Hit Shows That Got Off To A Slow Start: Everybody Loves Raymond

 

50 Worst Shows of the 21st Century : 36th-40th Most Insulting TV Shows

Poor showrunning, knockoffs and senseless violence leave these shows awash in a bloodbath.  Networks are always trying to get viewers' attention, but crossing some boundaries is morally wrong.  Whether delivering a crappy show copying something successful or showing a dismembered woman on screen, viewers do no enjoy this level of violation.

The prior 10 offenders are strung out in shame in the links below:

46th-50th: Overexposure and the Prepostrous

41st-45th: Wasted Opportunities

40. That 80's Show, FOX (2002)

That 70's Show generated worthy buzz as it featured an appealing cast which younger and older generations could appreciate.  Its pinpoint accuracy in dialogue, wardrobe, cultural references, music and settings made a believable backdrop the well-developed characters could flourish in, as well as the true star was side-player Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman.  FOX attempted an unrelated spinoff, That 80's Show, hoping to replicate the magic of its predecessor.  They had the setting, cultural references and music perfected, but the cast failed to connect with viewers.  The problem was the timeline was viewed as too soon to be related to, as well as they were aged into their 20's and didn't attract the right demo for the older viewers.  It's debut episode generated an impressive 11.4 million overall viewers with a strong 6.2 demo.  Within 3 episodes, it hemorrhaged half of those strong ratings.

The ratings stood as proof That 80's Show did receive proper promotion from FOX before it premiered.  And viewers did tune in and initially possessed interest, but exited fast as it didn't click.  The setting was stylish in 1984's San Diego, California, but demonstrated the writing was plot driven as the setting outshined the cast.  After 13 episodes, That 80's Show finished with a 4.27 rating in 102nd place of 153, and on the lower end of FOX's rising 2002 ratings (see the complete 2001-02 ratings HERE).  It was no surprise FOX opted against a second season as viewers demonstrated they had little interest in this failed spinoff.

39. Cristela, ABC (2014-15)

While this failed ABC sitcom was not as bad as some of the prior mentions, Cristela disappointed as showrunners failed to establish the cast and the premise early on was uneven.  In order to be disappointed, expectations are at a higher bar, which we expected from a fresh talent like Cristela Alonzo and a promising premise.  In the show's fairness, ABC did saddle them with the Friday 8:30 timeslot, notorious for being eclipsed by the successful Last Man Standing.  Comedian Cristela Alonzo made history as the first Latina woman to produce, write and star in her own self-titled sitcom, which is where the disappoint settles in further as it would have been landmark if the show succeeded.

The premise was 30-something Cristela Hernandez is a law-school graduate balancing an unpaid internship in a quirky law firm, then returns home to her judgmental family opining about her choices.  The office setting proved intriguing despite the awkward accidental prejudiced remarks by Cristela's boss.  But the homefront?  The majority of Cristela's family delivered one-dimensional and stereotypical humor dating to the 70's.  Midway through the series, Alonzo succeeded in attracting fellow self-titled sitcom star Roseanne Barr to play Veronica Culpepper, the ex-wife of Cristela's boss.  Barr's successful cameos shined a light on potential, as this would have been the perfect opportunity to overhaul the show as the office antics were sufficient to carry the show.  Another shining point was Alonzo's chemistry with costar Josh Leeds, which itself would have made an appealing romance had they invested in developing.

By the time the season ended, Cristela showed limited signs of growth, mustering a 1.2 rating in 120th place.  Contrast that to lead-in Last Man Standing, which harvested a 1.8 rating in 79th place (see the complete 2014-15 ratings HERE).  The show failed to retain more than 70% of its lead-in, and ABC cut their losses as Cristela delivered the weakest among ABC's sitcoms for the season.

38. Flirty Dancing, FOX (2019-20)

Single people going on dates and forced to do choreographed dancing?  That sounds as painful as one's mother joining them on a date and dictating the conversation tone.  Jenna Dewan was indeed an appealing host, but her talents could do little to bolster this clunky reality TV show entry which sat in a high-rated winter season.  The series assaulted FOX's usually strong Wednesdays with 0.6 ratings, coming in at 106th of the 133 series that season (the complete list of 2019-20 ratings is HERE).  By the time this embarrassing series concluded its brief run, viewers were ready to riot as they wanted their worthy and beloved Masked Singer back in its place.

37. Wicked City, ABC (2015)

ABC had a hard year this season as they slid back into 4th place after the prior season delivered a nice renaissance featuring some strong shows.  2015-16 failed to deliver the same acclaim as the prior season due to weaker freshman series such as the crass Wicked City.  Ed Westwick and Erika Christensen proved they had appealing chemistry as their characters crackled in the pilot episode.  The trouble was this sexiness was overshadowed by a gross, misogynistic premise of he was a serial killer in the early 80's targeting women, and she joins him in his devious plot.  Killers on screen are not the problem, but rather the vicious, vile and tasteless way it was on display with Wicked City.  Had the two taken more of a Bonnie and Clyde or Mr. and Ms. Smith angle of robbery or killing villains, viewers may have rooted for the felons and joined in. 

But the series took a vile angle with Westwick's character targeting innocent women, making it hard for the complicit characters to be worthy for viewers to invest in.  One such vile scene showed the lead opening a cabinet to display a dismembered murder victim's body parts in a creepy shrine like trophy display, violating to viewers.  ABC thankfully alerted authorities who tried and convicted Wicked City, handing it the death penalty after 3 horrid episodes.  The series delivered a 1.1 in 110th place, deserving to rot in the lower reaches of the seasonal ratings.  Read about the complete 2015-16 ratings list HERE.

36. Stalker, CBS (2014-15)

CBS has been known to rely heavily on procedural dramas in the 21st century, and often accused of boiler plate entries copying its prior hit shows.  Stalker did indeed update the procedural format but crossed the lines of vileness to the disgust of viewers.  Dylan McDermott proved he could handle playing both heroes and villains from his work in the first two seasons of American Horror Story, and playing morally questionable detective Jack Larsen seemed to be a perfect fit.  The trouble was Stalker's tone was too dark for lighthearted CBS, often with women being victimized in callousness.  One such instance featured a woman being lit on fire alive in her car, dark for even American Horror Story's standards.  Stalker hemorrhaged a third of its lead-in Criminal Mind's 3.6 rating in 16th place and could only muster coming in 46th place with a 2.3 rating, cuing CBS to alert authorities to Stalker life imprisonment in cancellation without the chance of parole/revival after 17 failed episodes.

Did you escape the violence and copycats TVRG shamed in this entry?  Sound off and hope the networks never stoop this low again.

50 Worst Shows of the 21st Century : 41st-45th Most Insulting TV Shows

Coattailing on trends or copying the past can lead to a dud.  These entries bored viewers to tears as they had poor dialogue, predictable characters and not enough attention being paid to details.  Saturating TV screens with concepts already played out turns fascination to an eyeroll, and later a cancellation.  ABC ought to be embarrassed they have delivered 3 losers on this list and thus far are leading the tally for the most shows called out as the worst.  Unlike many failed series, all of the mentions in this list were handed excellent lead-ins and had proper conditions to grow.  But viewers rejected and tuned out.

TVRG posted 5 previous entries HERE so catch up on which previous 5 insulted America in the 21st Century

45. Pan Am, ABC (2011-12)

ABC sought a replacement after cancelling Brothers and Sisters, and Desperate Housewives was on its final season.  They prioritized locating suitable Sunday replacements as they monopolized the Sunday lineup for 8 seasons.  The network was in trouble as they again dropped to 4th Place among the major players as they had from 2002-04.

Pan Am on paper seemed like an appealing, lighthearted drama which could fill the void.  Set in the early 60's when air travel was elite and neat, the premise seemed like a win.  The cast was strong and featured Christina Ricci and Margot Robbie, the sets were beautiful and promotions were plentiful.  What went wrong?  Attention to details was not a priority for showrunners, and period pieces need that element to not only make the backdrop realistic, but also the dialogue to be accurate for the era.  Pan Am did not succeed in either, with phrases like "be a superhero" or "he's a douchebag" punctuated the scripts.  

The trouble is no one used phrases like that in the early 60's and people exhibited greater discipline in using coarse and profane language.  Younger viewers couldn't invest in this flimsy story, and older viewers who lived through that era noticed glaring inconsistencies in dialogue and settings.  Most criminal of all, it underused the talents of Ricci and Robbie who found themselves adrift in plot driven twists.  The ratings showed there was no growth as Pan Am delivered a 2.42 18-49 demo rating in 75th place out of an ailing Desperate Housewives' 3.57 rating in 27th place (see the complete list of 2011-12 ratings HERE).  By springtime, ABC recognized Pan Am failed to take off and tested out pilot GCB.  Lessons to be learned if one wants to do a period piece, they best pay attention to details or history or one will land with a dud on their schedule.

44. Connecting..., NBC (2020)

The ugliest year in the new century left production delays and problems leaving scheduled programming lean.  NBC, almost always superior in creativity among its competitors, attempted to make the best of it and did episodes featuring friends video calling to cope with the stay at home orders.  While innovative, this series did not connect with viewers.  Perhaps it was too close to home for saddened viewers missing life as they knew it, or perhaps the cast couldn't find viewers willing to invest in the one-dimensional characters.  Connecting... delivered a paltry 0.308 rating in 145th Place, the lowest rated sitcom on the board and NBC's lowest scripted series (read about the complete 2020-21 seasonal ratings HERE).  After 8 dismal outings, NBC recognized viewers wanted their beloved returning shows instead and ended the call with Connecting....

43. Dr. Ken (2015-17)

ABC was the place to be for sitcoms in the 2010's, with 8 timeslots offered on three evenings.  The network garnered critical acclaim for displaying the first complete Asian cast on display in 2015.  That honor was reserved for Fresh Off The Boat, not Dr. Ken.  Dr. Ken indeed had the same Asian prominent cast, but far inferior than FOTB due to a flimsy premise and jarring laughtrack.  Had this tired sitcom trend not been added to the mix, Dr. Ken could have channeled the vibes of prior hit Scrubs.  It also followed ABC's recent sitcom trend with a crazy mother, dopey father and household full of random children, a formula they still exploit to this day despite viewers say "no thanks."

Dr. Ken had more leniency with ratings as it was lodged on Friday night at 8:30, a cursed timeslot following hit Last Man Standing which dispensed three sitcoms since 2012.  Ratings for its 1st season were respectable, pulling a 1.4 in 88th place out of Last Man Standing's 1.6 in 76th place and outrating prior occupant Cristela, earning a renewal (see the complete 2015-16 seasonal ratings HERE).

This respectable retention placed Dr. Ken on high priority as ABC sought to increase their sitcom offerings from 8 to 10 timeslots.  Dr. Ken's second season featured a 21% drop in the ratings down to a 1.1, coming in 110th place (see the complete 2016-17 ratings HERE).  While most shows historically lose ratings over time, the belt at ABC grew tighter as Last Man Standing held steady in the 2016-17 season and climbed in rank to 60th Place.  Dr. Ken proved it was not stable enough to anchor a night or develop a new series, and ABC president Channing Dugney eyed an overhaul to the schedule to update.  Few realized LMS was eyed for elimination as it was produced by 20th Century Fox, then an outsourced show prior to the Disney/FOX merger.  With its companion taken out, ABC opted to end the awkward premise and revoke Dr. Ken's medical license for ratings malpractice.

42. The Kids are Alright (2018-19)

Another ABC series which misused ample growth opportunities was The Kids Are Alright, a 70's period piece nestled on Tuesdays after highly rated The Conners.  Gaining initial recognition for its flashy energy and similarity to 80's-themed Goldbergs, The Kids Are Alright appeared to have a solid start.  However, the novelty wore off fast when viewers realized they had another knockoff delivered to them with a crazy mother, dopey father and a house full of kids, and the ratings faltered fast.  The Conners delivered a 1.55 rating in 13th place, and The Kids Are Alright embarrassingly shed nearly half of that rich lead-in with a 0.82 rating in 69th Place (see the complete list of shows by ratings for 2018-19 HERE).

The problem with The Kids Are Alright was the showrunners dropped the ball again by not paying attention to details.  With 7 kids in the mix, how could the writers properly develop the characters as the bloated cast was fighting for screen time?  Worsening this element was the dialogue attempted to reach current viewers by incorporating phrases like "That's phony news," playing off of President Donald Trump's notorious catchphrase "That's fake news."  The show bored younger viewers, and the viewers old enough to remember the 70's would say "give me a break!" as people did not speak like this in the past.  Another example of details being overlooked was despite the wardrobe was accurate, the cast did not possess hairdos from the early 70's.

The Kids Are Alright is a great example of having ideal conditions to develop a winning product, but viewers lost attention soon after a strong debut and failing to recapture viewer's interest.  It was no surprised ABC evicted The Kids Are Alright as it gave them ample opportunities to develop an audience  and failed.

41. We Are Men (2013)

Like ABC later that decade, CBS invested heavily in having sitcoms on display in the early 2010's.  We Are Men debuted on Monday night at 8:30, sandwiched between successful How I Met Your Mother's final season and trending 2 Broke Girls.  The premise was, typical.  Jerry O'Connell played a jilted groom who starts his life over at an apartment complex and befriends three older divorcees.  The trouble was the entire Monday lineup consisted of hangout comedies such as this one.  Why would anyone want to park here when they had the slick, sophisticated How I Met Your Mother and ultra hip/biting 2 Broke Girls as offerings instead?  We Are Men hemorrhaged more than half of HIMYM's rich ratings and was eyed as the culprit dragging 2 Broke Girls down by the ankles.  

CBS acted quick and ripped the show off the schedule after two painful outings despite having 9 more episodes ordered, returning the rightful space to successful Mike & Molly.  To show how disastrous We Are Men's ratings were, let's examine how all the Monday sitcoms fared (and see the complete list of the 2013-14 season HERE):

How I Met Your Mother: 5.49, 6th Place (8:00)

2 Broke Girls: 3.813, 21st Place (9:00, then 8:30 after We Are Men was pulled)

Mike & Molly: 3.368, 30th Place (9:00)

Mom: 3.064, 40th Place (9:30)

We Are Men: 2.764, 58th Place (8:30) 

Agree to disagree...  if you happened to have enjoyed one of these series, discuss in the comment section

50 Worst Shows of the 21st Century : 46th-50th Most Insulting TV Shows

Welcome to Worst Shows of the 21st Century, where we expose and count down the shows which networks and streamers violated viewers.  Almost all genres are present as misguided networks believed viewers would devour garbage.  And they wonder why people are tuning out yearly.  Starting this list are terrible reality TV series featuring oversharing and a couple horrid sitcoms.  This is the first of 10 articles counting down to the worst so grab your pitchforks and torches and be ready to hack and burn these awful shows to pieces.

50. Sex Box, WE tv (2015)

They say sex sells, but who's brilliant idea was it to broadcast one's naked ass on television?  The series was a copy of the famous British series, but America's version lacks sexiness.  And some things are best not shared as they lose their specialty.  WE tv believed they could score easy ratings like a virgin scoring in a whorehouse.  The problem lies in everyone was to do the nasty in the box, and other contestants make comments.  Sorry folks, but this is, uninvited.

Celebrities such as Pamela Anderson, Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton gained notoriety for sex tapes being released, so the dunderheads at WE tv believed this was an easy sell.  The problem is exposing this act on TV was dated to the 1990's and 2000's which at the time was shocking.  Flash forward to 2015, and viewers smelled a bad sexual episode, which most people try to move on and forget.  In the future WE tv, tell your "stars" to keep their pants on as anyone can get laid.

49. True Tori, Lifetime (2014)

Speaking of overexposed...

Tori Spelling's marriage to Dean McDermott hit the skids.  Her solution?  Air out their troubles on television.  Sitting through these episodes was as painful as sitting through a dinner party as another couple holds the room hostage with their arguing.  Tori should have gotten the memo it is called REALITY TV.  The problem is Tori hardly lives in a reality most viewers know.

The privileged daughter of TV pioneer Aaron Spelling, she's always been accustomed to a pricy lifestyle, even when she has no money and bleeds her marriage into debt.  Instead of continuing to act which she had connections and knew the craft, Tori believes she can sell herself and her dirty laundry out for the public to stay relevant.  So much so she wrote a tell-all called Stori Telling.  While indeed a best-seller, she wrote it at the tender age of 36 and slammed former friend and costar Shannen Doherty.  The public sided with Doherty's priceless putdown as she remarked tell-all's are something one writes when the are old and their careers are over.  Viewers must have felt the same and avoided this trainwreck, instead just waiting for the divorce.  But just like this series, no one cared when that eventually happened.  And if one wishes to watch oversharing, they'll dial direct to the queen of it, Kelly Ripa, and watch her expose her marriage on Live With Kelly and Mark.

48. Raising Dad, WB (2001-02)

Bob Saget playing yet another widower with daughters?  Sorry but we already saw that from 1987-95 on Full House.  Unlike that wholesome mention, Raising Dad was the antithesis.  Saget desired to incorporate his crass humor into this series, right down to a tasteless twist as his late wife died sky diving.  Kat Dennings proved indeed she could act, but her character was hardly as likable as Saget's former TV daughters on Full House.  The series rated low for even jack knifing WB's standards and got thrown out of the same plane they killed the mother in.  Raising Dad could only muster 1.99M overall viewers, coming in 134th out of the 153 shows that season.  The full 2001-02 season's ratings can be viewed HERE.

47. Hidden Hills, NBC (2002)

If one cannot figure out what a sitcom is about, it's a safe presumption it was never a good one.  That is Hidden Hills, which sadly showed NBC was losing its touch with sitcoms as veteran heavyweights Friends, Frasier and Will & Grace began to age out.  Unlike fellow NBC hangout show Friends, no one could quite figure out why these couples were hanging out.  Or even if they had a breakout star to invest in.  The 2000's were not NBC's finest day, and irony would have it the 2002-03 season would be the one that resurging CBS snatched its 1st place title as it began a decade-long freefall.  Hidden Hills came in 55th Place with 6.54M viewers, disappointing for the ideal scheduling it had.  The full 2002-03 season ratings can be viewed HERE.

46. Being Bobby Brown, Bravo (2005)

As if witnessing Tori Spelling's failing marriage wasn't painful enough, washed up singer Bobby Brown and fading wife Whitney Houston pre-dated them on an embarrassing reality TV show which painted their worst.  Whitney Houston was a revered superstar in the 1980's and 1990's, but her career had faded by the 21st century due to personal turmoil.  Being Bobby Brown showed just how hard she was falling as it painted an unflattering portrait of how she was losing her grip on her career and sobriety.  Frequent fights and disjointed episodes left viewers wishing they'd remember both singers on a better day when their careers were prolific.  And once again, celebrities need to knock it off with the oversharing or viewers tune out and resent networks for airing garbage programming.

Have a few shows to suggest or offer up?  Sound off in the comments

Do Not Resuscitate: Desperate Housewives

 

From soapy dramas to comedy, Desperate Housewives lasted for eight seasons and 180 episodes. Set in the suburb of Wisteria Lane, Desperate Housewives follows a group of women as seen through the eyes of a friend that committed suicide in the pilot episode. By the end of the series, it had surpassed Charmed with the most episodes featuring all female leads. 

The Original Hit Machine -- Desperate Housewives (2004-2012)

The show premiered with a 8.9 in A18-49 and over 21 million viewers on Sunday night, where it always aired throughout its eight season run. Season 1 ended with a 13.4 in the key demo, rising along with viewership of over 30 million. It gave ABC the biggest success, being well received by both viewers and critics alike. 

The show was also credited for turning around ABC's declining fortunes. 

The fifth season saw a time jump of five years. 

In later seasons, however, the show ended up placing out of the top 10 and then out of the top 30 by dropping 20% each season. The final season of the show averaged a 2.74 in the key A18-49 demo and 8.76 million viewers, down 21% from season 7. 

The show ended up being outshined by newbie Once Upon a Time as it became a powerhouse in its own right. 

Reasons this Show Needs to Stay Canceled

1. The cast has since moved on to new projects. 

2. Primetime soap operas have not lasted as long as this show did as of recent. That is, unless you're Grey's Anatomy.

And there you have it with Do Not Resuscitate.