2025’s Most Disappointing Shows, From ‘All’s Fair’ to ‘Zero Day’
For many, 2025 is ending not with a bang or a whimper but just an exasperated sigh.
Amid all the anxieties and terrors of the last 365 days, even television, our best and most accessible means of escapism, has been letting us down. We had great expectations for the TV shows below — a star-studded Ryan Murphy project! Suits‘ long-awaited return! A new 9-1-1 spinoff! — but they were overhyped and/or underwhelming.
Here we’re counting down the TV shows from this year that had us saying, “We’re not mad — we’re just disappointed.”
9. Zero Day (Netflix)
More like zero stars, are we right? No, Zero Day wasn’t that bad, but it certainly didn’t warrant Robert De Niro’s first starring TV role. In fact, the political thriller about a cyberattack on the United States had too many big-name stars to list, but ultimately, it worked so hard at shoehorning in timely issues that it forgot to provide a coherent storyline.
8. The Z-Suite (Tubi)
With its first live-action original series, Tubi had an opportunity to make a bold statement. And when Lauren Graham signed to play a Gen X-er ad maven replaced by Gen Z upstarts, we had reason to believe this workplace comedy would fit the bill. But the generational humor in The Z-Suite is nothing we haven’t seen before — yes, yes, the olds don’t understand social media — and nothing that Younger didn’t do better.
7. The Last Frontier (Apple TV)
The Last Frontier got on viewers’ last nerves. What seemed like it would be a taut survival thriller — about feds chasing escaped convicts across frigid Alaskan wilds after a plane crash — turned into a 10-episode plod with convoluted twists and patience-punishing procedural action. Apple TV canceled the series after its first and only season, though, and viewers weren’t mourning the loss.
6. Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix)
After sparking controversy with Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the Monster franchise avoided public ridicule but nevertheless delivered an unfocused and frustrating installment with The Ed Gein Story. This installment traced cinema’s horror genre to a notorious serial killer… while indulging some of the horror genre’s worst habits.
5. 9-1-1: Nashville (ABC)
We don’t begrudge the second 9-1-1 spinoff its improbable emergencies — fire tornadoes included. After all, over-the-top drama is in the franchise’s DNA. What we do fault Nashville for is the contrived soapiness that pits half-brother against half-brother, and worse, wife against ex-girlfriend. (We need some first responder to evacuate Jessica Capshaw to a better show.)
4. The Baldwins (TLC)
We’re sure there could be a docuseries in which Alec Baldwin processes the fatal events on the Rust set. And we had hope that the TLC show would — amid all the family fun of Alec, Hilaria, and their kids — explore the grief on all sides of the tragedy. (Yes, even despite the TLC of it all.) Alas, what we got was a one-sided perspective that felt more like PR spin control — and a reality-TV crash grab — than a balanced docuseries.
3. Pulse (Netflix)
Remember when this medical drama took a dig at Grey’s Anatomy and then lasted all of 10 episodes, compared to the latter show’s 450-plus? Aren’t doctors supposed to avoid such hubris? And speaking of inexcusable choices, the show focused not on Nestor Carbonell and Justina Machado’s characters but on Willa Fitzgerald and Colin Woodell’s and their queasy-making romance-turned-harassment-turned-romance storyline.
2. Suits LA (NBC)
Never mind our disappointment — imagine NBC’s disappointment when the success of Suits on streaming, one of the biggest second acts Hollywood has ever seen, resulted in a spinoff that captured the fashion sense of the original but nothing else! A TV show about practicing law in La-La Land should have been a lot more fun than Suits LA was.
1. All's Fair (Hulu)
To quote a certain TV diva, we were all rooting for you! How dare you! Learn something from this! No, we didn’t have high hopes for newbie actor Kim Kardashian — she might be famous one day! — but this legal drama managed to squander the talents of legendary thespians Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, Niecy Nash-Betts, and Naomi Watts. There’s nothing fair about this show getting a second season when far more deserving shows don’t.
Conversation29 Comments
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A
Well...I must be fortunate, because I've never seen any of the listed shows!
For some reason I wasn't interested, especially not anything with a Kardashian!
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D
Not knowing anything current isn’t a flex. You’re just under a rock
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S
Maybe there just only watch new TV shows that are actually good shows
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S
Agreed no interest in seeing her
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J
Can't get into 911 Nashville. Lone Star was great. The LA one is getting harder to take.
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T
I don't know what the critics are talking about with All's Fair. My husband and I absolutely love it.
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R
I enjoyed it too!
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R
Me too! Looking forward to Season 2.
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E
Meh, seems like personal, petty opinion. I like All's Fair. They got a 2nd season, so... Yeah.
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D
I enjoyed it also it was a good release and I’m glad I got it second season!
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P
Paulson's character was unrelentingly crude and I simply could not watch any more of her. KK did an ok job considering who she is but meh. The rest of them should be ashamed of themselves.
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R
I agree about Paulson's character but I'm enjoying the other A-list actress characters.
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K
I don't watch 911 Nashville because the only 911 Nash I want to see is Captain Bobby Nash (Peter Krause). Unfortunately the producers wrongly decided that he was expendable. A very unwise and stupid decision. IMO
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R
I liked Suits LA. No, it wasn't as good as the original, but I wouldn't have minded a second season.
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A
They should have done a reboot of Suits. None of this back and forth on time periods. There should be no direct connection to the old show.
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V
The people rating these shows must not watch much television, maybe one show and then just give it a bad rap and go watch something else. Why don't you people stop with all the rating games. If you really care why don't you talk to real people who do watch?
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T
I have only watched 911 and suits from this list. 911 Nashville is starting to get on my nerves with the half brothers and the ex girl friend these actors need better story lines.
I must have been in the minority I liked Suits. I never watched the first one so maybe that is why I did was not comparing it to anything. I think given a second season it would have found it footing.
Both shows suffer from too many people to keep up with trying to have story lines at one time.
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D
911 Nashville got on my nerves from day one! The only reason I watch is because I love Jessica Capshaw, and like the commentator said if they could get her on a different series, I would be so there! Didn’t watch Suits or anything else for that matter except for the Kardashian one don’t even remember the name of it but it was OK. I liked that actors Naomi Watts and I forget who the other one was lol but I like it OK, it was just a dumb release! Sometimes you need those!
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G
911 Nashville lasted exactly 1 episode in my house. The others 911 shows? Every episode. Storylines were wholly unbelievable, and too convoluted to follow. And trying to envision G as a Fire Captain was just too much for me. Hard pass. They can move on from this travesty.
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J
Oh and all the shows except all's fair was krakkker trash
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C
Totally dis agree about Monster the Ed Gtein Story
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G
All's Fair is puppy trashy fun with a surprising amount of heart and there is no secret as to why it was renewed....people are watching it...A LOT of people so ...there you go.
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P
Never heard of most of these shows. Only watched 911.
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S
I watched "All Fair" with Kim Kardashian, not a trained actor. But I thought she did pretty well. I just can't stomach the Paulson character. I find that character nauseating. I hope if there is a second season, this character is written off or killed off. Give the viewers a break
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D
I didn’t watch half of the shows, but the 911 Nashville was a big letdown and yes, Jessica Capshaw was the best part of the whole series the rest of them thumbs down especially LeAnn Rimes! Now the show with Kim Kardashian, I kind of enjoyed that one lol
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I
I have loved all of the 911 shows until Nashville. I lasted 3 episodes. I really wanted to like it, but the personal drama was just ridiculous. The actors all look bored and deserve better.
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G
I enjoyed All’s Fair even with all is over the top cringy lines. The A list actors really made it good.
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N
Less horror , less murder documentaries.
More 1 hr comedy series with laugh politics loud slap stick.
Less earth destroyed and survivors must battle a monster n the horrors of daily living.
Happy, hard working, funny situation comedies with a story lines of multiple trials and varied out comes
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M
911 Nashville is amazing and doesn’t deserve to be on this list.
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