2024 was a solid TV year overall, but it still had some clunkers.
It was a strange year for Hollywood, as many shows were impacted by the 2023 actors and writers strikes.
It was the end of an era for big shows like “Yellowstone” and “Blue Bloods,” and there was a tepid second season of “House of The Dragon” (but not dreadful enough to make the top 5 worst shows list).
Here are the 5 worst TV offerings of the year — including tedious reboots, a game show and the third season of a widely beloved critical darling.
‘The Bear‘
This is perhaps the most controversial choice, as the restaurant drama starring Jeremy Allen White has been showered with awards, and many people consider it to be among the best shows. Seasons 1 and 2 may have been quality, but Season 3 was a slog that laid bare the show’s most glaring flaws: it’s not interested in plot. And while being a “slice of life” series is fine, “The Beart” is not character-rich in lieu of plot, either. Yes, everyone talks about it being a character-driven show, but many of the characters are bafflingly thinly drawn. What do you get when a drama is neither interested in plot nor character? Good question! The stunt casting and copious flashbacks couldn’t distract from that empty aimlessness this time around. Better luck in Season 4.
Where to watch: Hulu
‘Beast Games‘
You don’t even need to watch a single frame of this show to definitively state that it’s among the year’s worst. YouTuber Mr. Beast’s (né James Stephen Donaldson) TV effort is the “Fyre Festival” of reality shows. “Beast Games” has had an endless string of controversies, including contestants alleging they were deprived of food and medicine while they vied to win a $5 million grand prize, and five who sued Donaldson for “chronic mistreatment,” alleged sexual harassment and more. This one’s been such a disaster, it should never have seen the light of day.
Where to watch: Prime Video
‘Landman‘
“Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan’s latest show leans into all of his worst traits and none of his former show’s charm. Every woman on “Landman” is a terrible one-dimensional cliche: a harpy of an ex wife (Ali Larter), a cold blooded lawyer (Kayla Wallace), a bizarrely sexual daughter (Michelle Randolph). The daughter is the worst offender, since she has lewd dialogue with her father and takes her clothes off in front of old men — it doesn’t feel like how a real girl behaves, it feels like a “Playboy” fantasy by way of “To Catch a Predator.” “Yellowstone” fans may have mocked Sheridan for casting supermodel Bella Hadid as his girlfriend in that show, but “Landman” goes even harder on those dubious instincts.
Where to watch: Paramount
‘Cruel Intentions‘
The 1999 movie was a modern classic, but this tired remake is not only unnecessary — it’s worse in every way. It’s miscast: Star Zac Burgess would be better suited to Joshua Jackson’s role from the movie, not Ryan Philippe’s. It misunderstands what made the movie a hit. In the film, Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character snorts cocaine from her cross necklace at the end, creating an iconic moment. The TV show’s version of that character (played by Sarah Catherine Hook) does the same thing quickly in the beginning of the show. Nothing leads up to it, and the show speeds past it. So a scene that was a Moment with a capital “M” in the film was a nothingburger in the show, which exemplifies the entire spirit of the reboot.
Where to watch: Prime Video
‘Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?‘
Mindless junky game shows that are nothing more than “content” are a dime a dozen. So what makes this one especially offensive? It’s not so much the show itself as it is the cynical use of Travis Kelce and his newfound elevated Taylor Swift fame. This show essentially dangles Kelce on a stick for the viewer, and seems to assume that people will watch just about anything if a famous face is in it. Depressingly, that’s true.
Where to watch: Prime Video
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