The 10 most disappointing TV shows of 2023

The last couple of years have, for some reason, invited several projects about the life of Elvis Presley, from   to ’s recent film . And then there’s the animated series , which feels like a forced comedy that probably shouldn’t exist. (And it kinda doesn’t anymore because .) voices Elvis, who is an incredibly famous musician, yes, but also moonlights as a U.S. government’s secret agent. The notable voice cast, including Niecy Nash-Betts, Kaitlin Olson, Fred Armisen, Don Cheadle, Johnny Knoxville, , and even , are the big draws. But their efforts go to waste in this superfluous series, as it’s anything but alright, alright, alright. (Sorry, we had to!)

For the money Amazon spent on a mere six episodes of —a whopping $300 million—it’s a . The storyline is flimsy, the performances are lackluster, and there’s unnecessary and bad VFX despite being filmed in various parts of the world. , who’ve given us stuff like t, , and on the small screen, Citadel feels particularly disappointing. It suggests that spending this much cash ( behind Prime Video’s ) on a generic, uninventive spy drama is preferable over continuing to invest in originality. The show has already been renewed, and it’s getting multiple international spinoffs set in India, Mexico, Italy, and on and on. Can you blame us for wondering if this is a way  

There’s a decent chance you haven’t even heard of , a drawn-out eight-episode drama that got buried under this year. And that’s despite starring major names like , Sienna Miller, , , Tobey Maguire, , Marion Cotillard, Forest Whitaker, Kit Harington, Murray Bartlett, Gemma Chan … we can keep going. Scott Z. Burns’ ambitious drama about tackling the effects of climate change over decades failed in its execution. Each episode is set in a different time and city, but they lack any coherence in style and tone. If one is a dark story set in polluted India, the other features talking whales, and yet another installment is a part-musical with Daveed Diggs crooning as a rabbi. It had sparks of potential, but Extrapolations got lost in its novelty.

Bringing back in the year 2023 is a gamble because the audiences are more aware of the original film’s blatant gender dynamics. The show’s co-creators and stars kept promising their TV reboot would expand on those aspects, especially through the lens of Alex Forrest (), the “unhinged woman” whose affair with a married man leads her down a dangerous path. That would’ve ideally been interesting to see, but the erotic thriller does it in unimpactful ways. And a very capable Caplan, who skipped the Party Down revival for this, can’t help in saving it (ditto her co-stars Joshua Jackson and Amanda Peet). In trying so desperately hard not to repeat the mistakes of the original, Fatal Attraction ends up taking us on a frustrating journey.

Where do we start with ? and Abel “” Tesfaye’s since before it premiered. There were allegations of on-set misconduct, the Weeknd firing back at those reports with his petty attitude, the firing of director Amy Siemetz, and on and on and on. So, with all the rumors swirling around it, The Idol arrived in the summer of 2023 with a unique set of expectations. Could it unravel a meaningful story about a pop star’s relationship with her craft and fandom? The answer is no. Now, look, the show has glossy neon visuals, catchy music, and even some good performance snuck in there from Rachel Sennott, , Jane Adams, and yes, even series star Lily-Rose Depp. But that’s all minimal in the face of the Weeknd’s horrendous attempt at acting (his character is named Tedros Tedros). Not to mention The Idol goes for obscene shock value over engaging storytelling. The finale’s ridiculous twist actually made us laugh out loud.

In , you will only be screaming in frustration because it doesn’t live up to its intriguing title. Where’s the trademark fear Carpenter’s work elicits? Or the breathtaking visuals? Or the stomach-churning storylines? The auteur’s return to television in this documentary-horror series is sadly a flop. Carpenter’s oeuvre remains stunning, sure, but this show’s clumsy and imbalanced attempt to subvert the docudrama genre sinks it. The episodes feel less like originals and more like boring reenactments that don’t sufficiently explore the potential terrors of the suburban underbelly, leaving a bland six installments in its wake.

will actively make you angry. It’s possibly one of Marvel’s most disappointing TV originals to date. As avid MCU watchers, we were initially excited to see Samuel L. Jackson take center stage in his TV drama. Except, the Disney+ original quickly fell apart. The actor and the character deserve so much better than the weirdly dull spy offering with nothing new to offer. Jackson’s attempts to infuse vigor into the script aren’t enough, and neither is ’s very fun villainous role. Secret Invasion wastes the rest of its cast, including Ben Mendelsohn, Emilia Clarke, and Kingsley Ben-Adir. The stakes seem impossible to care about, including Fury’s marriage (!) because SI doesn’t invest in fleshing stories out. What’s more, minus Maria Hill’s () fate, the show seems to have had no impact on the canon.

Yeah, is the only returning show on this list because Apple TV+’s had sky-high expectations for . After winning over audiences with a heartwarming debut, TL lost its grip on everything that made it special by the end. Watching the overlong 12 episodes was a bummer because it felt like the writers lost sight of why Ted Lasso was a beloved respite. Storylines were rushed in and left incomplete, like Ted’s (Jason Sudeikis) therapy sessions and the outcome of Rebecca’s (Hannah Waddingham) desire to be a mom. , Brett Goldstein, and were stuck with repetitive arcs, and let’s not even talk about that horrible CGI shot of Coach’s () wedding in the series finale. The show wasted time with unnecessary characters, and couldn’t find its way back before the credits rolled. At least we’ll always have a pretty darn great season one.

The White House Plumbers is easily forgettable, which is upsetting when you look at the impressive cast: Justin Theroux, Lena Headey, Woody Harrelson, Domhnall Gleeson, Judy Greer, Kiernan Shipka, and Yul Vasquez. Not to mention, s David Mandel helms the five-episode political satire. Unfortunately, TWHP tries to stuff plenty of arcs but can’t sustain its specific tone, clashing with itself as it tries to tell the story of Watergate “masterminds” E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, and how they accidentally overturned a presidency they were sworn to protect.

Oh, : One day television will find you the action-packed, post- role you deserve, but  is simply not it. You wouldn’t think so with how the premiere’s first half goes—it’s shocking, thrilling, and evocative as a group of high school students in California’s wildfires are attacked by wolves. Soon, though, Wolf Pack devolves into a cliché YA drama. And it doesn’t help that, except for Gellar, who has only a supporting role, no one else is up to the tasks for the emotional heavy lifting Wolf Pack aspires to achieve. It’s really just a bad CW drama masked as something fancier than that.