Top 10 TV Shows that Got Worse Over Time

These days, there are a lot of shows that keep getting worse as they make more seasons. But which ones have really become bad?

The Top Ten

  1. SpongeBob SquarePants

    SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It has become one of Nickelodeon's most popular and longest-running shows, attracting both children and adults.... read more

    Taking our sixth spot, we have SpongeBob SquarePants. The first three seasons were considered the absolute best for Nickelodeon at the time, following Ren and Stimpy being canceled, Doug being sold to Disney, and Rugrats suffering seasonal rot. However, by the time Season 4 rolled along, a decline in quality took place.

    This decline became obvious around mid-Season 6 and early Season 7, with episodes like One Course Meal, A Pal for Gary, and Choir Boys among others. Even after the series improved from Season 8 onwards, the show still wasn't considered as good as it was before.

    SpongeBob SquarePants was an amazing show. If you watched Nickelodeon as a child in the early 21st century, you knew what this show was.

    However, after the movie, most of the plots became boring. Sometimes, the show even used darker subjects, which is NOT the funny and happy SpongeBob we knew.

    SpongeBob needs to improve so kids today can experience how good the show can actually be.

  2. The Simpsons

    The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening. It originally aired as shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show starting April 19, 1987, and debuted as a standalone series on December 17, 1989.

    As of 2026, it remains the longest-running animated sitcom. The show follows Homer Simpson... read more

    Not to be outclassed, The Simpsons is another major series that went downhill. Being a series created in 1989, its seasonal rot took place between Seasons 9 to 16. But once Season 16 rolled around, the series started to get worse. From that point on, several of our beloved Springfield denizens went downhill.

    Homer and Lisa both became loathsome jerks, Flanders and Bart became the show's punching bags, and Apu got removed for some reason. And then there's the "Woke" crowd and their problems, but I don't want to waste any more time.

    Even though The Simpsons now has incredible HD graphics, it doesn't make up for the newer episodes. The humor almost never works, and the plots are often not interesting.

    I hope this series starts making better episodes.

  3. The Fairly OddParents

    The Fairly OddParents is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. It originally premiered as a series of shorts on Oh Yeah! Cartoons in 1998 before debuting as a full series on March 30, 2001.... read more

    Yeah, I actually do agree now that it has gone downhill. Mostly in Season 9, which is why I'm not excited for Season 10. Chloe is unnecessary.

    Unlike SpongeBob and Family Guy, it didn't get any better afterward.

  4. Family Guy

    Family Guy is an American adult animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a family consisting of Peter, Lois, their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their anthropomorphic dog, Brian. The show is set in the fictional city of Quahog... read more

    Family Guy is another series that had its roots in the mid to late 1990s. During its first few seasons, Family Guy was a fun and carefree satire show that knew its limits as it was on broadcast television. Then the series went to Adult Swim after Fox abandoned it. Even on Adult Swim, the series was okay at worst.

    But then Season 8 rolled around with extraordinarily bad episodes like "Life of Brian" and other episodes that would've easily gotten the show in hot water if it was 1999 again. In other words, Family Guy's downfall was caused by the show trying too hard to be the next South Park and failing.

    Just like The Simpsons, Family Guy has gotten even worse over the last couple of seasons.

  5. iCarly

    iCarly is an American teen sitcom that ran on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007, until November 23, 2012. The series was created by Dan Schneider and focuses on teenager Carly Shay, who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam Puckett and Freddie Benson. The show was a major... read more

  6. The Big Bang Theory

    The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, who also served as executive producers alongside Steven Molaro. The show follows a group of socially awkward scientists and their interactions with friends and romantic partners. It featured several notable guest stars throughout... read more

    This show has totally gone in the crapper.

    The first couple of seasons were okay, and then it just got so bad with Amy, etc., etc., etc.

  7. Tom and Jerry

    Tom and Jerry is an American animated series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. It is best known for its 161 theatrical shorts produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which feature the comedic rivalry between Tom, a cat, and Jerry, a mouse... read more

  8. Two and a Half Men

    Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that began broadcasting on CBS on September 22, 2003, and ended on February 19, 2015, after twelve seasons.

    The show was well received due to the comedic onscreen chemistry between Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer.... read more

    The show has completely jumped the shark.

  9. Teen Titans Go!

    Teen Titans Go! is an American animated television series developed for Cartoon Network and produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment. The show follows a group of teenage superheroes called the Teen Titans as they return home from missions and get into silly, everyday adventures. It is... read more

  10. My Wife and Kids

    My Wife and Kids is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from March 28, 2001, to May 17, 2005. Produced by Touchstone Television, it starred Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin.

    The show centers on Michael Kyle, a loving husband and modern-day patriarch who uses a unique parenting... read more

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Girl Meets World

    Girl Meets World is an American coming-of-age television sitcom. The series debuted on Disney Channel on June 27, 2014. It is a sequel to the 1990s show Boy Meets World and follows the life of Cory and Topanga's daughter, Riley Matthews.

  12. ?

    Jessie

    Jessie is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 30, 2011, to October 16, 2015. The series was created and executive produced by Pamela Eells O'Connell and starred Debby Ryan as Jessie Prescott.

    Jessie is a small-town girl from Texas who moves to New York City to become... read more

    13. The Contenders

  13. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo

    Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is an American reality television series that aired on TLC. It features the family of child beauty pageant contestant Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson. The show premiered on August 8, 2012, and ran for four seasons until August 14, 2014.

  14. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

    Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! is the first incarnation of Hanna-Barbera's long-running Saturday morning cartoon franchise, Scooby-Doo. It originally aired on CBS from 1969 to 1970. The show follows a group of teenagers and their talking Great Dane, Scooby-Doo, as they solve mysteries involving supposedly... read more

  15. Liv and Maddie

    Liv and Maddie is a live-action Disney Channel sitcom that premiered on July 19, 2013, and concluded on March 24, 2017. The show follows identical twin sisters Olivia "Liv" Rooney and Madison "Maddie" Rooney, both portrayed by Dove Cameron, who was born Chloe Celeste Hosterman in January 1996, as they... read more

  16. Family Matters

    Family Matters is a sitcom that aired from 1989 to 1998. It originally centered on the Winslow family, but the focus gradually shifted toward their nerdy neighbor, Steve Urkel, who was initially intended to be a minor character. The show often features characters learning important life lessons after... read more

    The first few seasons were great. I actually like the first season the best. Seasons 1-3 were amazing, and Seasons 4 and 5 were mostly good but got repetitive at times. Season 6 was pretty boring, but Seasons 7 and 8 are almost unwatchable, with the audience clapping for an entire minute after someone walks in the room or says a line. I almost felt like I was watching Everybody Loves Raymond.

    Not to mention that the characters had lost their charm and the jokes and writing became so predictable, lazy, and boring. Season 9 was okay, though, but a little weird at times.

  17. Full House

    Full House is an American sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for ABC. The show chronicles a widowed father, Danny Tanner, who enlists his best friend and brother-in-law to help raise his three daughters. It originally aired from 1987 to 1995 and became a staple of family television during its run.

  18. Wizards of Waverly Place

    Wizards of Waverly Place is an American fantasy teen sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from October 12, 2007, to January 6, 2012. Created by Todd J. Greenwald, the series stars Selena Gomez, David Henrie, and Jake T. Austin as three siblings who are wizards in training, each competing to become the... read more

  19. Arthur

    Arthur is an American-Canadian animated educational television series for children, developed by Marc Brown and Kathy Waugh and produced by WGBH Boston for PBS. The show is based on Brown's book series and follows the adventures of Arthur Read, an anthropomorphic aardvark. It aired from 1996 to 2022... read more

    The first episodes of this show were the best, but now the animation is FLASH. So now it looks like the characters are being stretched across the screen. The jokes used to be funny for all ages, but now they're unfunny and boring. The plots? Terrible. I miss the old Arthur.

  20. Victorious

    Victorious is an American sitcom created by Dan Schneider that originally aired on Nickelodeon from March 27, 2010, through February 2, 2013. The series follows aspiring singer Tori Vega, who attends Hollywood Arts High School after unexpectedly taking her sister Trina's place in a talent showcase.... read more

  21. Fresh Prince of Bel Air

    The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The show starred Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself. It became a cultural touchstone and launched Smith's successful acting career.

  22. South Park

    South Park is an American adult animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. The show centers on four boys: Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick, and their adventures in the fictional town of South Park, Colorado. It's known... read more

  23. Arrow

    Arrow is an American action crime television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg. The series aired on The CW from 2012 to 2020 and is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow. It was the first show in the Arrowverse, a shared universe that includes several other... read more

    Adding Arrow to the list makes me sad. This show started out as a solid entry for DC Comics from Season 1, and it was an amazing blast in Season 2. They even brought in Barry Allen (The Flash), Deathstroke, and the Suicide Squad, which ultimately led to the formation of a TV Universe, the Arrowverse.

    The first half of Season 3 was actually pretty good. But once the second half started, that's when the show began to decline in quality. This decline was even more evident in Season 4. Although it started out strong, it gradually got worse over time, leading to a very underwhelming and disappointing season finale. This was after Legends of Tomorrow (Season 1) and The Flash (Season 2) released their season finales, which turned out to be pretty good.

    Adding to these factors, I'm not really excited for Season 5. And I'm not the only one who's disappointed. With a massive number of fans now leaving the show due to it gradually getting weaker, the future of Arrow seems rather bleak (to me at least). Only time will tell.

  24. Looney Tunes

    Looney Tunes is an American series of animated comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. from 1930 to 1969. It was released during what is often referred to as the Golden Age of American animation. The series was created alongside its sister series, Merrie Melodies, and introduced iconic characters... read more

  25. Criminal Minds

    Criminal Minds is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Jeff Davis. The show first aired in 2005 and became the original series in the Criminal Minds franchise. It follows a team of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds to anticipate their... read more

  26. Good Luck Charlie

    Good Luck Charlie is an American sitcom that originally aired on Disney Channel from April 4, 2010, to February 16, 2014. The series was created by Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen, who aimed to design a show that would appeal to both children and their families. It starred Bridgit Mendler as Teddy Duncan... read more

  27. Adventure Time

    Adventure Time is an American animated television series created by Pendleton Ward for Cartoon Network. The series follows the adventures of a boy named Finn, voiced by Jeremy Shada, and his best friend and adoptive brother, Jake, voiced by John DiMaggio. Jake is a dog with the magical power to change... read more

    The first season was good, yes, but then it started going down, down, down. By the time it ended, it was one of the worst cartoons ever to air.

    It got better in Season 3, but it was on a rollercoaster since Rebecca Sugar quit the show and made Steven Universe.

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