Top 20 WORST TV Shows of All Time

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the lowest of the lows when it comes to scripted television. As much as we’d love to include Reality TV and game shows, there’s enough of those for their own list.

#20: “The Idol” (2023)

Following a nervous breakdown, superstar Jocelyn sets out to reclaim her fame. Sadly, she ends up saddled with one of the most unwatchable misfires in HBO history. It’s surprising to see it all go wrong, especially since it’s co-created by the same mind behind “Euphoria.” The production appears to have been troubled all through, with Sam Levinson taking over directing responsibilities partway through. The final product indulges every sleazy stereotype while feigning moral superiority at the same time. So, much like its main character, “The Idol” is needlessly edgy, hopelessly misguided, and altogether not worth the price of admission.

#19: “Knight Rider” (2008-09)

Meet Knight Rider, the hero no one asked for, but that we got anyway. His superpower? Driving the Knight Industries Three Thousand, a fancy name for a decked out sports car. It’s the kind of silly concept you could only get away with using a lot of 80s camp or humor. That’s what the original series did in 1982. So it’s even more baffling that, despite David Hasselhoff reprising his role in the pilot movie, this reboot commits to playing it straight. Let’s just say it's hard to buy into any high-stakes action when it all revolves around a knockoff Transformer. Pair that with thin characters and boring plots and you have a vehicle destined for the scrap heap.

#18: “Cop Rock” (1990)

There’s a reason there’s so many police procedurals out there; the formula works. But “Cop Rock” wasn’t content being ordinary. It wanted its own spotlight in television history. To that end, the creators took the best elements of gritty crime dramas and put them all into a musical. We wish we were kidding. The show still tried to go through the motions of your typical cop show. But, whether it was in a courtroom or a morgue, there was a toe-tapping pop song there to sap away any bit of realism. While “Cop Rock” is now remembered more for its oddball premise than its quality, you’ve got to give it one thing. It certainly had ambition.

#17: “Dads” (2013-14)

Two fathers moving back in with their adult sons sounds innocent enough, right? With that setup, “Dads” could have easily faded into obscurity as a solid yet forgettable sitcom. Unfortunately, it missed out on the “com” part of its pitch. Unfunny at best and downright offensive at worst, “Dads’” highly questionable sense of humor failed to impress much of anyone. It’s particularly noticeable since the show doesn’t have anything else going for it. The characters are walking cliches and the storylines are tired before they begin, leaving “Dads” with nothing but a fake laugh track. Let this be a warning: if your Dad asks to move in with you, just say no.

#16: “Supertrain” (1979)

There’s a lot of reasons why this show failed. However, budget was not one of them. At the time, “Supertrain” was the most expensive television program ever broadcast in the United States. But NBC learned the hard way that lavish sets and cutting-edge special effects are no substitute for storytelling. Envisioned as a drama about the lives of “Supertrain’s” passengers, the plot threads never came together into a compelling whole. Instead, it felt like the characters were tacked on after the fact as a way to justify the show existing, rather than the other way around. Without a reason to be, “Supertrain” ran out of track after just nine disappointing episodes.

#15: “Marvel's Inhumans” (2017)

At a time when the MCU seemed too big to fail, Marvel took one of its most diverse, unique, and gripping comic book groups… and turned it into a painfully generic superhero show. Although, to be quite honest, calling “Inhumans” generic is a slap in the face to all the truly generic superhero shows out there. No, “Inhumans” is just bad, plain and simple. Everything from the writing to the pacing to the characters just doesn’t work - to say nothing of the visual effects. “Inhumans” is clearly bursting at the seams of its network TV budget, which begs the question, why did they think they could adapt this space opera in the first place?

#14: “Joey” (2004-06)

The secret ingredient to “Friends” is that, at the end of the day, they’re just that - friends. With an “s”, as in plural. At a fundamental level, isolating Joey and shipping him to Hollywood for his own show is the exact opposite route a spinoff like this should’ve taken. Unfortunately, that’s the least of “Joey’s” problems. Despite Matt LeBlanc’s committed work in the role, the series reduces its title character to a cringeworthy hodgepodge of his most annoying traits. Even for a sitcom, it’s no laughing matter. Really, the entirety of “Joey” just feels like a cash grab from start to finish, which isn’t just disappointing, it’s outright disrespectful to “Friends’” legacy.

#13: “Work It” (2012-13)

It’s 2012, times are tough, and Lee and Angel need to get a job to support their families. So, like any self respecting adult, they go back to school, network, and walk into the sunset better for it. Psych. They have the supremely awful idea to cross-dress as women, assuming their new presenting gender will save them from layoffs. It’s hard to even begin to break down “Work It’s” horrible, ill-advised premise. It manages to offend women, the trans experience, and the economy all in one fell swoop. Honestly, it’s kind of impressive. More so since “Work It” is the rare program that grows more problematic with age.

#12: “Galactica 1980” (1980)

Ten episodes of disappointment and missed opportunities, as it were. “Galactica 1980” was the result of a largely-unprecedented write-in campaign after the 1978 science-fiction show “Battlestar Galactica” was cancelled by ABC. Reconsidering their decision, ABC ordered a pilot for a sequel series – one that would pick up thirty years after the original show’s final episode. Unfortunately, what came to small screens was less than stellar; “Galactica 1980” was largely set on Earth in the 1980s, much of the original cast was absent, and a planned focus on time travel was scrapped after the pilot. Truly a shame.

#11: “$h*! My Dad Says” (2010-11)

Don’t let the star billing fool you. William Shatner didn’t take viewers where no man has gone before; he took them right to sleep. The first sign of trouble appears in this sitcom’s first episode. Henry, in a desperate ploy to find work as a writer, mines material from his father’s politically incorrect tirades. Immediately, the show feels like a fantasy, since it’s impossible to find any amusement from Ed’s incomprehensible rants. But the worst part is that’s the show’s one and only joke. Every episode is just another excuse for Shatner’s character to blow off steam with childish tantrums, rinse and repeat. It’s no wonder “$h*! My Dad Says” only lasted one season.

#10: “The Amazing Spider-Man” (1978-79)

There are a lot of things Spider-Man can do, but this was not one of them. Spanning thirteen episodes, “The Amazing Spider-Man” began simply as a TV movie establishing university student Peter Parker as the titular super-powered crime-fighter. It then got picked up for a limited five episode order... and was drastically changed in Season 2, introducing more stories grounded-in-reality and toning down Parker’s powers to appeal to an adult audience. We can’t honestly say it worked, however, especially given that the show was cancelled soon after the second season ended.

#9: “Mulaney” (2014-15)

John Mulaney is undeniably a gifted stand-up comedian - but an actor he is not. That fact becomes abundantly clear in “Mulaney,” a trope-ridden half-hour comedy built around its titular leading man. Then again, it’s possible the writing is to blame. After all, the stories are all half-baked ripoffs of things you’ve seen elsewhere, usually with a few extra eye-rolling jokes on top. If Martin Short couldn't sell those punchlines, John Mulaney had no chance. It’s a shame the comedian isn’t as magnetic onscreen as he is onstage, but at the very least, “Mulaney’s” quick cancellation gave him an express ticket back to the stand-up mic.

#8: “Homeboys in Outer Space” (1996-97)

Somewhere down the line, poor execution got in the way of interesting themes. Comedians Flex and Darryl Bell starred in this sitcom about a pair of 23rd century astronauts travelling the universe in their winged car. Seemingly intended as a parody or homage to earlier science-fiction shows, “Homeboys in Outer Space” was hit with low ratings and criticism of its quality – even being protested by the NAACP. Roles performed by the likes of James Doohan and cameos by George Takei couldn’t help this short-lived program.

#7: “Manimal” (1983)

He may be a master of the secrets that divide man from animal... but he’s not so much a master of television. “Manimal,” which aired on NBC, briefly chronicled the adventures of Dr. Jonathan Chase, a wealthy young man with the power to shape-shift into any animal. Chase used this power to fight crime, working with Detective Brooke Mackenzie to solve a number of cases. Though it certainly had a unique premise and special effects work by Stan Winston, the show struggled in its viewership and came to a close by its eighth episode.

#6: “Baywatch Nights” (1995-97)

When something becomes popular, naturally there must be a spin-off for it. At least, we imagine that’s the thinking behind “Baywatch Nights,” an offshoot of the show “Baywatch.” David Hasselhoff and Gregory Alan Williams reprise their roles as Mitch Buchannon and Garner Ellerbee respectively, with the duo operating as private detectives. All well and good – except the show suddenly shifted from detective stories to science fiction for Season 2, a change intended to boost struggling ratings. Lacking the staying power of the original show, “Baywatch Nights” soon met its end.

#5: “Cavemen” (2007)

For some asinine reason, this television series was based on a commercial. And boy can you tell. “Cavemen’s” shtick was too annoying and one-note to last a whole season, but that sure didn’t stop ABC from trying. For their trouble, they aired one of the absolute biggest trainwrecks in television history. Not only was it a boring mess of overused gags, “Cavemen” also tried to tackle discrimination. Except exploring racial tensions doesn’t work when your stand-in for minority groups are literal neanderthals. Those who didn’t watch were outraged and those that did were left bored out of their minds. No matter how you cut it, no one likes “Cavemen.”

#4: “The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange” (2012-14)

It might be telling that the lead character has the word “Annoying” in his name. Based on a popular YouTube series, “The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange” follows the titular Orange and his sentient fruit friends in their everyday lives at a supermarket. While it managed to average 2.5 million viewers in its first two weeks, the show was critically panned for its crude humor and obnoxious nature. After two seasons and sixty episodes, the Cartoon Network elected to cancel it... a decision we imagine was widely accepted.

#3: “Fred: The Show” (2012)

Again, what works on YouTube doesn’t always translate well to television. Case in point: “Fred: The Show,” based on a web series by Lucas Cruikshank, follows hyperactive teenager Fred Figglehorn in his daily life and adventures with friends. What makes the show unique – while also working to its detriment – is Fred himself, with his obnoxious and unreal behavior. Critics were quick to deride the show and Fred’s part in it, with viewership dropping as the first season continued. Eventually, the end had to come for Fred.

#2: “My Mother the Car” (1965-66)

Equal parts bizarre and poorly constructed, nothing feels quite as unsuccessful as this fantasy sitcom. The premise is simple enough: attorney David Crabtree buys a used 1928 Porter touring car, only to discover it is the reincarnation of his dead mother Gladys. From there, it’s a series of misadventures where Crabtree guards his mother-car from the persistent collector Captain Manzini. Critics and viewers alike panned the show, and we understand – the show’s entire concept comes across as alienating, and more than a little illogical.

#1: “Heil Honey I’m Home!” (1990)

Yep, this show is exactly what you think. It’s a classic homestyle comedy starring history’s own Adolf Hitler. There’s been a lot, and we mean a lot, of bad ideas tossed around in television history, but this one has to be the worst. Who in their right mind thought a spoof of Nazi homelife made for good primetime TV? To really rub it in, this Hitler lives next to a Jewish couple, and as you can imagine, he has a lot of feelings about that. Crude, tasteless, and distinctly lacking in laughs, it’s a mercy “Heil Honey I’m Home” only ever broadcast a single episode. Although even that feels like too much.



Which of these television misfires deserve a second chance? Let us know in the comments below!