"Selling Sunset," for example, has long ceased to be entertaining, especially after controversial favorite Christine Quinn left the show ahead of the sixth season. And even though we love ABC's new spinoff "The Golden Bachelor," we think that the original "Bachelor" series could be canceled in favor of the new iteration. (Give us more old people looking for love, please!)
Here are five shows that should have been canceled in 2023.
1. "Barry"
Bill Hader's performance in the HBO black comedy is a masterclass in acting, and the supporting cast (Henry Winkler and Anthony Carrigan in particular) are equally as stellar.
But even though we loved the first few seasons of "Barry," the last season, which premiered in May, fell flat for us. A stronger ending to the series could have just featured Barry getting arrested, and left viewers with that.
Instead, "Barry" kept going — and while we still think this series is amazing, we wish it would have ended sooner, and on a stronger note.
2. "Selling Sunset"
Netflix's "Selling Sunset" captivated viewers from the jump with its glamorous cast, gorgeous homes, and (mostly manufactured) drama. The show peels back the curtain on the luxury real-estate market in Los Angeles, and the first five seasons are genuinely entertaining — mostly thanks to the antics of villain (or hero, depending on how you view her) Christine Quinn, a ruthless, no-nonsense realtor.
But after Quinn departed ahead of the show's sixth season, things just haven't been quite the same. "Selling Sunset" has introduced new characters in its recent seasons, including Bre Tiesi, who shares a child with Nick Cannon, in season seven, which premiered in November. Tiesi and the other cast members try their best, but the real magic of the show, however, has long since gone — and "Selling Sunset" should have ridden off into the sunset this year instead.
3. "The Bachelor"
"The Bachelor" franchise has gifted us many things over the years, including the most-hyped fence jump of all time and several larger-than-life "villains." But the show has run its course — the past few seasons were nothing to write home about, especially compared to the newest entry in the franchise, "The Golden Bachelor."
As Gerry Turner showed fans on his season of "The Golden Bachelor," you don't have to be young to find true love and lead an amazing season of a reality dating show. Since "The Bachelor" has gotten so snoozy in recent seasons, we think ABC should just replace it with more seasons of "Golden Bachelor" — a "Golden Bachelorette" and "Golden Bachelor in Paradise" would be equally as welcome, too.
4. "Yellowjackets"
Season one of "Yellowjackets" wasn't perfect, but overall, it was an enthralling and spooky watch. And as excited as we were for season two, it just didn't draw us in as much as the first season did.
Our big issue with "Yellowjackets" is that the show sometimes gets too convoluted when following present-day characters and the terrors they're facing. Tai's political ambitions feel forced at times, as does her fraught relationship with her son and estranged wife. And Shauna's complicated dynamic with her husband and daughter isn't as compelling as her plight as a pregnant teen stranded in the Canadian wilderness. Overall, the show should focus more on the events of the '90s, when the team is stuck in the wild and facing starvation.
"Yellowjackets" has so much potential — it's a show about teen girls in the '90s and cannibalism, after all — but the second season just fell flat. As much as we hate to say it, it didn't exactly leave us wanting more, and the show probably just should have been canceled.
5. "American Horror Stories"
By casting Kim Kardashian in its most recent season, "American Horror Story" seemed to be fully aware of its status as a camp horror mainstay on television. Through these types of inspired casting choices and creative storylines, "American Horror Story" manages to stay fresh throughout its numerous seasons.
That being said, the spinoff "American Horror Stories" just feels a bit unnecessary at this point. Each of the standalone episodes feature a different plot and characters, but none are particularly engaging or memorable on their own. And as a whole, "American Horror Stories" just feels like a way for creator Ryan Murphy to explore half-baked ideas too unformed to feature in the main series.
We already have "American Horror Story," and a similar type of anthology horror series just isn't necessary this point. And as the most recent season of "Horror Stories" proves, Murphy's best ideas are found in fully-developed seasons — not one-off episodes.
A version of this post original appeared in TechCrunch’s weekly robotics newsletter, Actuator . It has been updated to include details about a new scholarship fund being raised in her honor. I didn’t know Joanne Pransky personally, so when news of her death broke late last month, I reached out to my LinkedIn followers, asking if any of them did. “Yes,” answered one, “didn’t everyone?” Over decades of work, Pransky has left a lasting impact on the industry, bringing a uniquely human element to conversations about robotics and automation. “Joanne was the epitome of ‘Think Different,’” iRobot co-founder and Tertill CEO Helen Greiner told me over email. “She was a pioneer in calling attention to what robots would mean for society and what human society would mean for the robots.” Pransky proudly adopted the title of “the world’s first real Robotic Psychiatrist,” devoting herself to act as a conduit between humans and robots. “My ultimate goal is to help people understand their emotiona
Once again, your intrepid robotics reporter finds himself in the warm embrace of the Bay. To paraphrase Mark Twain, the warmest I was ever embraced was early summer in Santa Clara. I’m writing this from a juice place in Palo Alto (living the dream), having finished a pair of back-to-back meetings nearby. This week’s big Apple event brought me out here. As strange as it is to say, I’ve thus far missed the eye-burning smoke of Nova Scotia wildfires by traveling west to California. Very strange to view the apocalyptic New York skyline from afar. Though I suppose predictability is an element of climate change we’re going to be grappling with for . . . I don’t know, ever, probably. I’ve covered the Apple experience a bunch this week. If you have time to read only one thing I wrote on the Vision Pro headset , I’d recommend this . It’s mostly about positioning and market fit. There’s not a ton about the system that’s applicable to the manner of stuff you normally encounter in this newslet
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