25 TV Series That Got Review-Bombed Into Oblivion

Review bombing – when people flood websites with negative reviews – is increasingly common online. It often happens because viewers disagree with casting decisions or changes made to a story, not necessarily because of the show or movie’s actual quality. Streaming services and networks are struggling to understand what audience scores really mean when these coordinated negative campaigns occur. The following series experienced this kind of backlash and received unfairly low ratings shortly after they were released.

‘The Acolyte’ (2024)

When this Star Wars show premiered on Disney Plus, it received overwhelmingly negative reviews from viewers. While most critics liked the show’s new take on the Jedi, some fans were unhappy with changes to established Star Wars stories and the actors chosen for the roles. This created a clear split between what critics and fans thought, showing disagreement about the future of the franchise. Despite a strong start in terms of viewership, Disney cancelled the series after only one season.

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ (2022–Present)

As a critic, I have to say Amazon really went all-in on this Lord of the Rings prequel, throwing a ton of money at bringing the Second Age of Middle-earth to life. But the initial reaction was…rough. A lot of viewers immediately took issue with how the show condensed the timeline, and surprisingly, there was a lot of negativity directed at the casting choices – specifically the diversity among the elves and dwarves. It got so bad, Amazon actually had to temporarily disable user ratings to deal with what appeared to be a wave of fake reviews. Ultimately, even stunning visuals and a huge budget couldn’t save the series from becoming a flashpoint in a larger cultural debate about adapting Tolkien’s work.

‘Velma’ (2023–2024)

This animated update to Scooby-Doo left out Scooby himself and changed the personalities of the Mystery Inc. crew. Viewers didn’t respond well to the show’s self-aware jokes and gloomy style, which were a big departure from the classic cartoons. It’s known as one of the worst-rated animated series ever, largely due to a flood of negative reviews. Even with strong online criticism, the show surprisingly got a second season before being canceled.

‘Queen Cleopatra’ (2023)

Choosing a Black actress to play Cleopatra in the historical drama caused a major international debate, even drawing criticism from the Egyptian government. Many viewers expressed their disapproval by giving the show very low ratings, arguing it misrepresented history. These poor scores made it one of Netflix’s worst-performing releases, based on audience data. While the director explained that Cleopatra’s ethnicity is historically uncertain, the negative reaction continued to be strong.

‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ (2022)

Marvel’s ‘She-Hulk’ introduced a lawyer character in a funny series that often directly acknowledged and responded to negative fan reactions. This approach upset some viewers who felt personally criticized, leading to negative reviews. The show’s computer-generated visual effects also received criticism for their quality. Ultimately, ‘She-Hulk’ sparked a lot of debate about how women are portrayed in superhero stories.

‘Batwoman’ (2019–2022)

From the very beginning, The CW series received a lot of negative attention, starting with the first trailer featuring Ruby Rose. Most of the criticism wasn’t about the story or action, but focused on what some viewers saw as a political agenda. When the lead actress left after season one, the show faced even more problems and negative feedback. Critics pointed out a big difference between their own somewhat positive reviews and the very poor ratings from general audiences.

‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ (2022)

This limited series was designed to tell the story of how the worlds merged and the very first Witcher came to be. However, many book and game fans were disappointed, feeling the show ignored previously established details and events. The writing and characters were heavily criticized, and this negativity was made worse by the announcement that Henry Cavill wouldn’t be continuing in the main series. As a result, it’s considered one of the least popular installments in Netflix’s fantasy universe.

‘Anne Boleyn’ (2021)

Channel 5’s psychological thriller, starring Jodie Turner-Smith as the Tudor queen in her final months, faced backlash after choosing a lead actress of color. This decision sparked a wave of negative reviews online, with many critics focusing solely on the actress’s race and disregarding the quality of her acting or the story itself. The series brought to light the ongoing discussion about how much historical dramas should prioritize accuracy versus creative freedom.

‘Santa Inc.’ (2021)

Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman lent their voices to this animated series, which was aimed at adults. The show used humor and political satire to explore a modern take on the North Pole, and it strongly upset many conservative viewers. It received unusually low ratings, with users expressing their disapproval of what they saw as negative messaging about Christmas. Online comments accused the show’s creators of disrespecting holiday traditions.

‘Masters of the Universe: Revelation’ (2021)

Kevin Smith’s new series, a continuation of the popular 1980s cartoon, aimed to please longtime fans. However, many viewers were disappointed when the story spent a lot of time focusing on Teela instead of He-Man. This led to criticism online, with some accusing the creators of misleading advertising. The negative reaction highlights how difficult it can be to reimagine beloved classics for today’s audiences.

‘Resident Evil’ (2022)

Netflix recently tried to turn the popular survival horror video game series into a live-action show, using a story that jumped between two different time periods. However, longtime fans of the games were disappointed, finding the show strayed too far from the original stories and leaned too heavily into typical teen drama. Many viewers, especially those familiar with the games, criticized the writing and how the villain, Albert Wesker, was portrayed. Ultimately, the show was cancelled soon after it launched due to negative feedback and the fact that few people finished watching it.

‘Cowboy Bebop’ (2021)

The recent live-action version of the popular anime didn’t quite live up to the original, failing to capture its unique style and feel. Many fans were disappointed by changes made to the characters’ histories and felt the show looked like a low-budget imitation of the anime. Critics also noted a lack of connection between the actors. As a result of the poor reviews, Netflix cancelled the series just under a month after it first aired.

‘Ms. Marvel’ (2022)

Iman Vellani played Kamala Khan in a series about a Pakistani-American teenager growing up and discovering her identity. Before the show even premiered, it was targeted by negative reviews from some viewers who objected to its diverse characters and cultural focus. Some also disliked the changes made to the character’s superpowers compared to the comic books. Despite this online negativity, critics generally praised the show for its lively and dynamic visuals.

‘Watchmen’ (2019)

Damon Lindelof reimagined the graphic novel with a focus on the lasting effects of trauma and the history of the Tulsa race massacre. Some viewers thought the show became overly focused on politics and strayed from the original comic’s complex, analytical style. The depiction of masked police and sensitive racial issues led to negative reviews being posted in large numbers online. However, the show ultimately received widespread critical praise and won several Emmy Awards, lessening the impact of the initial negative reaction.

‘Doctor Who’ (2005–Present)

Jodie Whittaker’s casting as the Thirteenth Doctor was historic, making her the first woman to play the role. Although many fans were excited, some strongly protested the change by giving the show low ratings online. The writing during her time on the show also received criticism for being too focused on pushing social messages. Despite initially steady viewership, audience scores dropped noticeably compared to earlier seasons.

‘Troy: Fall of a City’ (2018)

The BBC and Netflix teamed up to create a new version of the Trojan War story, featuring a diverse cast. Some viewers strongly objected to the casting of Black actors as Achilles and Zeus, arguing it didn’t align with historical depictions of these mythological figures. This led to a wave of negative reviews that significantly lowered the show’s audience score, and overshadowed any discussion about the show’s quality itself.

‘Willow’ (2022–2023)

The Disney+ series, a follow-up to the 1988 fantasy film, brought back Warwick Davis in his original role. However, some viewers didn’t like the show’s updated language and a romantic relationship between two male characters. The series moved away from the tone of the original movie, aiming for a younger audience, which turned off long-time fans. Surprisingly, Disney removed the show from Disney+ only six months after it was cancelled.

‘Halo’ (2022–2024)

The TV series based on the popular Xbox game faced criticism for showing Master Chief without his helmet often. Many dedicated fans believed this changed the character’s mysterious and iconic image. The show’s story also included a human villain within the Covenant, which upset fans familiar with the game’s established history. Ultimately, Paramount Plus cancelled the series after two seasons because it didn’t resonate with its target audience.

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ (2017–2024)

This series marked a new direction for the franchise, but it proved controversial. Some fans disliked its grimmer atmosphere and the updated look of the Klingons, feeling it strayed from the hopeful vision of the original creator, Gene Roddenberry, and relied too much on action and dramatic storylines. Others were disappointed by the show’s focus on one main character instead of the team-based approach of earlier installments. Despite these criticisms, it ran for five seasons, though it consistently received low ratings from viewers.

‘Dear White People’ (2017–2021)

Justin Simien turned his movie into a TV series that playfully critiques how people talk about race at elite universities. Even before anyone watched it, the show faced a huge wave of negative reviews online. A social media campaign calling for a boycott claimed the show was unfairly biased against white people. Ironically, this controversy probably drew more attention to the show, which ultimately ran for four seasons on Netflix.

‘The Wheel of Time’ (2021–Present)

Okay, so as a huge fantasy fan, I was really excited for the adaptation of Robert Jordan’s series. But honestly, I was pretty disappointed. They took a lot of liberties with the story and characters, and it just didn’t feel right. A lot of us book readers felt the pacing was off, and they changed how the magic system – the One Power – worked, which was a big letdown. Plus, the casting… well, it wasn’t how I pictured things at all. It really created a split – those who loved the books were often frustrated, while more casual viewers seemed to enjoy it as its own thing. It led to a really mixed reaction, to say the least.

‘And Just Like That…’ (2021–Present)

The new season of the popular HBO show brought back three of the original stars, but it didn’t quite recapture the magic of the first. The introduction of the character Che Diaz and how the show dealt with Miranda’s story sparked a lot of strong reactions from fans. The missing character Samantha Jones was noticeably absent, and the writing wasn’t able to fully compensate. Many viewers ended up watching just to find fault with the often-stilted conversations.

‘Supergirl’ (2015–2021)

The TV series about Kara Zor-El found a home on The CW, and gradually began to focus more on current political and social issues. This often led to negative feedback from viewers who simply wanted to be entertained. The show frequently faced criticism online, with many analyzing the episodes for what they saw as a particular political viewpoint. Despite this ongoing conflict reflected in viewer ratings, it successfully ran for six seasons.

‘The Last of Us’ (2023–Present)

Okay, so as a huge fan of both the game and the show, it’s been wild to watch the reaction. Everyone was saying it was one of the best video game adaptations ever, but it got hit with a ton of negative reviews right away – basically, review bombing. It really flared up with the third episode, which had a really sweet, central romance between two guys. That seemed to upset some people and they flooded it with one-star ratings. Then there was the whole thing with Bella Ramsey being cast as Ellie – some folks were upset she didn’t look exactly like Ellie in the game. Thankfully, most regular viewers loved it, and the positive buzz eventually outweighed all the negativity and balanced things out.

‘Moon Knight’ (2022)

Oscar Isaac starred as a mercenary with multiple personalities who also became the vessel for an Egyptian moon god. The show faced a wave of negative reviews online, not because of its quality, but due to a coordinated effort by users denying the historical Armenian Genocide, which was referenced in an episode. Turkish nationalists specifically organized a campaign to lower the show’s ratings on websites like IMDb.

As a big fan of TV, I’m really curious to hear what everyone thinks – which shows do you feel actually deserved the criticism they got, and which ones were just unfairly picked on? I’m always up for a good debate about what works and what doesn’t, and it’s interesting to see how different people react to things. Let’s talk about which series really earned the negativity, and which ones just got a bad rap!

2025-11-29 21:17