10 TV Shows Too Big To Fail (That Did It Anyway)

9. The Michael Richards Show

Why It Was 'Too Big'

Seinfeld was the biggest TV show of the decade. Through seasons 5-9 it was either the 1st or 2nd most-watched series on network television, and its finale was watched by 76.3 million viewers in the U.S., the fifth-highest of all time. Even with a divisive response to its ending, the was a lot of excitement to see what they'd get up to next, and Michael Richards (Kramer) was the first to attempt to break out. With three Seinfeld writers behind him, The Michael Richards Show was a no-brainer for NBC execs.

Revolving around a private investigator who misunderstands everything and constantly makes mistakes, yet always gets the job done, it seemed like a perfect vehicle for the popular and hilarious Richards' talents. If it could attract even a fraction of Seinfeld's viewers it'd be doing well.

Why It Failed Anyway

Although it wasn't known then, the Seinfeld Curse would become a strangely real thing. In 2001, Jason Alexander would star in Bob Patterson, and a year later Julia Louis-Dreyfus launched Watching Ellie. Both crashed and burned, but it was Michael Richards who was the first to fall victim to it, and he's the only one to never overcome it either (although the racist rant probably has more to do with that).

The Michael Richards Show, though, also tried too hard to be like Seinfeld; the execs forced his character into essentially behaving like Kramer, complete with his renowned physical comedy, even when it didn't fit the character or situation. The series received negative reviews, low ratings, and was quickly scrapped.