Sometimes, it's just time to call it quits. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the TV shows that unsuccessfully tried to throw everything at the wall to stay on the air. For this list, we’ll be spoiling some major plot developments, so here’s a spoiler alert.
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00:00Welcome to Mizmojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the TV shows that unsuccessfully
00:13tried to throw everything at the wall to stay on the air.
00:17For this list, we'll be spoiling some major plot developments, so here's a spoiler alert.
00:24Number 10, Back to School Scrubs.
00:36The ninth and final season of Scrubs saw a complete change of pace and setting.
00:41Only a couple of its regular cast members returned, and they're joined by some newcomers.
00:47J.D., Turk, and Dr. Cox are now teachers, mentoring a fresh cast of potential interns.
01:01This twist on the formula was as much of a shock to its cast and crew as it was to audiences.
01:11After the season 8 finale had done a pretty good job of wrapping everything up, a ninth
01:23season was ordered anyway.
01:25It wasn't a disaster of a season, but it was clear Scrubs had run its course.
01:30This fresh twist didn't win back many viewers, and the show was finally cancelled.
01:47Number 9, Claire Takes Over, House of Cards.
01:50This Netflix original lost a lot of steam once its lead finally assumed the presidency
01:56at the end of season 2, but it took three seasons for Claire Underwood to prove as ruthless
02:01as her cold-blooded husband.
02:11The penultimate season ends with Claire becoming president and refusing to pardon Frank Underwood
02:17for his crimes.
02:18She even steals his shtick of addressing the audience directly.
02:31These moments announced a shift away from Frank Underwood's evil machinations, placing
02:37the story in her hands.
02:39But this perspective-shifting twist couldn't save House of Cards from its behind-the-scenes
02:44scandals.
02:45Underwood's conduct allegations against star Kevin Spacey cast a shadow over the whole
02:50series, leading to his firing.
02:53But by then, the novelty of Netflix's first legitimate hit had worn off.
03:08Number 8, Eric and Kelso Move Away, That 70s Show.
03:12After seven seasons as series regulars, Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher found bigger and
03:18better roles that required them to leave the show.
03:21Both were written out at the end of season 7.
03:30Eric Foreman's announcement that he is going to Africa puts a tremendous strain on his
03:34relationship with Donna.
03:36Meanwhile, Kelso's decision to move to Chicago is dragged into the final season, fueling
03:41the love triangle between him, Jackie, and Hyde.
03:57Even before Grace and Kutcher left, the show had slipped in the ratings.
04:01Not even a few new characters and the ringing in of the 1980s could bring viewers back to
04:07finish out the journey.
04:16Number 7, Buffy's Resurrection, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
04:27Fans were left in complete shock and disbelief when Buffy Summers threw herself into a portal
04:34to save her sister Dawn.
04:36Given that writer and creator Joss Whedon initially thought up the season 5 finale
04:40to serve as the very last episode of the show, there was a lot to explain once Buffy returned
04:47the next year.
04:55Her resurrection got a mixed response from fans.
04:58On one hand, it was great to see Buffy and the Scooby gang back in action.
05:02On the other hand, the show's tone and direction shifted to something even darker
05:07once Buffy was brought back to life, which proved somewhat divisive.
05:20Number 6, Deb Finds Out Dexter is a Serial Killer, Dexter.
05:32audiences were shocked enough when Debra Morgan's psychiatrist pointed out that she
05:37may be in love with her adoptive brother, Dexter.
05:40But that pales in comparison to when, a few episodes later, the homicide detective also
05:46discovers Dexter's dark side.
05:55The whole premise of the show is upended with this revelation.
05:59It's Dexter's double life that fuels so much of the show's drama, and the overall suspense
06:04is severely impacted by the twist.
06:07Dedicated fans stayed with the Showtime drama for its two final seasons, and those same
06:13fans and other viewers who stuck around to see how it all unfolded know that the show
06:17ran out of steam, limping to a widely hated series finale.
06:28Number 5, Rivervale, Riverdale
06:41Yes, the CW's Archie Comics adaptation took its fair share of big swings, but by season
06:486, viewership was down and the wheels had finally come off.
06:52The sixth season adds witchcraft, superpowers, and time travel into the mix, seeing the characters
06:58conquering time loops and parallel universes.
07:13After a bomb planted by Hiram Lodge goes off in Archie Andrews' bedroom, the entire town
07:19is thrown into a parallel version of Riverdale called Rivervale.
07:24Anyone with even a little awareness of Riverdale probably wouldn't find it hard to believe
07:29that it went off the rails.
07:31They might be surprised just how long it actually took, though.
07:41Number 4, Luke's secret daughter, Gilmore Girls
07:50It isn't just Lorelei Gilmore's caffeine habit that keeps her coming back to the diner
07:55owned by surly Luke Danes.
07:58To everyone's relief, they finally get together halfway through the series' run.
08:03Unfortunately, it all falls apart, and it's all April Nadini's fault.
08:18When the brainy April walks into the diner and tells Luke he's her father, you can hear
08:22millions of fans groan.
08:25Many even blame April for killing the show, but she was just a misguided solution to the
08:30show's problems.
08:31The show's central mother-daughter relationship was on the rocks by then, and this extra complication
08:36made it seem as if the writers had completely run out of ideas.
08:48Number 3, season 9 was a dream, Dallas
08:52Killing off a major character is a big deal, but that shock is made worse when a show pulls
09:00a lol just kidding after they do it.
09:10Dallas shocked everyone by writing off Bobby Ewing in a car accident at the end of season
09:168.
09:17The next season shows the wealthy Ewing family having to move on without him.
09:21However, this is then followed by another twist at the end of the ninth season.
09:30Bobby is revealed to be alive, and all the storylines we've been following the whole
09:34year are revealed to be a dream.
09:38The show would continue for a few more seasons, but the season-ending twist paled in comparison
09:43to the famous Who Shot J.R. Cliffhanger that captivated the world years before.
09:58Number 2, Winning the Lottery, Roseanne
10:01For most of its run, this working-class sitcom sat comfortably at the top of the ratings.
10:06But in its ninth and, initially, final season, Roseanne tanked its credibility and alienated
10:12its loyal following.
10:23The Conner family were relatable because of their working-class struggles.
10:26Seeing them win the lottery changed everything the show is about.
10:31The storylines became more and more experimental, if not downright nonsensical.
10:36In its original series finale, Roseanne herself reveals that the whole show is actually a
10:40fictionalised version of her life, and they never won the lottery at all.
10:56The revelation doesn't make the season any less of a bummer.
11:00Everything that happened post-lottery was erased when the show was revived in 2018.
11:31Number 1, Cousin Oliver, The Brady Bunch
11:34The six Brady kids couldn't help growing up, but the show's appeal lay in its young
11:39audience.
11:40Cousin Oliver was the solution.
11:47Anyone who knows anything about The Brady Bunch knows how that decision turned out.
11:52In season five, the Bradys are saddled with Carol's nephew Oliver while his parents
11:57are away.
11:58The character of a spectacled, blonde boy can't help but be a disaster on two legs,
12:02causing chaos wherever he goes.
12:05He was also a massive flop with the audience.
12:18The Brady Bunch was put out of its misery just a few episodes later.
12:22Although Cousin Oliver is often blamed for killing the show, it was the show's declining
12:26ratings that made him necessary in the first place.
12:30Still, he certainly didn't help.
12:38What's a plot twist that made you realise a show was on the way out?
12:42Let us know in the comments!