The 10 Worst Reality TV Show Spin-Offs

There are times when too much of a good thing translates into something awful. But when the originating thing is bad in the first place, well, then it's just a whole lot of awful. When it comes to reality television, this philosophy can't be more true; stopping while you're ahead is the key to the lasting success of any show. Which is why it always comes as a surprise when a hit show's producers decide to create spin-offs based around one popular character, or perhaps two or three, in a bid to make more money. Often times, they're awful and end up getting cancelled after just one season, two if we're all unlucky, and the original shows begin to stumble. It's a vicious circle.

The latest series to receive this treatment is MTV's Jersey Shore, for a second time, actually, following up The Pauly D Project. This time, it's stars Snooki and JWoww who are trade Seaside Heights summers for a new location and climate, Jersey City winters, in their new show, aptly tited Snooki & JWoww (which premiered last night on MTV). The series is sure to get a lot of attention due to the fact that it was filmed during the time when Snooki announced both her pregnancy and her engagement to boyfriend Jionni. But whether or not it'll actually be any good is another question. Jersey Shore itself has been stale lately.

How bad can things get? Just check out The 10 Worst Reality TV Show Spin-Offs. Here's hoping that the Jersey Shore ladies' new project won't be remotely like any of these.

Written By Tanya Ghahremani (@tanyaghahremani)

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Original show: The Rachel Zoe Project

Brad Goreski was quite popular as stylist Rachel Zoe's assistant on The Rachel Zoe Project, so it wasn't a big surprise when Bravo offered him a spin-off after he stopped working for Zoe to pursue his own career as a stylist. Everyone and their mothers can get a reality show these days.

It's too bad that It's a Brad, Brad World basically showed its titular star spending damn near every episode's duration freaking out about some upcoming job or event. Sure, being consistently on edge through a caffeine-induced high is something normal of anyone who works in the fashion industry, but that doesn't translate too well on television for viewers, especially if the person in question is as self-absorbed as Brad.

Original show: Project Runway

We have to give the producers credit for this one: Models of the Runway actually seemed like a good concept for a show. Up until then, the models featured on Project Runway had been mere fixtures in the background despite the fact that they were all competing for an ultimate prize just like the designers. So why not give them their own series? Im theory, it wasn't a bad idea.

Yet, as it turns out, the models had played the background for a good reason: When given the spotlight, their unbearably annoying qualities were put front and center. We get enough of that from America's Next Top Model. Even the brief appearances made by Tim Gunn at the end of each episode weren't enough to save the show.

Original show: Jersey Shore

Describing The Pauly D Project as a reality show version of the HBO series Entourage before it ever aired was perhaps this show's first downfall. Look at those guys up there: Does anyone compare to Ari Gold? Or, hell, even Turtle? No way. Would this make Pauly the show's Vincent Chase? His hair is far too solid for that. Talk about setting the bar way too high. Let the show speak for itself.

Unfortunately, when the show did actually speak for itself, that's when we ran into the second downfall. After all of the hype, The Pauly D Project, which followed Pauly as he took up a residency DJing at the Palms Casino in Vegas, didn't turn out to be very good. Sure, it wasn't the worst thing on TV, mainly because Pauly D is actually a likable guy, but it also wasn't very engaging, and that's a problem.

If anything, The Pauly D Project really just proved something that we've been thinking about, but haven't formally addressed, until now: The time of Jersey Shore is over. Sorry, Snooki & JWoww.

Original show: The Bachelor

On The Bachelorette, a spin-off of ABC's mega-hit The Bachelor, a group of fame-thirsty dudes all compete for the affections of one girl in the predecessor's same format and fashion. Suitors are eliminated in iconic rose ceremonies at the end of each episode until there's only one man left standing; he then proposes to the titular bachelorette. Boom. That's character development for you.

The show's concept is one thing, but what truly makes The Bachelorette so awful is the fact that these contestants are all supposed to be pining for this one person while throwing away their dignity on broadcast television, and we're never really shown why.

What makes these bachelors and bachelorettes so special? If they could get 20 or so guys to compete for them on national television, why are they still single in the first place? And, more importantly, why should we care? Reality TV shouldn't make us question things this much.

Original show: Project Runway

Seriously, guys, stop making spin-offs of Project Runway. Did television really need a reality show following a dude who didn't even win a season of the reality show that originally put him in the spotlight? Not to mention, a show in which we see him working as a costume designer in New York City, and which has an episode where he's making an outfit for a dog?

We watch Project Runway to laugh at all of the failed designers and to debate about the legitimately good ones (mostly the former, lets be honest), not to watch Chris March and his employees go about their business. Tim Gunn never even made an appearance! Not that we blame him, of course.

Original shows: The Real World and Road Rules

As stand-alone shows, both The Real World and Road Rules are actually fairly watchable; the former because the cast members are all hot messes that make us feel better about our own lives, and the latter because watching people trek across the country participating in physical challenges and fulfilling missions satisfies the adventurers in us without requiring any movement from the couch. But, for some reason, putting the two together to create the very inventively titled Real World/Road Rules Challenge didn't register in the same positive ways.

Maybe it's the fact that the drama seems completely forced and scripted, or the fact that the challenges aren't really that engaging at all, or even the fact that the various cast members have all been so unlikable that it's impossible to even attempt to root for anyone or assume that, behind their drunken haze, they might possibly be good people.

Now, a series that takes elements from Real World and Survivor on the other hand... That's something we would like to see.

Original show: The Bachelor

First off, Bachelor Pad's premise sounds like an unbelievably stupid concept for a series: Former contestants from both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are put into a house together and forced to duel against each other in challenges to win prizes and possibly score some romantic action.

But ABC's Bachelor Pad had the disadvantage of featuring scenes that reached new levels of reality TV lows, uncomfortable for even the most seasoned viewers (i.e., us) to watch. For instance, this clip, in during which male contestants are instructed to throw eggs filled with paint at the woman they deem least attractive out of a line-up. Stay classy, ABC.

Original show: The Hills

Where did Brody Jenner get the idea that anyone actually liked him? Sure, he kept appearing on The Hills as main character (we call her that because you can't even dispute that this show wasn't scripted) Lauren Conrad's friend, but apart from offering the occasional blank look during the obligatory drama of the week, Jenner makes any given Kardashian sister look like she deserves a Critic's Choice Award.

So, what was the point of giving Bruce Jenner's son his own show where he "searches" for a new BFF by making guys compete to win the ultimate prize of his friendship? We're not sure, and judging by the way the show was formatted, it doesn't seem like producers were either.

In short, Bromance featured a group of eight guys participating in challenges all meant to determine whether or not they'd be a good friend to Brody Jenner because he is, you know, a fragile soul. With unlikeable contestants, and challenges including seeing if your potential friend will dance at a dance-off, the show was more pointless and boring than any episode of The Hills.

Here's a radical idea, MTV programmers: The next time you guys decide to try something new and pick up a show like this one, stop, think, ultimately turn the show down, and just show music videos again.

Original show: The Real Housewives of Atlanta

Apart from a briefly amusing foray into music, on The Real Housewives of Atlantaoutgoing cast member Kim Zolciak was hardly the most interesting or popular woman. So color us surprised that, of all the ladies, she was the only one to actually get a spin-off reality special surrounding her totally-not-cliché decision to plan a wedding in under two months so it would fall on the definitely-original day of 11/11/11.

Honestly, we would have rather watched her Atlanta co-star NeNe Leakes staring at a wall as paint dried than Kim's show, which featured such dramatic events as scheduling gone awry and tensions between Kim and her mother. It was basically like My Super Sweet 16 on steroids, because Kim is well into her forties and has access to credit cards. No thanks, we have some dignity.

Original shows: Real Chance at Love and Rock of Love Bus with Bret Michaels, both also on VH1

If you want good trashy reality TV, look no further than Real Chance at Love or Rock of Love. But if you want trashy reality TV so trashy that it's almost unbearable to watch because, oh my God, how do these people function day to day in society and also how has their hair not fallen out from so much bleaching? Well, look no further than Charm School with Ricki Lake, and may the higher powers have mercy on your soul.

Complete with, yes, Ricki Lake hosting, along with Alani "La La" Vazquez and Stryker serving as co-hosts, and a cast of the women deemed too insane to win either Rock of Love and Real Chance at Love, the show focused on giving the women incentive to be less crazy by offering a $100,000 prize to the winner. Basically, it was a recipe for reality television disaster.

And, what do you know, that's what it ultimately was.