Summary

• Netflix offers a mix of quality and worst shows, but their batting average is great despite some duds.
• Even cancelled shows have some value on the platform, with major series worth watching.
• Some shows, like FUBAR and Hoops, fall short of expectations despite star power and potential.

While there are quality TV series on the streamer, it's also easy to find some of the worst shows on Netflix. With the increasing number of originals, the platform has more opportunities to release duds, but Netflix has a great batting average. The streaming giant originally drew subscribers by making several hit shows available and Netflix boss Ted Sarandos took credit for the continued popularity of Friends and The Office (via Vanity Fair). Netflix now creates more of its exclusive content.

While excellent shows regularly get canceled by Netflix, most major current series on the streamer are at least worth watching. However, not everything that glitters is gold, and the worst shows on Netflix prove it. For every exciting, well-crafted show such as Stranger Things or Wednesday, there's an obscure Iron Man knock-off series or unintentionally funny drama about Sigmund Freud. The platform has made sure they won't show up on any subscriber's algorithm, no matter how weird the user's most-watched shows are.

25 Fubar (2020)

Arnold Schwarzenegger In An Action-Comedy

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Fubar brings Arnold Schwarzenegger back with his first-ever small-screen TV series on Netflix. However, this isn't the action-packed movie old-school Anrold fans love, but it also doesn't hit the level of his lighter-weight movies like Last Action Hero. It tries to tell a similar story to True Lies, with Schwarzenegger and his daughter both secret agents who don't know each other's secrets until they are forced to work together.

While Netflix might have hoped that fans of Arnold Schwarzenegger's comedy efforts would fall in line, the show didn't connect with critics and audiences alike. Fubar has a 50% Rotten Tomatoes score and only 68% from fans, with critics calling the humor mild and criticizing the inability to create a full satire.

24 Racket Boys (2021)

A South Korean Sports Drama

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Racket Boys is a South Korean sports drama that struggles to deliver on its fish-out-of-water tale. The plot follows a father and his son as they move for the father's new job, which sees him help a Bad New Bears-style group of badminton players reclaim their former middling glory. Racket Boys drew outrage from Indonesians due to the series' negative portrayal of the country (via KPO Post).

The Netflix release portrays Indonesians as cheaters and not having any sportsmanship, and the Ted Lasso-like narrative isn't strong enough to overlook its problematic elements, making it one of the more disappointing Netflix shows to come out of its South Korean catalog.

23 Space Force (2020-2022)

A Sci-Fi Comedy Starring Steve Carell

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Space Force had all the makings of a hit comedy series, as it stars Steve Carell, who also co-created the series with the creator of the U.S. version of The Office, Greg Daniels. Space Force is also a topical satire with tons of surprising cameos, but that's all window dressing. A lot of money went into the high-concept sitcom, but the dazzling special effects don't make up for the lack of jokes, which comes as such a huge shock following Daniels' work on The Office and Parks and Recreation.

Given that the show is a science-based sitcom based on the military, it was criticized for scientific inaccuracies too. In the end, Space Force had very high expectations, which hurt it when it didn't meet up to the cast and creator's previous efforts.

22 Hoops (2020)

An Adult Animated Series About High School Basketball

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Hoops was one of Netflix's many attempts to create a popular adult animation show a la Rick and Morty. Unfortunately, it didn't have anywhere near the same impact. The series is about a hot-headed high school basketball coach who uses vulgar language and constantly verbally harasses the students. Despite Jake Johnson in the lead role and a supporting cast of comedy actors, the humor falls flat.

The problem is that Hoops isn't satirical or clever like its peers, and it feels more mean-spirited and unpleasant. Hoops only lasted one season before Netflix decided to cancel it.

21 Away (2020)

A Sci-Fi Drama With Hilary Swank

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Away stars Oscar winner Hilary Swank as an astronaut who is struggling with leaving her husband and child behind on a mission to Mars. Given that the series has so much star power, it comes as a surprise that Away is so unheard of. Just like most Netflix shows, Away has a lot of money behind it, but the effects are a veil covering up a story that didn't land with critics and audiences. The series had potential, but the characters and premise weren't fully fleshed out, leading to a disappointing series.

20 Ultraman (2019-2023)

An American Series Based On The Japanese Superhero

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Though Western audiences might not have heard of it, Ultraman is a fictional superhero that has been extremely popular in Japan ever since the '60s. Decades later, Ultraman’s popularity waned, so much so that it was even classified as one of the most obscure TV superheroes. However, Netflix thought it could bring this superhero back from obscurity with its own Ultraman show.

Unfortunately, the streamer inadvertently made Ultraman more obscure. Though episodes were released up to 2023, the computer-generated animation is visually lackluster, and the story feels sparse despite decades of source material at its disposal.

19 Hache (2019-2021)

A Little Known Spanish Drama

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Hache is the fifth Spanish original series that Netflix released, but the streamer has had way more success with its Spanish movies, such as The Platform. Hache's story centers on a sex worker named Helena who tries to infiltrate a cartel by gaining the affection of the leader. Show creator Verónica Fernández came up with the concept after reading about the heroin trade.

Fernández explained, “I was reading a newspaper that talked about how Luciano organized the heroin route from Asia to America” (via Variety). Unfortunately, that story sounds more interesting than how it was adapted in Hache.

18 Freud (2020)

An Unexpected Tale about Sigmund Freud

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Freud is a period thriller set in 19th-century Vienna where a young Sigmund Freud encounters a psychic medium. The series has been completely forgotten about, and it hardly even sparked any interest when it was originally released, though being a COVID-19 release could have had something to do with that.

The series' name could be misleading, as it hardly has anything to do with the psychologist's real life, and the few things that are related to the real-life figure are full of historical inaccuracies too. Freud is to Sigmund Freud what Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is to the real-life President.

17 ReBoot: The Guardian Code (2018)

A New Take On A Classic Series

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ReBoot: The Guardian Code is a live-action/CGI follow-up to the '90s computer-animated series, ReBoot. The show is a disappointing-animated offering from Netflix, especially for fans of the original. The series has a kid-friendly tone, and young toddlers will no doubt find it entertaining. However, there's much better quality animation for that age group, and just because something's aimed at young audiences doesn't mean that there shouldn't be more to it. The 1994 series was much more creative.

16 Keep Breathing (2022)

A Survival Story That Drags

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Stories of survival are incredibly popular, especially with series like Yellowjackets on Showtime. A survivalist narrative is what people expected when Keep Breathing debuted on Netflix. The series, however, is less of a survivalist story and more of a series of flashbacks to provide character development for Liv (Melissa Barrera).

As a result, the story of Liv ending up in a plane crash takes a back seat because every time Liv ends up in real danger, the series flashes back to her earlier life. It’s not an effective way to tell her story, interrupting the story the audience thinks it's getting for something completely different. It also drags the narrative out when it could have been told in a 90-minute movie, which is why it's one of the worst shows on Netflix despite the incredible talent in Barrera.

15 Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness (2021)

A Disappointing Entry In A Long-Running Franchise

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Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is a CGI horror-action miniseries based on the popular video game series of the same name, and it only has four episodes. Hollywood has always struggled with adapting Resident Evil, as the Paul W.S. Anderson-directed franchise might have been financially successful, but it was overwhelmingly negatively received.

The same went for the short-lived animated Netflix series, which felt like wasted potential. Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness follows Leon as he investigates an attempt to hack the White House, only to find zombies instead. With fan-favorite franchise characters in the main roles, the series should have been a huge hit, but it is one of the worst Netflix adaptations.

14 Roman Empire (2016-2019)

Not The Most Acclaimed Show About History

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Roman Empire is set during the period of the Roman civilization and takes an interesting approach to history, as it is part documentary and part drama, but it is one of the worst shows on Netflix. The show delves into the lives of Julius Caesar, Spartacus, Cleopatra, Pompey, and Mark Antony. And although the show features some incredible period costumes and well-choreographed fight scenes, it can feel like such a chore to watch.

The series was criticized for both the dialogue and the performances, and there isn't much of an attempt to elevate the material that can be found in middle school history books. Roman Empire simply can't compete with the many other great shows and movies based on the Roman Empire.

13 Prank Encounters (2019-)

A Potentially Mean-Spirited Prank Show

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When Prank Encounters was first announced, it definitely ruffled some feathers, and the controversy hasn’t subsided even though Netflix has gone through with two seasons of the series. The show, hosted by Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo, offers unsuspecting people temporary job opportunities, only for them to turn out to be pranks.

While the show is meant to be all in good fun, and participants clearly sign a release after the fact, it still seems in poor taste to target people who are just looking for work. That’s especially true since it began filming during a time of incredibly high unemployment rates in the United States.

12 Pretty Smart (2021)

A Classic Sitcom Format That Missed

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Pretty Smart had the makings of a great sitcom and it had some great cast chemistry. Emily Osment led an ensemble cast that included Gregg Sulkin and Michael Hsu Rosen. Osment plays a young woman who moves in with her sister and her roommates after a bad breakup, only to find that she’s more intellectually inclined than everyone else in her sister’s life. The idea was like the reverse of the Big Bang Theory. With only 10 episodes, the show didn’t get a chance to find its groove and made for a disappointing Netflix offering.

11 Blockbuster (2022)

A Great Cast Couldn't Lift This Workplace Sitcom

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Workplace comedies make for great sitcoms. A bunch of colorful characters forced to spend large chunks of time together where friendships and romantic relationships can cause workplace drama can be comedy gold. The Office, Parks & Recreation, and Superstore are proof of that. Blockbuster is a show that aims to achieve the level of love those shows have, but it just falls short.

That’s despite its stellar cast in Melissa Fumero and Randall Park. Not to mention, it seems in poor taste that Blockbuster is streaming on Netflix, the platform that many point to as responsible for putting the rental store chain out of business in the first place. Reviews were also pretty negative, with the series holding a mere 23% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

10 Tiny Creatures (2020)

A Questionable Quasi-Documentary

Stream now on NetflixWhile it may appear like one, Tiny Creatures is not a typical documentary about animals. Instead, it tries to make things more fun for children. However, the problem with this approach is that the educational family series borders on ridiculous. Even more troubling, this pseudo-documentary has also been accused of encouraging animal abuse by viewers.

In response, the show’s director, Emmy winner Jonathan Jones, assured everyone that no animals were harmed and that predators and prey were shot on different days (via Distractify). Either way, the tone of the children's show is odd and off-putting.

9 Sexy Beasts (2021)

A Unique Spin On Dating Shows

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Sexy Beasts' 2nd season is an improvement over its first, but that still doesn't say much about the unique British dating game show. The format goes down a different avenue from the likes of Love Island or The Bachelor, as each contestant dresses up in elaborate makeup, typically in the form of the contestants' chosen "beast."

The series is most interesting when the couples venture into public, such as going on a date in the middle of a cheese shop all while wearing bizarre costumes. Dating shows dive head-first into creative concepts more than any other genre, but Sexy Beasts is just too unrelatable.

8 Game On! A Comedy Crossover Event (2020)

The Netflix Crossover Nobody Asked For

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Game On! A Comedy Crossover Event is a Netflix special that combines several Netflix sitcoms, including The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia, The Big Show Show, Mr. Iglesias, and Family Reunion. The special features some exciting talent, such as Eva Longoria, Gabriel Iglesias, Tia Mowry-Hardrict, and Paul Wight, a.k.a. The Big Show, among others, but it didn't end up being that much of an event.

Netflix has never been known for its funny sitcoms. Game On! A Comedy Crossover Event simply had too many characters that audiences didn't know and critics felt it was overcrowded and not that funny.

7 Richie Rich (2015)

A New Show In The Richie Rich Franchise

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Following the 1994 movie Richie Rich, which has become a cult classic, the 2015 Netflix series is the newest adaptation of the Harvey Comics characters, but it won't reach cult status anytime soon. The series follows a boy who becomes a trillionaire and lives in a mansion full of toys and even a robot maid. While it sounds like the foundation of endlessly entertaining shenanigans, as Richie can do anything he wants, the show is one of the rare instances of Netflix tightening the purse strings.

Critics say Richie Rich has lackluster production value and celebrates materialism, and accuse Richie as a character to be too spoiled to be a likable lead. It's not hard to see why Richie Rich is considered one of the worst Netflix original shows.

6 The Goop Lab (2020)

Gwenyth Paltrow's Company Promotes Its Products

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Each episode of The Goop Lab focuses on a different avenue of research or a different product being sold by Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s luxury brand. The trouble with The Goop Lab is that most of what the show invests time in exploring is a pseudo-science that has already been proven wrong.

Each episode even features a disclaimer that the show is meant to “entertain” so that the show’s production team isn’t liable for any actions taken by viewers in response to the information from the series. The Goop Lab is only going to be entertaining for those who want to know what Paltrow is interested in.