- 7 weeks ago
From bizarre reboots to failed spin-offs, these shows had us reaching for the remote. Join us as we count down the TV series from the 2020s that left viewers deeply disappointed! From rebooted classics gone wrong to star-studded failures, these shows squandered potential and left audiences wondering how they ever got greenlit.
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00:00Maybe solving mysteries with dogs is a mistake.
00:02Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 TV shows of the 2020s that
00:08let viewers down.
00:09Beware of spoilers.
00:10I settled all because of what? Low self-esteem? Did I not love myself enough?
00:18Number 20. And Just Like That, Season 3.
00:21One word sums up And Just Like That, and it's disaster.
00:25As a follow-up of Sex and the City, loyal fans tuned in hoping for the same bold, smart, and
00:30intriguing spark.
00:31As long as it's working for you.
00:33I'm a big girl in a big city with a big house to furnish. I've got plenty to do up
00:37here.
00:37Instead, they were met with clumsy writing, dull characters, and many moments that crossed into cringe-fest territory.
00:44Even so, and Just Like That stood as one of HBO's most watched debuts, that goodwill didn't last.
00:50As episodes dragged on, backlash grew louder, and by Season 3, viewership had dropped more than 60% compared to
00:56Season 1.
00:57Can you blame audiences?
00:59And just so you know, you're not the only one with opinions about us, you're just the only one that
01:02says them out loud.
01:03Characters felt like hollow versions of themselves, and Season 3 left them in an even sadder place.
01:09Frankly, it feels like And Just Like That existed solely to damage its predecessor's legacy.
01:14Number 19. Fairview.
01:15With South Park, Comedy Central created one of the most outstanding animated sitcoms ever.
01:20Then it gave us Fairview, a show that felt like a weak imitation.
01:23What you're advocating for is government tyranny!
01:26What next? Installing cameras in my house to watch me fill my crack with baby powder?
01:31You're sick, Kelly Sampson!
01:32From the start, this animation looked cheap and dreary, the social commentary completely missing the mark.
01:38Instead of being edgy and daring, the writing felt unoriginal and painfully dull.
01:42Worse, the characters had no personality, giving viewers no reason to stick around.
01:47The few who continued to watch had almost nothing positive to say, and many were already counting down to its
01:53cancellation.
01:54We all need something to keep us going.
01:55For some it's partying.
01:56For me, it's God.
01:57But if I didn't have him, I'd find something else.
01:59Sure enough, Fairview bowed out after just one season.
02:02Truly, it feels less like a professional production, and more like an unfinished school project trying and failing to be
02:08funny.
02:09Number 18.
02:10The Crowded Room.
02:11With a gripping source material, and high-profile stars like Tom Holland and Amanda Seyfried,
02:16The Crowded Room should have worked, but it fell flat in key areas.
02:20Danny, I'm trying to help you.
02:29Okay.
02:29To be fair, some viewers may still see it as a compelling psychological thriller, but the series falters on how
02:35it's structured.
02:36Instead of telling a strong, straightforward story, it bends over backwards to hide its twist.
02:41Ironically, the opening credits already give out the twist, draining the mystery early on.
02:46From there, the show juggles too many identities at once.
02:50Courtroom drama, coming-of-age story, and psychological thriller all at the same time.
02:55You're not supposed to be here, man.
02:56Oh, Danny.
02:58I'm afraid he's right, my boy.
03:02You really shouldn't.
03:04At least, not like this.
03:06The result feels rushed and frustrating.
03:09Its 10-episode format only worsens the problems, stretching familiar tricks that offer nothing truly groundbreaking.
03:15Number 17.
03:16God's Favorite Idiot.
03:18This apocalyptic workplace comedy was meant to run 16 episodes, but ate our MIA.
03:23That should tell you something.
03:24You had your chance, okay, and you missed your chance.
03:28You blew it.
03:29Yep, I did.
03:30In this divine comedy, Ben Falcone plays a tech support, who suddenly becomes God's unlikely messenger, and Melissa McCarthy adds
03:37her usual energy and humor.
03:39For viewers looking for a strange blend of The Good Place and The Office, or Lovers of the Falcons, it
03:44might hit the right notes.
03:45For everyone else, it often feels like something you play in the background while doing chores.
03:49I knew it.
03:51Instead of being deep, God's Favorite Idiot plays on familiar religious-themed tropes, landing somewhere between simplistic and oddly confusing.
04:00Still, some embrace its weirdness, while others view it as a low point for McCarthy.
04:04Number 16.
04:05The Endgame.
04:06When you start watching The Endgame, one thing is immediately clear.
04:10It plays a lot like The Blacklist.
04:12Marina Baccarin stars as a criminal mastermind who lets herself be captured and will only work with a specific FBI
04:18agent.
04:18There are no coincidences and nothing with you is random.
04:22But to replicate what makes The Blacklist so compelling, a show needs more than a familiar setup.
04:26It needs star power, humor, believable stakes, and strong chemistry.
04:31The Endgame falls short in several of those areas.
04:33Even Baccarin's commanding presence wasn't enough to push the show to greater heights.
04:38Maybe with more time, it might have found its footing.
04:41But ratings steadily declined, and the series was cancelled every one season.
04:44That sounds like a demotion.
04:46It's reality, Duke.
04:47Overall, it feels like a missed opportunity.
04:50Like a show that never figured out how to stand out.
04:52Number 15.
04:53Space Force.
04:54With Greg Daniels and Steve Carell at the helm, you'd expect Space Force to be sharp, absurd, and laugh-out
05:00-loud funny.
05:01Oh, you've got to be kidding me.
05:02This is not a joke.
05:03But for many viewers, it doesn't deliver enough laughter.
05:06The political satire doesn't land because the show chooses to play it safe, and too many jokes fall flat.
05:12Its big, expensive space idea overshadows the simple workplace sitcom, which could have made it shine, leaving episodes slow and
05:20uneven.
05:21Expectations of the office-level comedy only make it harder to enjoy.
05:24That said, the show still has some good aspects, like the talented ensemble and a potential to have become better.
05:30How are you holding up?
05:32Fine.
05:33Good.
05:33Everything's good.
05:34Yeah.
05:35You know, they say the first 36 hours are the toughest.
05:39Unfortunately, it was cancelled after two seasons, leaving behind something that feels disappointingly bland and unfunny.
05:45Number 14.
05:46Monarch.
05:47Truth be told, Fox's Monarch is an awful show.
05:50There's no sugarcoating it.
05:52It starts with a big build-up, but quickly becomes a huge letdown.
05:56Add a ridiculous premise, weak acting, and lazy writing, and you get a series that's hard to sit through past
06:02the first episode.
06:03Even country music fans are likely to be bored, thanks to flat characters and side stories that add no real
06:09depth.
06:09It's so disappointing.
06:11It makes you wonder how big names like Susan Sarandon and Trace Atkins were convinced to sign on.
06:16I don't know why I did it.
06:20Maybe I was just dumb.
06:22Overall, the show will make you feel one thing for sure, and that's deep appreciation for shows like Nashville.
06:28Honestly, its one-season cancellation came as no surprise.
06:31It was bound to happen.
06:32Number 13.
06:33Suits LA.
06:34We have no idea what NBC was thinking when it greenlit this Suits spinoff.
06:38Maybe the original's resurgence in popularity made them think nostalgia alone could keep viewers hooked.
06:44But things you said would happen haven't happened yet.
06:46Not everybody gets the toy that they want for their birthday.
06:48This isn't a toy.
06:49I earned it.
06:50If so, they were horribly wrong.
06:52Fans hoping to recapture the charm and chemistry that made Suits work were quickly disappointed.
06:57Most characters came off as arrogant and annoying.
07:00There was no underdog to root for or standout character to keep viewers invested.
07:04After a brief spike driven by curiosity, viewership quickly dropped, and NBC pulled the plug.
07:10Suits LA may share the name, but it was never Suits, and was doomed from the start.
07:14Not even guest appearances from former cast members could have saved it.
07:18Would you like to play for a championship against me?
07:20Oh, you think I couldn't take you?
07:21There's only one Batman.
07:22I know, you just bought him a drink.
07:24I know.
07:24I bought myself a drink, and I'm Batman.
07:27You could be Robin.
07:28Number 12.
07:29Hard Sell.
07:30Going into Catherine Tate's Hard Sell, you'll either love it or hate it.
07:34Set in a woman's prison, it sees Tate play six different characters.
07:37A choice that quickly became one of its most divisive elements.
07:40Is this your first time in prison, Angela?
07:43Yeah.
07:46Well, you're settling.
07:47Some viewers felt it highlighted her limits rather than her range.
07:50Yet, for fans of her broad, character-driven comedy and mockumentary-style humor, the show
07:55clicks with time.
07:56But there's no denying that some jokes just don't land, and many feel rather dated or
08:01overly forced.
08:02The characters are largely one-dimensional, and the plot can feel thin most of the time.
08:06We want to improve this prison.
08:09Now, Doug's interpretation of that is something about fixing the plumbing, whereas I focus
08:14more on artistic endeavor, and, let's be honest, what's more important in the day-to-day
08:18life of an inmate.
08:19Despite finding an audience and drawing heavy criticism from reviewers, Hard Sell wasn't
08:23renewed for a second season.
08:25Guess its weaknesses hampered its progress.
08:27Number 11.
08:28The Calling.
08:29Peacock's The Calling feels like a breath of fresh air, but that doesn't mean it's brilliant.
08:33Wow.
08:37The series adds a new angle to Police Procedural by centering on a detective who solves crimes
08:42through a deep understanding of his faith.
08:44That hook might pull you in at first, but over time, it starts feeling gimmicky.
08:49You might also notice that Avraham Avraham still comes off as a familiar, self-righteous
08:54cop seen in countless shows.
08:55That said, the series does offer some intriguing mysteries that keep you watching, until plot
09:00holes and overly ridiculous moments become harder to ignore.
09:03It didn't feel like an option.
09:05Overall, The Calling has an interesting concept, but feels underwhelming in execution.
09:10If you're looking for top-tier procedural, this may not be it.
09:13Number 10.
09:14Cruel Intentions.
09:15Like the 1999 film, Cruel Intention follows two manipulative step-siblings playing a cruel
09:20game with an innocent girl, and therein lies one of its biggest problems.
09:23I told you that I want her, and you agreed.
09:29So until you get her, all of her, in every way that I want, you won't get your reward.
09:39What may have worked in the 90s now feels deeply uncomfortable and hard to justify.
09:44Instead of re-examining the core idea, the series rehashes it.
09:48Even with that, maybe the series could have stood as a guilty pleasure if a far superior
09:52original didn't already exist.
09:53Where the 1999 cult classic had compelling characters and an intriguing bite, the series
09:58brings nothing new.
09:59I'm starting to think this wasn't a good idea.
10:01It was supposed to be a good thing, and now people hate me.
10:04In fact, some characters feel downright unbelievable in their roles.
10:08Cruel Intentions did nothing but prove that some classics don't need to be stretched into
10:12modern TV shows.
10:13Unsurprisingly, the show didn't live long.
10:16Number 9.
10:17Extended Family.
10:18John Cryer, Abigail Spencer, and Donald Faison fronting a series, with Mike O'Malley behind
10:23the writing, should be enough to make a sitcom entertaining.
10:26Sadly, that's not the case here.
10:28We had a good run, but it was time to...
10:30Run away.
10:31Some people wonder why.
10:32We don't.
10:33Even with these familiar names, nothing clicks.
10:36From the very first episode, Extended Family offers little reason to stick around.
10:40The plot isn't engaging, the jokes are unoriginal and unfunny, and the show relies heavily on
10:45outdated sitcom tropes we've seen done better before.
10:48The multicamp setup and laugh track don't help either, since there's nothing funny to
10:52sell.
10:53Sure, some viewers may warm up to its co-parenting premise, and let it grow on them.
10:57Fantastic!
10:58Congratulations!
11:00You're happy for me?
11:01I'm happy for me!
11:02But for anyone looking for something original and genuinely funny, this isn't it.
11:06It's one season cancellation?
11:08Entirely expected.
11:10Number 8.
11:10The Baldwins.
11:11Perhaps if this TLC reality show had aired before the Rush shooting, audiences might
11:16have viewed it differently.
11:17Who knows what's the right thing to do?
11:25You just live one day at a time.
11:27Instead, it arrived at the worst possible moment.
11:30Now, it plays like a desperate attempt to rehabilitate Alec Baldwin's image and frame him
11:35as a victim, something many are clearly not having.
11:38It's hard to tell what the series even is.
11:40Is it a true crime documentary, a peek into a large family, or simply a way to profit from
11:45a tragedy?
11:46Whatever it's aiming for, Baldwin just feels out of place.
11:49The same actor who once guarded his privacy is now spilling it on TV?
11:53Honey, today's a big day for you.
11:54You want to know why?
11:55Tell me.
11:55I'm going to teach you how to drive the boat.
11:57Remember when you fell in?
11:58That shift is jarring.
12:00Worse, the family's attempt at authenticity lands as fake and exploitative, earning them
12:05backlash from critics and viewers alike.
12:07Number 7.
12:08Beast Games.
12:09Shows like Beast Games are bound to attract controversy, and it didn't take long for
12:13this one.
12:14I'm Mr. Beast, these are my five friends, and what you are about to see will blow your
12:18mind.
12:19Just after the first season, anonymous contestants spoke up about mistreatment on set.
12:24From being denied food and water, facing sexual harassment, and not being paid for overtime,
12:28it was really bad.
12:30Yet despite all that, Mr. Beast Games Show became Prime Video's most watched unscripted series.
12:34That didn't stop critics from slamming it, for borrowing from superior reality shows like
12:39Squid Game, without matching its intensity.
12:41If they cannot come to an agreement on who to choose, this helicopter is leaving empty.
12:46Some even called it immature, accusing it of exploiting contestants' sob stories for
12:50drama.
12:51Still, Prime pushed ahead, renewing it for two more seasons.
12:55Number 6.
12:56The Pentavrit.
12:57Mike Myers' joke format may have worked during his glory days, but now it feels stale, unfunny,
13:03and often gross.
13:11His brand of comedy hasn't really evolved, and the Pentavrit exposes that.
13:15Sure, the reliance on toilet and sex humor might appeal to Myers' diehard fans, but for
13:20many viewers, it comes off as pointless and juvenile.
13:23The comedian plays multiple characters in this world-spanning conspiracy comedy, yet none
13:28of them are particularly funny or memorable.
13:30The show might have worked if it were sharper, deeper, or offered more meaningful insight
13:35into modern politics and society.
13:37A clearer message and emotional core could have helped.
13:40Instead, it's weighed down by random, excessive gags.
13:43I've got this one, laddie.
13:45I'm the real ogre of Dubrovnik.
13:47Now get out of my swamp!
13:49In the end, you're better off revisiting his earlier works.
13:53Number 5.
13:53Good Times Black Again.
13:55People have very little positive to say about the Good Times animated series.
13:59If you've seen the show, you'll certainly understand why.
14:02You got a lot of nerves showing that face of yours around here.
14:06And you got a lot of nerves showing your face anyway.
14:09While other reboots at least try to honor what made their original special, this one
14:12actively alienates viewers from it.
14:14From the moment its trailer dropped, the show faced heavy backlash over the content many
14:19found obscene and misguided.
14:21Honestly, that reaction makes sense, because there's nothing funny about leaning into ugly
14:25stereotypes.
14:26Even if there are a few deep, decent moments buried in it, the show largely fails to work
14:31as a whole.
14:31I'm just grateful that no one was hurt.
14:34Its dismal scores across multiple review sites and eventual cancellation make perfect
14:38sense.
14:39There's nothing good about this Good Times.
14:41It's more like Bad Times.
14:45How do you take a great premise, a stellar cast, and Disney-level production value, and still
14:51fumble it?
14:52That's exactly what Secret Invasion did.
15:06It turned what should have been a tense espionage thriller into a flat, inferior story.
15:11The pacing is awkward, the intrigue is missing, and characters we once cared about became impossible
15:17to invest in.
15:18Worse, there's barely any secret, and hardly any invasion.
15:22We don't blame those who called it a waste of time and talent.
15:25It's quite disappointing.
15:26By the finale, any remaining interest is drained, making an already weak series feel
15:31more pointless.
15:32I'm supposed to be like Talos and put my trust in you!
15:35Maybe if it hadn't carried the Secret Invasion title, expectations would have been lower.
15:39As it stands now, it's easily one of the worst MCU shows ever.
15:43Number 3.
15:44Velma Season 2
15:46An origin story for Velma Dinkley?
15:48Mindy Kaling's Velma feels more like a deliberate attempt to make viewers hate the character
15:52and everyone behind the show.
15:54Velma, no one's gonna ask you to leave.
15:56As crazy as this sounds, you're popular now!
15:58You saved the life of every girl here!
16:00I guess.
16:01Still, it just feels weird.
16:03I'm so glad you're here.
16:04Instead of honoring a childhood classic, Velma goes out of its way to be offensive.
16:08The Jokester's is tasteful and mean-spirited, the characters so far removed from their Scooby-Doo
16:13counterparts that feels insulting to longtime fans.
16:16As if Season 1 wasn't tasteless enough, Season 2 somehow doubled down, proving the show creators
16:21had little respect for these characters or the fandom that loved them.
16:25Fans who tore into the first season only came back louder, demanding its cancellation.
16:29What?
16:30That can't be true!
16:31Eventually, the show was pulled.
16:33Sparing viewers from watching a beloved franchise be damaged further.
16:37Number 2.
16:38All's Fair
16:38Ryan Murphy won Emmy Awards and created some iconic shows, only to be later tied to what's
16:43considered one of the worst TV shows ever.
16:45This ultra-glam series follows elite female divorce attorneys helping wronged women secure
16:51massive settlements.
16:52Cheers to that, ladies!
16:53Cheers!
16:54On paper, it sounds empowering, but in execution, it's painfully cringey.
16:58Despite a cast of popular, capable actresses, All's Fair was dragged by awful writing, underdeveloped
17:05characters, and camp taken to excess.
17:07Casting Kim Kardashian in a lead role didn't help matters either.
17:10What are we gonna do?
17:12I don't know yet.
17:13Critics tore it apart, audiences piled on, and the backlash was relentless.
17:17Yet somehow, All's Fair benefited from the hate watch, dominating online discourse, and
17:22becoming one of Hulu's biggest original hits.
17:25A second season is even on its way.
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17:43Number 1.
17:44The Idol
17:44Of course, you were all expecting this one.
17:47During the production of The Idol, Sam Levinson replaced Amy Simons as director.
17:51It could be worse.
17:52It could be worse.
17:53Yeah.
17:53With Levinson in charge, the show shifted from its earlier concept toward a sexualized,
17:58degrading love story.
17:59This certainly explains why the show felt unfocused, controversial, and ultimately disappointing
18:04to its viewers.
18:05In what world did anyone think the show's offensive core idea would somehow be fascinating or groundbreaking?
18:12I'm not even trying to change that man.
18:13All I'm doing is observing, you know what I mean?
18:15I want to watch him and see how he moves so I know how to manage.
18:20Critics took no pity on the show, lambasting it for its writing, themes, directing, and
18:25performances as well.
18:27As the series progressed, viewership steadily declined.
18:30It ended up airing just five episodes instead of The Plan 6, and was ultimately cancelled after
18:35a single season.
18:36What other TV show deserves a spot on this list?
18:38Let us know in the comments.
18:40Let's look at the comments.
18:40Let's look at each other.
18:45Let us know in the comments.观
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