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The 20 worst TV shows your favorite actors starred in this year

13 December 2024 at 06:18
Nicole Kidman as Greer Winbury in "The Perfect Couple."
Nicole Kidman as Greer Winbury in "The Perfect Couple."

Seacia Pavao/Netflix

  • 2024 saw the release of shows across a range of streaming platforms, but not all were well-received.
  • Shows like "The New Look," starring Ben Mendelsohn, failed to earn rave reviews across the board.
  • Despite big-name stars, critics roasted animated shows like "Universal Basic Guys" and "Good Times."

It seems 2024 saw the release of countless star-studded TV shows across a range of streaming platforms. However, top talent doesn't always guarantee rave reviews from critics.

Here are 20 of the worst TV shows your favorite actors starred in throughout 2024.

Will Forte is a crime-solving podcaster in the dark comedy "Bodkin."Β 
Will Forte wearing a gray shirt and black jacket surrounded by trees on "Bodkin"
Will Forte in "Bodkin."

Enda Bowe/Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes score: 69%

Summary: Podcaster Gilbert Power (Will Forte) and his assistant Emmy Sizergh (Robyn Cara) join journalist Dove Maloney (SiobhΓ‘n Cullen) in solving a cold case in Bodkin, Ireland.

Although many critics enjoyed "Bodkin" and praised Cullen, Cara, and Forte for their infectious chemistry, some viewers had mixed feelings.

"The elements don't quite congeal, but it's intriguing and well-crafted," critic Robert Levin wrote for Newsday.

Nicole Kidman starred in the mystery series "The Perfect Couple."
Nicole Kidman wearing a gray shirt sitting at a desk surrounded by books and papers
Nicole Kidman in "The Perfect Couple."

Seacia Pavao/Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes score: 65%

Summary: Just as Amelia (Eve Hewson) is about to marry into a wealthy family, her wedding weekend in Nantucket takes a deadly turn β€” and everyone (Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Billy Howle, and more) becomes a suspect.

Critics were split on their consensus of "The Perfect Couple," with some calling it a binge-worthy guilty pleasure and others deeming it an overwritten mess.

"Where 'The Perfect Couple' goes wrong β€” and where 'White Lotus' succeeded β€” is assuming its audience is watching," Maxwell Rabb wrote for the Chicago Reader. "Instead, everything of note is spelled out so attention to the characters themselves feels secondary."

"The New Look" boasted a stellar cast with Ben Mendelsohn, John Malkovich, and Maisie Williams.
Ben Mendelsohn wearing a suit and slouching against a building on "The New Look"
Ben Mendelsohn in "The New Look."

Apple TV+

Rotten Tomatoes score: 60%

Summary: This dramatic series follows fashion designers Christian Dior (Ben Mendelsohn) and Coco Chanel (Juliette Binoche) as they navigate life in Europe during the Nazi occupation of World War II.

Many critics noted the high production value β€” and the mesmerizing performances from its stellar cast β€” but couldn't help feeling like the story was lacking.

"For those enthralled with fashion, there's enough entertaining glitz and melodrama to keep one returning week after week," Brian Bromberger wrote for The Bay Area Reporter. "But for people less enamored by haute couture, the whole enterprise might seem sluggish with few rewards."

After wowing critics in "The Haunting of Hill House," Carla Gugino starred in "The Girls on the Bus."
Actress Carla Gugino wearing a black top standing in a crowd of people on "The Girls on the Bus"
Carla Gugino in "The Girls on the Bus."

Nicole Rivelli/Max

Rotten Tomatoes score: 57%

Summary: Four journalists β€” Grace (Carla Gugino), Sadie (Melissa Benoist), Kimberlyn (Christina Elmore), and Lola (Natasha Behnam) β€” follow flawed politicians' presidential campaigns.

"The Girls on the Bus" had the potential to be a biting political satire like "Veep," but some critics thought it played out like a shallow soap opera.

"It's diversion and distraction," Wenlei Ma wrote for The Nightly. "It has no more insight into politics and the media than 'Younger' had into publishing or 'The Bold Type' into journalism."

Former "Doctor Who" star Jenna Coleman played the central lead in the British drama "The Jetty."
Jenna Coleman wearing a black outfit sitting in a car on "The Jetty"
Jenna Coleman in "The Jetty."

BBC

Rotten Tomatoes score: 57%

Summary: This British crime drama follows Ember Manning (Jenna Coleman) as she investigates a fire in Lancashire and connects the dots to a cold case that was just blown wide open.

Though many critics appreciated the female perspective in "The Jetty," many felt like the story and pacing fell apart upon closer examination.

"These challenging issues might have been better served by a straight drama rather than an uneven mystery yarn littered with clichΓ©s, contrivances, clunky exposition, and thrillerish flourishes," Dan Einav wrote for the Financial Times.

Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, and Allison Janney soaked up the sun in "Palm Royale."
Kristen Wiig and Ricky Martin in "Palm Royale"
Kristen Wiig and Ricky Martin in "Palm Royale."

Erica Parise/Apple TV+

Rotten Tomatoes score: 56%

Summary: In 1969, Maxine (Kristen Wiig) looks to climb the ladder of high society at an exclusive country club in Palm Beach, Florida.

Overall, critics loved the show's attention to costumes and set design, but thought the glamour distracted from the story, which lacked any real intrigue.

"There are plenty of individual elements that suggest a worthwhile final product," Allyson Johnson wrote for But Why Tho? "However, none of these elements come together to become something more than the small, individual highlights."

Mandy Patinkin sets out to solve a murder in "Death and Other Details."
Mandy Patinkin as Rufus Cotesworth in "Death and Other Details" season one.
Mandy Patinkin in "Death and Other Details."

James Dittiger / Hulu

Rotten Tomatoes score: 55%

Summary: This locked-room murder mystery, set on a cruise ship, follows detective Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin) as he strives to prove passenger Imogene Scott (Violett Beane) is innocent.

Critics largely agreed the show had a few too many twists, which kept the story from being believable or having a truly rewarding ending.

"While there are elements of 'Death And Other Details' that have the potential to be entertaining, the show feels overstuffed and too interested in messing with the viewers to sustain what is a very complex whodunit," Joel Keller wrote for Decider.

Elisabeth Moss played a veteran secret agent in "The Veil."
Elizabeth Moss wearing a black jacket in a scene from "The Veil"
Elisabeth Moss in "The Veil."

FX on Hulu

Rotten Tomatoes score: 54%

Summary: Imogen Salter (Elisabeth Moss) and Adilah El Idrissi (Yumna Marwan) find themselves in a deadly cat-and-mouse game that takes them around the globe.

Critics enjoyed being whisked away to different locations, from Paris to Istanbul. However, they felt some aspects of the show did a disservice to its lead actors.

"…'The Veil' is a lot of style over substance," Liam Mathews wrote for TV Guide. "The show doesn't deeply engage with its characters or the real world around them."

Kate Winslet was a ruthless European leader in "The Regime."
A scene with Kate Winslet holding a bouquet of flowers on "The Regime"
Kate Winslet in "The Regime."

HBO

Rotten Tomatoes score: 51%

Summary: Chancellor Elena Vernham (Kate Winslet) ineffectually leads a crumbling autocracy as she presides over a Central European government.

Critics generally felt misled by the advertising of "The Regime," which marketed itself as a dark comedy but decidedly underserved on jokes.

"So there are gags; it's just really going to be in the eye of the beholder how funny they are, not just in the context of this muddled story, but also right now," Tara Ariano wrote for Cracked.

Jeff Daniels played a real-estate mogul on the decline in "A Man in Full."
A scene with Jeff Daniels and Diane Lane sitting on outdoors on "A Man in Full"
Jeff Daniels and Diane Lane in "A Man in Full."

Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes score: 50%

Summary: Based on Tom Wolfe's book of the same name, this dramatic miniseries follows Charlie Croker's (Jeff Daniels) downfall as his real-estate empire takes a nosedive.

Critics were evenly split on "A Man in Full," with some reviews citing Croker's exaggerated unlikeability as a huge turn-off.

"Over its six episodes, 'A Man in Full' repeats variations on Charlie's plaint that the 'world's gonna make men like me extinct,'" Steve Murray wrote for ArtsATL. "'Man in Full' can't persuade us that that even comes close to being a tragedy."

Anthony Hopkins starred as the emperor of Rome in "Those About to Die."
Anthony Hopkins wearing Roman attire sitting on white throne on "Those About To Die"
Anthony Hopkins in "Those About to Die."

Peacock

Rotten Tomatoes score: 48%

Summary: In 79 AD, Emperor Vespasian (Anthony Hopkins) and his sons rule over Rome as tavern owner Tenax ("Game of Thrones" star Iwan Rheon) tries to raise enough money to compete in a life-changing chariot race.

Although many critics felt the unpolished script did the actors a disservice, a large portion of them were entertained by the spectacle and gore nonetheless.

"It ends up as a fairly satisfying binge, not raucous enough to be a guilty pleasure but not in enough control of its characters to be seriously good," Jack Seale wrote for The Guardian.

Annette Bening and Sam Neill played an imperfect couple in "Apples Never Fall."
apples never fall episode 1 pictured annette bening as joy
Annette Bening in "Apples Never Fall."

Jasin Boland/Peacock

Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%

Summary: Just as successful tennis moguls Joy (Annette Bening) and Stan Delaney (Sam Neill) announce their retirement, Joy abruptly goes missing, sending the couple's children into a tailspin.

The show, which is based on a novel by "Big Little Lies" author Liane Moriarty, didn't mesh well with many critics β€” despite the best efforts of the cast.

"Annette Bening gives an excellent performance in the new seven-episode Peacock miniseries 'Apples Never Fall,' but she shows up all the lesser acting around her to a distracting degree," Eileen Jones wrote for the Jacobin.

Javier Bardem and ChloΓ« Sevigny raised infamous sons in "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story."
Chloë Sevigny as Kitty Menendez and Javier Bardem as Jose Menendez on "Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story"
Javier Bardem and ChloΓ« Sevigny in "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story."

Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%

Summary: This drama chronicles the lives of Erik (Cooper Koch) and Lyle Menendez (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and the murders of their parents (Javier Bardem and ChloΓ« Sevigny).

Critics largely agreed that the show, created by Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy, showed promise but overstayed its welcome.

"Some tonal inconsistency is understandable; how else could a show capture both the ludicrousness of this story and its dire, mortal dimensions?" Richard Lawson wrote for Vanity Fair. "But Brennan and Murphy push past that, into the realm of incoherence."

Seth Rogen, Michael Cera, and more revived their "Sausage Party" roles in "Sausage Party: Foodtopia."
A scene from "Sausage Party: Foodtopia" with hot dogs and a bun standing on a stage
Seth Rogen, Michael Cera, and Kristen Wiig lent their voices to characters in "Sausage Party: Foodtopia."

Amazon Prime

Rotten Tomatoes score: 46%

Summary: The characters of the animated comedy "Sausage Party" (2016) return to defeat the human race and establish their own civilization.

Despite the return of big-name stars like Seth Rogen, Michael Cera, and Kristen Wiig, critics felt the expanded world-building and characterization of "Sausage Party: Foodtopia" was fruitless.

In a review for RogerEbert.com, Clint Worthington wrote that the show was "an eight-episode series for Prime Video that simply regurgitates the same tired material as the film while adding little to the recipe."

Domhnall Gleeson and Andrea Riseborough fell in and out of love in "Alice & Jack."
Domhnall Gleeson as Jack and Andrea Riseborough as Alice in a scene from "Alice & Jack"
Domhnall Gleeson and Andrea Riseborough in "Alice & Jack."

Fremantle/PBS

Rotten Tomatoes score: 39%

Summary: Lovers Jack (Domhnall Gleeson) and Alice (Andrea Riseborough) keep coming back to each other, but they never seem to get the timing right.

Overall, the reception for "Alice & Jack" was underwhelming, with critics saying it lacked the nuance and depth of more acclaimed relationship dramas like "Normal People."

"'Alice & Jack' shoots for the vertigo of a star-crossed romance, but does too little work to convince us of the relationship's validity," Angie Han wrote for The Hollywood Reporter.

Giancarlo Esposito seeks revenge for his son's murder in "Parish."
Giancarlo Esposito standing in a doorway with homes in the background on "Parish"
Giancarlo Esposito in "Parish."

AMC

Rotten Tomatoes score: 33%

Summary: GraciΓ‘n "Gray" Parish (Giancarlo Esposito) thought he had washed his hands of the criminal underworld until his son's horrific murder sends him hurtling back to the life he left.

Critics were delighted to see Esposito in the lead role but wished the script had been better written.

"The six episodes allotted to 'Parish' require a narrative discipline that simply isn't in play, and Esposito's talent demands original writing that rarely presents itself here," Melanie McFarland wrote for Salon.

Shailene Woodley sets out to chronicle different perspectives in "Three Women."
Shailene Woodley as Gia in "Three Women"
Shailene Woodley in "Three Women."

Emily Aragones/Starz

Rotten Tomatoes score: 33%

Summary: Journalist Gia Lombardi (Shailene Woodley) follows the lives of three women β€” Lina (Betty Gilpin), Sloane (DeWanda Wise), and Maggie (Gabrielle Creevy) β€” in search of what sex means to contemporary Americans.

Critics agreed that the adaptation of Lisa Taddeo's book failed to capture the magic of the source material.

"Buried under all the plot contortions and surplus extensions of 'Three Women' are many beautiful, moving observations," Ben Travers wrote for IndieWire. "If only it was easier to see them."

Billy Crystal starred as a grieving therapist in "Before."
Billy Crystal wearing a black shirt with a person in a blue and white shirt behind him in a scene from "Before"
Billy Crystal in "Before."

Apple TV+

Rotten Tomatoes score: 32%

Summary: Eli (Billy Crystal) is a child psychologist still reeling from losing his wife when he uncovers a disturbing connection to his next client.

Critics praised Crystal for stepping into a darker genre but didn't think the show was anything to write home about.

"Every comic legend deserves a chance to branch out, the same way Crystal's buddy Robin Williams famously went dark, often," Robert Moran wrote for The Sydney Morning Herald. "But 'Before' is no 'One Hour Photo.' It's barely a blank Polaroid."

Fred Armisen is David, a neurotic neighbor in the animated sitcom "Universal Basic Guys."
Characters sitting on green benches on "Universal Basic Guys"
Fred Armisen voiced David in "Universal Basic Guys."

Fox

Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%

Summary: After brothers Mark and Hank Hoagies (both voiced by Adam Malamut) lose their jobs to automation, a universal basic-income program helps keep them afloat.

Critics said that "Universal Basic Guys" aimed for the familiar comedic stylings of "Family Guy" but fell short.

"While the premise is interesting enough, the show is stuffed with tiresome jokes that fail to pack a punch," Aramide Tinubu wrote for Variety.

Yvette Nicole Brown, JB Smoove, and Wanda Sykes lent their voices to "Good Times."
main family from netflix's animated good times series sitting on a living room couch
Yvette Nicole Brown, JB Smoove, and Wanda Sykes voiced characters in "Good Times."

Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes score: 10%

Summary: "Good Times," an animated revival of the 1970s sitcom of the same name, centers on the Evans family as they try to get by in Chicago.

Critics said the animated series seemed fine-tuned to offend viewers, all while banking on the nostalgia for the original "Good Times."

"In a way, it would have been better to just craft this as an original series without all the baggage and expectations of reinventing a TV classic β€” but then, Netflix wouldn't have gotten all the headlines and attention from the shocked reactions," Eric Deggans wrote for NPR.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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