1. Hello, Larry
Some sitcoms start off with promise, but Hello, Larry was doomed from the start. This Diff’rent Strokes spinoff starred McLean Stevenson as a radio talk show host who moves to Portland with his two teenage daughters after a messy divorce. The problem? It wasn’t funny, and the characters never felt real. Stevenson, best known as Colonel Blake from MASH*, was a great comedic actor, but even he couldn’t make the weak scripts work. The father-daughter dynamic should have been the heart of the show, but the writing made it feel forced says Yahoo.
NBC desperately tried to save it by having crossover episodes with Diff’rent Strokes, but nothing could make the show click. Critics tore it apart, calling it one of the worst sitcoms of its time, and audiences weren’t much kinder. After two painful seasons from 1979 to 1980, NBC finally pulled the plug, making it one of the most infamous flops of the era.
2. The Charmings
The idea of Snow White and Prince Charming being transported to the modern world could have been fun, but The Charmings was a mess from the start. The show followed the fairy tale couple as they tried to adjust to suburban life, but it never quite figured out what tone it was going for. The humor felt too broad for adults but too dry for kids, leaving it stuck in an awkward middle ground. The magical elements also didn’t blend well with the everyday sitcom format, making it feel like two different shows mashed together shares ScreenCrush.
On top of that, the lead actors were replaced mid-season, which only made things more confusing. Viewers never really connected with the characters, and the show quickly lost whatever charm it was trying to have. ABC gave it two short seasons before finally deciding to move on in 1988.
3. Jennifer Slept Here
This one was as bizarre as it sounds—Jennifer Slept Here was about a teenage boy who moves into a house haunted by the ghost of a glamorous actress. The ghost, played by Ann Jillian, could only be seen by the boy, leading to all kinds of wacky hijinks. The problem was that the humor never quite clicked, and the premise felt like it was trying too hard to be unique. It also didn’t help that the special effects were distractingly bad, even by early ’80s standards adds BuzzFeed.
Beyond the weird setup, the show just didn’t have enough heart to make audiences care. The interactions between the ghost and the boy were supposed to be charming, but they often felt forced. After just one season in 1983-84, NBC decided to let this one fade into the afterlife.
4. Me and the Chimp
A sitcom about a former astronaut and his pet chimpanzee? Yes, this actually happened. Me and the Chimp starred Ted Bessell as a family man dealing with the chaos caused by his unusually intelligent pet chimp, Buttons. The humor mostly revolved around the monkey getting into trouble, and as you can imagine, that got old fast. There wasn’t much substance beyond that, making every episode feel repetitive.
The show tried to make Buttons a lovable troublemaker, but there was only so much material to pull from. Not to mention, working with an actual chimp led to all kinds of production issues, which didn’t help matters. Audiences weren’t impressed, and CBS quickly canceled it after just 13 episodes in 1982.
5. Mr. Smith
A talking orangutan running for president? That’s Mr. Smith in a nutshell. The show followed a highly intelligent orangutan who worked in Washington, D.C., advising politicians and navigating government life. If that already sounds ridiculous, the execution made it even worse. The jokes were painfully predictable, mostly revolving around the novelty of a monkey being smarter than humans.
To make things even more absurd, the orangutan’s intelligence came from a government experiment gone wrong. The show clearly wanted to be a mix of political satire and goofy family comedy, but it failed at both. Viewers didn’t take the bait, and NBC put Mr. Smith out of its misery after 13 episodes in 1983.
6. Small Wonder
A show about a family secretly raising a robot child should have been an instant classic—or at least a fun guilty pleasure. Instead, Small Wonder became one of the strangest sitcoms of the decade. The show followed a robotics engineer who builds an android named Vicki to look like a little girl, but she has the personality of a malfunctioning answering machine. The monotone delivery and stiff physical movements were meant to be funny, but they just made things feel awkward.
The weirdest part was how the family kept Vicki’s true nature a secret, even when it made no sense. Despite all its flaws, Small Wonder somehow lasted four seasons before finally being shut down in 1989. But looking back, it’s hard to believe it lasted that long.
7. Pryor’s Place
Richard Pryor was a comedy legend, but Pryor’s Place was not the right way to showcase his talents. This was supposed to be a kid-friendly version of Sesame Street with a Pryor twist, but it never really worked. The show featured puppets, life lessons, and attempts at humor, but it was an odd mix that didn’t click with audiences. Pryor himself seemed out of place, trying to tone down his usual edgy style for a younger crowd.
The result was a show that didn’t appeal to kids or adults, making it hard to find an audience. CBS pulled the plug after just one season in 1984, and it quickly faded from memory. For a comedian as brilliant as Pryor, this show just didn’t do him justice.
8. Out of This World
A teenage girl with alien superpowers should have made for an exciting show, but Out of This World was mostly just cheesy and weird. The main character, Evie, discovers she can freeze time and communicate with her alien father, but the show never fully leaned into its sci-fi potential. Instead, it mostly stuck to generic sitcom plots with a supernatural twist. The jokes were corny, and the acting didn’t help matters.
Despite its flaws, the show somehow lasted four seasons in syndication. But looking back, it’s hard to believe people kept tuning in. The special effects were laughable, and the scripts rarely made good use of the premise.
9. The Ugliest Girl in Town
This show was a disaster from the start. The Ugliest Girl in Town followed a man who, through a series of bizarre events, ends up disguised as a woman and becomes a famous model in London. It was meant to be a wacky take on gender identity, but the execution was painfully outdated even for the ’80s. The humor relied almost entirely on tired “man in a dress” jokes, which got old fast.
The premise also didn’t have much room to grow, making every episode feel the same. Critics tore it apart, and audiences weren’t impressed either. ABC quickly realized their mistake and canceled it after just one season in 1988.
10. She’s the Sheriff
Some sitcoms feel like they were built around a celebrity rather than a good idea, and She’s the Sheriff was a perfect example. Starring Suzanne Somers, the show followed a widow who takes over as sheriff in a small Nevada town. The premise had potential, but the execution was rough. The humor mostly revolved around the idea that no one took her seriously because she was a woman, which got repetitive fast. Instead of being a clever or empowering comedy, it leaned too much on tired gender stereotypes.
Even Somers’ natural charm couldn’t save the show from weak scripts and a lackluster supporting cast. It didn’t help that it aired in syndication, making it harder to build a loyal audience. Despite lasting two seasons from 1987 to 1989, it never really found its footing. Today, it’s mostly remembered as a misfire in Somers’ post-Three’s Company career.