History Main / NetworkRedheadedStepchild

* On HBO, ''Series/TrueBlood'' is a show about vampires and the supernatural (among other things) on a network whose original programming tends toward showing gritty reality. Same for ''Series/{{Carnivale}}'' when it was on. ''BoardwalkEmpire'' eventually took the redheaded stepchild, as it got a lot less attention than ''Game of Thrones'' or even the AdoredByTheNetwork ''{{Girls}}'' (of which the network promotes like it's no tomorrow).

** The CW had zero interest in renewing its deal for ''WWESmackDown'' once the UPN merger was done, despite garnering the network's highest-ratings by a wide margin (nearly double that of the rest of the lineup). With the CW's focus at the time going squarely for mostly 16-24 year old girls and its lineup reflecting it, this meant that none of ''[=SmackDown=]'''s ratings were translating over to anything else on the network, which led to the CW president at the time walking away from it.

* The British quiz show channel Challenge was lumbered with [[Wrestling/{[TNA}} TNA Wrestling]] because it was previously shown on Bravo, and when Sky, who already air Wrestling/{{WWE}}, took over the Living TV Group, which included Bravo and Challenge, they closed Bravo down, but didn't want to put TNA on a Sky branded channel for fear of upsetting WWE. Since Living was rebranded as a Sky channel and is aimed at women anyway, Challenge was the only available home for TNA. It's completely out of place and definitely fits this trope.

** ''RobotAndMonster'' suffered this big time. It was given little advertising, was denied a second season, and the first season wasn't even fully aired! Nicktoons had to take it over and showed a couple of the remaining episodes, but they couldn't even do them all. If anything, the show is at least getting a full series DVD (with all the unaired episodes) released some time in 2014.

* Creator/{{NBC}}: ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' was, like ''Lost'', a mystery drama on a channel filled with primarily comedies. Recently, ''Series/{{Chuck}}'' has helped flesh out NBC's lineup as well.

* DisneyChannel: ''LizzieMcGuire'' was the first Disney show to involve a singer as the main character who could then be marketed everywhere. Now, it's impossible to find a Disney show (and increasingly, a {{Nickelodeon}} show) where this is not the case.
** Strangely, there's a ''new'' NetworkRedHeadedStepchild on DisneyChannel, ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''. Why? Because it's animated. That's right, an animated show is the odd one out on the ''Disney'' Channel.
*** It's also the only decent, non-sitcom show that adults can watch without rolling their eyes at every joke.
*** The songs are an EarWorm half the time, too.
** And ''before'' either of those two, we had ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}''.
*** ''SchnookumsAndMeat'' was even more this trope than ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' was, being a GrossoutShow rather than the typical adventure shows that TheDisneyAfternoon usually had.
*** The same could be said for ''FishHooks'' for the modern Disney Channel, as mentioned above.
*** ''GravityFalls'' could easily pass for a Cartoon Network show.

** Arguably, ''GoodLuckCharlie'' is a mild version. Unlike their other shows, the adults often get main plotlines, and there isn't much of a twist to the premise (family with 3 older children suddenly has a baby). Also, it was intentionally created to have MultipleDemographicAppeal so that families can watch together, as opposed to their other shows which usually don't appeal to people over the age of 16.
** And now we have ''MyBabysittersAVampire'', a [[FamilyUnfriendlyViolence surprisingly]] [[DarkerAndEdgier dark]] (at least compared to the other shows on the network) supernatural {{Dramedy}} - which, by the way, is not made for/by Disney. Unsurprisingly.

* {{Nickelodeon}}'s ''InvaderZim'' seems like an OldShame for the network. Though it eventually achieved CultClassic status, attracted a decent PeripheryDemographic, and is now heavily merchandised at ''certain subculture retail chains''.

* Ironically, because of NetworkDecay, video game based shows like XPlay are now this for ''G4''.... Oop. Now they're outright cancelled and G4 has flopped over into a rebrand as ''Esquire''.
* On HBO, ''Series/TrueBlood'' is a show about vampires and the supernatural (among other things) on a network whose original programming tends toward showing gritty reality. Ditto for ''Series/{{Carnivale}}'' when it was on.
** Now that ''Series/GameOfThrones'' is a hit, ''Series/TrueBlood'' is looking less like an odd duck than it used to.
*** Nowadays ''BoardwalkEmpire'' has become the redheaded stepchild, as it gets a lot less attention than ''Game of Thrones'' or even the AdoredByTheNetwork ''{{Girls}}'' (of which the network promotes like it's no tomorrow).
* Long before the days of ''Series/MadMen'' and ''Series/BreakingBad'', AMC ran ''Remember WENN'', a half-hour LaughTrack-less {{Dramedy}} about life at a 1930s radio station, filmed on 16mm and processed to look like Technicolor, so as to "fit in" with its classic movies programming.
** Ironically, the same executives who pushed AMC in its [[NetworkDecay current direction]] were also responsible for the cancellation of ''WENN'', [[ScrewedByTheNetwork under controversial circumstances]].
* ''[[Wrestling/{{WWESmackdown}} WWE [=SmackDown!=]]]'' has been this on [[ChannelHop every channel it's appeared on]], though it tends to bring in consistently superb ratings. Despite that, Creator/TheCW eventually dumped the show because of this trope. Now it's on [[Creator/SciFiChannel SyFy]], which is decaying now anyway and had previously aired WWE's version of ECW.
* On {{MTV}}, ''TheRealWorld'' was pretty much the first reality show to air there. The years went by, more and more variety programs were aired, with less and less focus on... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin music]]. Even the returning ''[[WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead Beavis and Butt-Head]]'' didn't escape this treatment: instead of reviewing music videos, the duo now reviews things like ''Series/JerseyShore'' episodes.
** Speaking of ''Beavis and Butt-Head'', while some may think of it as another redheaded stepchild of MTV and hold it responsible for opening the network's doors for other cartoons (like the cel-shaded ''Spider-Man'' series), the very music reviews kept them into the network's scope back on the day. The others that came later just [[CompletelyMissingThePoint missed the point]].

** With ''HumanTarget'', ''[[Series/TwentyFour 24]]'' is looking less like the odd one out. Could FOX be becoming more action/drama oriented?
*** Apparently not, as both shows have now ended.

* Also if it's a Nickelodeon production made for their British and Australian channels, expect it to get the barest promotion possible and get the usual push-off to TeenNick within weeks in the United States because of contractual obligations. This is even though Nick's Australian productions have pretty much become a farm team for TheCW, as ''H20JustAddWater'' was where ''TheVampireDiaries'' and ''TheOriginals'' star PhoebeTonkin came to prominence.

* On {{MTV}}, ''TheRealWorld'' was pretty much the first reality show to air there. The years went by, more and more variety programs were aired, with less and less focus on... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin music]]. Even the returning ''[[WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead Beavis and Butt-Head]] didn't escape this treatment: instead of reviewing music videos, the duo now reviews things like ''Series/JerseyShore'' episodes.

* On HBO, ''Series/TrueBlood'' is a show about vampires and the supernatural (among other things) on a network whose original programming tends toward showing gritty reality. Ditto for ''{{Carnivale}}'' when it was on.

* ''The 700 Club'' is this for Creator/ABCFamily (and Fox Family before it), thanks to the network being contractually forbidden to get rid of it. It would be more at home on the ''Daystar'' Network and/or whatever local stations are willing to sell Pat Robetson a full-hour {{Infomercial}} block.

** Major sporting events on ABC have been a redheaded stepchild since the year 2006. In just a short matter of time, ABC gave up/lost the rights to their crown jewel, ''Monday Night Football'', the PGA Tour, the National Hockey League, and the Bowl Championship Series. To make matters worse, by September 2006, whatever sense of independent identity that ABC Sports had left was totally vanquished (really, the only reason that ABC Sports was kept around was because of union contracts) with the introduction of "ESPN on ABC" (Disney had slowly been integrating ESPN into ABC Sports since buying ABC back in 1996). As more and more big money events were crossing over to ESPN (since Disney can, with cable, exploit a dual revenue stream of ads and subscription fees), ABC's affiliates began to complain in by the end of 2009. In order to compensate these complaints, ABC and ESPN put together an ad hoc, cheaply made package on Saturday afternoons (instead of like say, bringing back the legendary ''WideWorldOfSports'' (which had been canceled as a stand alone, anthology series around early 1998) series for a new generation) called ''ESPN Sports Saturday''.

* ''The 700 Club'' is this for Creator/ABCFamily (and Fox Family before it), thanks to the network being contractually forbidden to get rid of it. It would be more at home on the ''Daystar'' Network.

* Long before the days of ''MadMen'' and ''BreakingBad'', AMC ran ''Remember WENN'', a half-hour LaughTrack-less {{Dramedy}} about life at a 1930s radio station, filmed on 16mm and processed to look like Technicolor, so as to "fit in" with its classic movies programming.

** ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' for the entire Disney family of networks. They eventually admitted it ''never'' fit in. For example, look at the ABC Saturday morning lineup, where it was a superhero action show amongst tween sitcoms. This is why Disney ultimately sold it back to Saban (the acquisition of the goldmine of more evergreen boys' properties, {{Marvel}}, likely hastened this). Of course, by the time they launched a network where it ''would'' fit in, DisneyXD, they were [[ScrewedByTheNetwork actively trying to kill it]] and so didn't include it there.

*** Nowadays ''BoardwalkEmpire'' has become the redheaded stepchild, as it gets a lot like attention than ''Game of Thrones'' or even the AdoredByTheNetwork ''{{Girls}}'' (of which the network promotes like it's no tomorrow).

* Creator/{{CTV}}: In the mid 90's, CTV developed and produced a sci-fi show that stood in stark contrast with their more down-to-earth programming. That show, ''RobocopTheSeries'', was a {{Bowdlerised}} adaptation of one of the most violent films of the 80's, and was quickly cancelled after a single season due to middling ratings.

*** Nowadays ''BoardwalkEmpire'' has become the redheaded stepchild, as it gets a lot like attention than ''Game of Thrones'' or even the AdoredByTheNetwork ''{{Girls}}'' (of which promotes like it's no tomorrow).

* Creator/{{CBS}} generally makes at least one attempt a year to break out of the Police Procedural mode that has dominated its schedule since the rise of ''CSI''. The only one of this type of show that's even remotely succeeded is semi-serialized legal drama ''TheGoodWife'', and even then, its ratings lag far behind just about anything else that's lasted more than a year on their schedule. The fact that the network has kept it on the schedule for three seasons and counting is quite commendable, even if its scheduling (currently Sundays @ 9, against Sunday Night Football and the likes of ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' and ''Series/GameOfThrones'') is less so.

* Creator/{{CBS}} generally makes at least one attempt a year to break out of the Police Procedural mode that has dominated its schedule since the rise of ''CSI''. The only one of this type of show that's even remotely succeeded is semi-serialized legal drama ''TheGoodWife'', and even then, its ratings lag far behind just about anything else that's lasted more than a year on their schedule. The fact that the network has kept it on the schedule for three seasons and counting is quite commendable, even if its scheduling (currently Sundays @ 9, against Sunday Night Football and the likes of ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' and ''Series/GameOfThrones'') is less so.

** ''TheHardTimesOfRJBerger'' was the only scripted series on the channel at the time and was [[TooGoodToLast cancelled after two seasons]]. ''Series/{{Awkward}}'', which aired after ''RJ Berger'' was cancelled, became a lot more successful [[SleeperHit despite even less advertising]].

* ''The 700 Club'' is this for Creator/ABCFamily (and Fox Family before it), thanks to the network being contractually forbidden to get rid of it.

* Ironically, because of NetworkDecay, video game based shows like XPlay are now this for ''G4''.

* The British quiz show channel Challenge was lumbered with TNAWrestling because it was previously shown on Bravo, and when Sky, who already air WWE, took over the Living TV Group, which included Bravo and Challenge, they closed Bravo down, but didn't want to put TNA on a Sky branded channel for fear of upsetting WWE. Since Living was rebranded as a Sky channel and is aimed at women anyway, Challenge was the only available home for TNA. It's completely out of place and definitely fits this trope.

* ''WWESmackdown'' has been this on [[ChannelHop every channel it's appeared on]], though it tends to bring in consistently superb ratings. Despite that, TheCW eventually dumped the show because of this trope. Now it's on SyFy, which is decaying now anyway and had previously aired WWE's version of ECW.
* On {{MTV}}, ''TheRealWorld'' was pretty much the first reality show to air there. The years went by, more and more variety programs were aired, with less and less focus on... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin music]]. Even the returning ''{{Beavis and Butt-Head}}'' didn't escape this treatment: instead of reviewing music videos, the duo now reviews things like ''JerseyShore'' episodes.

** The series ''I'm From Rolling Stone'', while being a reality show, [[DocuSoap featured a realistic view of working life]]. It featured interns working at ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. As it was targeted to a more mature audience than MTV viewers and suffered from lack of advertising on the channel, it only lasted a season.