The 15 Worst TV Shows Of All Time

Approximately 800,000 American television shows have been created since people started using TVs for enjoyable evenings. As streaming services take over, it seems this number is rapidly increasing. However, with an abundance of content comes a challenge: while there are outstanding series, many others are simply unbearable to watch.

For every hit series like “Breaking Bad,” “The Office,” or “Game of Thrones,” you’ll find a multitude of productions that never gain traction. These failures might stem from poor storytelling, subpar performances, or just plain bad ideas. The small screen is littered with numerous dreadful TV shows.

Assessing which among these shows is the most poorly received may be a matter of personal preference to some extent, but there’s a limit to that subjectivity. The durability of a television series, particularly its lifespan before it gets cancelled by a network, can provide a more objective perspective. While cancellation doesn’t necessarily mean a show is terrible, combined with audience and critic ratings on platforms like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, these factors suggest that the show in question may not be as successful or well-received. Out of the countless series ever produced, it’s debatable but these 15 could very well be among the worst TV shows ever made.

One of the Boys

One of the Boys” boasted an impressive cast – Mickey Rooney, Dana Carvey, Nathan Lane, Meg Ryan to name a few – but despite its wealth of talent, it ultimately fell short. On paper, the series appeared promising with a well-rounded lineup. The story revolves around a grandfather (Rooney) living with his grandson (Carvey) and his roommate (Lane), offering a simple yet functional premise. Amusing escapades follow as a result.

As a devoted fan, I must admit that the series appeared to have been conceived before Carvey and Lane discovered their comedic prowess, leading to a rather subdued show with minimal humor – not ideal for a sitcom. To clarify, it wasn’t that the show was missing a live audience response; the laugh track played regardless of whether the jokes resonated. Unfortunately, in most cases, the show just didn’t elicit laughter from me.

Rooney’s current performance is similar to his later-year efforts, yet there isn’t much more to keep the show engaging. The series ran for just 13 episodes before NBC discontinued it. Nowadays, it’s often discussed in awe of its massive failure, given the cast’s talent. Even Carvey himself has labeled it as “some of the worst TV ever produced.

Manimal

Among many questionable TV series that shouldn’t be revived, there’s one notorious example called “Manimal.” This show revolved around Dr. Jonathan Chase (played by Simon MacCorkindale), a nobleman with a murky past who possesses the ability to decipher the secrets of human-animal distinctions and vice versa. Alongside a police detective and Vietnam War veteran, he combats crime. While the concept isn’t inherently poor, the addition of his shapeshifting abilities into the equation makes it too absurd for some viewers.

One issue that arises with the show “Manimal” is the inconsistencies surrounding Dr. Chase’s transformations. Usually dressed in a three-piece suit, this attire mysteriously disappears during his transformations without any remnants being found on the ground. Interestingly, when he returns to his human form, he remains fully clothed. Additionally, there were uncertainties about Dr. Chase’s powers. Despite having visual effects by the renowned Stan Winston, these elements couldn’t prevent “Manimal” from being canceled prematurely. NBC quickly decided to end the series after just eight episodes.

$h*! My Dad Says

In 2011, the television show “$h*! My Dad Says” debuted on CBS and ran for only one season. This show was adapted from a Twitter feed by author Justin Halpern, where he shared witty quotes from his father, Sam, who was known for his blunt, politically incorrect, and frequently humorous remarks about controversial subjects. Some executives at CBS must have found him amusing because they allowed Halpern to create a series that relied heavily on William Shatner’s participation. Shatner played the character Ed, a role modeled after Sam, who was intentionally offensive in his portrayal. “$h*! My Dad Says” falls into the category of shows that were overhyped but ultimately failed to deliver due to a lack of substance to sustain its appeal.

This television program is modeled after a feed and revolves around a man who frequently shares offensive content. Initially, it may seem amusing, but the humor soon fades, leaving one feeling tired even after a short time watching the pilot episode. Interestingly, “$h*! My Dad Says” made it through its initial season of 18 episodes, but despite strong viewership numbers, it failed to secure a second season before being canceled.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Starting from his debut, Spider-Man quickly became a highly popular comic book character. Marvel Comics capitalized on this success swiftly, with two live-action TV shows running concurrently in the ’70s – one in Japan called “Supaidāman” and another in the U.S. While “Supaidāman” is full of camp and fun, it deviates significantly from the original comics.

Unfortunately, American viewers missed out on the Japanese version of Spider-Man and instead got to see “The Amazing Spider-Man” with Nicholas Hammond as Peter Parker. This CBS series is more faithful to the comic book character it’s based on, which is a plus — but it’s also quite cheesy, poorly executed, and the special effects seemed outdated even in 1977 when the TV movie first aired before Season 1 started in ’78.

At first, the reviews were good, but the network mishandled the program and influenced the creative decisions for the second season unfairly. They weakened many of Spiderman’s abilities to make him seem more ordinary, which ultimately ruined the show. To add insult to injury, the network aired the seven episodes of the second season irregularly before cancelling it altogether in 1979 after just 13 episodes.

Dads

In sitcoms like “Dads,” they frequently pair up contrasting individuals for humor, and this is the fundamental concept behind the show. Starring Seth Green, Giovanni Ribisi, Peter Riegert, and Martin Mull, “Dads” revolves around two video game designers, Eli (Green) and Warner (Ribisi), who share a living space. A twist occurs when their fathers, David (Riegert) and Crawford (Mull), move in with them, creating something akin to the classic “Odd Couple” dynamic.

Eli’s dad, David, left his family behind, whereas Warner’s father, Crawford, struggles to restart his faltering business career. The show “Dads” usually aims for humor by setting up awkward scenarios involving the characters, but in this case, the viewers were discomforted by the unfunny jokes and a worn-out plot that relies on racial stereotypes and outdated humor for laughs.

“The television series ‘Dads’ received widespread negative reviews, scoring a dismal zero percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics collectively labeled it as a “near-total disaster,” criticizing its unappealing characters and offensive jokes with racial undertones. The prediction of TV By The Numbers for its cancellation was accurate, and the show failed to garner substantial viewership before Fox decided to cancel it after airing just 19 episodes.

Inhumans

Initially, most Marvel series were streamed on Netflix or aired on ABC. The show “Inhumans,” which was a major failure, originated from ABC. At that time, Disney hadn’t acquired Fox’s licensed Marvel characters like the X-Men yet. Since Fox didn’t hold the rights to the Inhumans, they were chosen for a TV series adaptation instead. This series premiered with much fanfare in IMAX theaters, but it was plagued by costumes that resembled cosplay, poor scripts, and CGI that was laughably bad. As a result, its debut received a lukewarm response.

Originally, “Inhumans” was intended to span multiple seasons, progressively developing both the characters and the overall plot, much like ABC’s “Agents of SHIELD.” However, things didn’t go as planned, resulting in “Inhumans” being the first failed Marvel series in the 21st century. The visual effects were criticized for being very low budget, especially given that it was a Marvel production which had a theatrical release for its premiere episode. This decision proved to be detrimental, and the show’s promotional campaign suffered significant setbacks. Eventually, the series was canceled after just eight episodes.

The Ugliest Girl in Town

“Tootsie” and “Bosom Buddies” demonstrated that television shows centered around a man disguising himself as a woman could be successful, but they emerged much later than “The Ugliest Girl in Town,” which cast a dark shadow on American TV screens in the late 1960s. In this series, Peter Kastner portrays Timothy Blair, a Hollywood talent agent who develops feelings for a British actress and moves to England following her modeling career offer. This opportunity arises because an English modeling agent mistakes Timothy for a woman after witnessing him dressed as a hippie. As Timmie in London, he manages to blend in initially. However, his deception eventually catches up with him, forcing him to maintain his disguise longer than intended and causing quite a stir as England’s newest and most enigmatic model.

The ABC show ran for only one season with 20 episodes, but surprisingly, three of these never made it to air. Unfortunately, the series was a flop, receiving harsh criticism from various quarters, including Richard F. Shepard of the New York Times, who labeled it as “the most insipid half-hour on the air last night.” (Adapted from Television Obscurities)

My Mother the Car

Sometimes, an outlandish idea can make for an entertaining TV series. “ALF,” which revolves around a small, furry, cat-eating alien who lives with a suburban family, demonstrates this effectively. However, one show that featured an absurd concept but failed to capture an audience is “My Mother the Car.” The title alone reveals the storyline – it’s about a man whose car happens to be his mother.

As a gamer, I’d say: “I, David Crabtree, snagged myself a sweet 1928 Porter touring car. Not long after, it hits me like a lightning bolt – my mom, Gladys, has somehow found her way back to me, but this time in the form of my car! She communicates with me through the radio and by blinking the headlights. We’re not crime-fighting like Knight Rider, but we sure are running from a shady collector who wants nothing more than to grab Gladys.

The show is so extraordinarily absurd that it barely scratches the surface of the term. However, to give credit where it’s due, Van Dyke delivers commendably within his constraints. Regardless, its overall value is minimal; it’s filled with camp and silliness, making it a typical example of how TV shows can be when they lean towards the absurd. Not surprisingly, it only lasted one season on NBC, airing 30 episodes before being canceled.

Cop Rock

If you’ve ever imagined that police shows like “NCIS” could be enhanced with musical sequences, then you might have been among those who found “Cop Rock” an intriguing concept. This short-lived series premiered on ABC in 1990 and ran for 11 episodes before it was discontinued, preventing a continued influx of singing cops into our television screens.

Title suggests that the show is a unique blend of a police drama and a Broadway musical, seamlessly integrating musical performances and dance routines within the storyline. The series primarily revolves around the Los Angeles Police Department, with a talented cast portraying various officers as they tackle crimes, all while bursting into elaborate and captivating song and dance sequences.

The main concept had additional aspects, but it was challenging to move past the musical component. This experiment failed, and “Cop Rock” was a significant misstep for the network. A daring effort to redefine the well-liked police procedural style turned into an expensive disaster that demonstrated mixing these two genres is as compatible as water and oil.

Heil Honey I’m Home!

It might not be wise to create a comedy based on a heavy real-life situation, but shows like “M*A*S*H” and “Hogan’s Heroes,” set in a mobile war hospital and a Nazi POW camp respectively, proved that it can work successfully. However, the success of these shows doesn’t mean that creating a sitcom centered around one of history’s most brutal dictators would be a good idea.

One Time at Home, a brief British comedy series, only managed to air one episode before it was taken off the air. The plot is questionable at best, as it depicts Hitler (played by Neil McCaul) and Eva Braun (DeNica Fairman) living alongside Jewish neighbors in Berlin. In this sitcom, Hitler and Braun are portrayed more like typical sitcom characters than their historical counterparts – a ruthless dictator and his wife, respectively.

This haphazard blend of tired tropes satirically portrays Hitler by incorporating some absurd aspects from classic American sitcoms of yesteryear. It’s profoundly insensitive and wildly inappropriate due to the historical figures at its core, whose real-life counterparts were directly linked to the horrific murders of over six million Jews during World War II. The show was swiftly canceled, and it’s questionable whether it should have ever been produced at all.

The Idol

The Idol” illustrates how a poorly executed project can lead to financial chaos, as it was canceled after only five episodes. The series chronicles Jocelyn’s (Lily-Rose Depp) journey, a singer struggling with her career, aiming to regain her status as the most seductive pop star globally. Her aspirations are ignited when her career takes a downturn following a mental breakdown. Jocelyn is involved with Tedros (Abel Tesfaye), a man who heads a cult and raises suspicions about his intentions, to put it mildly.

The production of this TV show encountered numerous issues. For instance, there was a mid-production swap of directors. Moreover, the original concept evolved into something more sexually explicit, but it didn’t resonate well and ended up being extremely expensive, surpassing its initial budget by an astounding $75 million, amounting to $15 million per episode. Sam Levinson, the executive producer and creator of the series, may have aimed to replicate his success from “Euphoria” in “The Idol,” but he fell far short of expectations. The show was heavily criticized, with a dismal 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics describe it as “equally excessive and seedy as the industry it purports to satirize.

Supertrain

The show titled “Supertrain” revolves around an extravagant nuclear-powered train designed for leisure travelers. Despite its luxurious amenities, “Supertrain” turned out to be one of the most costly TV flops ever, with a significant portion of its high cost attributed to the construction of the pricey train used in its filming.

Unlike the initial concept, which resembled “The Love Boat” but took place aboard a train instead of at sea, the show is more akin to “Snowpiercer” in terms of setting. However, it lacks the violent themes like infanticide and social stratification found in “Snowpiercer.” Instead, the series primarily explores the passengers’ interpersonal relationships and interactions. Similar to “The Love Boat,” “Supertrain” regularly features guest stars across all its episodes.

The series wasn’t lengthy – it ran for just nine episodes before getting axed. One of the main issues was that it overemphasized the train and its features, neglecting to develop substantial narratives for its characters. As a result, it grew monotonous, making it surprising that NBC didn’t pull the plug on it earlier, considering the whopping $7 million (equivalent to $32 million in 2025) they spent on the pilot episode alone.

Mulaney

John Mulaney is an exceptionally talented comedian, voice artist, and stand-up performer; however, he’s not the most accomplished actor globally. This was evident when he received his own show, “Mulaney,” in 2014.

In a nutshell, Mulaney portrays himself as a New York-based stand-up comedian, similar to the premise of Seinfeld, which frequently satirized its main character for his humor yet lack of acting skills. The series interweaves his stand-up acts into the narrative and features an array of eccentric characters played by Elliott Gould, Zack Pearlman, and Martin Short. Essentially, it’s a resemblance to Seinfeld, but with another comedian in the lead role and without achieving its level of success.

To put it simply, “Mulaney” is widely regarded as one of the most poorly received sitcoms in history. Critics were largely unimpressed, doubting Mulaney’s ability to surpass Jerry Seinfeld in comedic prowess. The show managed to air for 13 episodes before Fox decided to cancel it, and its rating on Rotten Tomatoes stands at a dismal 17%.

Me and the Chimp

It’s not common to create a show centered around an animal because it can be risky, and that’s why you don’t see it much on TV. For instance, Ross (David Schwimmer) had a monkey for a brief period in “Friends,” but even though it was strange, it functioned as a subplot. However, the comedic exploits of a chimp named Buttons couldn’t sustain the show “Me and the Chimp” on American television for very long.

The television show centers around a dentist named Mike Reynolds (played by Ted Bessell), his family, which includes his wife and two children, as well as their pet chimpanzee, Buttons. Many episodes feature Buttons causing chaos that disrupts the family’s plans in amusing and sometimes disastrous ways. Co-created by Garry Marshall and Thomas L. Miller, known for “Happy Days,” this series did not achieve the same level of success as their earlier works. Unfortunately, CBS decided to end “Me and the Chimp” after 13 episodes due to its reliance on a flimsy concept. The storylines were often foreseeable, and the humor fell flat — however, Buttons consistently delivered impressive performances, making him one of the standout actors in the show.

The Chevy Chase Show

In the 1990s, Fox television network was eager to create a hit late-night talk show, so they hired Chevy Chase for the role. A significant amount of resources were put into developing the series, which debuted in 1993. However, after only six weeks on air, Fox decided to cancel the show, which is widely considered one of the worst talk shows ever aired on television. “The Chevy Chase Show” was plagued with stale jokes, an unresponsive audience, and a host who seemed out of his depth. From the first episode, it’s clear that the comedic actor appeared nervous and never found his footing.

In 2007, Chase openly discussed the unsuccessful run of the series with Time, stating that it wasn’t as he had envisioned since the beginning. “The television program I pitched to Fox was a completely distinct idea,” he explained. “I wouldn’t repeat that experience. What I aimed for had a unique atmosphere… It was supposed to be much more somber and improvised, but we never managed to achieve that.” The following year, he humorously reenacted the talk show in a Doritos Super Bowl XXVIII advertisement, only to have it abruptly halted on-screen.

2025-05-17 21:32