We are allegedly beyond the namesake apex of peak TV, yet the television landscape remains far too vast for anyone to watch it all; there’s only so many hours in a day, let alone free ones. With so many new shows to navigate, there’s no bigger let-down than turning on a series you were excited to indulge in, only for the experience to fall short. As TV critics, it’s our job to tell audiences about the elevated storytelling, worthwhile characters, and transportive settings of the medium at its very best. (You can find our selections for the best shows of 2025 right this way! There’s plenty to feel good about.) Regrettably, the flip side of that pursuit means sharing the series that didn’t quite capture our attention or imagination, to spare our readers the same disappointment.
Our list of the year’s worst TV shows includes spinoffs and stale IP, reminding us all why Hollywood desperately needs to open its doors to new creators and new ideas. There are also promising premises that failed to capitalize on their name-brand stars and intriguing concepts. As the year ends, Variety TV critics Alison Herman and Aramide Tinubu have identified eight series that we definitely wouldn’t recommend to viewers in pursuit of a good time. Of course, everyone has their own unique tastes, so your own mileage may vary — though several of our picks have already been canceled, suggesting we weren’t alone in our assessment. From lackluster procedurals to misguided attempts at prestige, read on to see Variety’s picks for the least successful shows of the year (in alphabetical order).
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“Countdown” (Prime Video)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Elizabeth Morris/Prime Video From “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago PD” creator Derek Haas, Prime Video’s “Countdown” — which Prime Video canceled — follows an elite task force. Helmed by FBI Special Agent Nathan Blythe (Eric Dane), Task Force Hurricane is put in place following the shocking murder of a beloved Department of Homeland Security officer. Blythe brings in LAPD Detective Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles), DEA Special Agent Amber Oliveras (Jessica Camacho), DHS Office Damon Drew (Jonathan Togo), FBI Special Agent Keyonte Bell (Elliot Knight), FBI Special Agent Evan Shepard (Violett Beane) and LAPD Detective Lucas Finau (Uli Latukefu) to find out who murdered the man. However, what they uncover is a years-long global conspiracy. Despite the action throughout the 13-episode first season, each episode is duller than the last. None of the characters is particularly compelling, and the storyline itself hangs by a thread. In fact, the mission itself is so lackluster that audiences will struggle to remain engaged throughout the season. Ultimately, there is nothing new or enriching about the series, which makes it woefully forgettable. (Link to full review.) — Aramide Tinubu
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“Pulse” (Netflix)
Image Credit: Jeff Neumann/Netflix
Netflix’s first original English-language hospital-based show was unfortunately dead on arrival (and was subsequently canceled). Created by Zoe Robyn, “Pulse” has compelling themes, following the emergency and surgical residents at Maguire Hospital in Miami. Like most hospital dramas, the series is a remix of medical incidents and the doctors’ personal lives. But “Pulse” crashes and burns amid its horrid depiction of sexual harassment. The series opens as resident Dr. Danny Simms (Willa Fitzgerald) is unexpectedly promoted after filing a sexual harassment claim against her boss, Chief Resident Dr. Xander Phillips (Colin Woodell). Amid an impending hurricane, Xander is suspended indefinitely, and Danny takes over his role. However, as the backstory of the pair’s relationship unfolds amid the show’s disorienting structure, audiences realize that all isn’t what it seems. In fact, all the back-and-forth is more irritating than revelatory. (Link to full review.) — Tinubu -
“Prime Target” (Apple TV+)
Image Credit: Apple TV+ There is no shortage of espionage thrillers on TV, and with a robust cast led by Leo Woodhall, Apple TV+’s “Prime Target” should have soared. Created by Steve Thompson, the series follows Edward Brooks (Woodhall), a Cambridge University Ph.D. candidate on the verge of making a world-changing discovery about prime numbers. However, he soon finds himself being hunted by those who have no interest in letting his world-altering prime finder come to life. Seeing that Ed’s life is in peril, National Security Agency (NSA) agent Taylah Sanders (Quintessa Swindell) takes it upon herself to try to keep him safe. Though the series has a wide-ranging, thorny plot, it is increasingly dull, relying too heavily on mathematics and side characters that never elicit true excitement. In the end, the show feels bewildering, as if Thompson mashed several TV shows together only to end it with a lackluster thud. (Link to full review.) — Tinubu
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“The Runarounds” (Prime Video)
Image Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/Prime “Outer Banks” creator Jonas Pate’s YA music drama is egregiously terrible. The series follows 18-year-old Charlie Cooper (William Lipton), who, after graduating from high school, decides to get serious about taking his band, The Runarounds, to the next level. Though the show’s music is excellent, it’s bogged down by baffling plot points and lacks a fundamental grounding in present-day teen-dom. Moreover, the cast are musicians, not actors, which becomes increasingly apparent amid the bewildering dialogue. It also doesn’t help that the plot is neither unique nor distinct, especially when it comes to representing young adult men of today. (Link to full review.) — Tinubu
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“Sheriff Country” (CBS)
Image Credit: CBS The “Fire Country” spinoff takes place in the same California small town as its predecessor, but displays little sign of that procedural’s proven appeal. Morena Baccarin stars as a divorced cop working to earn her community’s trust while dealing with her chaotic family, including a daughter struggling with substance abuse. But “Sheriff Country” isn’t content to settle for small-scale character studies, deploying a series of cartoon villains (like evil weed growers who enslave college students) who feel jarringly out-of-place in the show’s chosen setting. Even as the dialogue waxes poetic about how much Baccarin’s Mickey Fox loves Edgewater and its people, “Sheriff Country” never makes us understand the source of her deep feelings. There’s an art to a good network law enforcement show, and “Sheriff Country” suffers for its absence — but maybe a recently announced Season 2 can make some much-needed corrections. (Link to full review.) — Alison Herman
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“Suits LA” (NBC)
Image Credit: Trae Patton/NBC Remakes and reboots rarely hit the ball out of the park, but “Suits LA” is truly a disappointment. “Suits,” creator Aaron Korsh attempted to showcase a new crop of lawyers on an entirely different coast. Unfortunately, the show lacks the original magic and intrigue that made the original such a success. The series (which was canceled shortly after its debut) follows attorney Ted Black (a miscast Stephen Amell) as he tries to hold off a hostile takeover of his entertainment law firm while contending with the incidents that forced him to flee New York more than a decade earlier. Not only does the series look terrible visually, but its gimmicky cameos and a barely pieced-together narrative prove it never even tried to take itself seriously. (Link to full review.) — Tinubu
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“The Terminal List: Dark Wolf” (Prime Video)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
The problem with this prequel to the hit Chris Pratt series isn’t the overt jingoism — not that defenders care much what a coastal elite critic has to say about the series’ creative shortcomings. Rather, it’s the blatant mismatch between the espionage thriller implied by the premise, in which a CIA handler recruits an ex-Navy SEAL to work against Iran as the country negotiates its 2015 nuclear deal in Europe, and the brawny, brute force war fetishism that seems to be the true interest of author Jack Carr and co-creator David DiGilio. As hero Ben Edwards, Taylor Kitsch dons a stoic grimace that’s belied by the explosions, gunfights and testosterone-fueled camaraderie “Dark Wolf” captures with an admiring eye. This doomed marriage between delicate diplomacy and a barely contained desire to start blowing things up couldn’t be over fast enough. (Link to full review.) — Herman -
“Zero Day” (Netflix)
Image Credit: Netflix How could a limited series starring no less a luminary than Robert De Niro be so milquetoast and forgettable? That’s the real mystery of “Zero Day,” more than who’s behind the cyberattack De Niro’s ex-president is commissioned to investigate. A mumblemouthed statement on a smorgasbord of contemporary themes (partisanship! plutocrats! podcasting!), “Zero Day” was so lifeless even the combined powers of De Niro, Jesse Plemons and Angela Bassett couldn’t inject some much-needed verve. A thriller lacking tension and a political drama lacking insight, “Zero Day” never built on De Niro’s surprising presence on the small screen, turning an easy way to stand out from the crowd into an almost impressive fumbling of the bag. “Zero Day” will be little more than a footnote in any of its stars’ CVs, but those of us who watched may remember it for the wrong reasons. (Link to full review.) — Herman