Some television programs are lucky enough to have long runs on the air and become part
of the pop culture zeitgeist.
Others aren’t so lucky.
The really unfortunate are those that come to our homes full of hope and promise, but
don’t even make it to multiple episodes.
Here are Screen Rant’s 10 TV shows cancelled after one episode.
Heil Honey, I’m Home
Comedy is usually at its best when it has an edge, and there aren’t many more controversial
topics than racial and ethnic humor.
While audiences found a soft spot for the likes of Archie Bunker, this British sitcom
went too far.
Starring caricaturized versions of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun, the romantic couple sees their
happy life crumble around them when they become neighbors to a Jewish couple.
Hilarity obviously didn’t ensue, and it’s easy to understand why there were problems
with the premise.
Poking fun at the Third Reich is something we enjoy, but it needs to be done tastefully
a la Mel Brooks.
Osbournes Reloaded
The Osbourne family had one hit reality show, but they couldn’t make it 2/2 with their
attempt at a variety show.
Despite backing from American Idol producers, Osbournes Reloaded couldn’t find an audience
and was panned by critics, who labeled it as “Must-Flee TV.”
We love rocking out to Ozzy, but the sight of seeing him do comedy sketches in drag and
see members of the clan work “real jobs” like fast food drive thru obviously didn’t
have much appeal.
Poor ratings and concerns about the content on network TV gave Fox no choice but to remove
it after the premiere episode aired.
Dot Comedy
At the turn of the new millennium, people were just beginning to understand the wonders
of the Internet, and television wanted in on the party.
Knowing that the world wide web could be a breeding ground for humor and hijinks, ABC
green lit this series that would feature want-to-be stars trying to go viral.
The clip show was prophetic in its vision, but network executives weren’t pleased with
the low ratings, as the 4.1 million viewers was a smaller total than the show Dot Comedy
replaced in the lineup.
If only ABC had waited a few more years, they might have had a real winner.
Emily’s Reasons Why Not
It was big news when star Heather Graham made the jump from movies to TV, and that’s the
most memorable aspect of the short-lived sitcom Emily’s Reasons Why Not.
The main culprit was its unoriginal setup, which saw Graham playing a self-help author
who comically couldn’t figure out the problems in her own life.
Bringing nothing new to the table, the show was panned by critics and failed to draw in
viewers despite a large amount of hype.
With that reaction, ABC had plenty of answers to the question “why not” when it came
to the fate of the episodes that were left over.
Quarterlife
Hollywood is full of portrayals of people undergoing a midlife crisis, but quarterlife
can be just as terrifying.
That was the idea behind NBC’s 2008 broadcast version of a MySpace series.
Though the web series was a hit that racked up the hits, the television show couldn’t
attract a similar audience.
The premiere episode got a dismal response from viewers, with ratings lower than the
Democratic Presidential debate happening at the same time.
It was an unheard of failure for the network, who quickly canceled the show and sent the
remaining episodes to sister station Bravo.
Shows not every phenomenon is a guaranteed success.
Secret Talents of the Stars
A celebrity may be famous for acting or singing, but that doesn’t mean their skill set is
limited to a singular talent.
CBS intended to show how gifted our favorite stars were with an intended seven-week reality
competition featuring big names like Joe Frazier and George Takei.
Audiences even had the chance to vote from home in the tournament, but they didn’t
take the bait.
The concept was deemed too ridiculous by the masses, and Secret Talents of the Stars was
pulled after the first episode aired.
Our guess is nobody had the ability to turn all TVs to the same channel during its airtime.
Co-Ed Fever
After the success of Animal House, everyone wanted in on the frat comedy craze, but the
genre wasn’t meant for network TV.
One of the most infamous failures was this short-lived CBS sitcom, which tried to showcase
the hysteria of guys being accepted to a formerly all-girls college.
Uninspired with its setup and character development, Co-Ed Fever never even made its regularly
scheduled time slot.
The special “preview night” episode that aired was so low rated and trashed by critics,
the network pulled the plug right there.
But the series wasn’t a total loss.
One of the sets found a second life as the girl’s dormitory on the first season of
Facts of Life, so there’s that.
Breaking Boston
Usually, reality shows are designed for people to make financial gains, but Mark Wahlberg
had a different idea when he launched Breaking Boston.
The show focused on four young women who were working to improve their lives in Bean Town,
hoping for some personal fulfillment along the way.
It’s an intriguing setup for a show and had the backing of one of Hollywood’s biggest
stars, but those proved to be its only merits.
Citing “underperformance,” A&E pulled it from its lineup after a single episode.
America allegedly loves the story of blue collar people turning things around, but this
one couldn’t resonate with enough people.
The Rich List
Billed as the most addicting game show since Who Wants to be a Millionaire was in its prime,
The Rich List turned out to be broke.
Fox heavily promoted the program, especially during their World Series coverage, but failed
to sell audiences on the hype.
Premiering to low ratings, network executives had no choice but to ax it after one show.
The premise was revived in the GSN program called The Money List, but that iteration
lasted only nine episodes.
As much as audiences love watching game shows, it’s clear that there’s a rule to decide
which ones make the cut and which ones go home.
Ford Nation
Thanks to highly publicized scandals, Toronto mayor Rob Ford and his brother Doug were household
names, which of course meant they deserved a TV show.
Promoted as a weekly program that would air Mondays, Ford Nation actually turned out to
be a ratings winner for the Sun News Network.
Despite much interest, the show ended up being too expensive for the fledgling channel to
produce, as the one episode that aired took five hours to record and eight more to edit.
Those involved now claim it was only meant as a one-time deal, but they’re clearly
trying to save face.
Those are our picks for TV shows that were canceled after one episode.
Are there any we missed?
Which shows do you wish got past the first airing?
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