Your Suggestions, Please:

Posted on July 7, 2004    Posted by John Scalzi

I’m putting together some articles for Book of the Dumb 2 on really bad TV shows. So: Any suggestions you have would be appreciated.

Criteria:

1. A show that was clearly a bad idea in its own (and indeed in any other) time.

2. A show that actually failed (i.e., one season or less). No matter how much you hate, say, Full House or ALF, the fact they lasted several seasons says something (nothing good, to be sure, but something).

3. Critically reviled would be helpful.

4. Had to have aired in the US. I’m sure Britain and Canada had their share of bad shows, but I’m unlikely to have seen them and/or to be able to find much information about them during research.

5. Major network is preferable. Really, who gives a crap about some really bad show on Spike TV.

Some examples I can think of for Dumb TV: Coupling (the US version), XFL, Diary of Desmond Pfipfpfer (or however it was spelled), Supertrain, Pink Lady and Jeff, My Mother the Car.

Compensation: Well, I’ll love you. Also, I’ll put a note in the entry: “Suggested by [Your Name Here]” You’ll be famous, to the entent that fame came be derived by such an attribution.

Timeframe: By Friday, let’s say, 8pm.

I’ll be doing about ten of these articles, and will probably include at least a couple of the shows I used as examples, but I think I’d love to see what other people have up their sleeves. So let me know what you thought truly represented the worst TV had to offer.