In the world of television, a show's success is usually determined by its ratings, as well as how long it lasts. But plenty of shows that people vocally disliked still got good ratings.
There's a variety of reasons for this. Sometimes, the critics were just a vocal minority, but, other times, even people who like the show are willing to acknowledge its flaws. Some viewers might watch a show based on its bad reputation, and there are times where this disparity is an issue of hindsight. People might not have realized how popular a show was and joined the bandwagon to hate it. Or else a show that genuinely was popular and beloved at one point simply didn't age well and now finds itself the object of ridicule.
10 The Bachelor: You Either Love It Or Hate It
The Bachelor is a reality series revolving around the titular single man meeting with women to possibly share the rest of their lives together. Both the show and its gender-flipped counterpart, The Bachelorette, prove popular enough to come back season after season.
Something of a guilty pleasure, the series developed a reputation as a show people either love or hate. For some, the idea of someone dating multiple people at once is still considered scandalous.
9 The Big Bang Theory: It's Either Too Geeky Or Not Geeky Enough
The Big Bang Theory explores lives of four genius-level geeks who befriend their more extroverted neighbor, Penny. With twelve seasons, the series is considered one of the longest-running multi-camera sitcoms in television history.
Still, the show had — and still has — its haters. Some viewers, in particular, thought the references to geek culture were poorly done, but others thought the series didn't give enough focus to it.
8 Pretty Little Liars: The Show Was Notorious For Dragging Out Storylines
Based on the book series of the same name, Pretty Little Liars revolves around four girls impacted by the loss of their friend, Alison. A year later, however, they each get mysterious messages from a figure known as "A."
One of the show's biggest problems was its tendency to drop plot points and drag out storylines, with the characters only finding out A's true identity and motivations after six seasons. There was controversy over the show's portrayal of a teacher having relationships with students.
7 Two And A Half Men: If Viewers Liked The Early Seasons, They Probably Didn't Enjoy The Later Ones
In Two and a Half Men, two brothers who are nothing alike — one a family man and the other a committed bachelor — find themselves living with each other after the former's wife wants a divorce, bringing his school-age son, the titular "half man," along with him.
While popular enough to last for twelve seasons, the show got mixed reviews from the get-go. Even at the start, many people found the show sexist, and on hindsight, the show was marred by controversy after Charlie Sheen's role was replaced by Ashton Kutcher. The show's reputation was especially marred by the final episode, which revolved around Sheen's character plotting a petty revenge.
6 Once Upon A Time: Its Focus On Fairy Tales Was Both A Blessing And A Curse
In Once Upon A Time, various fairy tale characters find themselves cursed by Snow White's stepmother and transported into the town of Storybrooke in the real world. A mother and son, both related to Snow White and her prince, must unravel the town's secrets as more of the fairy tale stories come to life.
One thing that might have won viewers over, that this series was something kids could watch with their parents, also caused the show to be treated as a guilty pleasure. Many adult fans admittedly found a series revolving around fairy tale characters too juvenile to discuss seriously. Ironically, many viewers who were interested in seeing the fairy tales come to life often disliked the series for focusing too much on Disney adaptations and would have liked to see more diverse stories adapted, especially when alternate versions of the various characters became a plot point in the final season.
5 Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Even Fans Admit The Series' Name Was A Deterrent During The Early Years
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a reworking of the 1992 film of the same name, focuses on a young girl who learns that she is the Slayer, destined to protect the Earth from the forces of the Hellmouth: vampires, witches, warlocks, and demons.
During its original run, Buffy wasn't exactly a ratings darling, but did well considering it started as a midseason replacement for a two-year-old network. Infamously, while Buffy is seen as a cult classic now, the series' name often caused people to ignore the show when it was on the air. The indie feel of this franchise is further demonstrated by the fact that the comic continuation lasted longer in print than the series lasted on the air. Even Family Guy once joked how it's hard to tell if the show was ever popular or not.
4 How I Met Your Mother: The Final Episode Ruined The Show's Reputation
In How I Met Your Mother, a father, Ted Mosby, recounts stories of his friends and his eventual romance to his children, which viewers get to see through narrated flashbacks. During its run, viewers enjoyed exploring the mystery of just who the titular "mother" character would be.
While some shows get vindicated by history, How I Met Your Mother had the opposite problem. The final episode's big twist, namely that the mother had passed on by the time of the framing device and Ted was going to rekindle a relationship with one of his female friends, caused enough backlash to ruin the show's reputation, especially for new viewers.
3 Full House: Critics Found The Show Too Sappy, But People Kept Watching
In Full House, a widower, his best friend, and his brother-in-law must work together to help raise the former's three daughters in San Francisco. The show was popular during its run, apparently became more popular in syndicated airings, and famously launched the career of the Olsen Twins, who shared the role of the family's youngest daughter. However, it was disliked by critics and knocked for being too sentimental and cutesy.
2 Glee: Even Fans Question What The Show Wanted To Be
Glee revolves around the students of William McKinley High School's singing Glee Club, from its changing members to various faculty members.
During its run, plenty of viewers bemoaned how the series gave preference to some characters over others and dropped storylines. Even diehard fans admitted the show itself didn't know what it wanted to be early in its run, regularly switching tone between a light comedy and a dark drama. And, as the series went on, plenty of people just couldn't take all the singing seriously.
1 Murder, She Wrote: The Show's Popularity With Grandparents Might Have Backfired
In Murder, She Wrote, Jessica Fletcher, an English teacher turned popular mystery writer, finds herself involved with real-life murders wherever she goes. Luckily, she's able to use her own sleuthing skills to save the day.
The series had extremely high ratings and lasted for an impressive twelve seasons, in addition to inspiring a spin-off book series. However, the show's popularity at the time might have backfired over the years. Now, Murder, She Wrote is often remembered as something kids were forced to sit through, and, considering the show's subject matter, were often disturbed by, while their grandparents and other older relatives watched. Considering how often people die wherever Jessica Fletcher goes, a popular meme joked that she secretly committed all the murders in the series, or that her hometown, Cabot Cove, is the murder capital of the U.S.A.
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