# Worst TV Shows of All Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 28, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259 "2005-06-28T19:54:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/81 "2005-06-29T23:09:57Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > That would be _The Charmings_. Not great, kind of uninspired, but not the sort of true awfulness we’re looking for here. And the woman who played Snow White (first season) was a babe, which helps. Christopher Rich who was Prince Charming in the aforementioned show was later on Murphy Brown and the George Carlin Show. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/82 "2005-06-29T23:10:55Z")
I just remembered this: The Pitts. I think the family were descendants of Job or something like that. That show sucked. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/83 "2005-06-29T23:30:37Z")
**Mockingbird** , please: no personal insults in Cafe Society. You can criticize what someone says, but not the person. Thus, note the difference between (a) “What you said was inaccurate and you’ve been inaccurate often before” vs (b) “Stop talking out of your ass.” Note that approach (a) is acceptable for this forum, and approach (b) is not. Right? ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/84 "2005-06-29T23:55:17Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > It would have been funnier without Chris Elliot. Chris Elliot made many shows funny by not being in them. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/85 "2005-06-30T00:24:09Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > Chris Elliot made many shows funny by not being in them. However, there are many shows that managed to be unfunny without his help. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/86 "2005-06-30T00:55:41Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > Three words: > **My > Mother > the > Car** > > ok. Four. I can remember seeing this as a child and I don’t remember thinking ‘This is dreadful’. I don’t know why it keeps getting nominated as being that bad. Okay, the premise is rather silly (it’s not alone there) but it did have the voice of Ann Sothern as the car. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/87 "2005-06-30T05:29:40Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > It would have been funnier without Chris Elliot. Never saw that program, but Chris Elliott was brilliant during the early days of Dave Letterman’s show. ---
**Author:** ![marque\_elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@marque\_elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marque_elf)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/88 "2005-07-02T20:08:35Z")
I find it incredible that this thread has gone on for 3 pages and no one has mentioned that show with David Hasselhof {sp?) and the amazing talking car. Neither Hasselhof or the car had any acting ability and the car’s voice was annoying also. The show was so bad that I’ve blocked out its name to spare my self the horror of flashbacks. Another bad show was that vampire detective show shot somewhere in Canada, Calgary or Toronto I think, but supposedly was set in the US. Every single shot had the TD tower in it. Also, the acting was so bad that the fake American cityscape was more interesting than the action of the show. Let us not forget the Black Scorpion from the SciFi channel. I was never sure if this was supposed to be camp a la 1960’s Batman or their budget was so small that they could afford to spend much on sets, costumers or actors with any talent. The show had all the fascination of watching paint dry with none of the color. I think that it’s no coincidence that many of the truly awful shows of all time had fantasy/science fiction themes. Sadly, the SciFi channel has done little to improve the quality of the genre. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/89 "2005-07-02T21:04:25Z")
> [@Jpeg Jones](#): > > Hey, come on. Get a Life was hilarious. I have 2 seasons on DVD. Is R.E.M.'s “Stand” still the theme song on the DVD? Because when I saw reruns on the USA Network a couple of years ago, “Stand” had been replaced by some unrecognizable jangly tune. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/90 "2005-07-02T21:42:12Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I remember this show. Was she the one that lived on the submarine? No that would have been Callie the red head that solved crimes. SMG was the rich girl and her mom was either the Mayor or she was running for Mayor against the father of the boy she wanted to date. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/91 "2005-07-03T08:40:33Z")
Walker: Texas Ranger is fun to watch if you’ve seen the clips of it on Conan first. I swear, each episode is a 44-minute WTF? moment. I nominate Family Matters as worst TV show ever. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/92 "2005-07-03T09:43:33Z")
> [@marque elf](#): > > I find it incredible that this thread has gone on for 3 pages and no one has mentioned that show with David Hasselhof {sp?) and the amazing talking car. Neither Hasselhof or the car had any acting ability and the car’s voice was annoying also. The show was so bad that I’ve blocked out its name to spare my self the horror of flashbacks. That would be [Knight Rider](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083437/) . A very bad show, indeed, although Edward Mulhare could be considered a redeeming feature. > [@](#): > > Another bad show was that vampire detective show shot somewhere in Canada, Calgary or Toronto I think, but supposedly was set in the US. Every single shot had the TD tower in it. Also, the acting was so bad that the fake American cityscape was more interesting than the action of the show. That was supposed to be an American city? It never occurred to me that it was anything other than Canadian. Silly me. That show was [Forever Knight](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103417/). I rather liked it; it certainly isn’t the stinker that some of the ones named here were! I loved Quark. My whole family, which has trouble agreeing on many things, was collectively annoyed when it abruptly disappeared. Hee Haw is kinda corny, but how can you not like a show where people sing > [@](#): > > Gloom, despair, and agony, oh, me! > Deep dark depression! Endless misery! > If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. > Gloom, despair, and agony, oh me! The glut of reality shows tops my stinkers list. For example, “Trading Spouses”. That anyone thought this was a good idea to begin with fills me with dismay, horror, and no little grrrrrr. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/93 "2005-07-03T11:48:47Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > For example, “Trading Spouses”. That anyone thought this was a good idea to begin with fills me with dismay, horror, and no little grrrrrr. The really bad part is that Dave Chapelle did that as a skit before Fox decided it was a good idea for a real show. No wonder Chapelle ran away. HE COULD SEE THE FUTURE!!! ---
**Author:** ![zenith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zenith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zenith)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/94 "2005-07-03T13:31:33Z")
I will never forgive Bill Cosby’s horrid CBS (alleged) comedy which was supposed to be based on “One Foot In The Grave”. I watched one episode, which pretty much used one of David Renwick’s scripts word for word and Cosby and Phylicia Rashaad utterly stank the place up with it. Cosby’s major fault is that he’s ALWAYS got to be “loveable” in everything he does on TV. He grinned and smirked all the way through his curmudgeonly role (“I’m not really a nasty old codger,folks. I’m just acting”)and took all the bite out of Richard Wilson’s excellent original British rendition. Another stinker was 1973’s attempt to do “Perry Mason” with Monte Markham instead of Raymond Burr. Burr himself was generally phoning it in on those 2-hour movie-of the-week Masons of the '80s and '90s. Actually, I think that James Spader’s Alan Shore character on “Boston Legal” comes the closest to the Mason of the original pulp novels. ---
**Author:** ![mike1dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mike1dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike1dog)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/95 "2005-07-03T14:04:59Z")
[Payne.](http://imdb.com/title/tt0182623/) Take Fawlty Towers, set it in the U.S. and take all the humor out of it. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/96 "2005-07-03T15:30:52Z")
My purpose for existing on the SDMB is, in threads such as this, to remind people of “Jennifer Slept Here.” My family watched it every week, and so the theme song is stuck forever in my head, and no amount of running face-first into brick walls can drive it out. Jennifer slept here! She lived here, laughed here, and wept here! She slept here! And she NEVER REALLY LEFT HERE! Pardon me, I need to go and kill myself now. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/97 "2005-07-03T17:06:09Z")
After _Seinfeld_ went off the air, they gave Michael Richards (Kramer) a show, _The Michael Richards Show_. I checked it out, hoping that it would be good, but it was absolutely unwatchable. Bad acting, bad stories, forced canned laughter. Absolutely the worst. And cancelled shortly. ---
**Author:** ![snorlax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@snorlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snorlax)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/98 "2005-07-03T23:06:30Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > …I’m going to have to throw down on _Alice_ … I see your _Alice_ and raise you one [_Flo_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080216/). According to IMDB, this short-lived spinoff was nominated for two Emmys. I suspect some sort of gritkissing conspiracy. And on the subject of unwatchable eponymous spinoffs let’s not forget [_Enos_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080213/). ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2005, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/99 "2005-07-04T08:45:28Z")
> [@Uvula Donor](#): > > Do one-shot “specials” count? Because the _Star Wars Holiday Special_ was probably the worst thing ever broadcast on network television. My buddy has a copy of that, and it truly is worse than you’re thinking right now. How could you screw up Star Wars that badly, you’re wondering. This must be overstatement. I would rather watch 2 hours of any of the shows mentioned here than sit through this, because although they may not be funny, I bet something actually happens in them, and I bet I can laugh at them. TSWHS is so bad that it’s NOT funny. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2005, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259/100 "2005-07-04T08:56:01Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > (And Buck Owens, his original co-host, only bailed in 1986.) Shudder. Buck has retired to Bakersfield, CA, where he has a street named for him and a dinner theater / hotel that does him pretty well. I hear he plays there himself fairly often. A bit of Bransonesque business before Branson thought of it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tv-shows-of-all-time/310259.md?page=6)