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With the sheer amount of quality scripted television permeating our networks and favorite streamers, we have spent the last few years being spoiled by some of the best small-screen series ever produced. But among the Game of Thrones and Walking Dead out there, there are plenty of shows that have left audiences feeling more than a little let down.
As we near the halfway point of 2019, we ranked 10 TV shows that need to vacate our screens this year. A few of these series hit the ground running but eventually overstayed their welcome, while others were simply dead on arrival and haven’t yet been laid to rest.
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Bad TV 2019
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'The Blacklist'
James Spader's unmatched talent is the main reason NBC's drama has survived this long. After a strong first season, the messy follow-up story arcs have only served as evidence as to why the series is only dragging along at this point.
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'Insatiable'
Netflix's comedy-drama established itself early on as a failed fat-shaming satire that only got way, way worse from there. Take, for example, the following line: "I just figured everyone would think I'm a slut. Now they think I'm a lesbian and that's way worse." Yikes.
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'Bull'
Remember that very recent time CBS paid Eliza Dushku $9.5 million to settle harassment claims against former co-star Michael Weatherly? Double yikes. The series is seriously just a bunch of tedious bull, anyway.
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'The Conners'
The sitcom might be a hit for some critics, but it's hard to scrub Roseanne Barr's racist stench off of the rebooted series.
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'Last Man Standing'
Neither do we, Mr. Tool Man.
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'Splitting Up Together'
Sorry, Jenna. It's not you. You did your best to charm the hell out of this ABC comedy. Sadly, it just has never been all that funny or fun.
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'13 Reasons Why'
Netflix renewing the controversial series was a questionable decision at best. As survivor and mental health advocate Mark Henick says, the series romanticizes teen suicide and oversimplifies the causes of suicide. Open dialogue on suicide is extremely important, but it needs to be handled with care on-screen, especially when depicted on a show specifically geared towards a young audience.
Sure, the streamer has taken a few steps to correct some of their mistakes, such as including a trigger warning video ahead of the premiere episodes. But at this point, it might be better to move on altogether and start fresh elsewhere. Potential viewers should be warned that the series can be massively triggering for those struggling with suicide, suicidal ideation, and more, so please watch with caution.
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'Fam'
Nina Dobrev is a gem, but even she can't save the all-too familiar sitcom tropes from falling under the weight of the show's limited narrative.
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'Lethal Weapon'
Lethal Weapon started off as one of the best and strongest new series on TV before taking a disastrous dive following behind-the-scenes chaos. After killing off Clayne Crawford's character, the series attempted to fill the empty spot with Seann William Scott. The show should have gone down with the ship, though, especially with the news that lead Damon Wayans may not even return for a new season if renewed.
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'Proven Innocent'
Proven Innocent is the latest FOX drama that proves if you're going to introduce a new procedural, it has to be original and supported by interesting stories. Unfortunately, this one misses all the marks despite its great cast.
