50 Worst Shows of the 21st Century : 26th-30th Most Insulting TV Shows

Outside of one poorly executed drama, shitty sitcoms run rampant in this entry.  CBS deserves having tomatoes thrown at them for delivering three offenders in this section of the list.  All these entries lack creativity, plot development and a worthy premise for viewers to tolerate.

Check out the prior 20 shows deserving a roast before being prepared (not) to laugh

46th-50th: Overexposed and the Prepostrous

41st-45th: Wasted Opportunities

36th-40th Place: Misfires and Assaults

31st-35th: Knockoffs, Imitators and the Unlikable

 30. Hawaii (2004)

The 2000's were not kind to NBC.  Similar to a depressing era from 1976-84 which the peacock sat permanently in last among the major networks in 3rd place, 2004 brought a similar blow as it crashed into 4th place as ABC had a resurgence and FOX powered up with American Idol.  Having lost heavyweights Friends and Frasier, NBC had some rebuilding to do for their damaged lineup.  They sought the escapism of modest hit Vegas and ordered Hawaii and LAX.  The trouble with Hawaii was the premise was tenuous, relying heavily on the gorgeous backdrop overshadowing its ensemble.  Why would viewers travel to this dysfunctional series when directly scheduled on ABC was acclaimed Lost, which also delivered a beautiful backdrop and an element of a well-constructed mystery.

Viewers chose Lost over Hawaii with Lost taking a 5.8 rating in 15th place while Hawaii took in a fraction of that with a 2.3 rating in 98th place (read the complete list of 2004-05 shows HERE).  NBC realized they were losing ground on Wednesdays and clipped Hawaii after 7 episodes.

29. Tucker (2000)

When will folks learn not to copy off their neighbor's papers?  FOX hit paydirt and acclaim the prior season with Malcolm in the Middle, a preteen genius muddling through the senselessness he sees around him with his chaotic family.  The lead character Tucker, may not have been a super genius, but NBC borrowed shamelessly from the FOX hit, right down to having a temperamental middle aged woman (Katey Sagal) controlling his household even having the same hairdo as Malcolm's Jane Kazmarek.  Any series which cannot locate an audience while possessing Sagal is a dud, as nearly every production she touches turns to gold.  

NBC hoped to establish a comedy block on Mondays, pairing Tucker with struggling sophomore Daddio.  Both were railroaded by the other three networks' stronger programming and came in 4th, leading NBC to pull both inside one calendar month and 4 episodes aired.  Tucker registered a paltry 4.5 rating in 102nd place, ending as one of the lowest-rated scripted series that season (see the complete ratings list for 2000-01 HERE).  As predicted, Sagal eventually bounced back with a plethora of acclaimed roles and series.  And thankfully the majority forgot about this disastrous act of copycatting a hit.

28. S#*! My Dad Says (2010)

Explicit language is hardly a shocker in the 21st century, and the bleeped out title was about the only interesting thing going for this failed sitcom.  Any show blessed with the comic talents of William Shatner and tanking demonstrates a poor foundation.  Shatner played Dr. Ed Goodson, a 72-year old thrice divorced man known for his abrasive opinions.  After his struggling writer son Henry (Jonathan Sadowski) cannot make rent, he moves back in with Ed until he secures work.  After he lands a gig, he realizes in order to be inspired for materials he must continue residing with Ed, no matter how strained their relationship is.

The title alone could chase away stuffy viewers, while making others role their eyes as it delivered as gimmicky and a play for attention.  CBS wiped the shit off its floor and instead handed its timeslot to deserving veteran Rules of Engagement.  The controversial premise proved incompatible with family friendlier The Big Bang Theory, which was gaining momentum during its 4th season powering up to 9th place with a 4.4 rating.  S#*! My Dad Says, on the other hand, could only muster a 3.1 in 37th place (see the 2010-11 season's ratings HERE).  2010 also marked the season sitcoms made a comeback after few offerings the prior decade.  With great offerings such as How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, TBBT, Rules of Engagement and Mike & Molly, why would CBS give this smelly pile the time of day?

27. The Millers (2013-14)

Some shows take advantage of prime schedule spaces, especially when they are juxtaposed to mammoth series like The Big Bang Theory.  The Millers, despite having a strong cast with talents like Will Arnett, Margo Martindale and Beau Bridges, never distinguished itself as the predictable premise left viewers shopping for sitcoms elsewhere.  After Nathan Miller (Arnett) shares with his parents Carol and Tom (Martindale, Bridges) he has recently divorced, they are inspired to separate with each parent pushing their way into moving in with their kids.  The premise could not speak to viewers as it bordered on preposterous and outdated.

The Millers did hold high ratings in 23rd place with a 3.648 rating.  That may sound appealing, but that is less than half of The Big Bang Theory's 7.88 in 2nd place (check out the complete 2013-14 list HERE).  One could never demand a series retain 70% of that whopping figure, but retaining half demonstrates the series can stand on its own two feet.  The Millers enjoyed its cushy position and earned a renewal while fellow freshman series such as The Crazy Ones, We Are Men and Mom were forced to fend for themselves with less desired timeslots.  The following season, The Millers faced the music as CBS' demands intensified.  Given CBS acquired Thursday Night Football in 2014, they temporarily moved TBBT to Mondays, as well as The Millers.  

TBBT began to lose part of its colossal audience as it hit it's 8th season sliding to 4th place with a 5.6, but The Millers made bigger drops to a 2.0 in 69th place, demonstrating it had not established an audience (see the carnage of 2014-15 ratings HERE).  Like they did last season when We Are Men dragged down the Monday lineup, CBS took aggressive action and axed The Millers after 4 episodes, instead opting to nurse and develop Mom which narrowly escaped cancellation the prior year.  Mom took advantage of its limited window and pulled a 2.9 rating in 25th place, establishing a core audience and passing the bar with retaining more than 50% of its rich lead-in.

26. Rob, CBS (2012)

Do actors realize they've been played out?  Apparently, Rob Schneider didn't when he led a self-titled midseason replacement sitcom in January 2012.  The offensive part of this series was the fact that CBS ruled the sitcom front after other networks were recovering the brand after years of being eclipsed by reality TV.  The 2011-12 season delivered strong entries such as a reviving Two and a Half Men, veterans How I Met Your Mother and Rules of Engagement, sophomore hit Mike & Molly and brash freshman 2 Broke Girls.  Their batting average was landmark in the ratings, and then...  Rob.

The premise was dated as lead Rob (whom the writers were too lazy to give a surname to) marries into a Mexican-American family.  Insert stereotypical jokes and awkward culture clash, and that's about all this series delivered to viewers.  While said stereotypical humor worked on 2 Broke Girls set against the trending crass humor, this did not work for Rob.  The ratings were proof in the pudding that Rob Schneider had his day, and CBS relieved viewers and banished him from their sitcom family after 8 episodes. 

Not laughing at these failed shows?  Share if you ever had the misfortune of accidentally watching these disasters.

Author : The Lazy Journalist

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