2009: The Cougar
While people rarely turn to reality TV when they’re in the mood for quality viewing, even the cheesiest reality shows have the potential to be big hits. Why? Well, you have to admit there’s a certain joy that can only be found in secretly indulging in trashy TV. And it doesn’t get more trashy than a group of 20-something males competing to romance a rich and successful lady who’s more than twice their age. While The Cougar had all the key ingredients to be one of those trashy indulgences you’d never admit to watching but secretly can’t get enough of, it somehow failed to deliver.
The Boston Globe explained why they thought it fell short: “By rights, given all of this material, The Cougar should be hilarious. But the show takes itself so seriously that, instead, it feels impossibly sad.” Audiences apparently agreed, because the show only lasted eight episodes.
2008: Farmer Wants a Wife
2008 was home to yet another strange reality dating show: Farmer Wants a Wife. Offered up by The CW network, the show was based on a British program of the same name, which was apparently popular enough in the UK to warrant an American attempt at emulating its success. Like a country version of The Bachelor, Farmer Wants a Wife involved ten city girls vying for the attention of a single and handsome farmer. The show lasted eight episodes and perhaps the most entertaining aspect of it was the fact that each one beat the last to the bottom of the Nielsen ratings.
The Philadelphia Daily News had the cutest way of describing the travesty that was Farmer Wants a Wife: “It’s strictly entertainment, assuming that’s what you call it when one guy’s ordering 10 aspiring brides through a series of ridiculously staged agricultural challenges to find the one who’ll win the right to have her name mentioned in People magazine when they break up.” Hello sarcasm, our old friend.
2009: In the Motherhood
When TV networks see a web series doing well, it’s standard practice for their eyes to glaze over with dollar signs. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting to capitalize on a good thing, it is important to ensure that you’re actually giving audiences something they like. This was the key thing missing from ABC’s failed attempt at converting Motherhood from online success to silver screen ratings. Airing in 2009, the show centered around three moms, each with her own unique parenting style. The sitcom failed dismally, only managing to hold on for seven episodes.
USA Today pulled no punches in its critique: “what you get from Motherhood are witless, barely connected vignettes about three, unpleasant, unbelievable women.” Like a spoiled rich kid, the show was given every opportunity to shine with heavy promotion from the network and sponsorship from both Sprint and Suave. Funnily enough, this support may have been partially responsible for its failure. Viewers were annoyed at the incessant product placement, particularly as it seemed to come at the expense of things like an engaging plot and funny jokes.
2010: High Society
With shows like Gossip Girl and HBO classic, Sex and the City, enjoying cult status among their numerous fans, you can understand why producers of High Society felt sure their show would be a rating success. The 2010 offering focused on the real lives of New York City socialites, with Tinsley Mortimer as its first “it girl.” It seems, though, that the reality of high society in New York just isn’t as entertaining as what fiction writers can come up with. The show fell flat, failing to live up to the impossible expectations viewers had developed from Gossip Girl and SATC.
Only eight episodes ever made it out into the public realm, and this writer from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette clearly felt that was already far too much, describing High Society as “an awful show about awful people.” In her defense, it was less Tinsley Mortimer and more her morally bankrupt set of friends that critics complained about.
2010: The Deep End
Premiering on ABC in 2010, The Deep End has the dubious honor of joining the ranks of shows that were canceled within their first month. Just reading the premise has us already glazing over with boredom, so we can see why it didn’t go down well with audiences. The Deep End was a legal drama (yawn) that centered around a bunch of first-year associate attorneys as they dealt with insane workloads at a top LA law firm. Why, after a full day’s work, would anyone want to come home and watch a show about people dealing with too much work? We feel stressed just thinking about it.
In addition to its work-heavy premise, critics felt The Deep End lacked originality. The San Francisco Chronicle made no mystery of its feelings about the show: “The Deep End is stupid. It is obvious and ridiculous and badly acted for the most part.” The Los Angeles Times was equally harsh, calling it “poorly conceived, badly written and indifferently acted, The Deep End is a jumble of terrible ideas from start to finish.”