Ever since CBS introduced Survivor in 2000, America has been subjected to numerous reality TV shows, many of which were so bad they only lasted a season. Sometimes they only lasted an episode, and it's not hard to see why.
1. Mr. Personality (FOX, 2003)
This show had a woman choose from 20 bachelor contestants that were all wearing creepy-ass masks. Their masks actually looked like the movie The Mask, or maybe even "Phantom of the Opera." It was hosted by none other than Monica Lewinsky.
https://youtu.be/XkabRqtDjMw2. Are You Hot? (ABC, 2003)
The premise of this show was exactly what it sounds like. Pretty people walked on stage and got judged. That's it.
https://youtu.be/yzPCfT80u3M3. Who Wants to Marry My Dad? (NBC, 2003)
Kids picked out a new bride for their father, what could go wrong? Plenty, if you've ever let a child dress themselves, choose what they want to eat for dinner, etc. This show is so old that challenges for narrowing contestants were delivered via fax (seriously).
https://youtu.be/tkr3v021Ljg4. Bridalplasty (E!, 2010)
Something old (her face), something new (plastic surgery), something borrowed (self-esteem), something blue (bruises after surgery). Brides were given plastic surgery to "fix" themselves before the big day.
https://youtu.be/5gR2s6G_-3c5. Britney and Kevin: Chaotic (UPN, 2005)
You already know how the marriage turned out, but you may have forgotten about the reality show from Britney Spears and her ex, K-Fed.
https://youtu.be/VTQkziJTU-s6. Kid Nation (CBS, 2007)
Kid Nation made a bunch of kids live on their own, much like Lord of the Flies. They had to run a town without any help from adults. Thankfully the show was canceled before their society broke down and a pig's head ended up on a stick.
https://youtu.be/kON8qdWdho47. The Swan (FOX, 2004)
Borrowing from The Ugly Duckling, this show gave a full makeover to someone deemed unattractive. Not surprisingly, TV critics found the concept appalling, sexist, and evil. Much like lots of the reality shows FOX was churning out from 2003 to 2004. The kicker: the show was created by a woman (Nely Galán) who wrote an accompanying book called The Swan Curriculum.
https://youtu.be/6xnpnSiSq5A8. Who's Your Daddy? (FOX, 2005)
A woman who was given up for adoption was placed in a room with 25 men, and if she could pick her real dad, she won $100,000. FOX only released the pilot, and the remaining five episodes never aired.
https://youtu.be/qm7rVQVyAQw9. My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance (FOX, 2004)
Two contestants were offered $250,000 for themselves and $250,000 for their families if the woman could convince her family she was marrying a big fat slob. This show had a bunch of big fat obnoxious twists, like she didn't know the guy was an actor, and his family was a bunch of actors too.
https://youtu.be/SnXcYKmHUCM10. Boy Meets Boy (Bravo, 2006)
The concept of the show sounds progressive: a gay man is choosing from 15 potential mates. What he didn't know was that some of those 15 contestants were straight, and if he chose a straight guy at the end, he wouldn't win any money. Oddly, this was a show Bravo produced following their hit Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
https://youtu.be/uzKd_XloB38All those gems made by FOX from 2003 to 2004 mean there were probably even worse pitch ideas that never got produced. Shudder.