Worst shows in television history | The Boneyard

Worst shows in television history

nelsonmuntz

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Rules:

1) Has to be scripted. Reality and variety shows don't count. I am looking for bad writing here.
2) Needs to have been on at least 3 seasons AND minimum of 30 episodes. Check IMDB if you are not sure. I am looking for shows that actually found an audience for their awfulness.
3) Needs to be on CBS, ABC, NBC, CW, HBO, Showtime, Starz, AMC. I think this covers the majors. Netflix only counts if the show had at least 10 episodes a season.
4) Bonus if the show has someone that went on to be an A list star. Double bonus if the show had someone that was an A list star at the time the show went on the air.


I will start with a gold standard for this category:

7th Heaven (1996-2007, 11 seasons) - My wife was watching re-runs of this over the weekend, which gave me the idea for this thread. This show has to be one of the worst pieces of ever put on television. This show was about a preacher played by Stephen Collins and his family. The show is preachy, with ridiculous plots, and the characters turn mole hills into mountains in every episode. When I say preachy, Stephen Collins' character would literally give a 5 minute monologues at the end of every episode.

The acting and writing were not the only problems with the show, the directing was weird too. There are way too many reaction shots, so the child actors are constantly making faces at the camera for no reason. The outside scenes look straight out of the Brady Bunch.

The fact that Jessica Biel emerged from this train wreck of a show to become a major star is amazing, because this show should have killed the career of everyone in it.

Stephen Collins turned out to be a serial child molester in real life, which makes the show completely twisted now when he gives his monologues.

This show lasted 11 seasons, proving that there is a market for family drama and that market has absolutely no quality requirements at all.
 
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Full House (1987-1995, 8 seasons)

I've only seen glimpses so I'm taking a flyer here. I've seen enough of Bob Saget to know anything he starred in MUST have been crap. I'm sure there are many shows which are worse but this came to mind first.
 
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Suddenly Susan (1996-2000, 4 seasons)

After I read your 4th criteria/bonus, it made me think of Brooke. This is a tough category because I just didn't watch bad shows. What I did see of this show is how bad an actress Brooke was. The combo of Brooke Shields and Judd Nelson with the Kathy Griffin kicker must be worth some bonus points.
 
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Full House (1987-1995, 8 seasons)

I've only seen glimpses so I'm taking a flyer here. I've seen enough of Bob Saget to know anything he starred in MUST have been crap. I'm sure there are many shows which are worse but this came to mind first.

I have a 14 yr old daughter, my girlfriend has a 20 year old daughter. They loved it when they were younger and still love the show to this day. It has a certain formula to every episode (kid has a dilemma, does something dumb to try and fix it, then a parent type teaches a life lesson) and it certainly has a pretty deep following.
 
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My vote goes to:

"Murder, She Wrote" (1984 - 1996 , 12 seasons)

My mom watched this show nonstop. Cabot Cove, Maine is the murder capital of the world and, each week, another local dead body shows up and Jessica Fletcher, a 60-something old battle ax, somehow solves the murder and gets the murderer to confess on the spot.
 
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Three's Company (1976-1984, 8 seasons)
Good, yet horrible. If it were released today it would have zero chance of making it.

 
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nelsonmuntz

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Suddenly Susan (1996-2000, 4 seasons)

After I read your 4th criteria/bonus, it made me think of Brooke. This is a tough category because I just didn't watch bad shows. What I did see of this show is how bad an actress Brooke was. The combo of Brooke Shields and Judd Nelson with the Kathy Griffin kicker must be worth some bonus points.

Good call. How did this dumpster fire eek out 4 seasons?
 
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I could never sit thru Mad About You - both characters just whined about everything, Rieser in particular was unwatchable. But that's most over-rated versus downright terrible.

I think you go to spinoffs, that solely existed on goodwill of original show.
AfterMash, Joannie Loves Chachi, The Ropers - not sure if any of these made it to the 30 qualifying episodes.
 

nelsonmuntz

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Three's Company (1976-1984, 8 seasons)
Good, yet horrible. If it were released today it would have zero chance of making it.



If it was released today, it would be on Netflix, be TV MA, and be better than the original.
 

nelsonmuntz

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I could never sit thru Mad About You - both characters just whined about everything, Rieser in particular was unwatchable. But that's most over-rated versus downright terrible.

I think you go to spinoffs, that solely existed on goodwill of original show.
AfterMash, Joannie Loves Chachi, The Ropers - not sure if any of these made it to the 30 qualifying episodes.

Mad About You was a chick show. I wasn't crazy about it, but I can see why women liked it. Most spinoffs don't count because they didn't make it 30 episodes. I think the Friends spinoff with Joey did make it 30 episodes, but it was more mediocre and boring than truly terrible.
 
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Suddenly Susan (1996-2000, 4 seasons)

After I read your 4th criteria/bonus, it made me think of Brooke. This is a tough category because I just didn't watch bad shows. What I did see of this show is how bad an actress Brooke was. The combo of Brooke Shields and Judd Nelson with the Kathy Griffin kicker must be worth some bonus points.

While this was hardly a good show, I don't think it came anywhere near suckiest ever. It was moderately entertaining at times.
 
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Three's Company (1976-1984, 8 seasons)
Good, yet horrible. If it were released today it would have zero chance of making it.



This is another one that, while it wasn't good, just was too popular to nominate for suckiest ever. Remember, John Ritter pretending to be gay to room with females was, in the 70s, as close as a weekely sitcom could come to actually portray a gay character. And, notwithstanding the fact that he wasn't, allowed all sorts of homophobic jokes that, outside of Trump Country, wouldn't be laughed at today.
 

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My vote goes to:

"Murder, She Wrote" (1984 - 1996 , 12 seasons)

My mom watched this show nonstop. Cabot Cove, Maine is the murder capital of the world and, each week, another local dead body shows up and Jessica Fletcher, a 60-something old battle ax, somehow solves the murder and gets the murderer to confess on the spot.

Blasphemy!
 
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This is another one that, while it wasn't good, just was too popular to nominate for suckiest ever. Remember, John Ritter pretending to be gay to room with females was, in the 70s, as close as a weekely sitcom could come to actually portray a gay character. And, notwithstanding the fact that he wasn't, allowed all sorts of homophobic jokes that, outside of Trump Country, wouldn't be laughed at today.
I used to watch it and I enjoyed it. But then it got very bad. Every show was the same.

Lets remember the purpose of the thread. "worst shows." Nelson's gold standard was a show that ran 11 seasons so it was very popular. Doesn't mean it can't be bad, at least after it jumps the shark.
 

nelsonmuntz

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I can't believe it took me this long to come up with Saved by the Bell. Epically terrible, and I will give this show credit for Elizabeth Berkeley's appearance in Showgirls and Screech's porm career.
 
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I can't believe it took me this long to come up with Saved by the Bell. Epically terrible, and I will give this show credit for Elizabeth Berkeley's appearance in Showgirls and Screech's porm career.
Was that a real show? I thought it was on Saturday mornings or something. IMDB gives it a 7.0.

That can of worms leads to Hannah Montana (206-2011, 4 seasons) and Miley Cyrus, a 4.9 on IMDB, and I never saw an episode.
 
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nwhoopfan

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2 Broke Girls. Kat Dennings was already somewhat established in Hollywood before it started. I have no idea how it made it 6 seasons. It was just bad in every way imaginable.
 

Dove

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Three's Company (1976-1984, 8 seasons)
Good, yet horrible. If it were released today it would have zero chance of making it.


LOL...that was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Dove

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2 Broke Girls. Kat Dennings was already somewhat established in Hollywood before it started. I have no idea how it made it 6 seasons. It was just bad in every way imaginable.
Dude...this is my nominee.

I have never watched an episode but at least 6 times I have stopped on it to see what the fuss was and every time I never came close to a giggle and the brunette seemingly has every one of her lines scripted for a joke that, to me, bombs badly. No wonder they go with canned audience laffter.
 
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the Q

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Full House (1987-1995, 8 seasons)

I've only seen glimpses so I'm taking a flyer here. I've seen enough of Bob Saget to know anything he starred in MUST have been crap. I'm sure there are many shows which are worse but this came to mind first.

We cannot be friends....
 

the Q

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have you watched Zack Morris is Trash? it's hilarious



I just saw that yesterday. So funny. I remember that episode.

I like to think of it as Zack Morris mastered the 48 laws of power.
 

the Q

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I can't believe it took me this long to come up with Saved by the Bell. Epically terrible, and I will give this show credit for Elizabeth Berkeley's appearance in Showgirls and Screech's porm career.

...you too.

These shows are my childhood.

You guys are killing me.
 

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