10 Annoying New TV Characters Only Added To Boost Ratings
8. Nellie - The Office
Annoying new characters aren't always little kids, as The Office made quite clear. When Steve Carell left in Season 7, the writers really needed to some big actor to keep viewers interested in a show that was clearly dying. At first there was Will Ferrell, but he was only around for a few episodes, and so before long, Catherine Tate was brought in as Nellie. The original Office starred a British comedian as the boss, so why not try bringing in another British comedian? What could go wrong?
Just about everything went wrong; Nellie was a painfully unfunny character that only made those who stuck around want to stop watching. It was a problem with the writing, though, and not with the performance of the hilarious Catherine Tate. How does Nellie get her job? She just wanders in, takes it, and refuses to leave. She's convinced she's the smartest person ever, which could make for some good cringe moments, but it all just comes across as bothersome. Michael was annoying in a funny way, but Nellie is annoying in an annoying way.
The writers later try to make Nellie more friendly, but it was too late. Unfortunately, they didn't respond to audience complaints and kept the character around for the following two seasons, and now she's just an embarrassingly terrible addition to a once great show.