Reality shows have been around for at least two decades already if you can believe it. Shows like Survivor and The Osbournes spawned a ton of similar reality shows like them, with everyday Americans competing for cash prizes or celebrity families giving viewers an intimate look into their lives.
Some of these shows, whether they focus on singing or talent competitions, physical competitions, celebrity lives, dating, cooking, or anything in between, have stood the test of time and returned for multiple seasons. Others, however, were canceled before they could even garner a following, or prematurely in spite of doing so.
So which reality shows got the boot too soon and which ones went on too long? Here’s a look.
Temptation Island: Not Long Enough
The clear evidence that Temptation Island didn’t last long enough is that it was recently brought back. The show originally aired from 2001 to 2003 but was revived in 2019 with two new seasons having aired already.
The premise: young couples questioning their relationships go to an island where they separate, the men living on a resort with a bunch of single women and the women on another resort with a bunch of single men. They explore dating other people, resisting temptation, and decide in the end if they want to stay together or break up.
The Bachelor: Too Long
This one might be controversial but sorry, The Bachelor has gone on way too long. The cheesiness and presumed fake moments from this long-running dating show, which has aired for 24 seasons since 2002, is precisely why people love it.
However, the premise is predictable and played out. And with so many great new reality dating shows popping up, like Netflix’s Love is Blind, this is a guilty pleasure worth replacing with something fresh, new, and exciting.
Joe Millionaire: Not Long Enough
This 2003 show that saw women fighting for the affections of a man they believed to have just inherited millions when he was really just a middle-class construction worker, captivated viewers. It was so successful that it spawned a sequel, The Next Joe Millionaire.
But then it abruptly disappeared. Surely they could have kept it going, casting women each time for a fake new reality show so they are none the wiser as to the true premise.
My Super Sweet 16: Too Long
Who wants to see wealthy, entitled teens spending their parents’ millions to throw a massive bash to celebrate their 16th birthdays? Apparently quite a few people as this show lasted 10 seasons of 94 episodes from 2005-2017. That’s 10 seasons too long.
The MTV show made you cringe at how bratty these kids could be and how ridiculous it was that their parents would give in to their crazy demands and tantrums, or not bat an eye when the kids spoke to them disrespectfully. Good riddance to this show.
Wife Swap: Not Long Enough
Just like Temptation Island, this show was prematurely canceled and ended up coming back. An American version of the British original, the series aired from 2004 to 2010 then got revived three years later for a short period and again in 2019 for a reboot, which continues to air to this day.
There was also a variation, Celebrity Wife Swap, that aired from 2012 to 2015. Wouldn’t it be fun to see this show with the new generation of Hollywood parents?
Jon & Kate Plus 8: Too Long
In 2007, Jon and Kate Gosselin were the talk of the town after giving birth to sextuplets followed by twins a year later. The show, the fame, and potentially existing underlying problems, led to a nasty divorce. The show then changed to Kate Plus 8 as Jon was no longer part of it.
Jon & Kate Plus 8 lasted too long at even just two seasons, and Kate Plus 8 continued on through to 2017 despite plenty of controversy and legal battles between the couple.
Jersey Shore: Not Long Enough
Either hate it or love it, but Jersey Shore was a great guilty pleasure series and the cast was so beloved that were even brought back a decade later for a new spin-off series, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, which continues to air now.
The show was about 20-somethings from New Jersey who met to stay in a summer house on the Jersey Shore to drink, party, fight, and bond. It ended after six seasons, which gave the cast time to grow up, get married, and have kids. Maybe it was the right time to pull the plug. Nonetheless, the perfectly meshed cast was missed during that six-year hiatus.
19 Kids And Counting: Too Long
This series about the Duggar family went on for seven years until it was cancelled in 2015. As per the title, Jim and Michelle have 19 children, all of whom have names that begin with the letter “J.”
The devout Baptist family discussed their values of purity, modesty, and faith in God. But ironically, the show was suspended when the eldest Duggar son Josh was accused of allegedly molesting five girls, including some of his own sisters, prior to the beginning of the show. A spin-off without Josh was then launched called Counting On and aired through the 2019, far too long.
Cheaters: Not Long Enough
Back in the early ’00s, if you were up late at night and couldn’t sleep, chances are if you turned on the TV, you saw this show. The hidden camera reality show saw someone who suspected their partner of cheating working with a team of investigators to discover the truth.
If cheating was discovered, the host would break the news to the person then offer the opportunity to go confront their partner and the other man or woman, who they were with at the time. It’s still on now as a syndicated half-hour strip. But the full show needs to come back.
Teen Moms: Too Long
Why would anyone think that sensationalizing accidental teen pregnancies would be a good thing? Sure, people loved watching the train wrecks on screen as young mothers struggled with the difficult decision of having a child and their parents struggled with, let’s face it, often having to raise the grandkids for them.
It aired for eight seasons as a spin-off of 16 and Pregnant from 2009-2012 and again from 2015 to present day. Not only has this show gone on too long, but it has also led to many spin-offs that continue to make teen pregnancy seem worthy of fame and attention.
