Canceled reality shows with the most outrageous plots

Let’s face it. Most reality dating shows have an outrageous plot; however, Flavor of Love takes the cake. Despite providing us with one of the most iconic and quotable reality stars of this generation, Tiffany “New York” Pollard, there are several moments throughout this show’s three-season run that make us question everything. 

It’s not New York that makes this show outrageous, but the unbelievable scenarios she found herself in. From time on the clock as an exterminator to a pig farmer to a ghost hunter, the level of unseriousness that went on in this show kept viewers tuned in weekly.  

If you thought watching New York take on life as an exotic animal trainer was good, watching her audition for Hollywood productions will send you over the edge. This limited series was fun, incredibly hilarious, and over the top, just like New York. 

Next is a dating show that aired on MTV from 2005-08. It featured single men and women going on blind dates with five different potential suitors. The only kicker is that the bachelor or bachelorette could end the date at any time by saying the word “next.” As you can imagine, daters were sent packing over the silliest things, like disliking country music and wearing the wrong color. 

Parental Control is another one of MTV’s cringeworthy dating shows. It followed the stories of several teenage men and women dating partners their parents didn’t like. Throughout the episode, parents would interview daters to set their children on a blind date. And you guessed: the catch here is that by the end of the show, the person set up has to choose between one of the five contestants or stick with their current relationship. The series is unserious, laughable, and, overall, pretty ridiculous. 

Penned as a spin-off of My Super Sweet 16, Exiled focuses on some of the most memorable alumni of that show, but it’s not for a lavish party. This time, their parents are sending them to a remote location to teach them the value of hard work and to appreciate other cultures. 

I think everyone wants to save a buck or two these days. But these conservative queens and kings took frugality to a whole new level. Extreme Cheapskates aired on TLC from 2012 to 2014. Across its 26 episodes, it featured some of the most outrageous and unthinkable behaviors, such as utilizing reusable toilet paper, dumpster diving, and throwing a “party” on a $4 budget.  

MTV’s The Paper followed the lives of four high school students serving as editors for their school's newspaper. Some may think that, because this show focuses on teenagers, it would lack drama. But that couldn’t be further from the truth with this series. There are scandals, drama, and an epic showdown for the title of Editor-In-Chief. 

Just as the name suggests, this show literally followed the lives of several rich kids in the 90210. They fight about borders on Instagram photos, red-eye private flights, and personal security. If it sounds uber outrageous, that’s because it is. And we can’t turn away. 

It’s a reality show about the mega-rich Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie doing “menial, low-paying jobs such as cleaning rooms, farm work, serving meals in fast-food restaurants, and working as camp counselors.” Would you expect anything less than exaggerated? It’s some of reality TV's most iconic content and is still referenced to this day. 

Who knew there could be so much drama at the parent’s PTO meeting? Mother Funders is a reality show that aired one season on Bravo in 2015. It focused on the lives of several PTO members in a small town in Georgia with the goal of raising $100,000 for their children’s school. But instead of rainbows and sunshine, this crew brought drama, tears, and a whole lot of shade. 

There’s a reason this show only lasted one season before being shown the door. Camp Getaway featured a handful of young adults working at an adult summer camp. Similar to other Bravo shows, Summer House and Winter Hose, Camp Getaway had relationship drama, messy hookups, and even a few firings. But despite the drama, this cast and show failed to capture the hearts of reality TV lovers.

You know about this whether you want to or not. Why? Because it features one of the most difficult obstacle courses on television and showcases contestant after contestant getting absolutely wrecked. But hey, it’s all for the sake of entertainment. The original series aired from 2008 to 2014 before its revival in 2021 with host and WWE legend John Cena. 

Fear Factor is one of television’s ultimate stunt and dare game shows. Teams of men and women were pitted against each other in a series of stunts, such as eating a cockroach, being buried alive with real scorpions, or eating maggot-covered cheese. The series ran from 2001 to 2006 before its first revival in 2011. The show concluded in 2018. 

This show may have been too real for reality TV. It followed the lives of several women whose family members or husbands have been imprisoned for alleged connections to the American Mafia. From 2011 to 2016, VH1 aired six seasons, 96 episodes, and four spin-offs.

Even though we love a good reality show with tons of drama and schemes, maybe one starring six- to eight-year-old little girls wasn’t the best idea. However, most of us didn’t watch for stars like Maddie Ziegler or Chloe Lukasiak — we watched because the feuds between the moms and their dance teacher, Abby Lee Miller, were must-see television.

Dating Naked earns a spot on this list because any show with this premise is simply ridiculous. Honorable mention goes to Naked and Afraid.  

Although the parties were top-notch productions with high-end budgets and sparkling juice, watching these teens spend millions of dollars on one night and ride off in their G-Class Mercedes will always feel a bit outrageous to us. But even then, this hit MTV docu-series produced a lot of memorable moments. 

Just like its sister shows, Next and Parental Control, Room Raiders is another MTV dating show with an off-the-wall plot. In each episode, a single man or woman raids the rooms of three blind dates, and some find themselves in very awkward situations. It aired from 2003 to 2009, so episodes are hard to come by, but if you find any, brace yourselves.