Dave's Worst TV Series of All Time (Aug 21, 2002)

So how could most of us judge how bad a TV show was if most of us were busy watching our favorites opposite them? How can we tell a show was bad if we never got a chance to watch it?

I demand to resubmit. Therefore, I created my own Worst 50 TV Show list featuring the shows of prime time that ran long enough to be run in syndication; shows that lasted at least three seasons are likely to be stripped to local stations that buy the off-network series and they can run them anytime. We can watch what we missed the first time around while we watch some of the bad network shows that were on for a short time back then.

Each of the series must run for at least three seasons. That is the only rule. And now, here is my list of shows that I have watched (or tried to watch) but I never liked even with repeated viewings. Some series I watched the whole way through, others I just left after the first few shows.

• "A Different World" - why did this lame show follow Cosby for five years, then bomb once it got the lead Thursday 8pm slot in its sixth season? The series sucked, pure and simple!
• "Wings" - absolutely no syndication value whatsover, though Crystal Bernard was the only reason to watch this dreaded show.
• "Suddenly Susan" left me suddenly snoozin'!
• "Dharma and Greg" is absolutely unfunny and a waste of time.
• "Jerry Springer" is nothing but old shows rerun over and over again with the same subjects.
• "Veronica's Closet" was just plain bad.
• "The X-Files" - I just couldn't figure out the appeal of this series. I watched just three and that was all I could get.
• "Ally McBeal" - too much of a chick show for me to stand.
• "Frasier" - only for girly men.
• "One Day at a Time" - save for Valerie Bertinelli's overrated cuteness, the whole concept plain stunk.
• "Diff'erent Strokes" - they fired Dana Plato without telling us because she wanted a family. I don't think the producers of the show were fair on her.
• "Facts of Life" - the first two seasons were the worst in television history. Though the writing was improved by the time the cast was reduced, the show never really appealled to males (except those who drooled over Lisa Whelchel and Mindy Cohn)
• "Eight is Enough" (Dick and Susan will kill me over this, and I run eightisenough.com) - the pilot was dull, the first and second seasons are pretty good, but once it became like a poorly written WB drama in its final two seasons, the show sank harder than the Titanic, not letting its characters mature (like Spelling did with the better-written Beverly Hills 90210).
• "Gimme a Break" - I just could not STAND this show!
• "Starsky and Hutch" - two punk single cops. Just doesn't work anymore.
• "Vega$" - not even the desert city could save this series that flopped badly in its third and final season.
• "Baretta" - Robert did it!
• "Charlie's Angels" - sure the women looked good, but that was the only reason why I watched the first four seasons of the series (I bailed after that since the writing was just plain bad)
• "Little House on The Prarie" - there just weren't enough brats like Nellie to save this series from eternal dullness.
• "Touched By An Angel" - this series needs some devils for the angels to fight. Oops, we alredy have "Charmed" for that purpose.
• "Designing Women" - nobody with a penis could watch even a minute of this chick show.
• "Spin City" - not even Heather Locklear's talent could save this series from old age after six seasons.
• "Fridays" - three seasons as a ripoff of Saturday Night Live just couldn't make this late night series work.
• "MAD TV" - a bad version of "In Living Color" in late night
• "Sex and The City" - thank God it's on HBO so I don't accidentally tune it in.
• "Sopranos" - just plain overrated!
• "House Calls" - another bad show that never deserved to last a month.
• "Love Boat" appeals to viewers who were 55 and older....in 1977!
• "Fantasy Island" - why couldn't I get on this show so I could wish this series go off the network schedule!
• "Miami Vice" - drug crime after drug crime. It got boring after two seasons.
• "Charmed" - can't these witches do anything other than vanquish demons?
• "Who's The Boss?" - two beautiful women, a cute tomboy, a boy who is gay in real life, and a henpecked man. Doesn't appeal to guys.
• "Growing Pains" - only Kirk Cameron's girl appeal made this show work.
• "Head of the Class" - "Kotter" in its first three seasons was better.
• "Welcome Back, Kotter" - "Head" in its last season was better. This series sunk when Gabriel Kaplan and John Travolta left after three seasons.
• "3rd Rock From the Sun" - just plain unwatchable.
• "Family Law" - nobody is bothering to watch this series.
• "Baywatch" - sure there were beautiful women, but the plots were thin and forgettable.
• "Flying Nun" - why did I watch this dreaded series. Oh yea. I liked Sally Field. I really liked Sally Field.
• "Brady Bunch", "Partridge Family" - two series that lasted longer than necessary. Both were obsolete in their last seasons.
• "Nanny and The Professor" - why did this lame series last just long enough to make this list?
• "The Nanny" - could anybody stand to listen to nasal Fran Drescher for long?
• "The Price is Right" - this game show on daytime television has gotten plain bad due to excessive meddling by that old fart host Bob Barker. Do me a favor, Bob. RETIRE!
• "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" - over programmed aggressively. Too many celebrity editions. Boring fast finger question. Too many "final answers". No wonder the series got tired.
• "Grounded For Life" - now that it's been renwed for a third season, this show gets on the list!
• "Titus" - just plain unbearable.
• "Just Shoot Me" - why is this show still on?
• "Kate and Allie" - I never could stand to watch this series aimed primarily at chicks.
• "True Colors" - this early Fox-TV show was plain bad.
• "Clueless" - this ABC/UPN series based on the movie just should have never been made with that title.
• "Friends" - six people discussing adult subjects that belong on HBO, not where the kids can watch it!
• "Will & Grace" - Debra is cute, but that's it. The show simply sucks.
• "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - Sarah Michelle Gellar is overrated. Show is a bore.
• "That 70's Show" - it's no "Happy Days"; that 70's show about the 50's was far better by comparison!

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