00:00Welcome to Mizmojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the TV shows that unsuccessfully
00:13tried to throw everything at the wall to stay on the air.
00:17For this list, we'll be spoiling some major plot developments, so here's a spoiler alert.
00:24Number 10, Back to School Scrubs.
00:36The ninth and final season of Scrubs saw a complete change of pace and setting.
00:41Only a couple of its regular cast members returned, and they're joined by some newcomers.
00:47J.D., Turk, and Dr. Cox are now teachers, mentoring a fresh cast of potential interns.
01:01This twist on the formula was as much of a shock to its cast and crew as it was to audiences.
01:11After the season 8 finale had done a pretty good job of wrapping everything up, a ninth
01:23season was ordered anyway.
01:25It wasn't a disaster of a season, but it was clear Scrubs had run its course.
01:30This fresh twist didn't win back many viewers, and the show was finally cancelled.
01:47Number 9, Claire Takes Over, House of Cards.
01:50This Netflix original lost a lot of steam once its lead finally assumed the presidency
01:56at the end of season 2, but it took three seasons for Claire Underwood to prove as ruthless
02:01as her cold-blooded husband.
02:11The penultimate season ends with Claire becoming president and refusing to pardon Frank Underwood
02:17for his crimes.
02:18She even steals his shtick of addressing the audience directly.
02:31These moments announced a shift away from Frank Underwood's evil machinations, placing
02:37the story in her hands.
02:39But this perspective-shifting twist couldn't save House of Cards from its behind-the-scenes
02:44scandals.
02:45Underwood's conduct allegations against star Kevin Spacey cast a shadow over the whole
02:50series, leading to his firing.
02:53But by then, the novelty of Netflix's first legitimate hit had worn off.
03:08Number 8, Eric and Kelso Move Away, That 70s Show.
03:12After seven seasons as series regulars, Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher found bigger and
03:18better roles that required them to leave the show.
03:21Both were written out at the end of season 7.
03:30Eric Foreman's announcement that he is going to Africa puts a tremendous strain on his
03:34relationship with Donna.
03:36Meanwhile, Kelso's decision to move to Chicago is dragged into the final season, fueling
03:41the love triangle between him, Jackie, and Hyde.
03:57Even before Grace and Kutcher left, the show had slipped in the ratings.
04:01Not even a few new characters and the ringing in of the 1980s could bring viewers back to
04:07finish out the journey.
04:16Number 7, Buffy's Resurrection, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
04:27Fans were left in complete shock and disbelief when Buffy Summers threw herself into a portal
04:34to save her sister Dawn.
04:36Given that writer and creator Joss Whedon initially thought up the season 5 finale
04:40to serve as the very last episode of the show, there was a lot to explain once Buffy returned
04:47the next year.
04:55Her resurrection got a mixed response from fans.
04:58On one hand, it was great to see Buffy and the Scooby gang back in action.
05:02On the other hand, the show's tone and direction shifted to something even darker
05:07once Buffy was brought back to life, which proved somewhat divisive.
05:20Number 6, Deb Finds Out Dexter is a Serial Killer, Dexter.
05:32audiences were shocked enough when Debra Morgan's psychiatrist pointed out that she
05:37may be in love with her adoptive brother, Dexter.
05:40But that pales in comparison to when, a few episodes later, the homicide detective also
05:46discovers Dexter's dark side.
05:55The whole premise of the show is upended with this revelation.
05:59It's Dexter's double life that fuels so much of the show's drama, and the overall suspense
06:04is severely impacted by the twist.
06:07Dedicated fans stayed with the Showtime drama for its two final seasons, and those same
06:13fans and other viewers who stuck around to see how it all unfolded know that the show
06:17ran out of steam, limping to a widely hated series finale.
06:28Number 5, Rivervale, Riverdale
06:41Yes, the CW's Archie Comics adaptation took its fair share of big swings, but by season
06:486, viewership was down and the wheels had finally come off.
06:52The sixth season adds witchcraft, superpowers, and time travel into the mix, seeing the characters
06:58conquering time loops and parallel universes.
07:13After a bomb planted by Hiram Lodge goes off in Archie Andrews' bedroom, the entire town
07:19is thrown into a parallel version of Riverdale called Rivervale.
07:24Anyone with even a little awareness of Riverdale probably wouldn't find it hard to believe
07:29that it went off the rails.
07:31They might be surprised just how long it actually took, though.
07:41Number 4, Luke's secret daughter, Gilmore Girls
07:50It isn't just Lorelei Gilmore's caffeine habit that keeps her coming back to the diner
07:55owned by surly Luke Danes.
07:58To everyone's relief, they finally get together halfway through the series' run.
08:03Unfortunately, it all falls apart, and it's all April Nadini's fault.
08:18When the brainy April walks into the diner and tells Luke he's her father, you can hear
08:22millions of fans groan.
08:25Many even blame April for killing the show, but she was just a misguided solution to the
08:30show's problems.
08:31The show's central mother-daughter relationship was on the rocks by then, and this extra complication
08:36made it seem as if the writers had completely run out of ideas.
08:48Number 3, season 9 was a dream, Dallas
08:52Killing off a major character is a big deal, but that shock is made worse when a show pulls
09:00a lol just kidding after they do it.
09:10Dallas shocked everyone by writing off Bobby Ewing in a car accident at the end of season
09:168.
09:17The next season shows the wealthy Ewing family having to move on without him.
09:21However, this is then followed by another twist at the end of the ninth season.
09:30Bobby is revealed to be alive, and all the storylines we've been following the whole
09:34year are revealed to be a dream.
09:38The show would continue for a few more seasons, but the season-ending twist paled in comparison
09:43to the famous Who Shot J.R. Cliffhanger that captivated the world years before.
09:58Number 2, Winning the Lottery, Roseanne
10:01For most of its run, this working-class sitcom sat comfortably at the top of the ratings.
10:06But in its ninth and, initially, final season, Roseanne tanked its credibility and alienated
10:12its loyal following.
10:23The Conner family were relatable because of their working-class struggles.
10:26Seeing them win the lottery changed everything the show is about.
10:31The storylines became more and more experimental, if not downright nonsensical.
10:36In its original series finale, Roseanne herself reveals that the whole show is actually a
10:40fictionalised version of her life, and they never won the lottery at all.
10:56The revelation doesn't make the season any less of a bummer.
11:00Everything that happened post-lottery was erased when the show was revived in 2018.
11:31Number 1, Cousin Oliver, The Brady Bunch
11:34The six Brady kids couldn't help growing up, but the show's appeal lay in its young
11:39audience.
11:40Cousin Oliver was the solution.
11:47Anyone who knows anything about The Brady Bunch knows how that decision turned out.
11:52In season five, the Bradys are saddled with Carol's nephew Oliver while his parents
11:57are away.
11:58The character of a spectacled, blonde boy can't help but be a disaster on two legs,
12:02causing chaos wherever he goes.
12:05He was also a massive flop with the audience.
12:18The Brady Bunch was put out of its misery just a few episodes later.
12:22Although Cousin Oliver is often blamed for killing the show, it was the show's declining
12:26ratings that made him necessary in the first place.
12:30Still, he certainly didn't help.
12:38What's a plot twist that made you realise a show was on the way out?
12:42Let us know in the comments!
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