Top 10 Talk Shows That BOMBED So Hard They Got CANCELED

After seventeen years of hosting “The Tonight Show,” Jay Leno passed the reins to Conan O’Brien and began hosting a new talk show for NBC. “The Jay Leno Show” premiered in 2009 to hit ratings. Unfortunately, critics felt that the show lacked creativity and was misplaced in its primetime slot. Viewership quickly plummeted, though O’Brien’s show wasn't faring much better. Having gambled too much in separating Leno’s and his original show’s brands, NBC canceled “The Jay Leno Show” after one season. Leno returned to “The Tonight Show,” until Jimmy Fallon claimed hosting duties in 2014. His ratings never completely bounced back, but Leno’s additional four years with “Tonight” were still much more successful than five months of his spin-off.

With the end of “MadTV” in 2009, Fox needed a new hit to keep the late-night Saturday audience. The candid yet relatable comedian Wanda Sykes was poised to fill that void with her own bold, weekly talk show. But she turned out to be a bit too edgy for audiences, creating an awkward atmosphere in her interviews and commentary. It turns out that Sykes’s real talk was not that well-suited for a talk show. Viewers were polarized, and soon dropped off. After one season, Fox axed “The Wanda Sykes Show” and was left without an original late-night program for the first time in some fifteen years. Though Sykes herself is as popular as ever, her short-lived talk show has faded into obscurity.

Nick Cannon had his plate full as a TV personality by 2021. The comedian’s self-named, Harlem-filmed talk show was expected to be the ideal platform for his many talents. Unfortunately, it was one of several of Cannon’s projects postponed by COVID-19 and controversy surrounding racist comments on his short-lived podcast. By the time “Nick Cannon” quietly premiered in syndication roughly a year later, it was one of the lowest-rated shows on broadcast. Viewers also felt that the entertainer’s show really wasn’t that entertaining. It was canceled after only six months, before the first season finished airing. Cannon had other projects to fall back on, but it appears that his appeal as a host is limited after all.

Immediately after the end of the hit sitcom “Will & Grace,” NBC Universal developed a syndicated talk show for Karen Walker herself, Megan Mullally. Though she had the chops for the comedy and skits, she was not as natural with the interviews. Mullally was considered likable, but “The Megan Mullally Show” frequently overstepped its gimmicks without much reward in the ratings. For all of the lively antics and “Will & Grace” nostalgia, audiences were taken aback by Mullally being a lot less outrageous than Karen. After just four months, the Broadway entertainer once again bid farewell to her fixture on television. Mullally has remained a prolific character actor and comedian since, but her headlining act just couldn’t hit its marks.

With the unlikely success of an MTV show about the lighter side of heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness’s bride was expected to make her broadcast breakout with “The Sharon Osbourne Show.” Instead, this shot in the dark failed to hit audiences. Critics felt that Osbourne was too talkative through her interviews, and promoted her dysfunctional family too much. What’s so metal about daytime TV anyway? Above all, “The Sharon Osbourne Show” just couldn’t weigh up to contemporary talk shows like “Ellen.” It was Osbourne herself who opted out of renewal when her obscure guest list began to suggest she hadn’t the high-profile platform she was hoping for. After just one season, Mama had to come home.

While David Letterman was on sick leave in 2003, tennis legend John McEnroe, of all people, was selected as one of many substitute hosts for “The Late Show.” Between this and his impressive record as a sports commentator, CNBC served the talk show “McEnroe” in 2004. Unfortunately, critics gave no love to the notoriously hotheaded Johnny Mac’s surprisingly bland personality and interview style. The guest list was strong, but initially promising viewership dramatically declined. Would you believe that the Wimbledon champion twice scored a 0.0 with Nielsen? Despite noble efforts to rebrand the host and keep the crew employed, by the end of the year, “McEnroe” walked off the court.

Already famous for “Wheel of Fortune” by 1989, Pat Sajak reduced his duties on the game show to head his own talk show. CBS hoped that the charismatic host could weigh up against NBC’s Johnny Carson. But it was only a matter of time before “The Pat Sajak Show” fell to the King of Late Night, and its own uniquely lowkey host ran out of steam. After nearly 300 episodes of declining quality and viewership, “The Pat Sajak Show” was unceremoniously canceled. It does maintain a legacy for originating the set of many more talk shows, and inspiring the successful format of one-time substitute host Rush Limbaugh. That might just say it all about Sajak’s own bankrupt spin on late night.

Few comedians had the hosting experience to compete with Johnny Carson in 1983. As a daytime staple in his native Canada, Alan Thicke was eager to grow his international brand with “Thicke of the Night.” Unfortunately, the talk show’s seminal use of comedy didn’t impress audiences at the time. The project’s fatal flaw, of course, was that Thicke simply wasn’t well-known in the States. Retooling the format closer to the original “Alan Thicke Show” didn’t exactly help. With declining ratings and a low-profile guest roster, the sun set on “Thicke of the Night” after nine months. One year later, Thicke finally made it in America as the star of “Growing Pains.” But growing that international brand turned out to be more difficult than expected.

In 1998, retired basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson was a bigger public figure than ever as an entrepreneur and media personality. By all accounts, the syndicated talk show “The Magic Hour” should have been another slam-dunk investment. But audiences felt that Johnson fumbled the awkward writing and interviews, and that the production lacked coordination. Sidekick Craig Shoemaker even got fired for publicly criticizing the show. By the time the low ratings were briefly boosted by the appearance of Howard Stern, a harsh critic of the show, the producers knew the score. “The Magic Hour” was bucked after only two months, having since achieved popularity precisely for its failure. Johnson may still have a strong record off the court, but you can’t win them all.

In 1993, Fox produced its first talk show in five years with everyone’s dream host. Chevy Chase was one of the hottest comedians of his generation. Most anticipated that his talk show would be a hit, but no one expected a disaster. Chase was visibly anxious and struggled for material, outshined by his unruly audience. With an uncontrollable production, uncomfortable guests and plummeting ratings, “The Chevy Chase Show” ended after a mere five weeks. It has since become a cult cringe classic. Chase himself credits the humiliating project as contributing to his downfall as a leading man. “The Chevy Chase Show” is now considered one of the worst talk shows ever produced, and perhaps the biggest bomb in late-night history.