8 TV Shows That Were Terrible (But We Couldn’t Stop Watching)

6. The Jerry Springer Show

Jerry Springer Show
Stamford Media Center Productions

The vast majority of reality TV is a) pretty bad, and b) very popular. From Jersey Shore to The Bachelor, there's something oddly addictive about watching the antics of other (often awful) people.

However, for a mix of long-term awfulness combined with sustained success, there's no bigger example than The Jerry Springer, which ran for a whopping 27(!) seasons. The show, which finds Springer presiding over a number of insane relationship and family issues, is kind of designed to be terrible. It may purport to give people a space to deal with their issues, but it's a thin veneer for explosive melodrama and physical fights.

It's a complete circus, with Springer its ringmaster, overseeing tales of excess that would make the worst tabloids blush and leave you completely questioning the direction humanity had taken. And yet, despite all of that, people lapped it up - the show regularly pulled in strong viewers, especially in the 90s when it was a cultural touchstone, and it's taken this long for it to finally end. It's only just been cancelled, but it's always been trash.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.