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. ''Series/BoardwalkEmpire'' eventually took the redheaded stepchild, as it got a lot less attention than ''Series/GameOfThrones'' or even the AdoredByTheNetwork ''Series/{{Girls}}'' (of which the network promotes like it's no tomorrow, despite falling ratings every season that has now dropped it under a million viewers a week).

** ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam''. Even during its airtime, this anthology show was thrown around the schedule with little promotion or was put [[FridayNightDeathSlot in unfavorable timeslots]]. Once the show was canceled, Nickelodeon acted as though it had never existed, neglecting to even mention or feature the show in a Thanksgiving promotion showcasing every Nicktoon, the ContinuityCavalcade-laden ''[[VideoGame/NicktoonsUnite Nicktoons: Attack Of The Toybots]]'', or even ''The 90's Are All That'' before the block was rebranded as ''Series/NickSplat''. This is all the more glaring as ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam'' is one of the network's biggest [[CultClassic Cult Classics]]. It took more than ten years before it ''[[ThrowTheDogABone finally]]'' was acknowledged and announced to be given airtime on ''The Splat'' for the [[MilestoneCelebration 25th anniversary]] of the Nicktoons brand. (However, [[ScrewedByTheLawyers it's been stated that Nick only owns the rights to the Henry & June segments]] and ''Action League NOW!'' [[note]] which is evident for the latter by the fact that the [[WesternAnimation/ActionLeagueNow spinoff show]] aired on Creator/{{Nicktoons}} for years [[/note]], thus making it legally tricky, which may explain why the show was ignored for so long after 2007.)

* Creator/DisneyPlus is largely dedicated to family-friendly TV shows and movies, albeit with the occasional bit of ValuesDissonance, a good selection of PG-13 superhero/action-adventure films, and nature documentaries unafraid of showing animal-on-animal combat. As such, them having the ([[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E1StarkRavingDad almost]]) complete run of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', a show that - while enjoyed by many kids - is intended for adults and filled with raunchy, sexual humor and scenes of heavy violence, stands out a great deal. Especially since, outside of the aforementioned BannedEpisode, it's completely uncensored, in contrast to some of the other shows and movies on the service.

* There are currently only three series available on Website/{{Crunchyroll}} that aren't made in Japan or China: ''WesternAnimation/HighGuardianSpice'', ''WesternAnimation/OnyxEquinox'', and ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''.

* There are currently only three series available on Website/{{Crunchyroll}} that aren't made in Japan: ''WesternAnimation/HighGuardianSpice'', ''WesternAnimation/OnyxEquinox'', and ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''.

* There are currently only three series available on ''Website/{{Crunchyroll}}'' that aren't made in Japan: ''WesternAnimation/HighGuardianSpice'', ''WesternAnimation/OnyxEquinox'', and ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''.

* In its early years, UPN had ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', which, while undeniably the highest rated show on the network, failed to fit in with any other thing on its urban-oriented schedule. In its waning years, UPN had such a schizophrenic schedule, that it seemed every night of the week had a red-headed stepchild compared to the other nights. First was Monday, with its urban and minority-oriented comedies, then Tuesday with ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' cult horror-drama-comedy appeal, Wednesday with ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' a similar cult hit, but for a ''different'' cult, Thursday had ''Wrestling/WWESmackDown'', and Friday had a random selection of crappy movies. It was a strange thing to behold.

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' was generally treated as this over the years by Paramount and later CBS -- always running as the secondary series (first to ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]]'', then to ''Voyager''), it didn't receive as much promotion or push from Paramount compared to the other shows and movies, but [[QuietlyPerformingSisterShow gradually gathered an audience by way of their continuing storylines and evolving characterization]] as compared to the other shows. As of the 2010s the show has been VindicatedByHistory in the age of streaming, with much of the new ''Trek'' content taking some sort of influence from it (most notably the shadowy Section 31).

** On the topic of ''Trek'', ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' was generally treated as this over the years by Paramount and later CBS -- always running as the secondary series (first to ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]]'', then to ''Voyager''), it didn't receive as much promotion or push from Paramount compared to the other shows and movies, but [[QuietlyPerformingSisterShow gradually gathered an audience by way of their continuing storylines and evolving characterization]] as compared to the other shows. As of the 2010s the show has been VindicatedByHistory in the age of streaming, with much of the new ''Trek'' content taking some sort of influence from it (most notably the shadowy Section 31).

* In its early years, UPN had ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', which, while undeniably the highest rated show on the network, failed to fit in with any other thing on its urban-oriented schedule. In its waning years, UPN had such schizophrenic schedule, that it seemed every night of the week had a red-headed stepchild compared to the other nights. First was Monday, with its urban and minority-oriented comedies, then Tuesday with ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' cult horror-drama-comedy appeal, Wednesday with ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' a similar cult hit, but for a ''different'' cult, Thursday had ''Wrestling/WWESmackDown'', and Friday had a random selection of crappy movies. It was a strange thing to behold.

* For Creator/TheCW, and to a lesser extent the WB:

** ''Series/DonkeyHodie''. The first puppet show on PBS since ''Series/ItsABigBigWorld'', and another live-action series in a sea of Flash-animated cartoons.

*** A few years later, there was ''Series/LevelUp'' which met a similar fate, followed by the even less popular ''Series/IncredibleCrew'', which [[GenreKiller curtailed any further attempts at live-action on the channel until 2021]].

*** A few years later, there was ''Series/LevelUp'' which met a similar fate, followed by the even less popular ''Series/IncredibleCrew'', which [[GenreKiller curtailed any further attempts at live-action on the channel]].

* ''Series/TheWubbulousWorldOfDrSeuss''

** Infamously, due to ExecutiveMeddling, Cartoon Network's Creator/{{Toonami}}, which was dedicated to action animation, had to show ''Anime/{{Hamtaro}}'', a cutesy anime about talking hamsters aimed at a younger audience than the one Toonami typically attracted. Even the promos for the show lampshaded how strange and unfitting it was.

** ''[[Series/LastManStanding2011 Last Man Standing]]'' could be considered one because it was a conservative-leaning sitcom on ABC, whose other sitcoms like ''Series/ModernFamily'' and ''Series/BlackIsh'' appeal to a more liberal audience. When ABC canceled the show (leaving Fox to pick it up), many fans naturally questioned whether it was because of an anti-conservative stance taken by the network heads (it certainly wasn't low ratings; it was the network's second highest-rated sitcom at the time of its cancellation), but this was denied by network head Channing Dungey, who instead cited scheduling issues as the deciding factor. Whatever uncertainty conservatives had over the cancellation were debunked when the very conservative-leaning ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' revival debuted, though it was canceled at the end of the season due to it's [[Creator/RoseanneBarr star's]] racist Twitter comments as opposed to resentment for conservatives, and ABC demanded that the ''Black-ish'' producers shelve an episode condemning President UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump that led to its showrunner quitting the program.

** Some other oddball choices include ''The World According to Jeff Goldblum'' (an infotainment series with few kid-friendly elements), and ''Film/FantasticFour2015'' (unlike other PG-13 Marvel films, this is a ''VERY'' dark, visceral, and gruesome interpretation of the franchise with horrific imagery and a generally kid-unfriendly atmosphere).

* Creator/DisneyPlus is largely dedicated to family-friendly TV shows and movies, albeit with the occasional bit of ValuesDissonance and a good selection of PG-13 superhero/action-adventure films. As such, them having the ([[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E1StarkRavingDad almost]]) complete run of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', a show that - while enjoyed by many kids - is intended for adults and filled with raunchy, sexual humor and scenes of heavy violence, stands out a great deal. Especially since, outside of the aforementioned BannedEpisode, it's completely uncensored, in contrast to some of the other shows and movies on the service.
** Some other oddball choices include ''The World According to Jeff Goldblum'' (an infotainment series with few kid-friendly elements), and ''Film/FantasticFour2015''(unlike other PG-13 Marvel films, this is a ''VERY'' dark, visceral, and gruesome interpretation of the franchise with horrific imagery and a generally kid-unfriendly atmosphere).

* Creator/DisneyPlus is largely dedicated to family-friendly TV shows and movies, albeit with the occasional bit of ValuesDissonance and some PG-13 superhero films. As such, them having the ([[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E1StarkRavingDad almost]]) complete run of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', a show that - while enjoyed by many kids - is intended for adults and filled with raunchy, sexual humor and scenes of heavy violence, stands out a great deal. Especially since, outside of the aforementioned BannedEpisode, it's completely uncensored, in contrast to some of the other shows and movies on the service.

** ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' was a show that pretty much would have easily fitted with Creator/AdultSwim if it wasn't for the fact it did everything in its power to replace heavy themes such as addiction, killing, and the like with child-friendly similarities, [[Radar/RegularShow but to say the resemblances were subtle would be an understatement]]. It's no wonder the show got no reruns right after the final episode aired.

* Series/TheWubbulousWorldOfDrSeuss became this after Season 1.
* 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 Creator/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 Creator/TheCW, as ''Series/H2OJustAddWater'' was where ''Series/TheVampireDiaries'' and ''Series/TheOriginals'' star Creator/PhoebeTonkin (and her co-star Creator/ClaireHolt) came to prominence.

* One can argue that ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' on Russian cable network 2x2 is this. While 2x2 is animation-centered, it is more skewed towards an older demographic (''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' are [[AdoredByTheNetwork getting constant marathons and reruns]], and Creator/AdultSwim shows are aired as well). Then again, it is the ''only'' network in Russia where anime has a considerable amount of airtime. Still, it clashes with the overall feel on the network.

** ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' is a rare example, as its humor is constantly clashing with self-awareness not seen in any other cartoon in the block, though said humor proved to be so effective with even children that the network itself still keeps rerunning the show even after ''it ended''; a rare privilege for a Cartoon Network series at that time.