Reddit users have gathered on large subreddits like r/television and r/AskReddit multiple times to discuss which TV shows are the worst of all. Some of their picks are obvious while others are somewhat surprising, including shows that were mostly well-received.
The Reddit users laid into series with poor writing or silly premises, unfunny sitcoms, and morally dubious reality shows. From Batwoman to The Swan, these are some of the most egregious shows to ever hit the small screen.
10 ‘Falling Skies’ (2011-2015)
Falling Skies is a sci-fi set in the aftermath of an apocalyptic alien invasion. Following the annihilation of major cities and the decimation of Earth’s population, the remnants of humanity unite under the leadership of Tom Mason (Noah Wyle), a history professor turned reluctant warrior.
Falling Skies is something of a controversial pick, as the response to it was mostly positive. Nevertheless, one Redditor utterly despised it. “Plot holes upon plot holes and then more plot holes. You might be into sci-fi, but do yourself a favor and avoid this show,” said user elister.
9 ‘Revolution’ (2012-2014)
Another post-apocalyptic story, Revolution imagines a future where electricity has vanished and society has regressed to pre-industrial levels. In this environment, Charlie Matheson (Tracy Spiridakos) embarks on a perilous journey to rescue her kidnapped brother and unravel the truth behind the global blackout.
“Perfect example of a show with a cool concept almost instantly going to sh*t due to incompetent writing,” said user Comprehensive-Fun47. “Such great potential hidden by an absolutely terrible character development and the thickest plot armor ever,” agreed Redditor Ebasch.
8 ‘Mrs. Brown’s Boys’ (2011-)
Mrs. Brown’s Boys is an incredibly popular Irish sitcom in which comedian Brendan O’Carroll plays the eccentric and often irreverent Agnes Brown, the sharp-witted matriarch of a family of goofballs. Fundamentally, the show is only watchable if you find the sight of O’Carroll in a wig funny. If not, you’re likely to be left scratching your head.
“Mrs. Brown’s Boys is like if you took the terrible comedy of The Big Bang Theory and fused it with the production values of a third-tier drama school’s end-of-season production,” said Redditor OmNomDeBonBon. “It’s genuinely terrible,” agreed user luuuu67788.
7 ‘Emily in Paris’ (2020-)
Emily in Paris is another show that was commercially successful but reviled by many critics. It stars Lily Collins as a marketing executive from Chicago who unexpectedly lands her dream job in Paris. Much of the critical ire was directed at the clichéd depiction of France, as well as Emily’s lack of character development over the course of the series.
“Emily is the most unlikeable protagonist ever,” said user Thrillhol. “I kept going, ‘That’s not how this works! That’s not how any of this works!’” another Redditor said. “The vineyard episode made me cringe,” added user DucktorQuackvorkian.
6 ‘Rob’ (2012)
Rob was a short-lived TV show created by and starring Rob Schneider. It sees the title character attempting to bond with his wife’s close-knit Mexican-American family. Schneider has turned in several delightful performances over the years, but this is not one of them. Not even the presence of Cheech Marin can salvage such an unfunny snoozefest.
“[I] couldn’t even finish the first episode. Absolute garbage,” one Redditor said. “I couldn’t figure out if it was an elaborate joke (i.e. Rob made his character so unlikable intentionally in an attempt to be funny) or if he genuinely thought that this kind of person could be perceived as funny and not a giant douche,” said user Flimsy_Tooth_4443.
5 ‘The Secret Life of the American Teenager’ (2008-2013)
Shailene Woodley leads this teen drama as Amy, a 15-year-old whose unexpected pregnancy sets off a chain of events that ripple through her circle of friends and family. The show drew solid viewership, but many critics panned its writing, stilted dialogue, and unbelievable plot developments.
“The acting, the writing, the entire premise. I genuinely can’t decide if it’s some sort of satire — it would at least be better than believing it was supposed to be serious. It’s terrible,” said Redditor chelclc16. “That show just progressively got worse and worse. Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, yet another teenager got pregnant! Not to mention that literally no one on that show is likable. They are all awful,” said user Feeling-Visit1472.
4 ‘Cop Rock’ (1990)
Few shows have a premise as bizarre as Cop Rock, a police procedural crossed with a musical. The show took an “unconventional” approach by incorporating song and dance numbers into a gritty police drama. The characters frequently break into musical performances that reflect their emotions, conflicts, and the cases they’re working on.
“As an actual serious cop drama it was possibly the dumbest idea in the history of television,” said user sharrrper. “I still have the DVD because it’s just so unbelievable how bad it is. But what’s also worse, is that before they break into song, it actually feels like a good, gritty cop show… but then of course… they break into song,” another Redditor added.
3 ‘Batwoman’ (2019-2022)
The first season of Batwoman centers on Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) as she takes on the mantle of Batwoman. In Season 2 and 3, Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) takes her place. The show had a lot of potential, but unfortunately, the end result was a serious creative misfire. The action sequences are boring, a lot of the acting is flat and the dialogue at times sounds like something from a soap opera.
“[Batwoman] honestly tries to better itself by sh*tting on everything else that made it great. It doesn’t help either that the main lead left the show after one season,” said Redditor Austintholmes. “Production value and horrible acting and scripts didn’t help either. Worst CW show of all time!” added user calindor.
2 ‘The Inbetweeners’ (2012)
The British comedy The Inbetweeners, about a gang of awkward and foulmouthed teenagers, is a real gem and well worth watching. The same cannot be said of the American remake. Granted, the original’s humor is very British, which posed a challenge, but still, it’s frankly impressive how unappealing this version is. Taika Waititi directed a few episodes, but saving this show was beyond his talents.
“Being a British person and watching it made me wonder what the f— was going through producers’ minds in order to make such an abomination,” said Redditor eveao. “It was terrible, almost as bad as US Skins,” said user Dependent_Noise_7699.
1 ‘The Swan’ (2004-2005)
There’s awful TV, and then there’s The Swan, a reality show so creatively and philosophically confused that it easily deserves the title of worst show of all time. Each season, a group of women who felt dissatisfied with their looks underwent a series of plastic surgeries and other beauty treatments. Those deemed the most successful made it through to a beauty pageant held at the end of the season.
The Swan was eviscerated by critics, many of whom described it as shallow and exploitative. Indeed, it arguably represents the nadir of reality TV, which is saying something. “Everything about it was in really bad taste,” said user xxplodingboy. “This is the worst thing ever on TV,” said another Redditor simply.
