AOL TV's Top 40 Worst Shows Of The Past Decade

[JamesG]

There was no shortage of truly great TV shows this decade -- but there was no dearth of really bad TV, either.

From talking babies and singing-and-dancing casino moguls to ill-conceived celebrity ventures into reality programming and scripted fare ... and whatever category you want to put the inexplicably enduring According to Jim in, here are our picks for the worst TV the networks offered up to us in the last 10 years.



40. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006-2007)

It was appropriate when Aaron Sorkin explored big issues on the politically themed The West Wing.

But when he tried to get all philosophical on this drama that went behind-the-scenes of a SNL-ish sketch comedy show, it felt heavy-handed and boring.

It ain't life and death, after all, it's just comedy, something the similarly themed 30 Rock acknowledges with actual humor.




39. Flavor of Love (2006-2008)

Without rapper Flavor Flav's quest for love on this VH1 celeb-reality series, a quest so skanky and cringe-inducing that it almost gives kissing a bad name, we would not have spin-off series like I Love New York, Charm School and Real Chance of Love, nor VH1 "stars" with colorful names like Punkin, Myammee, Buckwild, Tailor Made, T-Weed, 12 Pack, Whiteboy and Mr. Entertainer.

Need we say more?



38. Dr. Vegas (2004)

Rob Lowe was the titular physician in this (unintentionally) silly drama, in which his Dr. Grant had given up ER work to become the house doc for a Las Vegas Strip casino.

On call 24/7, the fancily attired Grant managed to find plenty of time to gamble, while also flirting with his nurse (Amy Adams) and butting heads with profits-minded pal/casino manager Tommy (Joe Pantoliano).




37. Joe Millionaire (2003)

He wasn't a millionaire or named Joe; he was construction worker Evan Marriott, who pretended to be rich to suss out the motives of female contestants.

In the end, he and his reality-show mate split a surprise million dollar check (and then quickly split as a couple), but not until Fox had made it seem, with "slurp, gulp, slurp" subtitles, that one of the contestants was performing oral sex on Marriott. Classy, Fox.




36. Hey Paula (2007)

Paula Abdul was credited as a producer of this Bravo reality series, but even she couldn't contain the crazy.

The show followed her as she juggled her American Idol, choreographer and jewelry designer gigs, but it's most famous for showing her scary breakdowns, including hissy fits directed at her assistants and a sobbing rant where she says she's "tired of people not treating me like the gift that I am."




35. Coupling (2003)

Ted McGinley has a reputation as the TV-show killer, but his female counterpart may be Lindsay Price, who's no slouch herself when it comes to starring in doomed series.

Price, to be fair, wasn't the only misfire in this U.S. version of the popular Friends-ish U.K. comedy; the Coupling remake also suffered from a lack of chemistry among the whole cast and lack of humor in delivering the U.K. scripts.




34. I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! (2003-present)

The problem with this reality series, which has aired for two seasons, is twofold:

1) the term "celebrity" is applied loosely, with comedy team Frangela, American Idol joke Sanjaya and Holly Montag (a sister of a D-lister!) among season 2's "stars".

2) if they really are celebrities, how interested should we be in pampered people living in the jungle and eating a few bugs for three weeks?




33. Bob Patterson (2001)

Another bit of evidence of a so-called Seinfeld curse, Bob Patterson starred Jason Alexander as "America's #3 self-help guru," loved by his followers, but a selfish, insecure annoyance to those who knew him.

The sitcom was done in five episodes, but Alexander adapted the concept into another fictional character, and travels the country performing as Donny Clay, "America's #4 self-help guru."




32. The Moment of Truth (2008-2009)

There's bad TV, and then there's TV that could ruin your life.

Truth fell into the latter category, as a game show that gave cash to contestants who admitted damning personal info, like having affairs, ignoring job duties, falsifying evidence in lawsuits and career-threatening jail time.

One regret: The show was canceled before Fox aired an episode featuring disgraced baseball pro Jose Conseco.




31. Freddie (2005-2006)

Freddie Prinze Jr. is a likable enough actor in light big-screen fare like She's All That, but the execs who thought he could carry a sitcom, especially one as thin as this one, overestimated his charms.

Freddie, the character, was a hotshot chef who found himself rooming with several female members of his family, resulting in a string of sexist, warmed-over sitcom jokes.




30. Big Shots (2007-2008)

Hunky cast (Michael Vartan and Dylan McDermott)? Check.

Fine supporting turn (Josh Malina)? Check.

Comic relief (Christopher Titus)? Check.

Turning all that into a hot mess? Check -- this ABC drama, which was supposed to be a male spin on Sex and the City, did just that.

Ironically, the show was so silly and over-the-top that it might have worked as a guilty pleasure if it hadn't taken itself so seriously.




29. Stacked (2005-2006)

A scantily clad Pam Anderson working in a family-run bookstore where the most prominent customer is a retired rocket scientist ... funny only because the premise is so ridiculous.

In practice, the sitcom, which shamefully wasted the talent of Christopher Lloyd as the rocket scientist, was just another cliche-filled, broad, ahem, comedy flop.




28. That '80s Show (2002)

One funny decade-driven sitcom does not another make, or so we painfully learned from this Fox attempt to capitalize on the success of That '70s Show.

The '80s version essentially revolved around cheesy '80s music and fashion and far too many rote sitcom jokes -- plus, one of the most intrusive laugh tracks ever.

There's just one thing to be thankful for: They never attempted 'That '90s Show.'




27. Knight Rider (2008-2009)

There aren't many TV projects that have you yearning for the acting talents of one David Hasselhoff, but here's one.

This flashy, but ultimately running-on-empty remake of the fantastically cheesy (we mean that in a good way) '80s series was short on storyline, dialogue and engaging performances (even Val Kilmer voicing KITT fell flat).

And a KITT that transforms into a pickup truck? Wrong franchise, NBC.




26. Lucky Louie (2006-2007)

Imagine if a UPN sitcom had been given license to let obscenities fly like it was HBO ... HBO did, and the result was this woeful comedy starring comedian Louis C.K. as a traditional, blue-collar family man.

But don't blame the genre, which has been richly mined in comedy land; instead, blame the writing, which consisted of harsh jokes more concerned with shocking the audience than making it laugh.




25. Daddio (2000)

Michael Chiklis, as we'd all learn a few years down the road, is much, much better suited to drama.

In this dismal take off on Mr. Mom, he was the titular Daddio, aka Chris Woods, who gave up his salesman job to stay home and raise his four kids while his attorney wife brought home the bacon.

Bad dialogue, overacting and jokes questioning Chris' masculinity were plentiful; laughs were not.




24. Rock Me Baby (2003-2004)

The idea that it could build a sitcom around former MTV personality Dan Cortese is but one of the many reasons UPN is defunct.

Cortese starred as shock jock Jimmy, who was perpetually stressed that he and his former exotic dancer wife had to give up their partying lifestyles to raise their baby.

Lame jokes about diapers, boobs and his friend accidentally drinking his wife's breast milk ensued.




23. My Big Fat Greek Life (2003)

The movie was called My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and the appeal of the flick was the relationship and trip to the altar of thirtysomething Toula (Nia Vardalos) and eventual hubby Ian (John Corbett).

That the endearing Corbett didn't star in the series adaptation was a problem, as was the fact that the weekly dose of happily ever after Life wasn't nearly as funny or charming as the Wedding.




22. Unhitched (2008)

"Gator here had a little run-in with 'Bi-Curious George'" ... that was a character's description of his pal getting raped, by a monkey, in one of the more horrifying scenes of the whole decade.

The show, starring Craig Bierko and Rashida Jones, revolved around four thirtysomethings trying to find love, but this instance of monkey love in the pilot was an immediate turn-off for us higher primates.




21. Viva Laughlin' (2007)

Two weeks was all it took for CBS to pull the plug on this laughably bad musical/mystery/drama, though that was still two weeks too many.

Not since Cop Rock has a show been such a punch line for high-concept programming, as even producer/star Hugh Jackman couldn't save this flop about a wannabe casino owner and his associates, who frequently, inexplicably broke into song-and-dance numbers.




20. Kath & Kim (2008-2009)

The sitcom, adapted from a hilarious Australian series, was supposed to be a starring vehicle for the oddly paired Molly Shannon and Selma Blair, but the duo lacked chemistry and the characters never transcended their unlikable superficial personas.

The series' sole sitcom-worthy star: John Michael Higgins as Kath's boyfriend, the optimistic, formerly overweight, sandwich shop-ownin' Phil.




19. Paradise Hotel (2003, 2008)

A game of sexual musical chairs was the driving idea behind this show (a low point in the reality dating genre), in which six women and five men were ensconced at a luxury resort and encouraged to hook up with each other.

The odd person out each week was sent packing, and in a convoluted process, a show viewer would take the reject's place.

A second season aired on MyNetworkTV and Fox Reality in 2008.




18. The Mullets (2003-2004)

Once you've made that "business up front, party in the back" joke about mullets, you're done, right?

Not this UPN sitcom, where the whole premise was based on the mullet-headedness of the Mullet brothers (yes, it was their name and their hairstyle) and the fact that they hung out at a convenience store and annoyed their mother's (Loni Anderson) new hubby, a pompous game show host played by John O'Hurley.




17. Do Not Disturb (2008)

'Do Not Bother' might have been a better title for the show, the first new series of the 2008-09 fall series to be canceled, after just three airings.

The Fox sitcom focused on the randy staff of a New York City hotel, but cheap jokes and tired storylines doomed the show, even with the likable cast of Jerry O'Connell, Niecy Nash and Jesse Tyler Ferguson on board.




16. Temptation Island (2001-2003)

Precarious relationships are a boon for reality TV, and no show capitalized on love woes more than Temptation Island, where couples agreed to live with attractive singles of the opposite sex to test the strength of their commitments to each other.

Many breakups, not surprisingly, ensued, and Fox yanked one pair, Ytossie and Taheed, from the love match when Ytossie revealed she had a baby at home.




15. The Michael Richards Show (2000)

Or 'Kramer, P.I.,' as it could have been called, as Seinfeld star Richards and several Seinfeld writers created this comedy about Vic Nardozza, a slapsticky private eye surrounded by equally over-the-top characters.

It took only eight episodes to see that Kramer, er, Vic's wackiness lost its charm in the midst of so much other wackiness, and the series didn't even last two months on NBC.




14. Blind Justice (2005)

It's a show about a blind cop ... did the title really need to be so literal?

Otherwise, the acting, particularly star Ron Eldard as Det. Jim Dunbar (who was blinded in the line of duty), was fine, but it became clear the show was going to rely on 'Daredevil'-ish ploys for Dunbar (how many cases can you solve with a sense of smell?), an idea, as the 'Daredevil' movie showed, best left to comic books.




13. Baby Bob (2002-2003)

The first (and only the first) Look Who's Talking movie wrung as much humor as there is to be wrung out of the talking-baby concept.

This lame CBS sitcom, then, accomplished nothing more than putting a "he must have needed a paycheck" entry on the resume of the too-talented-to-be-in-this-dud Adam Arkin.

As for Baby Bob, he happily went back to the TV commercial world from whence he sprang.




12. Are You Hot?: The Search for America's Sexiest People (2003)

You know those Lifetime movies where sorority girls use Sharpies to circle their rushees' body imperfections?

This show was just like that, except beauty "expert" (and pompous tool) Lorenzo Lamas was using a laser pointer to spotlight contestants' alleged shortcomings in the vapid reality series, which made us wish for a 'Are You a Has-Been?' series -- Lamas could have competed.




11. Brothers (2009-present)

CCH Pounder, Carl Weathers, Darryl Mitchell and even NFLer-turned-actor Michael Strahan deserve better material than they're given in this dreadful sitcom (produced by Arrested Development's Mitch Hurwitz, no less), in which Strahan plays a swindled pro jock who has to move back home with his 'rents.

The whole show boils down to a bad excuse to assemble guest stars like Mike Tyson, Snoop Dogg and Kim Kardashian.




10. Cavemen (2007)

Based on a series of GEICO commercials, this ABC sitcom seemed doomed from the start, as some viewers disliked even the ads, which, like the series, revolve around modern-day cavemen trying to get respect amongst their more evolved brethren.

Some critics even charged that the series was racist, and the only upside to the show was that it's almost certain we'll never see a series based on the GEICO gecko.




9. According to Jim (2001-2009)

Key to the schlubby guy/hot wife sitcom: The schlub has to exhibit some charm to make audiences believe he could have landed the hot wife (see: Kevin James, Jackie Gleason, Homer Simpson), and Jim Belushi hadn't been charming (or funny) since About Last Night.

Still, one of the blandest sitcoms of all time actually ran for eight full seasons, so we're guessing Belushi is laughing all the way to the bank.




8. Emeril (2001)

It's perhaps the first sitcom inspired by a couple of catchphrases. How else to explain why NBC execs thought chef Emeril Lagasse, famous for his "BAM!" and "Kick it up a notch!" declarations, could carry a sitcom, even one in which he played chef Emeril Lagasse, surrounded by cliched sitcom characters?

Worse still, the series wasted the late Robert Urich, in his last TV series role, as Emeril's agent.




7. The Anna Nicole Show (2002-2003)

It brought Howard K. Stern and Bobby Trendy into our homes, which was reason enough to dislike it, but the fact that it was exploiting a woman who was in need of an intervention, or 10, was obvious.

Both Anna Nicole and her teen son would be dead less than four years after the show ended, but the series played all her drunken, drugged stupors for laughs and even gave it a bouncy theme song.




6. Shasta McNasty (1999-2000)

The title may have made it sound like the worst flavor of a cheap brand of soda, but it was, in fact, just an unwatchable UPN series (starring Jake Busey and Verne Troyer) about a trio of California slackers who wanted to be rappers.

The network tried to boost the floundering show by shortening its name to Shasta, but it had already left a bad taste in too many viewers' mouths.




5. Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire (2000)

You have to give it up to Fox for creating one of the most distasteful shows of all time in one two-hour airing.

The Feb. 2000 special married strangers "multi-millionaire Rick Rockwell" (whose last name wasn't Rockwell and whose worth just barely added up to $2 million) and Darva Conger and sent them on a honeymoon, but the ill-conceived wedding ended with a March 2000 annulment.




4. John From Cincinnati (2007)

An existential surfing drama? A guy, the titular John, who can make people levitate? A bird-obsessed cop?

Though HBO aired an entire season of the David Milch-created series, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone (outside, perhaps, Milch?) who can explain what the show was actually about, and if, in fact, the savior-like John was a savior and was from Cincinnati ...




3. Joey (2004-2006)

Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) was the example, but it's likely that none of the Friends would have made good spin-off series, because, as beloved as the characters were (despite and because of their foibles), the true appeal of the show was their enduring friendships.

You take Joey away from his Friends, and he's just a deluded, unemployed, womanizing actor, and where's the fun in that?




2. The Swan (2004)

It was Nip/Tuck-meets-Miss America, as contestants of this uber-creepy reality show were assigned teams of surgeons, therapists, trainers and dentists who designed for each a program to, well, redesign themselves.

The top makeovers were then chosen to compete against each other in a pageant, where tabloid editors and Carnie Wilson judged who won cash, cars, vacays and a NutriSystem spokesperson contract.




1. Britney & Kevin: Chaotic (2005)

Britney Spears obsessed about her sex life, proposed to Kevin Federline, was rejected, said yes to his proposal and invited her whole family to her surprise wedding.

The show's tagline: "Can you handle our truth?" Not for more than five episodes.

Though in hindsight, her family should've seen the reality show as a warning of Britney's soon-to-follow meltdown and got her some help a little sooner.

http://insidetv.aol.com/2009/12/11/w...-of-the-2000s/

[TJL]

Interesting list.

I wouldn't consider Studio 60 and Joey some of the worse TV had to offer the past decade. Greanted, they could have been much better, but they weren't gigantic bombs like Emily's Reasons Why Not starring Heather Graham which was canned after one episode.

[TJL]

35. Coupling (2003)

Ted McGinley has a reputation as the TV-show killer, but his female counterpart may be Lindsay Price, who's no slouch herself when it comes to starring in doomed series.

Price, to be fair, wasn't the only misfire in this U.S. version of the popular Friends-ish U.K. comedy; the Coupling remake also suffered from a lack of chemistry among the whole cast and lack of humor in delivering the U.K. scripts.

Actually, Lindsay's Coupling co-star Rena Sofer might have more failed shows under her belt.

[70s show watcher]

Originally Posted by TJL

Interesting list.

I wouldn't consider Studio 60 and Joey some of the worse TV had to offer the past decade. Greanted, they could have been much better, but they weren't gigantic bombs like Emily's Reasons Why Not starring Heather Graham which was canned after one episode.

i liked studio 60 and joey too i even liked kath and kim in fact i may be the only person in the state of az to have bought these shows on dvd

[dakert]

WOO HOO I didnt watch any of these shows!!!!

[benjamoon]

"Studio 60" doesn't deserve to be on this list... yes it was a flop but it wasn't bad. I've been watching it on hulu and I think it's great and a shame it only lasted 1 year. There were a lot more shows that were bad AND flops

and I've never understood the hatred towards "According to Jim." It was a traditional sitcom, yes but it had good characters and funny moments. Not one of the masterpieces of all-time, but a fun simple sitcom that always got unfairly bashed

[browneyes106]

I don't think Studio 60 and Joey were great but they weren't as a bad as some of the other shows on the list. John from Cincinnati had potential as a Twin Peaks type show but the writing was bad.

[yankeesrj12]

Sure According to Jim got bad near the end of its run, but most of the time it was pretty good!

[Tubehead]

iargee with I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. another awful show is i survied a japeness gameshow. i don't like survia or big brother.


mostly all the tv shows on tv guide channel. i watch flavor of lovesometimes. i just watch i t cause it kind of stupid. i like to watch charm school and i love new york. theri all stupid but fun to watch. i kinof like llook a like and punkd.

idont know why people didn't like the new knight rider. i thought it was pretty good. then i like the new bonico women too.

[Chocolate Moose]

I actually liked 20,23, & 26 very much. I even bought the Greek one !

[Rosslover]

I don't think that Joey and Studio 60 deserve the titles they got as worst of the last decade. First of all, Joey was funny and though he was now left without his friends, it wasnt the worst show. Matt LeBlanc just has the misfortune of only being able to play one type of character...the dumb, lovable womanizing Italian. He was not as fortunate as his co stars were in transitioning to other roles in front of and behind the camera. However, Studio 60 was a brilliant piece of television that had the best elements of Sorkin and utilized one of his best players , Brad whitford and showed the world that Matthew Perry didnt have to be funny to be good. It was an intelligent show and that is why it didnt last in a sea of God awful reality shows.

[Retro4Life]

Yeah, putting Joey and Studio 60 on the same list as The 80's Show and The Mullets is a joke.

At least half of this list should be made up by the soul numbing reality drek of the 00's; where's that abomination about the women who didn't realize they were pregnant or "Dance Your Ass Off"??

[Mr. Television]

I liked That '80's show and Lucky Louie and even though I'm not an ACTJ fan, any show that lasts 8 years shouldn't be on that list. You can fill the whole list with Reality shows as far as I'm concerned.

[ryan423]

Ok, I might not disagree by much with Joey, but STUDIO 60 was one of the best written dramas of the decade, and I agree with which ever critic had said it was too smart for NBC. By that point, NBC was attempting a revival with sci-fi shows such as heroes, and clouded their schedule with dumbed down programming such as 1 Vs. 100 and DOND.

I bet if Studio 60 had emerged within the last year or two, it would've been a breakout hit for USA!

[megamanj2004]

A lot of those reality shows listed are prime examples of why I only like 98.8% of reality TV.

Temptation Island should've been called Slutastic Island for most of the people they had on Flavor of Love.

And I'm surprised Rock of Love didn't make this list, considering it was equally as bad, if not worse than Flavor of Love. It was just Bret Michaels' lame attempt at starving for a comeback and 15 minutes of fame.

The only good thing about The Mullets was that the father in-law played a game show host.

Joe Millionaire (Evan Marriot) is a washed-up has-been anyway. Worst part of this is GSN gave him his own show in 2004, which mercifully lasted just as long as his 15 minutes of shame.