The 15 worst Netflix original shows, ranked

Myles Aronowitz/Netflix

Netflix is on top of the world. The company has a library of old television that has made it a go-to streaming service for anyone who’s interested in revisiting an old show, or discovering a new one for the first time, and they also have a collection of movies that’s well worth looking at. In addition to its catalog of shows from other networks, Netflix also produces original content on its own, and plans to produce more and more.

Shows like "House of Cards," "Orange is the New Black," and "Stranger Things" are all evidence that Netflix knows how to put its significant amount of cash behind good projects, but they don’t hit it out of the park every time. Sometimes, Netflix’s original content isn’t the greatest thing to spend a Saturday binge-watching. These shows can be unfocused, unfunny, or just plain boring. The only thing that unites them is their lack of quality.

Here are the 15 worst Netflix original shows, ranked:

15. "The Characters"

Netflix

In the history of television, sketch comedy has always had a special place. "Saturday Night Live" has been an institution for generations, and many other hugely important comedy shows have come and gone over the years of its run. Unfortunately, not every sketch comedy show is up to these high standards, and Netflix’s first foray into the genre wasn’t an enormous success. The basic premise  of "The Characters" allowed comedians an entire half hour to write and produce their own sketch comedy.

While the idea of giving young sketch comedians this deal sounds like a good idea, the freedom ultimately led to some pretty hit-or-miss results. Some of the episodes were genuinely funny, and others were far less so. The decision to give these young comedians a chance was certainly a noble one. Netflix’s model seems to be to release creative control whenever possible, and let artists do the hard work. Unfortunately, in this case, that business model didn’t produce outstanding results.

14. "Cooked"

Netflix

Admittedly, "Cooked" is something of an outlier on this list. For one thing, it’s not a scripted show. Instead, it follows acclaimed food writer Michael Pollan as he uses food as a vehicle for exploring the world. While it may sound like an interesting docuseries, in reality, "Cooked" is a fairly dry exercise, and just isn’t as interesting as many other cooking shows.

The show also tries too hard to make cooking a profound experience. While it’s true that cooking can be meaningful, "Cooked" forces that idea down our throats. Cooking may have meaning, but it probably doesn’t summarize the human experience in its entirety, and the show’s attempt to argue that ultimately makes it seem both silly and needlessly profound. Cooking shows are fun precisely because they can help us filter out the noise of our real lives. "Cooked" tries to do just the opposite, and fails in the process.

13. "The Ranch"

Netflix

While it’s certainly true that "The Ranch" has its fair share of admirers, the general consensus on the show seems to be that it’s a pretty underwhelming affair. The series follows a former football star, played by Ashton Kutcher, who returns home to help his family run their business. While there are certainly things to love about The Ranch, the show as a whole isn’t one of Netflix’s strongest outings.

For the most part, the show’s writing is entirely predictable and stories play out conventionally. The jokes can also feel tired or obvious at times, although there are other elements that compensate for these deficiencies, including the sensitivity given to the characters at the show’s center.

The Ranch is a mixed bag, for sure, but at Netflix, where the quality is often quite high, that’s more than enough. The show might not be particularly bad, but it’s also not very inventive, which sucks some of the joy out of watching it.

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