo" produced by Endemol, that has been broadcast in over 50 countries...
franchise went on to become the least popular show in the United States at the time, setting a record for the lowest-watched network telecast in U.S. network television history, a record that (as of 2011) still stands. Canadians widely criticized the CBC's unprecedented move to import a reality television series from the United States for air on prime time on Canada's public broadcaster. Americans derided the show as an obvious knockoff of Idol.
- On the LotOn the LotOn the Lot is a short-lived reality show competition produced by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett. The show, which aired on Fox, featured filmmakers competing in weekly elimination competitions, with the ultimate prize of a million dollar development deal at DreamWorks...
– The debut lost 70% of its American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
lead-ins, host Chelsea HandlerChelsea HandlerChelsea Joy Handler is an American stand-up comedian, humorist, television host, actress, model and best-selling author. She currently hosts a late-night talk show titled, Chelsea Lately on the E! Cable Television Network. In 2009 she won a Bravo A-List Award...
left before the season ended, and the live results shows were axed. Initial criticism was that the show focused on director quarreling instead of broadcasting the directors' audition short films. In addition, the judges were faulted for not providing helpful criticism. The show host Adrianna CostaAdrianna CostaAdrianna Costa is an American television personality best known as an entertainment reporter and a reality show host.-Biography:...
has been criticized for not being engaging enough. It seemed to critics she had trouble reading her cue cards.
- Pirate MasterPirate MasterPirate Master is a CBS reality television show created by Mark Burnett which replaced the previous Mark Burnett show on CBS, Rock Star. It follows 16 modern-day pirates on their quest for gold, which totaled US$1,000,000. The show was hosted by Cameron Daddo, and took place in the Caribbean island...
– Pirate Master did not perform well in ratings, drawing in only 7 million viewers on the premiere episode, and subsequent showings drawing in less. Joshua Alston of NewsweekNewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
called the debut episode a "confusing muddle". Some critics have considered that the failure of both Pirate Master and On the LotOn the LotOn the Lot is a short-lived reality show competition produced by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett. The show, which aired on Fox, featured filmmakers competing in weekly elimination competitions, with the ultimate prize of a million dollar development deal at DreamWorks...
represent not only troubling issues for Mark BurnettMark BurnettMark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...
, but for reality televisionReality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
as well.
- Secret Talents of the StarsSecret Talents of the StarsSecret Talents of the Stars was an extremely short-lived CBS reality/game show, where celebrities competed against each other in a tournament-like format in areas that differed from their normal professions, like singing, dancing, and acrobatics. Viewers were to vote on the most talented celebrity...
– This celebrity talent contest had numerous celebrities attempt to perform acts that were in contrast to the ones for which they were well-known. The one episode that aired featured actor George TakeiGeorge TakeiGeorge Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
attempting to perform country musicCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
(and largely failing at it), followed by one of the judges making an off-color reference to Takei's homosexuality. The show experienced extremely poor ratings and was canceled after one episode.
- The SwanThe Swan (TV series)The Swan is a 2004 American reality television program broadcast on Fox in which women who were judged to be 'ugly' were given "extreme makeovers" that included several forms of plastic surgery...
– The show has been criticized for being a commercial for plastic surgery, having a view of beauty packaged and marketed by the fashion industry, and a lack of ethics in preying on vulnerable people. It has been described as "the most morally bankrupt TV since Al Qaeda's latest press release."
- Touch the TruckTouch the TruckTouch the Truck was a British Channel 5 endurance gameshow which aired in 2001.It was hosted by Dale Winton and involved a group of 20 contestants holding onto a truck with the last person left touching the truck winning it....
– Glenn BardenGlenn BardenGlenn Barden became known in the UK in 2000 for creating the controversial television endurance show Touch the Truck described by the Sunday Times as "the worst tv idea ever"....
became known in the UK in 2000 for creating the controversial television endurance show Touch the Truck, described by the Sunday Times as "the worst TV idea ever".
- Welcome to the NeighborhoodWelcome to the Neighborhood (TV series)Welcome to the Neighborhood is an American reality television series produced in 2005 by ABC that was notable for the amount of controversy it garnered before it was aired...
– ABC cancelled this reality show about African-Americans, Hispanics, and gays vying for a house in a white suburb; it never made it to airing. The first two episodes were screened before a group of critics, who lambasted it for the prejudice the judges displayed. One judge openly claimed that he "would not tolerate a homosexual". The still-unaired show came under fire from the Family Research CouncilFamily Research CouncilThe Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
for concerns that "conservatives could come off looking biased", and from the National Fair Housing Alliance for concerns that the show violated anti-discrimination housing laws, which the show's producers denied. GLAAD, with reservations, has approved the show's final message.
- Who's Your Daddy? – An adult who had been put up for adoptionAdoptionAdoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
as an infant was placed in a room with 25 men, one of whom was his or her biological fatherFatherA father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
. If the contestant could correctly pick out his or her father, the contestant would win $100,000. If he or she chose incorrectly, the person the contestant incorrectly selected would get the $100,000, although the contestant would still be reunited with his or her father. This show drew controversy from adoption rights organizations, leading to one Fox affiliate (WRAZ in Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
) declining to air the series pilot, a 90-minute special. The show was quickly parodied on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and This Hour has 22 MinutesThis Hour Has 22 MinutesThis Hour Has 22 Minutes is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics, combining news parody, sketch comedy and satirical editorials...
when it became public that the first adoption contestant was actress T. J. Myers, who had worked in such R-rated movies as The Dallas Connection (1994) and Seduction of Innocence (1995). Evoking the suggestive title of the latter film, Jay LenoJay LenoJames Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
said "This wasn't the first time she was in a room full of men screaming 'Who's your daddy?'" After the pilot finished fourth in the Nielsen ratingsNielsen RatingsNielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
for its time slot, Fox decided not to broadcast the other five episodes that had been produced. However, the pilot aired as a "special" and not as a "series premiere" so technically the series was canceled before airing an episode. United Press International reported that Myers "guessed which of eight men was her father. She guessed correctly and won $100,000."
- The World According to ParisThe World According to ParisThe World According to Paris is an American reality television series starring Paris Hilton. It premiered on the Oxygen Channel on June 1, 2011...
– Magazine Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the reality series a D in review, and noted that, unlike Kim KardashianKim KardashianKimberly Noel "Kim" Kardashian is an American socialite, television personality, model, actress and businesswoman. She is known for the E! reality series that she shares with her family—Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and its spin-offs including Kourtney and Kim Take New York...
's Keeping Up with the KardashiansKeeping Up with the KardashiansKeeping Up with the Kardashians is an American reality television series that airs on E!. The series premiered in October 2007. It focuses on the personal and professional lives of the members of the Kardashian and Jenner family. There will be a 7th Season to premiere in 2012.As of September 2011,...
, Paris HiltonParis HiltonParis Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
's new show "fails to deliver any frothy fun and the star comes across as completely unlikable." That failure may have to do with Paris's "inane voice-over narrations" in which she says things like doing community service "really sucks." Alessandra Stanley, a TV-critic on the The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, noted that while a lot of time has passed since Paris had a hit show, the bleached blonde has failed to evolve. She comes off as "a Sony Walkman in an iPodIPodiPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
era, a FriendsterFriendsterFriendster is a social gaming site that is based in Malaysia, KL. The company now operates mainly from the three Asian countries namely in the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore....
in the age of FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
." In other words, she's no longer relevant. Brian Lowry of VarietyVariety (magazine)Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
wrote of the show's inherent, unavoidable hypocrisy saying "Paris laments how the paparazzi intrude on her life, and then she allows a camera crew to watch her bathe." During an episode, Paris remarks that she wants to change her image, but she seems at a loss as to how to do that. So, she sticks with her "old tricks" like "showing up for court-ordered community service in Louis VuittonLouis VuittonLouis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
high heels."
Science-fiction shows
- Galactica 1980Galactica 1980Galactica 1980 is a science fiction television series, and a spin-off from the 1978–1979 series Battlestar Galactica. It was first broadcast on the ABC network in the United States from January 27 to May 4, 1980.-Development:...
– During the autumn of 1979, ABC executives met with Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, created by Glen A. Larson. It starred Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict and ran for one season in 1978–79. After cancellation, its story was continued in 1980 as Galactica 1980 with Adama, Lieutenant Boomer and...
s creator Glen A. LarsonGlen A. LarsonGlen Albert Larson is an American television producer and writer best known as the creator of Battlestar Galactica, The Fall Guy, Magnum, P.I. and Knight Rider.-Career:...
to consider restarting the series. A suitable concept was needed to draw viewers, and it was decided that the arrival of the Colonial Fleet at the contemporary Earth would be the storyline. A new TV movie called Galactica 1980 was produced. Again, it was decided this new version of Battlestar Galactica would be made into a weekly TV series. Despite the early success of the premiere, this program failed to achieve the popularity of the original series, and it was canceled after just ten episodes. In this 1980 sequel series, the Colonial fleet finds the Earth, and then it covertly protects it from the Cylons. This series was a quick failure due to its low budget (e.g., recycling footage from the 1974 Universal StudiosUniversal StudiosUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
movie EarthquakeEarthquake (film)Earthquake is a 1974 American disaster film that achieved huge box-office success, continuing the disaster film genre of the 1970s where recognizable all-star casts attempt to survive life or death situations...
during a CylonCylon (Battlestar Galactica)The Cylons are a cybernetic civilization at war with the Twelve Colonies of humanity in the Battlestar Galactica science fiction franchise, in the original 1978 and 1980 series, the 2004 reimagining, as well as the spin-off prequel series, Caprica...
attack sequence), widely-panned writing, and ill-chosen time slot (Sunday evenings, a time generally reserved for family-oriented programming and, more specifically, also for the 60 Minutes60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
newsmagazine program). The TV series also had to adhere to strict content restrictions such as limiting the number of acts of violence and being required to shoehorn educational content into the script and dialogue. To cut costs, the show was set mostly on the contemporary Earth, to the great dismay of fans. Another factor for fan apathy was the nearly complete recasting of the original series: Lorne GreeneLorne GreeneLorne Greene , was the stage name of Lyon Himan Green, OC, a Canadian actor.His television roles include Ben Cartwright on the western Bonanza, and Commander Adama in the science fiction movie and subsequent TV Series Battlestar Galactica...
reprised his role as Adama (working unpaid), Herb Jefferson, Jr.Herb Jefferson, Jr.Herbert Jefferson Jr. is an African-American actor. He graduated with honors from New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1969. He is probably best known for his role as Lieutenant Boomer on the original Battlestar Galactica television series...
, played "Colonel" Boomer in about half of the episodes (with little screentime), and Dirk BenedictDirk BenedictDirk Benedict is an American movie, television and stage actor, perhaps best known for playing the characters Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck in The A-Team television series and Lieutenant Starbuck in the original Battlestar Galactica film and television series.-Early life:Benedict was born...
as Starbuck for only one episode (the abrupt final episode), which was mostly unused footage from the original series. Richard HatchRichard HatchRichard Hatch is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Captain Apollo in the original Battlestar Galactica television series, and also as Tom Zarek in the remake of Battlestar Galactica....
(Apollo in the original series) was sent a script for Galactica 1980, but he turned it down since he was not sure what his part in the series would be - now that all the characters had changed.
- Star CopsStar CopsStar Cops is a British science fiction television series first broadcast on BBC Two in 1987. It was devised by Chris Boucher, a writer who had previously worked on the science fiction television series Doctor Who and Blake's 7 as well as crime dramas such as Juliet Bravo and Bergerac...
– Critical reaction to the show was generally negative: writing in The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
following the broadcast of "Conversations with the Dead", Andrew Hislop wrote that "Star Cops has neither the campiness of Star TrekStar Trek: The Original SeriesStar Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
nor the imagination of Dr. Who to overcome its technological limitations". Also in The Times, reviewing "Intelligent Listening for Beginners", Martin Cropper found that "some of the individual plot-lines show invention of a sort, but the script is uniformly feeble". Meanwhile, in The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times (UK)The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
, Patrick Stoddart was confused by the plot of "This Case to be Opened in a Million Years" asking readers "if you are following any of this, please write to me and explain". Letter writers to the Radio Times were split on the merits of the show: some such as P. Tricker of AlphetonAlphetonAlpheton is a village and civil parish in the Babergh district of Suffolk, England. Located on the A134 road about six miles north of Sudbury, in 2005 it had a population of 260. According to Eilert Ekwall the meaning of the village name is the homestead of Aelfled.-History:-Background:Alpheton is...
, SuffolkSuffolkSuffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
praising it for having "brilliant special effects, well-written scripts and actors who were convincing" while others like Martin Bower of AllendaleAllendale, NorthumberlandAllendale is a large village in south west Northumberland, England. Allendale is within the - the second largest of the 40 AONBs in England and Wales...
, NorthumberlandNorthumberlandNorthumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
slated the "dated designs, poor music [and] cheap sets" and P. Curwen of BallochBalloch, West DunbartonshireBalloch is a small town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, at the foot of Loch Lomond. The name comes from the Gaelic for "the pass".Balloch is at the north end of the Vale of Leven, straddling the River Leven itself. It connects to the larger town of Alexandria and to the smaller village of...
, DunbartonshireDunbartonshireDunbartonshire or the County of Dumbarton is a lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Until 1975 it was a county used as a primary unit of local government with its county town and administrative centre at the town...
described it as "boring – too much talk and not enough action".
Sitcoms
- All That Glitters – All That Glitters debuted the week of April 18, 1977 on about 40 stations in late-night syndication. It was poorly critically received, with one reviewer going so far as to call the show's theme song "blasphemous" for suggesting that God was female and created Eve first. Time magazineTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
sharply criticized the series, calling it "embarrassingly amateurish", with "flaccid" and "wearying" jokes, flat writing, "mediocre" acting and "aimless" direction. The Wall Street Journal concurred, saying that while the series' role-reversal premise may have been adequate for a play or film, it was too limiting to serve as the basis for a continuing series. These limitations showed up most clearly, the Journal says, in the lead performances. Although praising the performers themselves as talented, they are cited for being "unable to infuse much life into their roles". The Journal pegs the fundamental problem with All That Glitters as that "its characters are not people at all, merely composites of the least attractive characteristics of each sex. The satire focuses not on the way real, recognizable people behave, but on stereotypes and cliches about masculine and feminine attitudes. Even when stood on their heads, they still remain stereotypes and cliches." New Times MagazineNew Times MagazineNew Times was an American glossy bi-weekly national magazine published from 1973 to 1979 by George A. Hirsch. Hirsch had been publisher of New York magazine, but resigned after conflicts with founder/editor Clay Felker. New Times began as a bridge between the newsweeklies and the more reflective...
was much more receptive to the series. Although labeling it "unquestionably the weirdest [show] that Norman LearNorman LearNorman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
has ever produced", New Times found that the series was not "a satire of mannerisms but of attitudes". All That Glitters required that viewers watch closelyClose readingClose reading describes, in literary criticism, the careful, sustained interpretation of a brief passage of text. Such a reading places great emphasis on the particular over the general, paying close attention to individual words, syntax, and the order in which sentences and ideas unfold as they...
to pick up on the subtleties and nuances, "not so much for what the show says, but for the way that it's said". All That Glitters, after initially capturing 20% of viewers in major markets in its opening weeks, had lost about half of that audience mid-way through its run. The series was cancelled after 13 weeks, last airing on July 15, 1977. Although the show was panned, it and Lear, along with Mary Hartman, Mary HartmanMary Hartman, Mary HartmanMary Hartman, Mary Hartman is an American soap opera parody that aired in daily syndication from January 1976 to May 1977. The series was produced by Norman Lear, directed by Joan Darling and starred Louise Lasser...
, are credited with expanding the subject matter that television producers were able to explore with lessened fear of antagonizing sponsors or viewers. In the years since the series, it has garnered something of a positive reputation, with one critic listing it and other Lear efforts as "imaginative shows that contained some of the most striking satires of television and American society ever broadcast".
- Baby BobBaby BobBaby Bob is an American sitcom that aired on CBS as a midseason replacement in March 2002. The Baby Bob character had previously been on television since February 2000, appearing in commercials for FreeInternet.com...
– The series was panned by critics, but premiered to strong ratings and placed 15th in its first week, but ratings quickly declined.
- Baby Talk – A short-lived early 1990s American sitcom that featured a talking baby (played by Tony DanzaTony DanzaTony Danza is an American actor best known for starring on the TV series Taxi and Who's the Boss?, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and four Golden Globe Awards...
), a TV spin-off from Look Who's TalkingLook Who's TalkingLook Who's Talking is a 1989 romantic comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling and stars John Travolta and Kirstie Alley. Bruce Willis plays the voice of Mollie's son, Mikey. The film features George Segal as Albert, the illegitimate father of Mikey.-Plot:Mollie Jensen is an accountant...
films. Multiple cast changes (including a then little known George ClooneyGeorge ClooneyGeorge Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
) came about during the two seasons on ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
-TV. In 1991, Electronic Media Critics' Poll voted Baby Talk the Worst Series on Television.
- Big DayBig DayBig Day, originally titled A Day in the Life, is an American situation comedy that first aired on ABC from November 28, 2006 to January 30, 2007. The series was co-produced by Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa and directed by Michael Spiller for Sony Pictures Television...
– Big Day was considered "One of the Worst TV comedies Ever Killed". MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
indicated that 39% of critics gave the show widely negative to poor reviews. In 2010, the show is topped as "One of the Worst TV Shows of the 2000s", according to Rolling Stone magazine.
- Brighton Belles – The 1993 British adaptation of the popular American series The Golden GirlsThe Golden GirlsThe Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
was both a critical and popular failure in the UK, lasting only six episodes out of ten that were filmed. It is included in Jeff Evans's list of the twenty worst TV series of all time.
- CavemenCavemen (TV series)Cavemen is an American comedy-drama show which ran on ABC from October 2, 2007 to November 13, 2007. The show was created by Joe Lawson and set in San Diego, California...
– In terms of reception from the media the show was "critically savaged". The Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
listed it as one of the 25 worst TV shows ever, and Adam Buckman of the New York Post declared the show "extinct on arrival." Ginia Bellafante of the New York Times wrote "I laughed. But I laughed through my pain. Cavemen,' set in some version of San Diego where people speak with Southern accents, doesn’t have moments as much as microseconds suspended from any attempt at narrative."
- Co-Ed FeverCo-Ed FeverCo-Ed Fever is an American sitcom that aired on CBS in 1979. The series attempted to capitalize on the success of the motion picture National Lampoon's Animal House. It was the third of three "frat house" comedy series to air in early 1979...
– Co-Ed Fever is an American sitcom that aired on CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1979. The series attempted to capitalize on the success of the motion picture National Lampoon's Animal HouseNational Lampoon's Animal HouseNational Lampoon's Animal House is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis. The film was a direct spin-off of National Lampoon magazine...
. It was the third of three "frat house" comedy series to air in early 1979 (the others were ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Delta House and NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Brothers and SistersBrothers and Sisters (1979 TV series)Brothers and Sisters is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from January to April 1979. The series attempted to capitalize on the success of the 1978 motion picture National Lampoon's Animal House...
). CBS cancelled Co-Ed Fever after only one episode, and all three series were off the air by the end of April 1979. The series was so low rated it never made it to it's regular time slot, Monday night, instead it aired as a 'special preview' the night before. In 2002, Co-Ed Fever ranked number 32 on TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
s 50 Worst Shows of All Time list.
- CouplingCoupling (U.S. TV series)Coupling is a 2003 American remake of the British television sitcom of the same title which aired on NBC.-Reception:It failed to perform in the ratings and was canceled before the November sweeps, with several episodes remaining unaired despite heavy publicity by the network. It was immediately...
– This American adaptation of a British sitcom of the same name drew objections over its extensive sexual content, prompting at least two stations (both owned by religious organizations) to not carry the show, and it was pulled from the NBC schedule within two months despite a barrage of publicity. It was also immediately panned as a poor imitation of the original UK series by viewers and critics. BBC AmericaBBC AmericaBBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
even ran commercials noting that they would play the original British versions on their station just after the American equivalent episodes on NBC aired, so that viewers could see instantly just how superior the original was. Miscasting and stilted delivery of a nearly identical script were believed to be the reasons for the failure though creator Steven MoffatSteven MoffatSteven Moffat is a Scottish television writer and producer.Moffat's first television work was the teen drama series Press Gang. His first sitcom, Joking Apart, was inspired by the breakdown of his first marriage; conversely, his later sitcom Coupling was based upon the development of his...
claims the level of network interference was the sole reason. It ranked #7 on Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s list of the Biggest Bombs of All Time.
- Daddy's GirlsDaddy's Girls (1994 TV series)Daddy's Girls is an American sitcom that aired on CBS in the fall of 1994. The series followed Dudley Walker , the owner of a New York fashion house who loses his wife and his business partner when, after a years-long secret affair, they run off together leaving him as the primary caretaker to his...
– The series followed Dudley Walker (Dudley MooreDudley MooreDudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...
), the owner of a New York fashion house who loses his wife and his business partner when, after a years-long secret affair, they run off together leaving him as the primary caretaker to his three daughters. The series is notable as the first in which a gay principal character was played by an openly gay actor. Harvey FiersteinHarvey FiersteinHarvey Forbes Fierstein is a U.S. actor and playwright, noted for the early distinction of winning Tony Awards for both writing and originating the lead role in his long-running play Torch Song Trilogy, about a gay drag-performer and his quest for true love and family, as well as writing the...
played Dennis Sinclair, a high-strung designer at Walker's firm. Although Fierstein earned praise for his performance, Daddy's Girls was hated by critics. New YorkNew York (magazine)New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine called the series "Despised, reviled." Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, somewhat prophetically, found Moore to be "wan and confused." The Dallas Morning NewsThe Dallas Morning NewsThe Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
could only say that "Daddy's Girls isn't horrendously bad" but predicted that it would not last until Christmas. Indeed, the series was placed "on hiatus" after only three episodes aired and never returned. Moore would never return to television; he would later be diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsyProgressive supranuclear palsyProgressive supranuclear palsy is a degenerative disease involving the gradual deterioration and death of specific areas of the brain....
, which Moore would later cite as the cause of his difficulties on the set of the show.
- Das iTeam - Die Jungs mit der MausThe IT CrowdThe IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, written by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry...
– A German version of the British programme The IT Crowd was in production starting June 2007, starring Sky du MontSky du MontSky du Mont is a German actor. He is known for his role in Eyes Wide Shut, as "Santa Maria" in Der Schuh des Manitu and for narrating the German dub of Thomas & Friends...
, Sebastian Münster, Stefan Puntigam and Britta Horn. Originally titled Das iTeam - Die Jungs mit der Maus (The iTeam - The Boys with the Mouse), the title was changed to Das iTeam - Die Jungs an der Maus (The iTeam - The Boys at the Mouse) at the last minute. The premiere episode was aired on 4 January 2008 on Sat.1Sat.1Sat.1 is a privately owned German television broadcasting station. Sat.1 was the first privately owned television broadcasting station in Germany, having started one day before RTL Television....
. After the first episode was broadcast online, the adaptation received a mainly negative response from Internet forum users and blog writers. It was criticised for the quality of its translation and direction, and the poor performance of Stefan Puntigam as Gabriel (German version's name for Moss). The show was dropped by Sat.1 in January 2008 after the second episode due to low ratings.
- DelilahDelilah (TV series)Delilah is a Canadian situation comedy television series which aired on CBC Television from 1973 to 1974.-Premise:Delilah marked the CBC's first situation comedy in prime-time, having aired its previous sitcom Toby in daytime....
– The series generally received poor reviews and negative audience reception. It was cancelled after a single 13-episode season in an era when Canadian contentCanadian contentCanadian content refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requirements that radio and television broadcasters must air a certain percentage of content that was at least partly written, produced, presented, or otherwise contributed to by persons from...
requirements made canceling Canadian programs after so few episodes a rarity. Delilah was one of several CBC flops during the early 1970s, including CorwinCorwin (TV series)Corwin was a Canadian drama television series which aired on CBC Television from 1969 to 1971.-Premise:Psychiatrist Greg Corwin established a general practice for the inner city. Other regular characters included Corwin's older assistant Doc James , Mrs...
and McQueenMcQueen (TV series)McQueen was a Canadian drama television series which aired on CBC Television from 1969 to 1970.-Premise:The plot features newspaper columnist McQueen whose The Actioneer feature exposed fraud artists and dubious businesses...
, the product of inferior creativity. However, CBC's next sitcom, King of KensingtonKing of KensingtonKing of Kensington was a Canadian television sitcom which aired on CBC Television from 1975 to 1980.The show starred Al Waxman as Larry King, a convenience store owner in Toronto's Kensington Market who was known for helping friends and neighbours solve problems. His multicultural group of friends...
, fared much better and became a multi-year success. Toronto StarToronto StarThe Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
television critic Jim Bawden declared the series as "Worst Canadian Sitcom", declaring the scriptwriting to be "appalling" and discovered an absence of laughter from the audience when he attended a taping of an episode.
- Emeril – Celebrity chef Emeril LagasseEmeril Lagasse'Emeril John Lagasse is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author. A regional James Beard Award winner, he is perhaps most notable for his Food Network shows Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril as well as catchphrases such as “Kick it up a notch!” and...
briefly starred in a self-titled TV sitcom on NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
during the 2001 fall season with Robert UrichRobert UrichRobert Urich was an American actor. He played the starring roles in the television series Vega$ and Spenser: For Hire...
(in what turned out to be his final TV series), but it was canceled after several episodes and widely panned by critics. The show 101 Biggest Celebrity Oops ranked the sitcom at #51.
- Emily's Reasons Why NotEmily's Reasons Why NotEmily's Reasons Why Not is a television series starring Heather Graham. The show, which was based on the novel of the same name, was canceled by its broadcaster, ABC, after airing one episode on January 9, 2006.-Premise:...
– The show drew fire from pro-abstinenceAbstinenceAbstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, or abstention from alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical...
groups for its inability to portray an abstinent person and relying on stereotypes of homosexualityHomosexualityHomosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
to portray an intentional virgin. It was reported that ABC committed to the show before seeing a script. Despite heavy promotion by both Sony Pictures TelevisionSony Pictures TelevisionSony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
and ABC, the show was pulled after the first episode due to drawing only 6.2 million viewers. Production was stopped after filming six episodes. ABC was said to have spent millions on promotion, including airtime, billboards and radio ads, and considered Emily to be the 'linchpin' of the network's post-footballMonday Night FootballMonday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
Monday-night schedule. The promotion was so heavy and the cancellation so abrupt that some magazines found themselves carrying cover stories about a canceled show. After viewing it, ABC's entertainment president suggested that they considered the show lackluster and unlikely to improve. One television critic said there are "over a million 'reasons why not' for this sorry show." The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
attributed the cancellation in part to the extremely unappealing nature of the main character and the portrayal by Heather GrahamHeather GrahamHeather Joan Graham is an American actress. She has appeared in such films as Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Lost in Space, Bowfinger, From Hell, Anger Management, and The Hangover...
.
- Extra! Extra! Read All About It! (also known as Extra! Extra!) – was an Irish sitcom on RTÉRaidió Teilifís ÉireannRaidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
set in a newspaper office. It was poorly received, critics stating the scripts lacked any humor and that the direction was poor. Reviewing the program for the Sunday IndependentSunday IndependentThe Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
, writer Colm TóibínColm TóibínColm Tóibín is a multi-award-winning Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, journalist, critic, and, most recently, poet.Tóibín is Leonard Milberg Lecturer in Irish Letters at Princeton University in New Jersey and succeeded Martin Amis as professor of creative writing at the...
called it "probably the worst program RTÉ has ever shown". The Irish Times Brendan Glacken was equally scathing: "Speaking of Extra! Extra!, as I am afraid we still must, even seasoned RTÉ observers seem unable to answer the question why a series so pathetically weak should have been allowed to reach the screen at all". The Irish IndependentIrish IndependentThe Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
later listed it as one of the worst Irish TV shows ever.
- Ferris BuellerFerris Bueller (TV series)Ferris Bueller is an American sitcom based on the 1986 John Hughes's film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It debuted on August 23, 1990, on NBC and was cancelled within its first season, a few months after its debut....
– The show (based on the hit 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller , who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago...
starring Matthew BroderickMatthew BroderickMatthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
) received mostly negative reviews from critics. John J. O'Connor of The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote that the version of Bueller portrayed by the "smirking" Charlie SchlatterCharlie SchlatterCharles Thomas "Charlie" Schlatter is an American actor. He has starred in numerous TV series and films, and is well-known for his role in the series Diagnosis: Murder as Dr. Jesse Travis with Dick Van Dyke, and for his role in the film 18 Again! with George Burns...
"is likely to leave most viewers reaching instinctively for their wallets." Some critics considered Ferris Bueller one of the worst shows of the year. The show also suffered from comparison to a show with a similar concept that debuted on FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
the same month, Parker Lewis Can't LoseParker Lewis Can't LoseParker Lewis Can't Lose is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on FOX from September 1990 to June 1993. During the last season, the series sported the simpler title Parker Lewis. The series was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and was strongly influenced by the feature film Ferris...
. Parker Lewis proved to be more successful, lasting three seasons.
- The Grubbs – This FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
TV series from 2002 featuring Randy QuaidRandy QuaidRandall Rudy "Randy" Quaid is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as his numerous supporting roles in films, including his Oscar nominated performance in The Last Detail, Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain...
, Carol KaneCarol KaneCarolyn Laurie "Carol" Kane is an American actress. Kane has worked on the stage, on the screen and in television. She appeared on the television series Taxi in the early 1980s, as the wife of the character played by Andy Kaufman. She received two Emmy Awards for her work...
, and Michael CeraMichael CeraMichael Austin Cera is a Canadian actor best known for his roles in Arrested Development, Youth in Revolt, Superbad, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and Juno. Cera received the 2008 Canadian Comedy Award for best male performance for his work in Superbad.-Early...
received a poor critical response, including an E! Online review that called it "the worst sitcom ever produced".
- HankHank (2009 TV series)Hank is a comedy television series which ran on ABC from September 30, 2009, to November 4, 2009. The series was created by Tucker Cawley and is about a Wall Street executive who loses his job and reconnects with his small-town family...
– The show has been critically panned, scoring a 37/100 in Metacritic, with viewers agreeing with the critics, scoring it at a 4.2/10. The Los Angeles Times has noted "There's nothing here you couldn't imagine from the premise, but there's also nothing wrong with what's here: Melinda McGrawMelinda McGrawMelinda Leigh McGraw is an American actress. She has starred in movies such as Albino Alligator , Wrongfully Accused , and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps , and is also known for her television performances on The Commish, The X-Files and Mad Men.-Early life:McGraw was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, to...
is a good foil for Kelsey GrammerKelsey GrammerAllen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
, and Grammer is good at what he does." The New York Post panned the show: "Hank is one of the worst new (or old) comedies of this or many other seasons".
- The HathawaysThe HathawaysThe Hathaways is a 26-episode situation comedy which aired on ABC from October 6, 1961, to March 30, 1962, starring Peggy Cass and Jack Weston as suburban Los Angeles "parents" to a trio of performing chimpanzees. Weston portrays Walter Hathaway, a real estate agent. Cass is his wife Elinore, the...
– Later-day television critics Castleman and Podrazik (1982) have called The Hathaways "possibly the worst series ever to air on network TV", criticizing the production, scripts, acting, the "utterly degrading" premise, and the overall "total worthlessness" of the program.
- Heil Honey I'm Home!Heil Honey I'm Home!Heil Honey I'm Home! is a controversial British television sitcom, produced in 1990, which was cancelled after one episode aired.-Synopsis:...
– This UK sitcom depicted fictionalised versions of Adolf HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and Eva BraunEva BraunEva Anna Paula Hitler was the longtime companion of Adolf Hitler and, for less than 40 hours, his wife. Braun met Hitler in Munich, when she was 17 years old, while working as an assistant and model for his personal photographer and began seeing him often about two years later...
living next to a stereotypical Jewish couple. The show was criticised for being unfunny and distasteful, and was cancelled after a single episode aired.
- Hello, LarryHello, LarryHello, Larry is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from January 26, 1979, to April 30, 1980.-First season:Larry Alder is a radio talk show host who left Los Angeles after being divorced and moved to Portland, Oregon, with his two teenage daughters, Diane and...
– Hello, Larry had the misfortune of appearing on NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
at a time when that network was at its nadir in the ratings (despite its poor quality, it lasted two seasons and 35 episodes). The show was greeted by viewers who had high expectations based on McLean StevensonMcLean StevensonEdgar McLean Stevenson, Jr. , better known as McLean Stevenson, was an American actor most recognized for his role as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the TV series M*A*S*H...
's M*A*S*H association, but quickly gained an extremely bad reputation as a weakly written, unfunny sitcom, and it was not helped by frequent ridicule from Johnny CarsonJohnny CarsonJohn William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
in his The Tonight ShowThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
monologues. It was thereafter used as a frequent punchline whenever a reference to a bad decision by an actor to leave a successful TV show was needed.
- Holmes & Yo-YoHolmes & Yo-YoHolmes & Yo-Yo is an American comedy television series that aired on ABC for 13 episodes during the 1976-1977 season. The series follows Detective Holmes and his new android partner Yo-Yo, on their adventures and misadventures, as Holmes teaches Yo-Yo what it is like to be human, while trying to...
– Holmes & Yo-Yo was universally panned by critics and is #33 on TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
s List of the 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time. Many Nielsen viewers claimed they felt "uncomfortable" with the show's often racy humor, most especially episode seven, over 14 minutes of which was Yo-Yo verbalizing (in graphic detail) his desire for genitalia. Although the series lasted only 13 episodes (undaunted by the failure of the series, ABC green-lighted a similar concept the same season called Future CopFuture Cop (TV series)Future Cop is an American science fiction television series which starred Ernest Borgnine and Michael Shannon. It was based on the TV movie of the same name and predated RoboCop by ten years. The series was aired on ABC in 1976 and was re-piloted as "Cops and Robin" on NBC in 1978...
with Ernest Borgnine; it had the same success as Holmes & Yo-Yo), the influence of Holmes & Yo-Yo can be felt in other "robot cop" series and films that followed, most notably the RoboCopRoboCopRoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
films and TV series, and the 1993 series, Mann & MachineMann & MachineMann & Machine is an American science fiction/police drama series that aired for nine episodes on NBC from April 5, 1992 to July 14, 1992.-Synopsis:...
which used the same premise as Holmes & Yo-Yo, only with a sexy female robot instead of the stout Yoyonovich.
- Homeboys in Outer SpaceHomeboys in Outer SpaceHomeboys in Outer Space is an American science fiction/fantasy sitcom that aired on UPN from 1996 to 1997. The series stars comedian Flex and Darryl Bell.-Synopsis:...
– The series was panned by critics and was on TV Guides List of the 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time. Homeboys in Outer Space was cancelled in 1997 after 21 episodes.
- Joanie Loves ChachiJoanie Loves ChachiJoanie Loves Chachi is an American television spin-off of the popular American sitcom Happy Days that was originally broadcast on ABC from March 23, 1982 to September 13, 1983...
– This spin-off of the popular series Happy DaysHappy DaysHappy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
was a romantic musical comedy that has been negatively received by critics since its 17-episode run ended in 1983. Originally rated highly, network research suggested it was not rated well because of its own merits but was instead being propped up by its lead-in. It ranked #17 on TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
s list of Biggest TV Blunders and is also featured on numerous other worst TV series lists.
- Kath & Kim (U.S. TV series)Kath & Kim (U.S. TV series)Kath & Kim is an American version of the Australian television comedy series of the same name starring Selma Blair and Molly Shannon. The series premiered on NBC on October 9, 2008...
– The show has generated criticism from fans and television critics, especially in the casting, adjusting of the tone of the show and even the show's costume design, which has led to Selma BlairSelma BlairSelma Blair is an American actress who has worked in film, theatre and television. She has performed in feature films including Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde, The Sweetest Thing, Hellboy, The Fog, Purple Violets and Hellboy II: The Golden Army...
firing back over the claims that it ruins the creativity of the original. Early reviews of the pilot were poor, with the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chroniclethumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
calling it "a contender for worst remake ever."
- Life with LucyLife With LucyLife with Lucy is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The show ran on the ABC network in 1986, and unlike Ball's previous hits on television, it was a critical and ratings flop.- Premise :...
– Life with Lucy was Lucille BallLucille BallLucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
's final sitcom. The show ran on the ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
networkTelevision networkA television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
from September to November 1986, and unlike Ball's previous hits on television, it was a critical failure. In order to get Ball to agree to a new series, ABC allowed her complete creative control, no requirement to make a pilot episode, and no requirement for testing before focus groupFocus groupA focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging...
s or other tryouts. As all of Ball's previous TV efforts had proven to be hugely successful, the network acquiesced to these demands, even though she was at the time 75 years old, her long-time co-star Gale GordonGale GordonGale Gordon was an American character actor perhaps best remembered as Lucille Ball's longtime television foil—and particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfisted bank executive Theodore J. Mooney, on Ball's second television situation comedy, The Lucy Show...
was 80, and Vivian VanceVivian VanceVivian Roberta Jones was an American television and theater actress and singer. Often referred to as “TV’s most beloved second banana,” she is best known for her role as Ethel Mertz, sidekick to Lucille Ball on the American television sitcom I Love Lucy, and as Vivian Bagley on The Lucy...
, who had co-starred as Lucy's sidekick in all three of her previous sitcoms, had died six years prior. Fourteen episodeEpisodeAn episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
s were written, thirteen filmed, but only eight actually aired. Life With Lucys premiere episode on September 20 made the NielsenNielsen RatingsNielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
's Top 25 (#23 for the week) for its week; however, subsequent episodes dropped steadily in viewership. It ranked only 73rd out of 79 shows for the season (the seventh lowest rated show on TV), with a 9.0/16 rating/share. The short-lived show was never syndicated, nor was it ever released on home video. Biographies of the actress reveal that she was reportedly devastated by the show's failure, and never again attempted another series or feature film; her subsequent interviews and other TV appearances were extremely infrequent. In 2002, TV Guide included this show on its List of the 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time, ranking at #26.
- Me and the ChimpMe and the ChimpMe and the Chimp was a short-lived American television series which aired during 1972 on CBS starring Ted Bessell. He played a dentist who lived with his wife, two children, and a chimp named Buttons, a washout from the space program...
– It is considered by many to be one of the worst shows in the history of television (came in at #46 on TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
s list of "The 50 Worst Shows Ever" from 2002); for many years it was a frequent punch line when comedians wished to reference bad TV shows.
- My Mother the CarMy Mother the CarMy Mother the Car is an American fantasy sitcom which aired for a single season on NBC between September 14, 1965 and September 6, 1966. A total of thirty episodes were produced by United Artists Television....
– Critics and adult viewers generally panned the show, often savagely. In 2002, TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
proclaimed it to be the second-worst of all time, just behind The Jerry Springer ShowThe Jerry Springer ShowThe Jerry Springer Show is a syndicated television tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician, broadcast in the United States and other countries...
. My Mother the Car belonged to the genre of "wacky" TV sitcoms popular at the time that featured supernatural characters and cartoonCartoonA cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
ish situations, such as BewitchedBewitchedBewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
and My Favorite MartianMy Favorite MartianMy Favorite Martian is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963 to May 1, 1966 for 107 episodes...
, but it failed and for many years afterward was widely ridiculed as the quintessential "worst show of all time," though many competitors have vied for that title since then. It did not help that the highly respected Dick Van Dyke ShowThe Dick Van Dyke ShowThe Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
, starring My Mother the Car star Jerry Van DykeJerry Van DykeJerry Van Dyke is an American comedian and actor. He is the younger brother of comedian and actor Dick Van Dyke, and made his acting debut on The Dick Van Dyke Show with several guest appearances as Rob Petrie's brother, Stacey...
's brother, was still on the air at the time on another network. Audience demographics was an emerging science in the mid-1960s. My Mother the Car was a hit with younger viewers, but no one at the time knew just how to exploit the youth market with a live-action sitcom.
- One of the BoysOne of the Boys (TV series)One of the Boys is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from January to April 1982. Starring Mickey Rooney, Dana Carvey, Nathan Lane, and Scatman Crothers, TV Guide ranked it number 24 on its TV Guide's 50 Worst Shows of All Time list in 2002.-Synopsis:Oliver Nugent was a spry senior...
– TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
named it one of the worst on "The 50 Worst Shows Ever" in 2002, ranking at #24.
- The Paul Reiser ShowThe Paul Reiser ShowThe Paul Reiser Show is an American television series that aired on NBC. In May 2010, NBC announced that it had green-lit the series for the 2010–11 television season, with the half-hour comedy expected to premiere as a midseason replacement. The series premiered on April 14, 2011, at 8:30 pm...
– This mockumentary featuring former Mad About YouMad About YouMad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist...
star Paul ReiserPaul ReiserPaul Reiser is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television personality, author, screenwriter and musician. He is most widely known for his role on the long-running television sitcom Mad About You.-Early life:...
was "critically panned," earned the lowest television prime time ratings in NBC's history and was canceled after two episodes. MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported a rating of only 38 out of 100. Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. ClubThe A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the show a D+, writing that it was best summarized by the word "complacent" and that "everything about it feels off-putting and weird." He compared it unfavorably to Curb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
, calling it a "weird copycat" that "takes most of the trappings of Curb but misses almost all of the soul."
- Public Morals – The original pilot episode of Public Morals was scrapped because critics and some CBS affiliates believed the language was too vulgar. However, the episode that did air was also poorly received. Critics argued that the characters were one-dimensional and that some of the humor involved racial stereotypes.
- The RopersThe RopersThe Ropers is an American sitcom that ran from March 13, 1979 to May 22, 1980 on ABC. The series is a spinoff of Three's Company and based on the British sitcom George and Mildred...
– The show was ranked number two on TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine's "Top 10 Worst TV Spin-Offs". It also ranked #49 on TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
s list of the "The 50 Worst Shows Ever" in 2002.
- The Secret Diary of Desmond PfeifferThe Secret Diary of Desmond PfeifferThe Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer is an American sitcom that aired on UPN in 1998. Before it was even debuted, the series set off a storm of controversy because of a perceived light-hearted take on the issue of American slavery.-Story:...
– This infamous sitcom about Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's titular black butler (played by Chi McBrideChi McBrideKenneth "Chi" McBride is an American actor. He starred as Steven Harper on the series Boston Public, as Emerson Cod on Pushing Daisies, and recently appeared in Fox's drama Human Target.-Early life:...
) - featuring jokes about slavery and Lincoln's gay tendencies - was fledgling network UPNUPNUnited Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
's attempt to grab at attention. It lasted four episodes and is listed at #5 on Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s list of the Biggest Bombs of All Time.
- Sir YellowSir YellowSir Yellow was a British TV sitcom aired on ITV from 15 July - 19 August 1973. It starred Jimmy Edwards in the title role and also featured Melvyn Hayes, Alan Curtis, and Michael Ripper. The show was set in the 13th century and followed the misadventures of a cowardly, womanising, alcoholic knight...
– The programme was axed after just one series following bad reviews and was never brought back for a second; in 2003 the TV critic Mark LewisohnMark LewisohnMark Lewisohn is an English author and historian, regarded as the world's leading authority on the English rock band The Beatles.-The Beatles and related subjects:...
named it "the 20th worst British sitcom of all time" in his book The Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy.
- Small Wonder – In 2002, Robert Bianco, TVTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
critic for USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, listed it as a contender for one of the worst TV shows of all time, and according to the BBC, it "is widely considered one of the worst low-budget sitcoms of all time." In the audio commentary for the South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode "Simpsons Already Did ItSimpsons Already Did It"Simpsons Already Did It" is the seventh episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 86th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on June 26, 2002...
", co-creator Matt StoneMatt StoneMatthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....
lamented that "for some reason, people lump South Park and The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
and any animated program together... which is unfortunate that we have to be compared to one of the best shows on television ever and one of the most popular shows on television ever, we never get compared to Sister, SisterSister, Sister (TV series)Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom about identical twin girls Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell , who were separated and adopted at birth, when one day they come face-to-face after 14 years apart....
or Small Wonder."
- The Tammy Grimes Show – In 1966, Tammy GrimesTammy Grimes-Early life:Grimes was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, the daughter of Eola Willard , a naturalist and spiritualist, and Nicholas Luther Grimes, an innkeeper, country-club manager, and farmer. She attended high school at the then-all girls school, Beaver Country Day School, in Chestnut Hill,...
starred in her own ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series, in which she played a modern-day heiress who loved to spend money. Receiving "unfavorable critical reaction and poor ratings", it ran for only a month, although an additional six episodes had already been made.The Tammy Grimes Show remains one of the shortest series in television history.
- The Trouble With TracyThe Trouble with TracyThe Trouble with Tracy was a Canadian television series produced by CTV for the 1970–1971 television season, with intended distribution by the U.S.-based National General Pictures. It is considered by some to be one of the worst situation comedies ever produced.The show was produced as a daily...
– This Canadian sitcom was hastily assembled in 1970 to comply with upcoming Canadian contentCanadian contentCanadian content refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requirements that radio and television broadcasters must air a certain percentage of content that was at least partly written, produced, presented, or otherwise contributed to by persons from...
requirements and suffered from an extremely limited budget for both time and money. 130 episodes of the series were produced, requiring scripts to be recycled from 1940s radio dramas, line screw-ups to be kept in the finished product due to time and money constraints, and virtually the entire series shot from one small living-room set. As a result of the shoddy end product, the series is often considered one of the worst of all time.
Specials
- Celebrity Deathmatch Hits Germany!Celebrity DeathmatchCelebrity Deathmatch is a claymation television show that depicts celebrities against each other in a wrestling ring, almost always ending in the loser's gruesome death. It was known for its excessive amount of blood used in every match and exaggerated physical injuries...
– After the original hit MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
show was cancelled, producers for German MTVMTV CentralMTV Germany, is a 24- hour German speaking entertainment channel operated by MTV Networks Europe. The channel was launched as MTV Networks Europe began to localize its brand throughout Europe in 1997. MTV Germany was launched on March 7, 1997...
received rights for a Celebrity Deathmatch special. This special, which is relatively unknown by American audiences, removes the original cast, including Johnny Gomez, Nick Diamond, and referee Mills LaneMills LaneMills Bee Lane III is a retired boxing referee, a former boxer, was a two term Washoe County District Court Judge, and television personality...
, and features about eight matches, all about a minute and a half long. The German producers animated, and voiced the show, but the puppets were still made by the American owners. It was criticized for choppy animation, poor special effects such as blood, and no English subtitles, although it wasn't meant for an American release. It was also known as the last original Celebrity Deathmatch episode before it was brought back to MTV2MTV2MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
in 2006.
- The Decision – On July 8, 2010, LeBron JamesLeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
announced on a live ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
special that he would be playing for the Miami HeatMiami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
for the 2010–11 season2010–11 NBA seasonThe 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
. In exchange for the rights to air the special, ESPN agreed to hand over its advertising and air time to James. James arranged for the special to include an interview conducted by Jim GrayJim Gray (sportscaster)Jim Gray is an American sportscaster. He has previously worked as a reporter with NBC Sports and CBS Sports. He is currently with Westwood One radio network, Showtime, Golf Channel, the Sacramento Kings, and ESPN/ESPN on ABC...
, who was paid by James' marketing company and had no affiliation with the network. ESPN's reporting leading up to the James special, its decision to air the program, and its decision to relinquish editorial independence were widely cited as gross violations of journalistic ethics.
- Elvis in ConcertElvis in ConcertElvis in Concert is the title of the soundtrack album released in conjunction with the television special of the same name which featured some of the final performances of Elvis Presley...
– This TV special featured a recording of an Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
concert held on June 19, 1977; it was one of the last concerts of his career. Presley's deteriorating physical condition was obvious from his weight gain (particularly his extremely bloated face) and his inability to remember lyrics on several songs. It has been described as "terrible and embarrassing" and as a "travesty." Had Presley not died on August 16 of the same year, CBS would have likely never aired the concert, and only did so in October, after his death; the network had plans to try and record another concert to get better footage, but this was rendered impossible after Presley's death. The Presley estate refuses to release the special on VHS or DVD to this day.
- Exposed! Pro Wrestling's Greatest SecretsExposed! Pro Wrestling's Greatest SecretsExposed! Pro Wrestling's Greatest Secrets is a 1998 documentary about professional wrestling. It was first aired on NBC television on November 1, 1998, and released on VHS on September 22, 1999 to overwhelmingly negative reviews. Nick Bakay narrates...
– The documentary was roundly criticized for being sensationalist, misleading, and outdated in the presentation of the "secret tricks." Critics in and out of the wrestling business contend that many of the "secrets" exposed were already widely known by fans to begin with, and others were so obscure as to be non-notable. While most of the professional wrestling world refrained from acknowledging the program, the night following its airing, Ernest "The Cat" MillerErnest MillerErnest Clifford Miller is an American actor and former professional wrestler who worked for World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment better known by his ring name, Ernest "The Cat" Miller....
entered the ring during WCW Monday NitroWCW Monday NitroWCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
and sarcastically shouted in a melodramatic tone to the audience, "Now you know all our secrets!" Mick FoleyMick FoleyMichael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
on WWF Monday Night RAWWWE RAWWWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
announced, to tagTag teamTag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
partner Al SnowAl SnowAllen Ray Sarven is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name of Al Snow. He is best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment and currently works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent.-Early career:Sarven...
, "We didn't do so well last week, but last night, the secrets of professional wrestling were revealed to me!" Foley also poked fun at the program several times in his autobiography, Have a Nice Day!
- If I Did ItIf I Did ItIf I Did It is a book by O. J. Simpson, in which he puts forth a hypothetical description of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Simpson was tried and acquitted of the murders in a criminal trial but later found financially liable in a civil trial...
– In November 2006, O. J. SimpsonO. J. SimpsonOrenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
, who had been acquitted of the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown SimpsonNicole Brown SimpsonNicole Brown Simpson was a former wife of professional football player O. J. Simpson.- Relationship with O. J. Simpson :...
and her boyfriend Ronald GoldmanRonald GoldmanRonald Lyle "Ron" Goldman was an American waiter and an aspiring model. He was murdered along with Nicole Brown Simpson, former wife of O. J. Simpson, an actor and retired American football player. The subsequent criminal investigation and trial against O. J...
in a trialO. J. Simpson murder caseThe O. J. Simpson murder case was a criminal trial held in Los Angeles County, California Superior Court from January 29 to October 3, 1995. Former American football star and actor O. J...
in 1995, wrote a book describing how, if he were to have actually committed the murder, he would have done it. He arranged for a television special in which he would be interviewed by publisher Judith ReganJudith ReganJudith Regan is an American editor, producer, book publisher and television and radio talk show host. She is the mother of a son and a daughter and lives in New York City and Los Angeles.-Early life:...
to promote the book. NBC refused to air it, while Fox almost did before backing out at the insistence of its affiliates. The Goldman family, who insist Simpson is guilty of the crime despite the acquittal and won a US$33,500,000 wrongful death settlement against Simpson for the murders, declared the special "an all-time low for television" and eventually arranged for Regan's firing from HarperCollinsHarperCollinsHarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
for nonexistent "anti-Semitic remarks;" Regan eventually sued HarperCollins for wrongful termination and won. Fox CEO Rupert MurdochRupert MurdochKeith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
eventually admitted the idea was an "ill-considered project." The special never aired and the book's rights were turned over to the Goldmans, who retitled the book I Did It: Confessions of a Killer.
- The Star Wars Holiday SpecialThe Star Wars Holiday SpecialThe Star Wars Holiday Special is a 1978 American television special set in the Star Wars galaxy. It was one of the first official Star Wars spin-offs, and was directed by Steve Binder. The show was broadcast in its entirety only once, in the United States and Canada, November 17, 1978, on the U.S...
– Generally, The Star Wars Holiday Special has received a large amount of criticism, both from Star Wars fans and the general public. David Hofstede, author of What Were They Thinking?: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History, ranked the holiday special at number one, calling it "the worst two hours of television ever." Shepard SmithShepard SmithDavid Shepard Smith, Jr. , known better as Shepard Smith, is an American television news anchor. He is host of Fox Report with Shepard Smith and Studio B weekdays on Fox News Channel. In addition, he anchors the 5:00 p.m...
, a news anchor for the Fox News ChannelFox News ChannelFox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, referred to it as a "'70s train wreck, combining the worst of Star Wars with the utter worst of variety television." Actor Phillip Bloch explained on a TV LandTV LandTV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
special entitled The 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments, that the special, "...just wasn't working. It was just so surreal." On the same program, Ralph GarmanRalph GarmanRalph Garman is an American actor, comedian, and radio host best known as the host of The Joe Schmo Show, for his voice work in Family Guy, and as the entertainment reporter and impressionist for the Kevin and Bean morning show on Los Angeles radio station, KROQ-FM...
, a voice actor for the show Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, explained that "The Star Wars Holiday Special is one of the most infamous television programs in history. And it's so bad that it actually comes around to good again, but passes it right up." The only aspect of the special which has been generally well-received is the animated segment which introduces Boba FettBoba FettBoba Fett is a character in Star Wars. A bounty hunter hired by Darth Vader to find the Millennium Falcon, he is a minor villain in both Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi....
, who would later become a popular character when he appeared in the Star Wars theatrical films.
- Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? is a Fox network reality show in which multi-millionaire Rick Rockwell asked Darva Conger to marry him...
– This one-time special had fifty female contestants vying to immediately marryArranged marriageAn arranged marriage is a practice in which someone other than the couple getting married makes the selection of the persons to be wed, meanwhile curtailing or avoiding the process of courtship. Such marriages had deep roots in royal and aristocratic families around the world...
an unseen multimillionaire who, unknown to the contestants or viewers, only barely qualified for the title (owning nearly exactly $2,000,000 in assets, including non-liquid ones) and had a record of domestic violenceDomestic violenceDomestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
. The winner, Darva CongerDarva CongerDarva Conger is a former emergency room nurse who was selected as the winner of the reality television show Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?, in 2000....
, never consummated her relationship with Rick Rockwell and the marriage was annulled. In a 2010 issue of TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, the show was ranked #9 on a list of TV's ten biggest "blunders".
Sports
- ESPN HollywoodESPN HollywoodESPN Hollywood was a television program that aired on ESPN2 in 2005. The daily 30-minute show was centered on the convergence between the sports and entertainment worlds, and was a part of the network's ESPN Original Entertainment programming effort, which was intended to spread the network's...
– The show's launch was controversial; promotional advertisements featured photos of baseball player Derek JeterDerek JeterDerek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
with a woman whose face was not shown. A spokesman for Jeter's employer, the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, objected to the ad, saying "In the ad they insinuate they are out with Jeter, with his permission, or they are following him. Give me a break. Neither is true." ESPN realized that the show would be risky; if sports figures were angered by their coverage on ESPN Hollywood they might refuse to participate in interviews on other ESPN programs. The final episode was broadcast on January 26, 2006. An ESPN executive vice president later remarked that the premise of the show was unworkable, saying "I think fans want information about athletes in the context of sports coverage."
- NHL on Fox – The 1996 iteration of Fox's coverage of the National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
led to the introduction of FoxTraxFoxTraxFoxTrax was a specialized ice hockey puck with internal electronics that allowed its position to be tracked designed for NHL telecasts on the Fox television network...
, a graphic that aided in the visibility of the puckHockey puckA puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major international sport.- Etymology :The origin of the word "puck" is obscure...
that was positively received by those who did not watch hockey regularly, but savaged by hockey purists, being derided as a "glowing puck" and a gimmick reminiscent of video games. Greg Wyshynski dubbed it the second-worst idea in sports history, behind only Ten Cent Beer NightTen Cent Beer NightTen Cent Beer Night was a promotion held by Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians during a game against the Texas Rangers at Cleveland Municipal Stadium on June 4, 1974....
, in his book Glow Pucks and 10-Cent Beer: The 101 Worst Ideas in Sports History. Its implementation coincided with a peak of the NHL's popularity on television, and Nielsen RatingsNielsen RatingsNielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
for NHL games went into decline after the debut of FoxTrax, a decline that would not be reversed until the NHL Winter ClassicNHL Winter ClassicThe NHL Winter Classic is an annual event held by the National Hockey League on New Year's Day where regular-season games are played outdoors, in areas hosted by NHL teams. Though largely derived from the Heritage Classic outdoor game held in Edmonton in 2003, the Winter Classic has so far only...
was developed in 2008, by which point high-definition televisionHigh-definition televisionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
had made it easier to see the puck.
- WFL on TVSWorld Football LeagueThe World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
- TVS Television NetworkTVS Television NetworkThe TVS Television Network, or TVS for short, was a syndicator of American sports programming. It was one of several "occasional" national television networks that sprang up in the early 1960s to take advantage of the establishment of independent television stations and relaxation of the AT&T...
, a syndicator best known for its coverage of college sports, signed on to televise the World Football LeagueWorld Football LeagueThe World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
, a fledgling major football league, in its inaugural 1974 season. TVS would carry a weekly Thursday night game with a two-man announcing crew and, in most weeks, a celebrity guest commentator. The league soon devolved into chaos; several teams either moved or folded midseason, including the New York Stars, a team that was particularly important to the network's viewership ratings, and schedule changes were being made on an almost weekly basis. The WFL was further undermined by a scandal in which league owners were caught lying about paid attendance, having inflated ticket sales by as much as tenfold, which destroyed fans' and TV stations' confidence in the league. By the end of the 1974 season, TVS found it impossible to sell the games to local stations, and ratings fell to levels that were anemic even by modern standards. TVS issued an ultimatum to the WFL demanding that the Chicago WindsChicago WindsThe Chicago Winds was the World Football League's ill-fated 1975 successor to the Chicago Fire. The team was named the Winds because Chicago was nicknamed "The Windy City." The Winds played at Soldier Field and was assigned to the WFL's Western Division for 1975 .-Pursuit of Joe...
sign Joe NamathJoe NamathJoseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
in order to continue TV coverage in 1975; the Winds failed to do so, and TVS pulled the plug, leaving the WFL untelevised for its final, abortive season.
- XFLXFLThe XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
– This cooperative effort between World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
and NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
was an effort to form the first challenge to the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's dominance of professional outdoor football since the USFLUnited States Football LeagueThe United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
failed in 1985. Low-scoring games, a perceived lack of top-level professional talent, a high rate of injury, overemphasis on tawdry stunts, and the stigma of the WWE's involvement led to the series not being taken seriously by either sports or television commentators, and the league folded after one year. It ranked #3 on TV Guide'sTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
list of the worst TV shows of all time in July 2002, as well as #2 on ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's list of biggest flops in sports, behind Ryan LeafRyan LeafRyan David Leaf is a former American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for four seasons...
. It ranked #21 on TV Guide's 2010 list of the biggest blunders in TV history and #10 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the Biggest Bombs of All Time. Author Brett Forrest published a book on the league entitled Long Bomb: How the XFL Became TV's Biggest Fiasco in 2002.
Talk shows
- The Chevy Chase ShowThe Chevy Chase ShowThe Chevy Chase Show was an American late night talk show hosted by actor, comedian and Saturday Night Live alumnus Chevy Chase that aired in 1993 on Fox...
– Television critic Ken TuckerKen TuckerKen Tucker was an English footballer who played as a left winger....
of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the show an F letter grade, and criticized the show for having "the gall to rerunRerunA rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a radio or television broadcast. The invention of the rerun is generally credited to Desi Arnaz. There are two types of reruns—those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Reruns can also be, as the...
a taped comedy bit he'd aired in the first week of his show." Tucker also noted that "the audience that fills Hollywood's new Chevy Chase Theatre has steadily turned into the worst-behaved crowd in late-night television; they hoot and yell and cheer over whatever pitiful chatter Chase is attempting to wring out of a luckless guest." TIME panned the show: "Nervous and totally at sea, Chase tried everything, succeeded at nothing." The magazine also criticized Chase for having "recycled old material shamelessly", taking pratfalls, and even pleading with the audience to stand up and dance in their seats.
- The Jay Leno ShowThe Jay Leno ShowThe Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
– While the show itself, which amounted to transporting The Tonight Show with Jay LenoThe Tonight Show with Jay LenoThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
(a popular late-night talk showLate-night talk showIn American television, the late-night talk show is a specific kind of comedy-oriented talk and variety show that airs late at night. Characteristics of the genre include topical monologues in which the host makes fun of the day's news, comedy sketches, celebrity interviews, and musical performances...
) into an earlier prime time slot, was not considered horrible, the decision to use a late-night talk show in a prime time slot as a cost-cutting measure was declared the biggest blunder in television history in a listing compiled by TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
in 2010. Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
expressed a similar sentiment when it declared the show one of the "biggest bombs in television history" in January 2010. The move caused significant damage to the Nielsen RatingsNielsen RatingsNielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of the local newsLocal newsIn journalism, local news refers to news coverage of events in a local context which would not normally be of interest to those of other localities, or otherwise be of national or international scope.-Television:...
casts that immediately followed it and drew derision from labor unions involved in producing scripted programming. Leno resumed hosting The Tonight Show in March 2010, but only after the controversial removal2010 Tonight Show conflictIn early 2010, American television network NBC and two of its late-night talk show hosts, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno, engaged in a media and public relations conflict over the host and airtime of The Tonight Show, the network's long-running late night program...
of existing host Conan O'BrienConan O'BrienConan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
.
- The Jerry Springer ShowThe Jerry Springer ShowThe Jerry Springer Show is a syndicated television tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician, broadcast in the United States and other countries...
– The show topped TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
magazine's 2002 list of "The Worst TV Shows Ever". The phrase "Jerry Springer Nation" began to be used by some who see the program as being a bad influence on the morality of the United States. In addition, the phrase has shown the association of Springer with any "lowbrow" type of entertainment in general.
- The Magic Hour – Soon after its debut, the series was panned by critics citing Earvin "Magic" JohnsonMagic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
's apparent nervousness as a host, his overly complimentary tone with his celebrity guests, and lack of chemistry with his sidekick, comedian Craig ShoemakerCraig ShoemakerCraig Shoemaker is an American comedian, writer, and voice actor. He is best known for his baritone voiced character, The Lovemaster, which he routinely portrays in his stand up act.-Comedy:...
. The series was quickly retooled with Shoemaker being relegated to the supporting cast (and eventually fired for publicly stating the show was a disaster) which included comedian Steve WhiteSteve White (actor)Steve White is an African American actor and comedian, best known for his roles in Spike Lee films. He has worked with Lee five times...
and announcer Jimmy HodsonJimmy HodsonAmerican actor, narrator, and television host Jimmy Hodson was born in Orange, California, April 16, 1962. He has been the announcer on the long running syndicated TV show Divorce Court since 1999...
. Comedian and actor Tommy DavidsonTommy DavidsonTommy Davidson is an American comedian, film and television actor.Born in Washington, D.C., Davidson was adopted when he was 2-years-old. He was a child of an interracial adoption, with his parents being Caucasian and he being African-American. He attended high school at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High...
was brought in as Johnson's new sidekick and Johnson interacted more with the show band leader Sheila E.Sheila E.Sheila Escovedo , known by her stage name Sheila E., is an American drummer and percussionist, perhaps best known for her work with Prince, George Duke and Ringo Starr.-Early life and Prince period:...
The format of the show was also changed to include more interview time with celebrity guests. One vocal critic of The Magic Hour was Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
, who was later booked as a guest for one episode as part of a stunt to raise the show's ratings.
- MauryMaury (TV series)Maury is a syndicated American tabloid talk show hosted by Maury Povich.When the series first aired in 1991, the show was called The Maury Povich Show and was produced by MoPo Productions in association with Paramount Domestic Television...
– This tabloid talk showTabloid talk showTabloid talk shows are a genre of American television programming talk shows that achieved peak viewership during the late 20th century. Airing mostly during the day and distributed mostly through broadcast syndication, this genre originated with The Phil Donahue Show and was popularized by the...
hosted by Maury PovichMaury PovichMaurice Richard "Maury" Povich is an American TV talk show host who currently hosts his self-titled talk show Maury.-Personal background:...
was dubbed by USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
columnist Whitney MathesonWhitney MathesonWhitney Matheson in Fredericksburg, Va. is a writer and the author of Pop Candy, a popular entertainment blog which is posted on USA Todays website, and also writes entertainment and pop culture features for the newspaper....
as "the worst show on television" and "miles further down the commode than Jerry Springer." Nowadays the common themes on the show are Paternity testingPaternity testingParental testing is the use of genetic fingerprinting to determine whether two individuals have a biological parent-child relationship. A paternity test establishes genetic proof as to whether a man is the biological father of an individual, and a maternity test establishes whether a woman is the...
and Lie-detector testing; most of the show's guests are urban, lower-class women seeking to settle disputes with their equally low-class ex-boyfriends. The main criticisms of the show are how it not only uses the serious issues of the guest(s) as entertainment, but also due to its focus on tabloid subject matters.
Variety/sketch comedy shows
- The 1/2 Hour News HourThe 1/2 Hour News HourThe 1/2 Hour News Hour is an American television news satire show that aired on the Fox News Channel. The program presented news stories from a conservative perspective, using a satirical format pioneered by Saturday Night Lives Weekend Update, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and The Daily Show.The...
– Fox News ChannelFox News ChannelFox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
's satirical news comedy show was savaged for its overemphasis on conservative ideology, banal jokes, and lack of innovation. The show's initial two episodes received generally poor reviews. MetaCritic's television division gave The 1/2 Hour News Hour pilots a score of 12 out of 100, making it the lowest rated television production ever reviewed on the site.
- Australia's Naughtiest Home VideosAustralia's Naughtiest Home VideosAustralia's Naughtiest Home Videos is a controversial Australian television comedy program which was broadcast on Nine Network on 4 September 1992. It was a one-off special spin-off of Australia's Funniest Home Video Show, depicting videos of sexual situations and other sexually explicit content...
– This series was canceled by its network midway through its first airing. Kerry PackerKerry PackerKerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...
, Australian media magnate and owner of the broadcaster Nine NetworkNine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, saw the show whilst out at dinner with friends, and reportedly phoned Nine central control personally, ordering them to "Get that shit off the air!" The network complied and immediately replaced it with reruns of CheersCheersCheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, citing "technical difficulties." Packer arrived at the network the next day and again referred to the show as "disgusting and offensive shit." The show itself largely consisted of videos of animals having sex interspersed with off color jokes from the show's host. The show would not be seen in its entirety until 2008, three years after Packer's death.
- Ben Elton Live From Planet EarthBen Elton Live From Planet EarthBen Elton Live From Planet Earth was a 2011 Australian comedy television series produced by FremantleMedia which aired on the Nine Network. The program was performed and broadcast live as a sketch comedy and variety show...
– Live From Planet Earth debuted on Channel Nine on 8 February 2011, in the 9:30 pm timeslot. During the broadcast of the first episode, reaction on TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
was hostile, with many users speculating the show would be axed. Reviews of the first episode were largely negative. Colin Vickery of the Herald SunHerald SunThe Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
called it "an early contender for worst show of the year", and Amanda Meade of The Australian called it "a screaming, embarrassing failure". The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
s Karl Quinn stated there was "more to like than dislike" about the show.
- The Brady Bunch HourThe Brady Bunch HourThe Brady Bunch Hour is an American variety television series produced by Sid and Marty Krofft in association with CBS Television Distribution, which aired on ABC between 1976 to 1977....
– This variety show featuring the cast of the hit sitcom The Brady BunchThe Brady BunchThe Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
has been frequently panned for its poor quality. Fred SilvermanFred SilvermanFred Silverman is an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at the CBS, ABC and NBC networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as the series Scooby-Doo , All in the Family , The Waltons , and Charlie's Angels , as well as the...
produced the show without the permission of either the creator or the copyright owners; both eventually consented after the fact. Eve PlumbEve PlumbEve Aline Plumb is an American actress and painter. She is best known for her portrayal of Jan Brady in the iconic television sitcom The Brady Bunch.-Early career:...
, the original Jan Brady, refused to participate, leading to the Jan Brady role being recast, with Geri ReischlGeri ReischlGeri Lee Reischl is an American actress and singer, known for her work as a child actor in the 1970s, most notably on the variety show The Brady Bunch Hour and various television commercials.-Acting:...
taking the role. It is ranked #4 on TV Guide's list of the worst TV series of all time, and Susan OlsenSusan OlsenSusan Marie Olsen is a former American child television actress and current animal welfare advocate. Olsen is best known for her role as Mike and Carol Brady's youngest daughter, Cindy Brady, on the 1970s television sitcom The Brady Bunch for the full run of the show, from 1969-1974.-Early...
(who played Cindy Brady) authored a book on the show in 2009, Love to Love You BradysLove to Love You BradysLove to Love You Bradys: the bizarre story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour is a 2009 coffee table book written by The Brady Bunch actress Susan Olsen, with Ted Nichelson and Lisa Sutton....
, in which she referred to the show as "spectacularly bad."
- Hee Haw Honeys – This all-female adaptation of the popular and long-lived syndicated country-flavored variety show Hee HawHee HawHee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
, which starred Kathie Lee JohnsonKathie Lee GiffordKathie Lee Gifford is an American television host, singer, songwriter and actress, best known for her 15-year run on the talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin...
, lasted one season in syndication in 1978, after which most of the cast (except Johnson) rejoined the parent show. It was nowhere near as popular or well-received as its parent show, which lasted 23 years on air. TV Guide placed it at #10 on its 2002 list of the worst TV shows of all time.
- Osbournes: ReloadedOsbournes: ReloadedOsbournes Reloaded is a short-lived 2009 variety show that aired its only episode on Fox. The show was hosted by The Osbournes — Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly — and premiered Tuesday March 31 on Fox following American Idol. Fremantle Media North America, the producers of American Idol, produced the...
– The show was universally panned by critics, with Roger Catlin of the Hartford Courant even going so far as to call it the "worst variety show ever" and Tom ShalesTom ShalesThomas William "Tom" Shales is an American critic of television programming and operations. He is best known as TV critic for The Washington Post; in 1988, Shales received the Pulitzer Prize...
of the Washington Post labeling it "Must-Flee TV". It was canceled after one episode, which itself was cut from 60 to 35 minutes prior to air; twenty-six affiliates had refused to air the first show or buried it in overnight graveyard slotGraveyard slotA graveyard slot is a time period in which a television audience is very small compared to other times of the day, and therefore broadcast programming is considered far less important. Graveyard slots are usually in the early morning hours of each day, when most people are asleep...
s, and Fox had barely convinced a group of nineteen other stations to drop its plans to do the same.
- Pink Lady and Jeff – The series ranked #35 on TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
s Fifty Worst TV Shows of All Time list. The series, which featured Japanese duo Pink LadyPink Lady (band)is a Japanese female pop music duo of the late 1970s and early 1980s, featuring Mitsuyo Nemoto and Keiko Masuda...
struggle awkwardly through American disco hits and sketch comedy (the duo spoke very little English), was moved to the Friday night death slotFriday night death slotThe Friday night death slot is a perceived graveyard slot in American television, referring to the concept that a television program in the United States scheduled on Friday evenings is destined for imminent cancellation....
after one episode and killed off at the end of its six-episode run.
- PopCulturedPopCulturedPopCultured was a Canadian television program broadcast on The Comedy Network. The program featured stand-up comedian Elvira Kurt and other cast members poking fun at celebrities in the context of a mock newscast, in a format similar to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart or This Hour Has 22...
– The show was widely panned and due to poor ratings it was canceled after one season, in early 2006. Comedy Network removed its web site's message boards due to the huge number of complaints they received, and a number of petitions demanding the cancellation of PopCultured were circulated on the internet. However, it is unclear whether these petitions had any direct link to the cancellation of the show. A 2005 poll on BestandWorst.com named PopCultured the worst TV show of all time.
- Rosie LiveRosie LiveRosie Live is a variety show starring Rosie O'Donnell that aired November 26, 2008 live from New York's Little Shubert Theatre on NBC. The family friendly program contained singing, dancing, comedy routines and specialty acts...
– This NBC variety special hosted by comedienne and activist Rosie O'DonnellRosie O'DonnellRoseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
on the day before Thanksgiving 2008 received almost universally negative reviews from critics. The Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
critic Mary McNamara wrote, "For those of us who are, and remain, Rosie fans, who think The View will never quite recover from her departure, who think her desire to resurrect the variety show was, and is, a great idea, disappointment does not even begin to describe it." TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
critic Matt Roush panned the show as "dead on arrival," while VarietyVariety (magazine)Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
wrote "If Rosie O'Donnell and company were consciously determined to strangle the rebirth of variety shows in the crib, they couldn't have done a better job of it than this pre-holiday turkey." The show had been cleared for a tentative January 2009 launch as a regular series, but the show's poor reception led to the cancellation of those plans.
- RyantownRyantownRyantown was an RTÉ television light entertainment show hosted by Gerry Ryan that was broadcast on Saturday evenings for one series between 1993 and 1994. It was set in Gerry Ryan’s house in the fictional Ryantown. The show was broadcast during the autumn-spring season.-History:Following on from...
– Ryantown was named as one of the "Top 10 Worst Irish TV Programmes" by the Irish IndependentIrish IndependentThe Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
and Ryan was later to admit that it was all horribly "half-baked" and "should have been taken off the air after a few shows".
- Saturday Night Live with Howard CosellSaturday Night Live with Howard CosellSaturday Night Live with Howard Cosell was a program that ran on ABC from September 1975 to January 1976, hosted by Howard Cosell and executively produced by Roone Arledge. The series ran for 18 episodes before being cancelled...
– Saturday Night Lives director Don MischerDon MischerDon Mischer is an American television events producer and director.Mischer has produced television programs since 1976, when he produced a special for Barbra Streisand...
remembers the show as hectic and unprepared, and has recalled one particular episode wherein executive producer Roone ArledgeRoone ArledgeRoone Pickney Arledge, Jr. was an American sports broadcasting pioneer who was chairman of ABC News from 1977 until several years before his death, and a key part of the company's rise to competition with the two other main television networks, NBC and CBS, in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s.-Early...
discovered that Lionel HamptonLionel HamptonLionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
was in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and invited the musician to appear on the show an hour before the show was set to go on the air. The show fared poorly among critics and audiences alike, with TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
calling it "dead on arrivalDead on arrivalDead on arrival or D.O.A. is a term used to indicate that a patient was found to be already clinically dead upon the arrival of professional medical assistance, often in the form of first responders such as emergency medical technicians, paramedics, or police...
, with a cringingly awkward host." Alan KingAlan King (comedian)Alan King was an American actor and comedian known for his biting wit and often angry humorous rants. King became well known as a Jewish comedian and satirist. He was also a serious actor who appeared in a number of movies and television shows. King wrote several books, produced films, and...
, the show's "executive in charge of comedy," later admitted that it was difficult trying to turn CosellHoward CosellHoward William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...
into a variety show host, saying that he "made Ed SullivanEd SullivanEdward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the presenter of the TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show. The show was broadcast from 1948 to 1971 , which made it one of the longest-running variety shows in U.S...
look like Buster KeatonBuster KeatonJoseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
." Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell was canceled on January 17, 1976, after only 18 episodes. A year later, in 1977, NBC's Saturday Night was renamed Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, and it eventually hired most of the members of Cosell's Saturday Night Live cast (the most notable being Bill MurrayBill MurrayWilliam James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
).
- Turn-OnTurn-OnTurn-On is an American sketch comedy series that aired on ABC in February 1969. Only one episode was shown and the show is considered one of the most infamous flops in TV history....
– Bart Andrews, in his 1980 book The Worst TV Shows Ever, stated that Turn-On was actually quite close to the original concept for Laugh-In. "It wasn't that it was a bad show, it was that it was an awkward show," concluded author Harlan EllisonHarlan EllisonHarlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
, a fan of counter-cultural comedy and a TV critic for the Los Angeles Free Press in 1969. Nonetheless, it has an extremely poor reputation because of the actions of at least two affiliates, who dropped the show halfway through its first airing, and others on the West Coast who did not show the first episode at all. The network followed suit in cancelling the series after its first episode.
- White Heather ClubWhite Heather ClubThe White Heather Club was a BBC TV Scottish variety show that ran on and off from 7 May 1958 to 1968.It was an early evening BBC television programme. Until 1957 there was a silent period in BBC TV broadcasting, between 6pm and 7pm, called the Toddlers' Truce. When this ended, the BBC was unsure...
– The Penguin TV companion in 2006 voted The White Heather Club one of the 20 worst TV shows ever. Jeremy PaxmanJeremy PaxmanJeremy Dickson Paxman is a British journalist, author and television presenter. He has worked for the BBC since 1977. He is noted for a forthright and abrasive interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians...
cited The White Heather Club as evidence that there was no "Golden Age" of British television at the 2007 Edinburgh International Television FestivalEdinburgh International Television FestivalThe Edinburgh International Television Festival, founded in 1976, is held annually over the British August bank holiday weekend at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre....
's James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture.
See also
- List of television series canceled after one episode
- List of television series cancelled before airing an episode
- List of films considered the worst