TMC
03-17-2026, 07:57 PM
...and why was Scott Adams trying to advertise a burrito at the same time? (https://www.quora.com/Why-did-the-Dilbert-television-cartoon-fail-in-just-2-seasons-and-why-was-Scott-Adams-trying-to-advertise-a-burrito-at-the-same-time/answer/Jon-Mixon-1)
Q: Why did the Dilbert (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125223/http://www.jumptheshark.com/d/dilbert.htm) television cartoon fail in just 2 seasons and why was Scott Adams trying to advertise a burrito at the same time?
Multiple reasons, including:
The first season (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilbert_(TV_series)#Season_1_(1999)) was a story arc, while the second (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilbert_(TV_series)#Season_2_(1999%E2%80%932000)) consisted of standalone episodes. Audiences didn’t seem to like the change.
It’s lead-in from the second season was weak - Ever heard of Shasta McNasty (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125314/http://www.jumptheshark.com/s/shastamcnasty.htm)? No one has. And worse, not many did when it was on the air and started before Dilbert.
Low ratings (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilbert_(TV_series)#Ratings) - The killer of all series.
Its humor was an “acquired taste” - Most people never acquired it.
UPN (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPN), the network which aired it, was a disaster - Basically, it shifted programming constantly, it was short of funding, and it did a poor job of getting out the word on the very programming that it needed to survive. Dilbert was simply one of its many victims.
Scott Adams (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Adams), who is no longer with us, complained years later that reverse racism was the cause of its cancellation.
Yet again, he was wrong.
Q: Why did the Dilbert (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125223/http://www.jumptheshark.com/d/dilbert.htm) television cartoon fail in just 2 seasons and why was Scott Adams trying to advertise a burrito at the same time?
Multiple reasons, including:
The first season (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilbert_(TV_series)#Season_1_(1999)) was a story arc, while the second (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilbert_(TV_series)#Season_2_(1999%E2%80%932000)) consisted of standalone episodes. Audiences didn’t seem to like the change.
It’s lead-in from the second season was weak - Ever heard of Shasta McNasty (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125314/http://www.jumptheshark.com/s/shastamcnasty.htm)? No one has. And worse, not many did when it was on the air and started before Dilbert.
Low ratings (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilbert_(TV_series)#Ratings) - The killer of all series.
Its humor was an “acquired taste” - Most people never acquired it.
UPN (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPN), the network which aired it, was a disaster - Basically, it shifted programming constantly, it was short of funding, and it did a poor job of getting out the word on the very programming that it needed to survive. Dilbert was simply one of its many victims.
Scott Adams (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Adams), who is no longer with us, complained years later that reverse racism was the cause of its cancellation.
Yet again, he was wrong.