The Worst New TV Shows of 2021

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – December 24, 2021

What were the biggest television duds of the past year? Above are the lowest-scoring first-year primetime TV series (including limited series and specials) debuting in the United States between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021. Shows are ranked by Metascore (an average of grades from top professional critics on a 0-100 scale) prior to rounding based on scores from December 21, 2021, and must have at least 4 reviews from professional critics to qualify.

1 of 11 photo by Scott Everett White/ABC

44 #10: Call Your Mother (ABC)

Kari Lizer's multi-camera sitcom stars Kyra Sedgwick as an empty-nester mother who seeks to reinsert herself into the lives of her adult children (including one played by Rachel Sennott, who would go on to make a much more memorable impression in the excellent 2021 film Shiva Baby). Just 13 episodes aired early this year before the series was canceled.

“It's not the worst of the genre, but that's light-years away from calling it good.” —Glenn Garvin, Reason.com

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