https://www.looper.com/989480/the-most-hated-character-additions-to-popular-tv-shows/

BY XANDRA HARBET/AUG. 31, 2022 7:26 PM EDT

It's a tale as old as time, or at least as old as TV — A show struggles and writers scramble to rekindle fan interest by adding in a random character out of nowhere. Yet instead of warming audiences up, these character additions almost always push fans farther away. How many times has a surprise kid turned out to be the kiss of death for a TV show? More than a few.

In most cases, a show ending right after the introduction of a hated character happens because the show is already in trouble. But an additional character is rarely the answer for getting numbers up. "The Brady Bunch" is often cited as the catalyst for this trope, as Cousin Oliver is pretty much the quintessential unnecessary new character of doom. But decades after the five-season show left the air, TV has found new ways to spin this phenomenon. It's not always children, either. Plenty of shows have added adult characters into their lineups that fans have absolutely loathed.

Now, shows can and have survived these kinds of character additions — sometimes, incongruous new characters appear during periods when shows aren't even having issues — yet they still deserve their status as despised additions. Between surprise children, character replacements, and simple bad ideas for new characters, here are some of TV's most fan-hated new characters in beloved TV shows.


April Nardini: Gilmore Girls

Dawn Summers: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Randy Pearson: That '70s Show

Connor: Angel

Billie Jenkins: Charmed

Oliver Trask: The OC

Emily Waltham: Friends

Chi Park: House

Ashley Seaver: Criminal Minds

Terrence Steadman: Prison Break

Oliver Tyler: The Brady Bunch

Vanessa Abrams: Gossip Girl

Although he didn't bug me except when he tried to sing, Sam on Diff'rent Strokes.

Also, Ricky on The Partridge Family. All he did was attempt to sing, while we all gritted our teeth or hit the mute button. And the Partridges fake smiled.

Sort of an opposite but Rob Lowe on Parks and Recreation.

I never liked the younger Rob Lowe when he started out. He just seemed to be a pretty boy jerkoff and some of his behavior back then sort of lent to my opinion of him. Maybe I was jealous that all the girls of my generation absolutely loved him and would have removed their bloomers to him in a second.

Lowe sort of disappeared to me for almost two decades until he was cast in Parks, then a favorite show of mine. To my surprise, his character was really funny, humble in many ways and unique and he was probably the best choice the show could have made. Middle aged Lowe seems to be a very nice, humble and good guy. I dont know, maybe in the lull of his career he looked within himself and saw what he did wrong, or maybe he just grew up. Surprised me!

NCIS has done this A LOT in recent years.