Top 25 worst TV shows ever
11-02-07 | 04:52 PM
#1
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DVD Talk Gold Edition
Top 25 worst TV shows ever
From ChicagoTribune.com:
www.chicagotribune.com
Video links and voting are at the site.
www.chicagotribune.com
"You're in the Picture" (1961). Jackie Gleason appeared in a prime time quiz show, but it was so bad the quiz format was dropped after one airing and it became instead a short-lived talk show. Even Gleason knew it was bad: "I've seen bombs in my day, but this one made the H-bomb look like a 2-inch salute."
"Petticoat Junction" (1963-'70). Some shows from that era hold up remarkably well -- either as sweet nostalgia or entertaining camp. Not this one, set in Hooterville.
"My Mother the Car" (1965-66). In it, Jerry Van Dyke's mother was reincarnated as a talking automobile, the voice supplied by Ann Sothern. Actually made it through one season.
"Turn-On" (1969). Illegitimate son of "Laugh-In." Lasted one episode.
"Ernest Angley Hour" (1973-present). Broadcast from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Angley's Southern rural lisp deliveries are syndicated worldwide. While he doesn't claim to be a faith healer, his trademark palm-of-the-hand to the forehead is accompanied by his high-pitched shout "Be heeeeaaaalllled!" as the healee drops to the floor, to be caught by an assistant.
"B.J. and the Bear" (1979-81). Comedy/adventure about an itinerant trucker who traveled the nation's highways with his pet chimpanzee.
"When Things Were Rotten" (1975). Created by Mel Brooks. Hoo boy. Lasted a half season. Brooks used the same Robin Hood theme in the 1993 movie "Men in Tights."
"Mr. T. and Tina" (1976). Starring Pat Morita (who also played Arnold on "Happy Days"). Canceled after five episodes.
"The Ropers" (1979-80). An entire show built around the landlords from the nearly as awful "Three's Company."
"Joanie Loves Chachi" (1982-83). Scott Baio's addition to "Happy Days" was a classic jump-the-shark moment; here the shark goes belly up and begins to smell.
"Mama's Family" (1983-90). The Vickie Lawrence skit was the weak link on "The Carol Burnett Show." So, naturally, it got a weekly half-hour.
"Manimal" (1983). NYU prof could change into any animal to help fight crimes. Show turned into a turkey.
"Mr. Belvedere" (1985-90). Starred Bob Uecker -- need we say more?
"Small Wonder" (1985-89): Robot scientist builds robot in the shape of a 10-year-old girl, then tries to hide her amid his family. Theme-song quote: "She's fantastic/Made of plastic."
"Life With Lucy" (1986). Lucille Ball's final, disastrous short-lived series. It lasted only a few months but still tarnished the TV icon's legacy.
"Beauty and the Beast" (1987-90). The pretty gal and ugly critter didn't just love each other; they solved crimes!
"Cop Rock" (1990). Steven Bochco, apparently bored with making legitimate cop series ("Hill Street Blues"), decided it would be fun to have cops sing, and it would be even more fun to have them performing legit, hard-core cop work while they did it.
"Pink Lady and Jeff" (1980): Quite possibly the most demented variety show of all time, this bizarre offering paired two Japanese pop singers who spoke almost no English with comedian Jeff Altman. Hilarity did not ensue.
"The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage" (1991). A 17th Century pirate trans-whatevered to modern times has to save a life for every one he's taken. Which, come to think of it, is the same plot as "My Name Is Earl."
"The Jerry Springer Show" (1991 to present). His aim is low.
"Barney & Friends" (1992-present). Yes, some little kids love it. But parents helped compile this list, and it annoys the heck out of us.
"Homeboys from Outer Space" (1996-97). The name was a tip-off.
"The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer" (1998). A black British gentleman run out of England for cheating takes a job as a butler to Abraham Lincoln. And it was a comedy. And it made fun of slavery.
XFL (2001). NBC and Pro wrestling decide football isn't entertaining enough the way it is. They are wrong.
"Cavemen" (2007): We'll take this insurance commercial, see, only we'll make it 30 times as long! No, not the one with the lizard.
"Petticoat Junction" (1963-'70). Some shows from that era hold up remarkably well -- either as sweet nostalgia or entertaining camp. Not this one, set in Hooterville.
"My Mother the Car" (1965-66). In it, Jerry Van Dyke's mother was reincarnated as a talking automobile, the voice supplied by Ann Sothern. Actually made it through one season.
"Turn-On" (1969). Illegitimate son of "Laugh-In." Lasted one episode.
"Ernest Angley Hour" (1973-present). Broadcast from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Angley's Southern rural lisp deliveries are syndicated worldwide. While he doesn't claim to be a faith healer, his trademark palm-of-the-hand to the forehead is accompanied by his high-pitched shout "Be heeeeaaaalllled!" as the healee drops to the floor, to be caught by an assistant.
"B.J. and the Bear" (1979-81). Comedy/adventure about an itinerant trucker who traveled the nation's highways with his pet chimpanzee.
"When Things Were Rotten" (1975). Created by Mel Brooks. Hoo boy. Lasted a half season. Brooks used the same Robin Hood theme in the 1993 movie "Men in Tights."
"Mr. T. and Tina" (1976). Starring Pat Morita (who also played Arnold on "Happy Days"). Canceled after five episodes.
"The Ropers" (1979-80). An entire show built around the landlords from the nearly as awful "Three's Company."
"Joanie Loves Chachi" (1982-83). Scott Baio's addition to "Happy Days" was a classic jump-the-shark moment; here the shark goes belly up and begins to smell.
"Mama's Family" (1983-90). The Vickie Lawrence skit was the weak link on "The Carol Burnett Show." So, naturally, it got a weekly half-hour.
"Manimal" (1983). NYU prof could change into any animal to help fight crimes. Show turned into a turkey.
"Mr. Belvedere" (1985-90). Starred Bob Uecker -- need we say more?
"Small Wonder" (1985-89): Robot scientist builds robot in the shape of a 10-year-old girl, then tries to hide her amid his family. Theme-song quote: "She's fantastic/Made of plastic."
"Life With Lucy" (1986). Lucille Ball's final, disastrous short-lived series. It lasted only a few months but still tarnished the TV icon's legacy.
"Beauty and the Beast" (1987-90). The pretty gal and ugly critter didn't just love each other; they solved crimes!
"Cop Rock" (1990). Steven Bochco, apparently bored with making legitimate cop series ("Hill Street Blues"), decided it would be fun to have cops sing, and it would be even more fun to have them performing legit, hard-core cop work while they did it.
"Pink Lady and Jeff" (1980): Quite possibly the most demented variety show of all time, this bizarre offering paired two Japanese pop singers who spoke almost no English with comedian Jeff Altman. Hilarity did not ensue.
"The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage" (1991). A 17th Century pirate trans-whatevered to modern times has to save a life for every one he's taken. Which, come to think of it, is the same plot as "My Name Is Earl."
"The Jerry Springer Show" (1991 to present). His aim is low.
"Barney & Friends" (1992-present). Yes, some little kids love it. But parents helped compile this list, and it annoys the heck out of us.
"Homeboys from Outer Space" (1996-97). The name was a tip-off.
"The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer" (1998). A black British gentleman run out of England for cheating takes a job as a butler to Abraham Lincoln. And it was a comedy. And it made fun of slavery.
XFL (2001). NBC and Pro wrestling decide football isn't entertaining enough the way it is. They are wrong.
"Cavemen" (2007): We'll take this insurance commercial, see, only we'll make it 30 times as long! No, not the one with the lizard.
Last edited by Ayre; 11-02-07 at 04:55 PM.
11-02-07 | 04:55 PM
#2
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Supercomputer!
11-02-07 | 05:01 PM
#3
"The Ropers" (1979-80). An entire show built around the landlords from the nearly as awful "Three's Company."
"Mama's Family" (1983-90). The Vickie Lawrence skit was the weak link on "The Carol Burnett Show." So, naturally, it got a weekly half-hour.
11-02-07 | 05:28 PM
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From: Illinois
Originally Posted by calhoun07
Quote:
"The Ropers" (1979-80). An entire show built around the landlords from the nearly as awful "Three's Company."
I freaking LOVED the Ropers. I haven't picked up any season sets of Three's Company yet (I might if they ever released a complete series set for a great price) but I'd buy Ropers on the street date it came out. It wasn't a great comedy, but freaking Jeffrey Tambor is worth the price of admission alone.
Quote:
"Mama's Family" (1983-90). The Vickie Lawrence skit was the weak link on "The Carol Burnett Show." So, naturally, it got a weekly half-hour.
And I loved that show as well!
"The Ropers" (1979-80). An entire show built around the landlords from the nearly as awful "Three's Company."
I freaking LOVED the Ropers. I haven't picked up any season sets of Three's Company yet (I might if they ever released a complete series set for a great price) but I'd buy Ropers on the street date it came out. It wasn't a great comedy, but freaking Jeffrey Tambor is worth the price of admission alone.
Quote:
"Mama's Family" (1983-90). The Vickie Lawrence skit was the weak link on "The Carol Burnett Show." So, naturally, it got a weekly half-hour.
And I loved that show as well!
11-02-07 | 06:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Ayre
From ChicagoTribune.com:
"Joanie Loves Chachi" (1982-83). Scott Baio's addition to "Happy Days" was a classic jump-the-shark moment; here the shark goes belly up and begins to smell.
"Joanie Loves Chachi" (1982-83). Scott Baio's addition to "Happy Days" was a classic jump-the-shark moment; here the shark goes belly up and begins to smell.
11-02-07 | 06:53 PM
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From: Mayberry, NC. Really, it is
das beat me to it. That list blows.
Petticoat Junction ran for 7 years. Any show with that kind of following has no business being listed with slop like Cop Rock.
And what about all the failures that only aired 1 or 2 episodes ? I agree Mama's Family is crappy, but plenty of people liked it for it to have a 7 year run while shit like Pink Lady & Jeff earned its spot in TV infamy by sucking right out of the gate.
This list is made up of shows people might actually remember. The REALLY bad shows (I'm looking at you AfterM*A*S*H) require more work to list than the lazy Tribune staff are willing to invest.
Petticoat Junction ran for 7 years. Any show with that kind of following has no business being listed with slop like Cop Rock.
And what about all the failures that only aired 1 or 2 episodes ? I agree Mama's Family is crappy, but plenty of people liked it for it to have a 7 year run while shit like Pink Lady & Jeff earned its spot in TV infamy by sucking right out of the gate.
This list is made up of shows people might actually remember. The REALLY bad shows (I'm looking at you AfterM*A*S*H) require more work to list than the lazy Tribune staff are willing to invest.
11-02-07 | 08:21 PM
#14
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I'm glad that Viva Laughlin didn't make it to the list. I think that it got a raw deal after all of the bad buzz perpetuated mostly by those people who didn't see the show.
11-02-07 | 08:28 PM
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From: Southside Virginia
No Baby Bob?
I think Mama's Family (though it's a guilty pleasure of mine as well) is deserving of its place, as would Baywatch if listed. Shows that start on network and slum it in syndication hell can live on for ages. That doesn't mean they're any good.
I think Petticoat Junction is a bizarre inclusion. I can only conclude that Uncle Joe killed the list author's mother.
I think Mama's Family (though it's a guilty pleasure of mine as well) is deserving of its place, as would Baywatch if listed. Shows that start on network and slum it in syndication hell can live on for ages. That doesn't mean they're any good.
I think Petticoat Junction is a bizarre inclusion. I can only conclude that Uncle Joe killed the list author's mother.
11-02-07 | 09:30 PM
#16
And let's not forget "Ernest Angley Hour"....does that even deserve to be on there? It's just basically religious programming...just another televangelist show. It's not even a real TV show, for crying out loud.
http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=Ern...+Hour&x=18&y=3
well, whaddya know...even IMDB doesn't recognize it as a real show.
http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=Ern...+Hour&x=18&y=3
well, whaddya know...even IMDB doesn't recognize it as a real show.
11-02-07 | 10:38 PM
#18
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"Mr. Belvedere" and "Beauty and the Beast" shouldn't be on that list. I haven't even seen most of the listed shows.
11-02-07 | 11:10 PM
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From: The Janitor's closet in Kinnick Stadium
"The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer" (1998). A black British gentleman run out of England for cheating takes a job as a butler to Abraham Lincoln. And it was a comedy. And it made fun of slavery.
I can't believe that was a real show. I thought it was just something Kevin Smith made up for the Clerks Cartoon series.
I can't believe that was a real show. I thought it was just something Kevin Smith made up for the Clerks Cartoon series.
11-02-07 | 11:15 PM
#20
Originally Posted by Jimmy James
I think Mama's Family (though it's a guilty pleasure of mine as well) is deserving of its place, as would Baywatch if listed.
das
Last edited by das Monkey; 11-02-07 at 11:43 PM.
11-02-07 | 11:40 PM
#21
DVD Talk Legend
I still kick myself that I missed seeing Cop Rock. The list doesn't seem very educated, there were literaly hundreds of shows that only aired once or twice before being canceled that were worse that most of the shows named.
I would love to see a DVD set filled only with pilots of the worst concieved shows (and Cop Rock of course!).
I would love to see a DVD set filled only with pilots of the worst concieved shows (and Cop Rock of course!).
11-03-07 | 12:19 AM
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From: Mayberry, NC. Really, it is
Originally Posted by MechanicalMan
Yeah, because bad TV shows never stay on the air that long. 
das made a much better list without even trying very hard
Baywatch Nights /shudders
Last edited by NC-36; 11-03-07 at 12:21 AM.
11-03-07 | 03:00 AM
#24
DVD Talk God
Baywatch Nights definitely deserves to be on that list. Trying to turn Mitch Buchannon from a life guard to an amateur detective and then to a ghost hunter was fucking the most absurd television I have ever watched.