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    2000s Sitcoms That Have Aged Poorly Over Time

    Sarah Parker Sarah Parker Posted on


    When a television show premieres, the hope is that it will have a long, prosperous run. They hope it has longevity that lasts long after the final season. But not every show is afforded that opportunity. In the 2000s, television comedies surged like never before. The decade saw super hits like The Office and 30 Rock. They may not have aged perfectly, but they are still a major part of pop culture. Unfortunately, there are some shows during that era that not only flopped, but also aged like milk.

    The titles on this list have been forgotten by time. They weren’t the worst of the worst, like Cavemen, whose legacy was so abysmal. And even in retrospect, we may have cringed that these sitcoms had been remembered. From stories set in places that are becoming extinct to lead actors who have been effectively canceled, these sitcoms do not hold up well. How many did you watch in real time?

    ‘Baby Bob’ (2002–2003)

    Joely Fisher as Lizzy Collins Spencer and Adam Arkin as Walter Spencer in 'Baby Bob.'

    Joely Fisher as Lizzy Collins Spencer and Adam Arkin as Walter Spencer in ‘Baby Bob.’
    Image via CBS

    We currently have a beloved sitcom in Ted Lasso that began as a bit character in commercials and promo spots. Before that, the aforementioned Caveman nearly threatened any chance of taking a risk of that nature. But Caveman wasn’t the first sitcom inspired by a gimmicky commercial. That honor is bestowed upon Baby Bob. Inspired by the character that appeared in commercials for the ancient website known as FreeInternet.com, the sitcom extended a 30-second bit into an ill-fated series. Created by Michael Saltzman, the comedy followed first-time parents Walter and Lizzy Spencer (Adam Arkin and Joely Fisher), who are shocked to discover that their six-month-old son, Bob (voiced by Ken Hudson Campbell), can talk like an adult. Walter wants to keep the talent a secret, while Lizzy wants to show him off, especially to her mother, Madeline (Holland Taylor), who brags about her other grandchildren, and Walter’s father, Sam (Elliott Gould). One of the only people he openly converses with is his babysitter, Teala (Marissa Tait). Stretching a one-joke web commercial into a prime-time series using dated, uncanny-valley CGI to make an infant move its mouth like an adult trucker, Baby Bob‘s thin premise went nowhere.

    At its core, Baby Bob is funny in short sketches, but trying to extend it into anything more proved an ill-fated decision by CBS. Though canceling it to spend its budget and time on My Big Fat Greek Life didn’t pan out either. Baby Bob was simply exhausting. A talking baby was mildly amusing for about a monologue or two, but it was impossible to find any semblance of longevity. The premise was on a short leash; eventually, as Bob aged, he’d talk anyway, so what would happen next? Baby Bob tried to appeal to the allure of the Look Who’s Talking film franchise, but it was an already tired concept. Despite quite a strong ensemble, Arkin, Fisher, Taylor, and Gould were bogged down by weak, repetitive material. Looking back, aside from the premise, the CGI was a product of its time. It was quite terrible then and looks even worse now. If you thought the sitcom was the final bow for Baby Bob, it was absolutely not. He lived on in a series of commercials for Quiznos.

    ‘Hot Properties’ (2005)

    Nicole Sullivan as Chloe Reid, Sofía Vergara as Lola Hernandez, Gail O'Grady as Ava Summerlin, and Christina Moore as Emerson Ives in 'Hot Properties.'

    Nicole Sullivan as Chloe Reid, Sofía Vergara as Lola Hernandez, Gail O’Grady as Ava Summerlin, and Christina Moore as Emerson Ives in ‘Hot Properties.’
    Image via ABC

    Looking at it now, Hot Properties may seem like it paved the way for reality shows like Selling Sunset, where attractive women dominated the real estate market. But that’s not what Hot Properties was. Shows like Selling Sunset may have learned from the short-lived ABC series about what not to focus on. Created by Suzanne Martin, Hot Properties centered on four single women working together at a high-end real estate office in Manhattan. They balance selling expensive properties with navigating their messy personal lives, dating struggles, and distinct quirks. The quartet featured Gail O’Grady as Ava Summerlin, the office owner in her 40s who is married to a much younger man and wants to start a family, Nicole Sullivan as Chloe Reid, a self-improvement-obsessed associate who struggles to find lasting romantic connections,
    Sofía Vergara (Lola Hernandez), a voluptuous recent divorcee who was married to a gay man for ten years and is terrified of re-entering the dating scene,
    & Christina Moore (Emerson Ives), a wealthy newcomer who bonds with the group after discovering her fiancé’s past wasn’t as virginal as she thought.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ‘Life on a Stick’ (2005)

    The cast of

    The cast of ‘Life on a Stick.’
    Image via FOX.

    ‘Method & Red’ (2004)

    Anna Maria Horsford’, ‘Method Man’, ‘Redman’, ‘Beth Littleford’, ‘David Henrie’, and ‘Peter Jacobson” in ‘Method & Red.’
    Image via FOX.

    ‘Rock Me Baby’ (2003–2004)

    Tammy Townend as Pamela”, “Bianca Kajlich as Beth”, “Dan Cortese as Jimmy”, “and Carl Anthony Payne as Carl in Rock Me Baby.” ”data – img – url = ”src=https : // staticocollider images .com / rock – me – baby – cast .jpg ? q = = “70 & fit = crop & w = ” = “825 & ddr = “1”/”>
    Tammy Townend as Pamela”, “Bianca Kajlich as Beth”, “Dan Cortese as Jimmy”, “and Carl Anthony Payne as Carl in Rock Me Baby.”
    Image via UPN.

    ‘Stacked’ (2005–2006)

    ‘The Michael Richards Show’ (20000)