Summary

Critics and audiences alike can agree humanity is living in the Golden Age of television. During the 2010s, Netflix set a high bar with acclaimed series like Stranger Things and Orange Is The New Black, all while redefining adult animation with shows like Bojack Horseman and Big Mouth. However, since then, Netflix has seen a decrease in quality.

Many of the series produced within the past ten years have elevated television to a peak fine dining experience. Still, with the massive amount of content Netflix streams, there are some duds and head-scratchers that have earned low scores on IMDb.

Updated on August 14th 2023, by Andrea Sandoval: While Netflix became famous by creating some of the most interesting and talked-about TV shows in media, lately, their content has significantly lost quality. We updated this list to include shows like Blockbuster and Devil in Ohio, which are among the lowest-rated shows on this network.

RELATED: The Best Comedy Series Streaming on Netflix (June 2023)

20 Emily In Paris (2020-Present)

IMDb score: 6.9/10

Emily In Paris S2 with Emily and her new friend walking and laughing

Emily in Paris has proven itself a love-it-or-hate-it kind of series. However, beneath all the beautiful shots of Paris and the plethora of cute outfits, Emily in Paris is a bit problematic. Its eponymous protagonist insists she's charming yet remains completely unaware of her controversial behavior in a city she superficially romanticizes.

Emily in Paris' idea of comedy is recycling dated jokes about French stereotypes. The French media even made a point of openly condemning it. In fact, the show's Golden Globe nomination was so hotly debated that it prompted an investigation that ended up exposing the Hollywood Foreign Press for bribing the Golden Globes.

19 Real Rob (2015-2017)

IMDb score: 6.4/10

Ron in bed looking surprised in Real Rob

The amount of Rob Schneider content available on Netflix — from Real Rob to his standup special — is somewhat controversial. Schneider has lost the respect of the audience, partially because of a timeless South Park joke, and partially because of some problematic TV shows.

Real Rob is a self-aware mock reality show starring Schneider as himself. However, its material feels dated, as are the bits of standup peppered throughout the show. Even Schneider fans found the actor's performance in Real Rob disappointing, which earned the show such a low score.

RELATED: 10 Reality Shows That Are Actually Worth Watching

18 Hoops (2020)

IMDb score: 6/10

Hoops show image of the basketball team coach with team behind him

Hoops is a show hard to like because of the constant profanity, especially since almost every other word is a swear word. A lot of people believe that a show that relies on profanity for its humor usually lacks character development and an interesting storyline.

Sadly, this was the MO for Hoops, which follows a hot-tempered, foul-mouthed high school basketball coach who's tasked with turning a team of losers into winners. In a failed attempt at misdirection from its weak premise, Hoops relies almost entirely on shock humor.

17 Devil in Ohio (2022)

IMDb Score: 5.9/10

Mae remembering the ritual before she fled in Devil in Ohio

Devil in Ohio follows Mae, a teenage girl with a pentagram on her back. When she arrives at Ohio Hospital, she gets closer to psychiatrist Suzanne Mathis, who will try to find a family for Mae, without yet knowing that Mae had just escaped a cult. Things will eventually take a turn for the worse as the plot unravels.

While Devil in Ohio poses an interesting premise for horror fans, ultimately, the storyline was poorly constructed and filled with trite tropes, which led to a disappointing TV series. The fandom consensus is that the series is a bit cheesy and not scary at all, which explains its low score on IMDb.

16 Haters Back Off! (2016-2017)

IMDb score: 5.9/10

Colleen scowls at the camera in Haters Back Off from Netflix

There are plenty of shows with unlikable characters as protagonists, but this isn't the case with Haters Back Off! Sometimes these shows offer fictionalized versions of real people, like in The Sarah Silverman Program, or they're an entire group of people, like in It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. However, unlikable protagonists still need an element of relatability.

To succeed shows that opt for this model — like Haters Back Off! — need a strong sense of self-awareness to make the unlikable protagonists believable. To be fair, Haters Back Off! isn't a travesty of a show. However, the protagonist, Miranda Sings, is a terrible singer with delusions of grandeur and remains unlikable throughout the series.

15 Pretty Smart (2021)

IMDb score: 5.8/10

Chelsea's and her friends sitting on the couch in Netflix's Pretty Smart

While Pretty Smart had charm, it ended up being one of the lowest-rated Netflix shows. After her boyfriend dumps her, Chelsea — an uptight aspiring writer from Harvard — moves in with Claire, her clueless but sweet sister, and her three bubbly roommates. In the beginning, Chelsea's personality clashes with the gang's, but soon she realizes what true happiness feels like.

Starring Gregg Sulkin and Emily Osment, the real problem with Pretty Smart is its lack of originality. The series is a perfect 2000s sitcom as it emulates the classic clichés of the genre — the handsome and aloof man, the bitter woman finding true love, and even the sassy best friend. However, it doesn't offer anything new.

RELATED: 10 Most Successful Netflix Shows Of All Time

14 God's Favorite Idiot (2022-Present)

IMDb score: 5.8/10

Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy in praying position in God's Favorite Idiot

In God's Favorite Idiot, Clark Thompson is an uninteresting office worker who, after getting struck by lightning, starts glowing sometimes. As it turns out, Clark has been chosen by God to be his new messenger. When the man is tasked with stopping the Apocalypse, he and his eccentric co-workers tried their best to do this.

God's Favorite Idiot has an interesting premise. Unfortunately, its development wasn't as good as it could've been. The series has funny moments, but they amount to nothing when considering Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone's true comedic skills. Unfortunately, the show didn't so well with the audience.

13 Super Drags (2018)

IMDb score: 5.5/10

Super Drags in action, flying through the skies in Super Drags

Super Drags has a great premise. Three gay co-workers lead double lives as a team of superhero drag queens. It's basically The Powerpuff Girls with drag queens, which sounds super fun. The show could have been another great addition to Netflix's growing list of adult animated programs. However, it failed to deliver on several levels.

Super Drags could have been one of Netflix's best shows, but it didn't land well with viewers. While there are only five episodes of Super Drags, the show still failed at conveying character development. Additionally, its sense of humor relies on stereotypes and shocking acts.

RELATED: Inside Job & 9 Other Netflix Animations That Were Canceled Too Soon

12 The Mist (2017)

IMDb score: 5.4/10

Civilians are trapped by the growing mist in The Mist TV series

Based on the Stephen King's amazing novel, The Mist follows the residents of a small town as a strange mist falls into place, hiding all kinds of terrible threats. As the characters hide away in different locations, The Mist is a stereotypical thriller about surviving in the worst circumstances.

While Stephen King's novel was widely acclaimed, as it managed suspense in a masterful way, The Mist's Netflix adaptation wasn't as well received. Fans were especially outraged at the fact that the series didn't include the scary creatures that attacked within the mist in the books.

11 Chasing Cameron (2016)

IMDb score: 5.4/10

The four main characters in Chasing Cameron celebrating

Chasing Cameron is one of Netflix's attempts to connect with current youth culture. The show isn't a reflection on certain age groups as a whole and shouldn't be treated as such. However, Chasing Cameron doesn't put the generation's best foot forward.

Set in the olden days, when Vine reigned supreme, Chasing Cameron centers on Cameron Dallas, a Viner and social media influencer who along with others exactly like him, take themselves extremely seriously. However, the show didn't land with its target audience, as the characters in the show were too niche.

RELATED: Best Horror Shows To Watch On Netflix

10 Keep Breathing (2022)

IMDb score: 5.3

Liv sitting in the ground in Keep Breathing tv show

Keep Breathing revolves around Liv Rivera, a stereotypical uptight lawyer whose life drastically changes when she has to survive alone in the Canadian wilderness after surviving a plane crash. The series follows the character as she tries to survive and faces her inner demons.

Shows about survival tend to be really popular as proved by Yellowjackets's success. However, Keep Breathing became one of Netflix's lowest-rated shows because the series isn't really about survival. While Keep Breathing offers interesting character development and an acute exploration of trauma, it simply wasn't what the audience was looking for.

9 Prank Encounters (2019-2021)

IMDb score: 5.3/10

Gaten Matarazzo using a headset for Prank Encounters

Prank Encounters is a hidden camera television series that scares people from the audience with horror-themed pranks. These pranks, often orchestrated by Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo, only add to the last one, becoming more and more bizarre.

While hidden camera television was quite successful in previous decades, this format didn't stand the test of time. Prank Encounters has been widely criticized for its lack of originality and for taking advantage of people looking for a job. Even if viewers love Gaten Matarazzo, the show didn't do well with its audience.

8 Blockbuster (2022)

IMDb score: 5.1/10

Eliza and Timmy holding DVDs while smiling in Blockbuster TV show

Work-related sitcoms such as The Office or Superstore tend to become TV show staples. Because of this, people were expecting way more from a Blockbuster-centered sitcom led by amazing comedy actress Melissa Fumero (known for her great work in Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and hilarious actor Randall Park.

However, Blockbuster turned out to be underwhelming. The show's plot is messy as characters supposedly try to save the store. Furthermore, Blockbuster is filled with obsolete comedy tropes, such as the lazy character suddenly becoming responsible.

7 Too Hot To Handle (2020-Present)

IMDb score: 4.7/10

Too Hot To Handle cast scantily clad on the beach

Too Hot to Handle is a competitive dating reality show that forces a group of millennials to abstain from sex (including kissing and self-gratification). Too Hot to Handle is an attempt to make a reality show similar to Love Island, but the end product resembles a slightly classier Jersey Shore.

For most, Too Hot to Handle is another reality show with a similar format as dozens of similar programs. Unfortunately, Too Hot to Handle can't even be included in the so-bad-it's-good categories of reality TV because it didn't make such a big effort to look realistic.

6 Sexy Beasts (2021)

IMDb score: 4.7/10

A wildebeest and a panda in a date in Sexy Beasts on Netflix

Sexy Beasts has a controversial premise that's great for some and problematic for others. In an odd combination of Love Is Blind and Face Off, the show encourages its candidates to engage with each other on a personal level instead of basing their connection on superficial attraction.

Sexy Beasts pulls this off by placing candidates in heavy prosthetics based on a type of animal. Sadly, the premise backfires when viewers meet the people behind the fur and realize why most of them are single in the first place: their difficult personalities.

5 The I-Land (2019)

IMDb score: 4.7/10

The cast of The I-Land looking scared

The I-Land offers an interesting premise that's ultimately filled with many clichés. The series follows a group of characters as they wake up with no memories on a deserted island. Soon enough, problems will arise among the characters as the audience discovers they're criminals in a virtual simulation experiment.

The main problem with The I-Land is that the show is composed of stereotypical dialogues and scenes. Instead of focusing on realistic character development, which could have led to a show of the likes of Black Mirror or Lost, the series follows unnecessary and even absurd drama.

RELATED: 15 Worst Sci-Fi Shows With The Best Premises

4 Dad, Stop Embarrassing Me! (2021)

IMDb score: 4.3/10

promotional images of Dad Stop Embarrassing Me showing the main characters together

Jamie Foxx stars in Dad, Stop Embarrassing Me! as Brian Dixon, the owner of a cosmetics company, who unexpectedly becomes the only parental figure of Sasha, his teenage daughter. The show sees Brian as he learns how to be a father while dealing with his company.

Dad, Stop Embarrassing Me! offers a simple premise that other TV series have offered before. The unaware single father + teenage daughter combo usually makes for wholesome laughs. Unfortunately, this Netflix series' writing disappointed the audience due to its lack of creativity.

3 Richie Rich (2015)

IMDb score: 3.2/10

Richie Rich looks at the camera smiling in Richie Rich

Since the original Richie Rich premiered in 1994, the world and its social environment have dramatically changed. Tastes and demands shift with time, and given the world's current state of affairs, a sitcom about a rich boy isn't as attractive as it used to be.

However, in 2015, Netflix released an adaptation of Richie Rich. While trying to obtain viewers out of nostalgia, this TV adaption of Richie Rich is one of the many failed reboots in recent years. Unfortunately, some premises work for certain periods of time and fail for others.

2 The Goop Lab (2020-Present)

IMDb score: 2.7/10

Gwyneth Paltrow smiling in promotional picture for The Goop Lab

The Goop Lab follows Gwyneth Paltrow and her employees at Goop as they explore the alternate medicine methods of the company. Each episode focuses on a different method, such as anti-aging diets, cold therapy, and drug use.

Paltrow's Goop has been particularly controversial since she founded it. The series, as well as the whole company, have been criticized for selling "fringe science" as a reality. It's impossible to see past the fact that each episode has a disclaimer washing the company's hands from any incident.

1 Hype House (2022)

IMDb score: 1.9/10

Hype House cast smiling at the camera and looking like stereotypes of TikTok'ers

As of early 2022, Hype House is the lowest-rated Netflix series to date. In this show, a camera crew sets out to film a group of teenagers on social media not very well-known to the public. A show with an unknown cast where nothing really happens, it makes sense that Hype House has such a low rating.

Unfortunately, Hype House had a decent premise, but it ended up being disappointing. A show that follows a group of Tik-Tokers should have been more about the ups and downs of the group, but the series showed this lifestyle's darker side, which didn't land very well with its audience.