It’s often hard to tell if a new reality show idea could be a hit. Sometimes, the most surprising concepts resonate with viewers - who could have predicted that the idea of The Bachelor would become as huge as it is, just from the idea of women competing for the affections of one man? Some shows even go on for decades, like The Amazing Race, which just completed its 32nd season.
However, others aren’t as lucky. For instance, the Dancing with the Stars spinoff Skating with the Stars got the ax after just one season. And some don't even make it through the season before a network decides to give up - either for a bad response or behind-the-scenes drama.
The Will
This show probably has one of the shortest runs on television history with CBS pulling the plug after just one episode. At first, it looked like The Will was set up for success, especially since the name attached to the project is none other than Mike Fleiss, the same man behind The Bachelor franchise. That said, this show is anything but a dating show. Instead, the show features several family members who are competing for their patriarch’s ranch in Kansas. Due to very low premiere ratings, the show got canceled quickly.
Proving Ground
This reality show sees Jackass star Ryan Dunn and Jessica Chobot attempt to recreate some classic scenes from movies and video games with the help of stunt technology and a group of experts. G4 decided to pull Proving Ground from the air following Dunn’s tragic early death. Dunn died in 2011 after he crashed his Porsche in a Philadelphia suburb. In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, G4 confirmed that it was removing the show from its schedule “until we discuss the next steps.” Prior to its cancelation, the show had already filmed nine episodes.
All My Babies’ Mamas
Perhaps rapper Shawty Lo aspires to make a name for himself in Hollywood, just like Will Smith, LL Cool J, and Ludacris have done. If that were the case though, a reality show may not be the best approach, especially not when the series may be accused of exploiting his children and his relationships with several women.
This is precisely why this Oxygen show came under fire even before it even aired, with the civil rights action group ColorOfChange.org accusing the show of “inaccurate, dehumanizing and harmful perceptions of Black families” in an online petition. Oxygen never aired an episode.
Megan Wants A Millionaire
This VH1 show follows model and TV personality Megan Hauserman as she tries to find love from among several single millionaires. Among them is a real-estate developer named Ryan Jenkins who manages to capture Hauserman’s heart. But then, things take a dark turn after Jenkins is accused of murdering his wife, Jasmine Fiore. Jenkins went on the run after Fiore’s body was discovered, and later died by suicide. VH1 canceled the show after three episodes. Even today, Jenkins’ murder is as just as haunting as the cases involving Joe Exotic or novelist Michael Peterson.
Flip It Forward
HGTV has long been known for shows such as Flip or Flop and Love It or List It and it stands to reason that the network was hoping to turn Flip It Forward into a similar hit. This time, the stars were supposed to be brothers David and Jason Benham. However, it seemed the network decided to cancel the show after it was revealed that the Benham brothers had made public statements against abortion and gay marriage. Following HGTV’s decision, the brothers told ABC that the network knew about their past actions the entire time.
Secret Talents Of The Stars
Hosted by Seinfeld star John O'Hurley, this CBS show sees celebrities compete with each other as they reveal talents that they’re not known for. For instance, Star Trek actor George Takei sang country music while Olympic figure skater Sasha Cohen showed that she could be a contortionist. These stars performed for judges that included Brian McKnight and Debbie Reynolds. Unfortunately, the show fell flat. According to Reuters, it only drew in 4.6 million viewership. As a result, CBS decided to ax the show after just one episode.
Ev & Ocho
This VH1 series was supposed to give viewers a glimpse into the lives of Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Evelyn Lozada as they prepare to spend the rest of their lives together. The couple were filmed as they planned for their July 4 nuptials. Prior to going to air, however, Johnson was charged with domestic battery after he allegedly head-butted Lozada.
In a statement to Variety, VH1 said, “Due to the unfortunate events over the weekend and the seriousness of the allegations, VH1 is pulling the series ‘Ev and Ocho’ from its schedule and has no current plans of airing it.”
Breaking Boston
Actor Mark Wahlberg is the man behind the production company Closest to the Hole Productions, which was responsible for reality series that only aired briefly on A&E. Unfortunately, the A-lister’s involvement just didn’t seem to be enough to get this show off the ground. Breaking Boston follows four blue collar women striving to have a better life. Following its premiere, it seems A&E immediately got a sense that the show wouldn’t work out. According to Deadline, Breaking Boston only attracted a measly 311,000 viewers. In contrast, Wahlberg’s other reality series, Wahlburgers, used to average 3.5 million viewers.
Anchorwoman
Anchorwoman is supposed to be a hybrid reality show that centers on model/actress Lauren Jones as she tries to become a successful news anchor in Texas despite having no experience of the job. The series filmed at KYTX-TV Channel 19, which left the station’s very own staffers outraged by the concept of the show. It also drew criticism from other media professionals. Al Tompkins, the broadcast group leader for the Poynter Institute, told The Hollywood Reporter, “It devalues the work of real journalists who are trying to do real work.” The show was axed after one episode.
The Hasselhoffs
Ever since Baywatch ended, David Hasselhoff has become more of a media personality than anything else. This is probably how the actor ended up getting his own reality series. The Hasselhoffs gave fans a glimpse into the actor’s family life as he tries to help his daughters, Taylor Ann and Hayley, with their music careers. In the end, the show only managed to stay on the air for two episodes. When the show debuted, it only drew in 718,000 viewers. That number even dropped further to a dismal 505,000 when the second episode aired, according to People.