When people think about television shows, they often talk about the greats and debate them. Whether it’s Breaking Bad or Mad Men, everyone enjoys remembering the best. But with so many shows being created, there will always be a wide range of quality. That means there will be terrible shows to go alongside the brilliant ones. It’s something people often forget about, mainly because the ones that are so bad usually end up being ignored by critics and fans. But these shows prove that not everything that makes it to television is high quality.
The Briefcase
In 2015, CBS introduced The Briefcase, a reality show widely criticized for being cruel and exploitative of its participants. The premise involved families in financial hardship deciding whether to keep a cash-filled briefcase or give it to another struggling family. Viewers and critics alike were appalled by the show’s manipulative purpose and the fact that it exploited people in difficult times. That’s why people weren’t shocked when it got pulled after just six episodes.
Eldorado
The BBC is often seen as the pillar of quality television due to the many amazing shows it has produced. But that doesn’t mean the BBC hasn’t created poor shows, either. Eldorado is an example of that, with this soap opera set in Spain. It had high production costs, and the BBC pumped money into it, but the show was criticized for having poor acting. It was a major flop and is one that people often don’t talk about.
Osbournes Reloaded
People loved the Osbourne family, and their hit reality series featured the iconic rock and roll family. Osbournes Reloaded attempted to cash in on that buzz, with this being a variety show that featured them. But it ended up being canceled after just a single episode, showcasing how badly this one was received.
John from Cincinnati
HBO’s John from Cincinnati was a highly anticipated series following the finale of The Sopranos. Despite its intriguing premise, the show was confusing and failed to capture an audience, leading to its cancellation after one season. It remains one of HBO’s more notable misfires.
Joey
This spinoff series was enthusiastic, but Joey couldn’t meet people’s expectations. Taking the popular Friends character and making him the lead of his own show seemed like a good idea, continuing from the love people had for the series and him as a character. But Joey didn’t work without having the Friends ensemble to bounce off, and his personality changed too much. While they did create a cast of characters to appear, people just wanted to see the main Friends gang instead.
My Mother, the Car
This 1965 sitcom centered on a man whose deceased mother is reincarnated as a car. The premise was unique but too out there and eccentric for people to take seriously. Most viewers found it to be completely absurd, and that meant people stopped watching it immediately.
The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer
The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer was a sitcom set during the American Civil War that attempted to be humorous about slavery and political figures. The offensive premise led to protests and its swift cancelation, making it one of the most controversial TV flops ever.
Heil Honey I’m Home!
This 1990 British sitcom attempted to parody Hitler and Eva Braun’s domestic life. Unsurprisingly, it was deemed offensive and tasteless, leading to its cancellation after just one episode. The show’s concept remains a baffling example of poor judgment and people trying to push things to the extreme for the sake of it.
The Jerry Springer Show (Scripted Version)
In 2015, NBC tried to script The Jerry Springer Show, which was known for its outrageous and unscripted content. The scripted version was a disaster, failing to capture the chaotic charm of the original. It was quickly canceled, proving some formats are best left untouched.
The Chevy Chase Show
Fox’s The Chevy Chase Show attempted to rival late-night giants like Jay Leno and David Letterman. Despite Chase’s popularity, the show was poorly structured and awkward, leading to its cancelation after just five weeks. It’s remembered as one of the biggest talk show failures, showcasing how tough it is to get this format right.
Manimal
Focusing on a character who could transform into any animal to fight crime, Manimal seemed like an interesting idea that seemed somewhat crazy. Unfortunately, NBC couldn’t pull it off, mainly because of the bad special effects. This was the type of show that needed high quality, and instead, it was the opposite.
Emeril
In 2001, NBC gave celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse his own sitcom, which wasn’t something anyone was screaming out for. Emeril was supposed to bring the chef’s charismatic kitchen persona to a scripted comedy, but it failed to attract viewers and was pulled after just a few episodes.
Supertrain
Launched in 1979, Supertrain was an NBC show that had lots of money put into it. Following a futuristic train that traveled across America, this one lacked interesting storylines to make people want to watch it every week.
The Mullets
The Mullets was a sitcom about two brothers with mullet hairstyles, which isn’t enough to base an entire show on. The humor was lowbrow, and the show was widely panned. It was canceled after one season, proving that substance is needed in any show.
AfterMASH
Spinoffs are tricky to get right, and AfterMASH was an example of that. Taking on from the beloved MAS*H, this tried to follow the lives of all the characters post-Korean War. But it wasn’t the same as before, simply lacking the same quality.
The Hasselhoffs
A&E’s reality show The Hasselhoffs, centered on David Hasselhoff and his daughters, was intended to showcase their lives and careers. These types of shows tend to do well, but it was canceled after just two episodes as people weren’t interested in learning about them. While audiences are always keen to know about celebrities, that doesn’t mean they want to watch shows about all of them.
Cavemen
Based on characters from a Geico insurance commercial, Cavemen was a disaster of a television show. It was littered with offensive stereotypes and got cut after seven episodes.
Baywatch Nights
Another spinoff that didn’t work was Baywatch Nights, which saw David Hasselhoff’s character investigate supernatural occurrences. It was such a shift from the original’s lifeguarding show that people who tuned in expecting something similar were left frustrated.
