Every fan has their own take on what they consider the worst and best TV shows, but the review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes, is always a more accurate tool to judge a show by. Since scores are based on reviews by numerous professional critics, it’s easier to get a clear picture of what’s good and what’s not.
The TV shows featured on this particular list have been labeled “unimpressive” by almost every critic that reviewed them, and for that reason, they can be described as the most underperforming TV shows ever made. This means that apart from a story that progresses from one point to the next, there is hardly any other good thing in them.
Updated by Fawzia Khan on 16th August, 2023: In the vast landscape of television, there can be some bad TV shows that pop up once in a while. Whether it was the lack of compelling characters or a cohesive storyline, these shows didn’t live up to audience expectations, thus resulting in dismal Rotten Tomatoes scores. This list has been updated with more TV shows that didn’t fare so well.
15 Surviving Suburbia (2009) – 5%
The problem with Surviving Suburbia was not that it was particularly terrible. The reason why it garnered low Rotten Tomatoes scores and critic disfavor was that it was bland and uninteresting. Bob Saget played a cynical dad to a delusional daughter and lovestruck son, but he was just a bit too generic to arouse any true comedy. Canned laughs and run-of-the-mill writing could not set the ABC sitcom apart from others, making it one of the least popular TV shows of all time.
14 Knight Rider (2008-2009) – 5%
Since the turn of the century, several ‘80s TV shows have been recreated in modern settings or expanded their storylines. Knight Rider is among the many in this category, but its feeble plots and poorly developed characters qualify it as one of the worst-ever TV reboots.
The show – about a living car – couldn’t have aired at a worse time, as it was presented to viewers just after the first Transformers movie. When the two are compared, there is a huge gulf in production standards. In addition to that, the lead, Justin Bruening, never seems as charming as David Hasselhoff, who was the first to play the gearhead.
13 We Are Men (2013) – 4%
The plot of We Are Men is simple and direct enough that it could have made a pretty good rom-com if it had been used on the big screen. In it, a man left at the altar tries to get over his fiancée by forming friendships with divorced men.
Surprisingly, the funny moments are few and too spaced out. This is odd considering that the show is created by Rob Greenberg, better known for his work on one of the greatest ever sitcoms, Frasier. Moreover, the show’s tone borders on toxic masculinity, as most of the storylines are wired around criticisms of women.
12 My Big Fat Greek Life (2003) – 0%
With just one season of seven episodes, My Big Fat Greek Life picked up after My Big Fat Greek Wedding left off. Weirdly enough, the leading couple’s names were changed to Nia and Thomas, which was an instant disconnect. Forced jokes, too much yelling (which reinforced a lot of ethnicity stereotypes), and the laugh track were the complete undoing of the feel-good film. If the writing had been sharper and less coarse, My Big Fat Greek Life could have been a great sitcom because it had the potential.
11 Saint George (2014) – 0%
Saint George followed a Mexican-American man who had a host of familial troubles. The titular George had to cope with his ex-wife’s demands, while also paying attention to his 11-year-old son Harper. It had various other stereotypical characters like a troublesome uncle, mother, and cousin whom the newly successful entrepreneur had to handle. Unfortunately, Saint George leaned on too many cringey sitcom tropes and not enough substance in the characters, which earned it a low Rotten Tomatoes score.
10 Work It (2012) – 0%
Work It attempts to explore the negative effects of female empowerment by arguing that women are now getting hired more than men. To get around this problem, the two male protagonists decide to dress up in dresses and strictly pretend to be women while job-hunting.
Regrettably, the jokes never quite land, which is unforgivable for a sitcom. The two men are hardly believable as women, yet viewers are expected to assume that those interacting with them don’t see the difference. The confirmation of the show’s poor quality also lies in the fact that it was canceled before the first season finished airing.
9 Stark Raving Mad (1999 – 2000) – 0%
Neil Patrick Harris is better known for playing How I Met Your Mother’s most fascinating character, Barney, but the Emmy-decorated project isn’t his only foray into sitcom territory. One of his earliest TV projects is Stark Raving Mad, which hasn’t aged particularly well because of its poor handling of mental health.
The show’s problems all germinate from Harris’s character, who has obsessive-compulsive disorder and numerous other phobias. These conditions are generally dissected in a critical manner rather than in a sensitive and caring one. As for Harris, he isn’t as good here as fans know him to be.
8 $..! My Dad Says (2010-2011) – 0%
William Shatner starred in the sitcom as Ed Goodson, the titular Dad who takes no prisoners with his cranky and politically incorrect remarks and ways. When a son needs to move back in with his father, shenanigans ensue. The jokes and gags in $..! My Dad Says didn’t quite land because of how contrived they were, and William Shatner’s stunt casting didn’t do him any justice. The show was based on a Twitter account, which was probably why the premise itself seemed shaky, making it a strange family sitcom.
7 Timecop (1997-1998) – 0%
Timecop’s failure can be blamed on many things, but timing and necessity are the two major factors. It’s baffling that ABC remade a popular ‘90s sci-fi movie only three years after it came out. An even bigger risk was casting a lesser-known actor for a role that Jean Claude Van Damme had magnificently handled.
In the era of action stars trying their lack in sci-fi movies, Van Damme’s project was good enough for anyone looking for a story about criminals getting sent back in time. In addition to that, the actor’s martial arts skills are too unique to imitate, so the TV show discards them, but this only makes it underwhelming.
6 Hunters (2016) – 0%
Hunters has surprisingly poor visuals for a sci-fi show, which points to a low budget and a bigger question as to why Syfy ordered it in the first place. The plot is the generic one about a wife getting kidnapped, and what’s sadder is that the husband isn’t so smart while trying to find her.
The poor cinematography is understandable, but what’s stranger is how the plot is weak, yet the book it’s adapted from is critically acclaimed. Faithfulness to novelist Louis Striber’s Alien Hunters would have presumably resulted in Hunters being decent enough to binge on. The decision to name each episode after a song by the British band, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, is also a desperate attempt at creativity, and it doesn’t work.
5 Secret Agent Man (2000) – 0%
The costume choices in Secret Agent Man scream Men in Black, which is hardly coincidental considering that the movie had come out only three years earlier. The series tries to be unique by substituting villainous aliens with humans, but nothing is ever intriguing.
Most of what can be found in the best spy shows, such as complex agency terminology, globetrotting, connection to real-life world events, and tough-as-nails protagonists, are lacking in the UPN series. Furthermore, the CGI used in science-related scenes looks more cartoonish than real.
4 Miami Medical (2010) – 0%
Like police procedurals, medical dramas tend to do extremely well, so the fact that Miami Medical flopped so badly is a head-scratcher. It’s also one of the few shows under the Jerry Bruckheimer banner not to be successful, but several notable flaws can be spotted. Unlike Grey’s Anatomy, which features numerous medical departments. Miami Medical only features trauma surgeons. Events, therefore, become monotonous after a few episodes. On top of that, too much action takes away from the operating room, making viewers unable to connect with the doctors and patients.
3 Killer Instinct (2005) – 0%
Killer Instinct, a crime drama that revolved around Detective Jack Hale of the San Francisco Police Department disappointed viewers in more ways than one. The central cop was abrasive and direct in his detective work, and his father’s identity as a serial killer clouded many people’s image of the detective. With a promising enough premise, Killer Instinct only delivered on disappointments with absurd storylines, too much violence and a lack of authenticity. It had few redeeming factors, if at all.
2 Charlie’s Angels (2011) – 0%
The finale episode of Charlie’s Angels remains unaired, which is sad for a story about the coolest fictional girl teams but justified, given the poor quality. On a positive note, there’s a much more enjoyable ‘70s series about the same characters and two movies.
The remake is a snooze-fest because it’s too hurried. The camera quickly shifts from one action scene to the next without the show taking time to build a coherent story. In addition, there are multiple miscreants, none of whom ever seems capable of posing a major threat to the globe like it’s implied.
1 Dads (2013-2014) – 0%
Seth Green, the voice of Chris Griffin in Family Guy, is the true definition of hits and misses, as he also stars in the worst sitcom ever made. Dads covers the uncomfortable lives of two video game developers whose fathers have permanently moved in with them.
Such a plot has been handled much better in Daddy’s Home. While the movie is star-studded and features larger extended families, allowing for numerous supporting characters, Dad restricts itself by limiting the plot to a few characters and a single setting. Additionally, there are countless racist gags, all of which seem unnecessary.