20 TV Shows That Were Supposed to Be Huge but Totally Flopped
Some TV shows were supposed to be massive hits but ended up embarrassing failures.
- Sophia Zapanta
- 6 min read
Big budgets, famous actors, and huge marketing campaigns do not always guarantee success. Some shows started with high expectations but failed because of bad writing, confusing plots, or just bad timing. Here are 20 TV shows that were supposed to be huge but completely flopped.
1. Terra Nova (2011)
Amblin Television on Wikimedia Commons
This show had time travel, dinosaurs, and Steven Spielberg as a producer. Fox spent a fortune on special effects, but the story was boring, and the characters were forgettable. People wanted epic dinosaur battles, but instead, they got family drama. It was canceled after one season, making it one of TV’s most expensive failures.
2. The Event (2010)
Xeworlebi on Wikimedia Commons
NBC promoted this show as the next big mystery thriller. The story jumped between timelines, involved government conspiracies and aliens, and left viewers with way too many unanswered questions. Viewers lost interest because nothing made sense. After one season, it was canceled, and nobody remembers what “The Event” was supposed to be.
3. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006)
Shoe Money Productions on Wikimedia Commons
Aaron Sorkin created this show with a great cast, but it took itself way too seriously. It was supposed to show the behind-the-scenes drama of a sketch comedy show, but it was not funny at all. Meanwhile, 30 Rock came out the same year and did a much better job. It was canceled after one season.
4. FlashForward (2009)
American Broadcasting Company on Wikimedia Commons
ABC wanted this to be the next Lost, but it was just confusing. The idea was interesting. Everyone on Earth blacks out for two minutes and sees their future, but the show dragged on with slow storytelling. Viewers got frustrated, and it was canceled before giving any real answers.
5. Vinyl (2016)
Evan-Amos on Wikimedia Commons
This HBO show was about the 1970s rock music scene and was produced by Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese. It had a huge budget and big names, but the story was all over the place, and the characters were not interesting. HBO renewed it for a second season, then quickly changed their minds. It ended after one expensive season.
6. The Cape (2011)
Ronald Woan on Wikimedia Commons
NBC thought people wanted a superhero show but gave them this mess instead. The story was about a cop who faked his death and became a superhero with a magic cape. The acting was bad, and the effects were worse. It was canceled after ten episodes, and people only remember it as a joke.
7. Utopia (2020)
CIN I&II on Wikimedia Commons
Amazon spent a lot of money on this American remake of a British show. The original was smart and mysterious, but the remake was just violent and messy. People lost interest quickly, and Amazon canceled it after one season. Most viewers did not even know it existed.
8. Selfie (2014)
ABC on Wikimedia Commons
This was supposed to be a modern version of My Fair Lady but with social media. It starred Karen Gillan and John Cho, two great actors, but the show was awkward and tried too hard to be funny. It only lasted 13 episodes before ABC canceled it. The name alone made people cringe.
9. The Lone Ranger (2003)
ABC Television on Wikimedia Commons
This was supposed to bring back a classic hero, but nobody wanted it. The writing was bad, and the action was boring. It was meant to be a TV movie that would lead to a full series, but the ratings were terrible. The series was scrapped, and this version of The Lone Ranger was quickly forgotten.
10. Inhumans (2017)
S Pakhrin on Wikimedia Commons
Marvel tried to turn this into their next big thing, but it was a disaster. The effects looked cheap, the acting was wooden, and the story was a mess. It was supposed to be a movie before turning into a TV show, but it should have stayed canceled. ABC pulled the plug after one awful season.
11. Cavemen (2007)
Peter Kudlacz on Wikimedia Commons
This show was based on a Geico insurance commercial. That was the entire idea. Somehow, ABC thought people would want to watch a full show about cavemen struggling with modern life. They did not. It was canceled after six episodes.
12. Alcatraz (2012)
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This sci-fi mystery was about prisoners from Alcatraz disappearing and reappearing in the present day. The idea sounded cool, but the show was repetitive and slow. Viewers stopped watching because nothing exciting ever happened. It was canceled after one season, and the mystery was never solved.
13. Dracula (2013)
Universal Pictures on Wikimedia Commons
NBC tried to make a serious, dramatic version of Dracula starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. It was supposed to be a mix of horror and politics, but it was just boring. The show could not decide if Dracula was a hero or a villain. It only lasted one season before being staked in the heart.
14. The Playboy Club (2011)
Benchill on Wikimedia Commons
NBC thought a show about the famous Playboy Clubs of the 1960s would be a hit. Instead, it was awkward and tried too hard to be a serious drama. People were uncomfortable with the concept, and advertisers backed out. It was canceled after just three episodes.
15. Emergence (2019)
Rolfesw on Wikimedia Commons
This sci-fi mystery show was about a little girl with strange powers and a big secret. ABC hoped it would become a new hit, but the story was slow, and the mystery was not exciting. Viewers lost interest, and the show never got a second season. It disappeared as quietly as it arrived.
16. Charlie’s Angels (2011)
Sony Pictures Television on Wikimedia Commons
This was an attempt to bring back the classic franchise for a new generation. It had action, style, and a big budget, but it was also bland and had terrible dialogue. The characters had no chemistry, and fans did not care. It was canceled after just eight episodes.
17. Do No Harm (2013)
Steven Chiefa on Wikimedia Commons
NBC’s attempt at a Jekyll and Hyde story failed immediately. It was about a doctor with an evil alter ego, but the writing was bad, and nobody watched it. It had the worst premiere ratings in TV history at the time. NBC canceled it after two episodes.
18. Revolution (2012)
Rumensz on Wikimedia Commons
This show was about a world where all electricity stopped working. The idea was interesting, and it had a good start, but the story got worse every week. By the time it was canceled after two seasons, most people had already stopped watching. It had potential but wasted it.
19. Powerless (2017)
DC Entertainment on Wikimedia Commons
This was a comedy set in the DC Comics universe, about normal people working for an insurance company in a world full of superheroes. The concept sounded fun, but the jokes were bad, and the show felt cheap. Even with a great cast, it could not find an audience. It was canceled before the first season even finished airing.
20. The Michael J. Fox Show (2013)
NBC on Wikimedia Commons
Michael J. Fox returned to TV in a sitcom about a news anchor with Parkinson’s disease. It was meant to be heartwarming and funny, but the writing was weak, and the jokes did not land. NBC gave it a full-season order, but ratings were so bad they pulled it early. It was a sad end for a beloved actor’s comeback.