10. Fred: The Show on Nickelodeon is the only kids network show to make the top ten. You may say, but its not aimed towards your age group! Has anyone seen the YouTube videos or even a minute of this annoying kid? After the success of two movies, Nickelodeon thought it had a hit weekly show on its hands. After a low rated first season, however, the network cut all ties with the show and gave the star a new series (Marvin Marvin).
9. Underemployed on MTV is still on the air, but don't look for much more after its initial first season. MTV moved the show to a new timeslot a few episodes after it premiered to horribly low numbers. Each episode (including the premiere) has done no better than 650,000 viewers...yikes. The reviews weren't all that nice either, which puts Underemployed on the list for the worst of 2012.
8. The Inbetweeners on MTV is essentially the same case as the above Underemployed: horribly low ratings (never above 1 million viewers) and not so great reviews. The Inbetweeners finds itself at a lower spot on the countdown since it had high expectations before the premiere. The show is based off a highly successful UK series, but that never translated to success here in America.
7. Breaking Amish on TLC was nowhere near a ratings loser, but the show earned itself a spot on the countdown. How? Well, I decided to include it due to the controversy that surrounded the series. Was the show fake? Very likely. Did people care? Not at all (just look at the viewership). Despite the viewers flocking to the show, Breaking Amish was probably, quality wise, one of the worst of 2012.
6. Big Ang on VH1 is the definition of scraping the bottom of the barrel. 'Ang' was part of the very successful Mob Wives series and VH1 decided to give her a spinoff series. Despite the success of its parent series, Big Ang was a dud. The show had an okay premiere (1.5 million) but dove a massive 50% in week two to a mere 670,000 viewers. The ratings would only continue to get worse as viewers realized nobody cared what Ang had to say. News of a second season has been scarce, but its likely we've seen the last of Big Ang.
5. The Houstons: On Our Own on Lifetime...sigh. Whitney Houston had been dead for a little more than eight months when her family decided to take their story to the airwaves. Why anyone would want to watch Whitney's family, especially with uncomfortable topics, is beyond me. The show has been slightly above 1 million viewers, but has also sunk below the million viewer mark. Lifetime has yet to announce plans beyond the first season, but one can only hope this is the end of the road.
4. The Pauly D Project on MTV - as if we needed a spinoff of rapidly declining Jersey Shore. Pauly D had a respectable premiere (2.9 million viewers), but from there on out it was only bad news. Ratings quickly tanked and actually fell below 1 million viewers before the season had finished. With Jersey Shore now complete, MTV seems to be moving on (excluding the returning Snooki and JWoww) from the cast members of the show. Lets hope this is the end for another series in the Jersey Shore franchise.
3. Mrs. Eastwood and Company on E! really makes you think, why? Besides husband Clint Eastwood, did anyone actually care who made up the rest of the family? Clint was grilled for his speech at the Republican National Convention, but if anyone deserved to be grilled, it was the rest of the family for this dud. Viewers never caught on to the series (despite the 'Kardashian' lead in) and it quickly disappeared from the airwaves.
2. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo on TLC; need I say more? Yes the show is a HUGE success, but Honey Boo Boo is the definition of horrible reality television. I tried watching the show and thought my IQ was rapidly declining as each minute passed. I love my fair share of bad reality television, but Honey Boo Boo takes the cake for just plain awful. But if Honey Boo Boo is only number two, then who is number one?!
1. Bristol Palin: Life's A Tripp on Lifetime takes the top spot, sorry Sarah! I may be a huge Sarah Palin supporter, but this was one reality show that should never have been put on the air. People hated Bristol on Dancing with the Stars, so what made Lifetime think people would flock to a reality series about her? The show debuted in June and (thankfully) only 700,000 people tuned in to see Bristol and her son. After four episodes (two nights) in its timeslot, Lifetime shipped the series out of primetime and into late night. I think it is safe to say that Life's A Tripp won't get a second season and it is the worst new cable show of 2012.
