So much potential.

BY AIDAN WHATMAN
UPDATED: NOVEMBER 26TH, 2022

There are few things worse than sitting down to a new TV show that really should be great, only to find its premise has been wasted and its potential squandered.

Such is the case with the following shows, all of which had the vital ingredients needed to be something truly great, but somehow found a way to lose sight of what they could have been, whether it was due to poor writing, behind-the-scenes clashes, or the terrible execution of key themes.

Making a show is hard work, there's no doubt about that, and coming up with a solid concept is a rarity afforded to few writers and filmmakers, but even so it's difficult to watch these shows as an outsider without thinking of a dozen ways they could have been saved from their failings.

With that in mind, from apocalyptic thrillers to polarizing teen dramas and promising sci-fi epics, here are 10 TV shows that completely wasted their concepts. This article will contain some spoilers.

10. Heroes - A Gritty Superhero Series (https://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-shows-that-wasted-brilliant-concepts?rf=homepage)

9. Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - A Show About A Failing TV Show (https://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-shows-that-wasted-brilliant-concepts?page=2)

8. Revolution - What Would Happen If Electricity Vanished? (https://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-shows-that-wasted-brilliant-concepts?page=3)

7. Riverdale - A Crazy Archie Comics Adaptation (https://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-shows-that-wasted-brilliant-concepts?page=4)

6. Dexter - A Police Procedural Starring A Serial Killer (https://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-shows-that-wasted-brilliant-concepts?page=5)

5. FlashForward - What If The World Saw Six Months In The Future? (https://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-shows-that-wasted-brilliant-concepts?page=6)

4. Fear The Walking Dead - A Drama Set During The Opening Of An Apocalypse (https://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-shows-that-wasted-brilliant-concepts?page=7)

3. Terra Nova - Saving The World By Escaping To The Past (https://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-shows-that-wasted-brilliant-concepts?page=8)

2. The Newsroom - The West Wing's Successor (https://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-shows-that-wasted-brilliant-concepts?page=9)

1. 13 Reasons Why - Tackling Real Teen Issues (But Butchering Them) (https://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-shows-that-wasted-brilliant-concepts?page=10)

I remember watching Terra Nova when it was on and I really wanted to like it. But yeah the execution of the show and the plot lines just weren't that good unfortunately.


Ed.