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-> ''"At times it's far too childish for ''Franchise/RoboCop'' fans, and at other times it's a little too dark for the kids! And in the end, it really appeals to no one."''
-->-- '''[[WebVideo/CinematicExcrement Smeghead]]''' concluding his review of ''Film/RoboCop3''

Uncertain Audience takes place when producers have not positioned a certain enough [[TargetAudience target]] for their work's release.

Occurs when a form of media seems unaware of its target demographic, attempting to appeal to a wide range of different people. While these attempts are made to reach various audiences and thus ensure greater financial success, they often result in alienating groups with opposing tastes. It can be a candy-coated {{squee}} with a {{squick}} center for some people (like a Tootsie Roll lollipop for those who don't like chocolate, or prefer real chocolate) or vice versa (like salted peanuts that you can't eat until you bust 'em open). For chocolate-munching, peanut-swallowing people on the other hand, this genre blend can be the perfect flavor for you. [[{{Metaphorgotten}} If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, though, your best bet is to stay away from this.]]

[[PurpleProse Food metaphors]] aside, it can appear in various forms:
* An adaptation that [[InNameOnly deviates from the source material to where it lacks any iconic elements of the work]], falling into a trap of using name recognition without appealing to fans of the name.
* A new installment that [[{{Retool}} makes major changes]] in an effort to appeal to a wider audience, but the content is too [[ContinuityLockout tied-up in the existing continuity]] to be accessible to newcomers. {{Prequel}}s in particular are prone to this due to their CallForward and ForegoneConclusion nature.
* A [[TheRemake Remake]], SequelSeries or the latest of an AdaptationOverdosed work that, ideally, is trying to introduce the material to a new generation but focuses on [[CrypticBackgroundReference references to the lore]] or exaggerated MythologyGags that would only be enjoyed by those familiar with it already. It could also be [[SequelGap so long after the previous installment]] that it's been supplanted by more modern inspirations that it feels backwards.
* Any combination of DarkerAndEdgier, LighterAndSofter, HotterAndSexier, TamerAndChaster, RuderAndCruder that is done to such extremes, or mixes all of them, that it may appeal only to young children (at the expense of more ideal {{demographics}}) or to an older fanbase that nonetheless can't sustain it.
* A {{Parody}} or {{Deconstruction}} that becomes reductive to the characters, setting or genre, too mean spirited to stand on its own but with little else to offer but being aware of the "joke." May result in an IndecisiveParody and can be the result of SelfParody or InternalDeconstruction.
* A MidDevelopmentGenreShift that wasn't done thoroughly enough, likely a TroubledProduction resulting from CreativeDifferences. Alternatively an indecisive GenreShift, GenreRoulette or attempts at GenreBusting that lacks a stable reference point.
* A GenreMashup that aims to appeal to fans of two genres, but where the elements of one genre instead scare off those who prefer the other, which ends up appealing only to the few who already love both genres.
* Tonal issues such as trying to include [[CluelessAesop dramatic social commentary in a setting that was never suited to support it]], especially in a setting that's too over-the-top or fantastic to make for an understandable allegory, or the dialogue being punched up with humor in an otherwise serious situation, resulting in a tennis match of MoodWhiplash.
* AuthorAppeal turned up so high that the author is the ''only'' member of the target demographic.
* [[TaintedByThePreview Marketing trying to play up]] the fun-centric elements of the work, all while [[TrailerJokeDecay exhausting]] ''every'' small bit of humor [[NeverTrustATrailer the movie ever had to work with]].

Compare and contrast MultipleDemographicAppeal, where a work ''deliberately'' appeals to different audiences (usually with better success), and AudienceAlienatingPremise, where it's the actual concept that has trouble finding an audience rather than the execution[[note]]though that is ''not'' to say that the execution doesn't play a major role as well, since a concept can either be [[SugarWiki/BetterThanItSounds better]] or DarthWiki/WorseThanItSounds.[[/note]]. Compare {{Bathos}}, where the juxtaposition of incompatible genres or moods is done deliberately for humor, and ValuesDissonance, where a work has an audience in its native country but falls between the cracks when exported elsewhere.

As a reminder, this is not to be used for Administrivia/ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontLike.
----
!!Example subpages:

[[index]]
* [[UncertainAudience/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
* UncertainAudience/VideoGames
[[/index]]

!!Other examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Advertising]]
* [[https://www.ispot.tv/ad/Aj2v/dominos-salads-every-six-seconds This]] commercial for salads from Domino's Pizza mocks people who enjoy salads as buzzkills who ruin pizza night by making everybody get salads instead, yelling at them to "Eat a pizza once in a while!" It’s unclear whether they want to appeal to people who dislike salads and enjoy pizza, nullifying the point of adding salads to the menu, or people who dislike pizza and enjoy salads, which is the demographic the commercial mocks as "soulsmashers". It also completely ignores anybody who may enjoy [[TakeAThirdOption both]] pizza ''and'' salad.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Anime/AbunaiSisters'' is a short-lived {{Celebrity Toon|s}} starring the Kano sisters, Mika and Kyoko. The series features simplistic {{slapstick}} comedy and juvenile plots, but also constant, gratuitous MaleGaze shots and attempts at {{Fanservice}}. This results in something that's too childish for adults, but too sexually charged for younger viewers.
* ''Manga/AkameGaKill'' is relentlessly dark, with main characters dying left and right, but at the same time there are heavy comedy elements that can seem very out of place, such as Lubbock's constant flirting and Tatsumi's CluelessChickMagnet tendencies, as well as lots of fanservice. Not helping is that the whole GrayAndGrayMorality part of the story is more of an InformedAttribute, making it hard to tell if it's supposed to be for older audiences looking for a darker Shonen series, or a lighter-themed Shonen series for younger audiences. Older audiences found the humor distracting and felt the story didn't properly handle the darker elements it implied were important, while younger audiences found the show's themes a bit extreme and hard to get past, alongside the show's heavy amounts of violence and distracting fanservice. Due to this, neither the anime or manga maintained a large audience after the initial hype for the series, and both ended without much fanfare.
* ''Anime/AppareRanman'' was a [[AcclaimedFlop flop]] with general audiences despite its good critical ratings--it revolves around a [[TheBigRace cross-country race]] in a {{Steampunk}}-inspired setting very loosely based on turn of the century America, but despite the over-the-top setting, characters, and action, the series also has multiple character arcs and backstories revolving around serious topics such as women's rights and the folly of revenge. Viewers who tuned in to see colorful, ridiculous action a la ''Anime/{{Redline}}'' found it hard to tolerate the angsty backstories and morals, and those who might have been interested in the characterization found it hard to take seriously because of the more out-there elements, and the series' sales suffered because of it.
* ''Anime/BackArrow'' was a notable flop despite the reputations of its creators, and most of it can be attributed to the creative styles of director Goro Taniguchi and writer Creator/KazukiNakashima clashing. While both creators make superficially similar anime (high-concept, flamboyant {{mecha|Show}} works), the actual content of their stories can't be more different: Taniguchi uses his mecha as a front for [[RealRobotGenre geopolitical intrigue and weighty character-driven depictions of war]], while Nakashima is a firm purveyor of old-school SuperRobotGenre stories, where flashy, ridiculous action and pure idealism lead the way, and this anime attempts to do both styles at once to disastrous results. There's classic SuperRobotGenre tropes like robots that run on pure willpower, CombiningMecha, NewPowersAsThePlotDemands, BloodlessCarnage invocations of ThePowerOfLove and ThePowerOfFriendship, and stuff that's just plain goofy[[note]]the protagonist's name being a homophone of the Japanese for "dumbass", the constant mocking of Bit for his [[SmallNameBigEgo arrogance]], MadScientist Demyne's personal chorus that pop up at the most inopportune times, and a group of {{Bishonen}} who have built-in BishieSparkle as a superpower, just to name a few[[/note]] out the wazoo, but this is combined with dark and serious elements such as a weighty WarIsHell storyline, the protagonist and his RagtagBunchOfMisfits rubbing elbows with generals and princesses and eventually becoming a great power nation themselves, and [[spoiler:the protagonist's SuperpoweredEvilSide killing hundreds]]. These events constantly occur back-to-back at the same time, leading to a [[MoodWhiplash tone so schizophrenic]] it can almost seem like you're watching two shows at once, such as when a battle filled with angst from the heroes about having to possibly kill is ended by a literal friendship powerup where EveryoneLives, only to immediately be followed by a riot stirred up by the BigBad that [[spoiler:ends in a civilian massacre]]. It's not a surprise that the show never did great numbers, since it requires tolerance of both the most extreme seriousness of a RealRobotGenre anime and the most ridiculous silliness of a SuperRobotGenre one, something that few fans have the ability to do.
* Part of the reason ''Anime/BerserkTheGoldenAgeArc'' ultimately underperformed is that it tries to strike a balance between being a GatewaySeries that can serve as an introduction to the rest of the franchise by adapting the acclaimed Golden Age series, and a TruerToTheText adaptation that finally throws longtime fans a bone after the prior major adaptation (''Anime/Berserk1997'') [[NoEnding ends on a cliffhanger]], leaving some important characters and moments AdaptedOut. However, it ultimately struggled with both groups. To longtime fans, the films (barring the presence of those AdaptedOut characters) feel redundant when a well-liked adaptation of the same material already exists (which also [[ToughActToFollow sparked immediate, oft-unfavorable comparisons between the two]]), especially since there are plenty of other stories and characters that fans had been dying to see in animation for decades. The film approach of [[AdaptationDistillation only covering important plot points]] (a consequence of adapting fourteen volumes of manga into about five hours of material) also leaves the plot feeling rather rushed and missing a lot of the slower, more introspective moments, so newcomers end up missing out on a lot of the story's thematic content and character interplay, and thus a lot of the original's appeal. Consequently, while the films do have their fans, those fans tend to see them as more supplementary to the manga version rather than a good replacement or introduction to it.
* An often discussed reason ''Manga/{{Boruto}}'' took a while to really gain an audience was that the early part of the story lacked a hook for newcomers or long-time series fans. For long-time fans of ''Naruto'', it's a story focusing on the children of the characters from the original manga, said parents being characters fans have followed for nearly two decades and therefore like more than their kids. They also find the concept of a story that is supposed to be set after the long history of war was seemingly ended to be a HappyEndingOverride. It also didn't help that the main antagonists were members of the clan of [[spoiler:Kaguya Otsutsuki]], a character infamous for hijacking the story previously, making ''Naruto'' fans very concerned that an element they disliked was getting attention. Non-''Naruto'' fans had no desire to watch it, simply because it's a continuation of a long-running series with a certain level of infamy among the anime community for {{Filler}}, and thus lack any emotional connection to it that might have hooked them in. This isn't helped by the fact that newer fans simply won't know much about ''Naruto'' if they haven't seen the original series, as ''Boruto'' doesn't do much to inform newcomers on the setting. While the series eventually gained a bigger audience, the initial lack of a compelling reason to look into the series caused it to not take off at first with any particular audience.
* ''Manga/CardcaptorSakuraClearCard'' can't seem to decide whether it's intended for kids who are new to the series or adults who grew up watching and reading the [[Manga/CardcaptorSakura original run]]. On one hand, it is still serialized in the very same {{shojo}} magazine as the original run, and the anime adaptation aired in a kids timeslot, but on the other hand, since it's a direct continuation, it requires familiarity with a work that's over 20 years old, and all of TheMerch are things like collector-grade figures and replicas, as well as expensive cosmetics and clothing, with very few things kids could afford or would be interested in.
* ''Manga/CaseClosed'' failed when it was broadcast on late nights on Creator/AdultSwim in the United States because of this uncertainty, combined with ValuesDissonance: it was too childish for [adult swim], yet too violent for CN's then late-afternoon Creator/{{Toonami}} block, having brutal murders and complex plots involving suicide, drugs and business dealings, but also many childish comedy moments.
* ''Manga/CellsAtWorkCodeBlack'' is a spinoff of an EdutainmentShow (admittedly one that can get pretty [[ValuesDissonance gory and depressing by Western standards]]) aimed at children, and is even more {{Anvilicious}} about the importance of healthy living than its parent series. Yet the manga runs in a {{Seinen}} magazine, and it isn't afraid to show the negative consequences of unhealthy habits through its CrapsackWorld setting where AnyoneCanDie, and it doesn't shy away from graphic depictions of health problems like drug addictions and sexually transmitted diseases, which, combined with [[TooBleakStoppedCaring the sheer bleakness of the setting and likelihood of the main characters to either die or end up in situations even worse from when they started]], makes it too dark and dramatic for the child audience of the parent manga to enjoy. Meanwhile, the show's heavy-handed commentary about the health effects of bad habits fails to appeal to most adult readers, since the series doesn't offer any insight that couldn't have already been found in a self-help book or Google search. It's been commented that the only people the manga could appeal to are the adult PeripheryDemographic of the original series, since they already know the franchise's M.O. when it comes to morality plays and edutainment.
* Much of the reason ''Anime/DarlingInTheFranxx'' is a fairly controversial show--it's often described as the fusion of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' and ''Anime/GurrenLagann'', as it absolutely borrows stylistic cues from both. Consequently, it has a high-concept, sexualized, inherently silly premise of robots with pilots sitting at the controls in doggystyle, but the series itself, for most of its run, is relatively slow-paced and serious, focusing on interpersonal drama, love triangles, and tragic backstories. A lot of people interested in bawdy, farcically over-the-top action were wondering when the show would stop focusing on sad teenagers, and found the show's conflict hard to get hyped about. Meanwhile, the people who liked the show's character focus and drama were either unable to get past the premise, or were driven off by later episodes bringing the silly stuff to the fore--culminating in [[spoiler:a lady the size of the planet fighting space aliens]].
* ''Literature/DidntISayToMakeMyAbilitiesAverageInTheNextLife'', despite having a group of young female protagonists, is a standard isekai that can get very dark at times. Its anime adaptation tried to play up the FourGirlEnsemble nature of the main cast to draw in slice-of-life fans, but that failed to appeal to them as the dark elements that were kept from the original books caused MoodWhiplash and they found the show much too dark to be a good {{Moe}} anime. Meanwhile, fans of the original series were not amused at the amount of content that got cut from the adaptation[[note]]most infamously, the ''entire first light novel''[[/note]], and fans of isekai weren't happy with the MoodWhiplash either, finding it to resemble an IndecisiveParody more than an actual entry in the genre.
* One of the issues surrounding ''Anime/DigimonAdventure2020'' is that it's unsure whether it wants to appeal to newcomers or fans of the original ''Anime/DigimonAdventure''. The show simultaneously acts as a ContinuityReboot that takes creative liberties with the original while also requiring new viewers to have knowledge of the previous incarnations of the franchise.
* ''Manga/FateKaleidLinerPrismaIllya'' suffers from an uncertain audience due to being a combination of genre and setting: A MagicalGirl story in an AlternateUniverse of ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' following Illya and her friends. From the perspective of fans of the MagicalGirl genre, it lacks anything really unique about its setting, coming across as a ''Manga/CardCaptorSakura'' clone for much of the early part of the story, which means fans of the genre simply lack a reason to watch it if they aren't fans of the ''Fate'' franchise. For fans of the ''Fate'' series, it's a strange and out-of-genre work that doesn't mesh well with the complicated lore and themes of the greater franchise, and only later starts bringing out more heavy and complex aspects of the setting. Even beyond that, the fact it's part of the ''Fate'' franchise means it automatically alienates some viewers simply because of how complicated the series is for outsiders. It also suffers from having [[LoliconAndShotacon Lolicon]] elements (especially in the second season, ''2wei'', which turned off readers/viewers who were able to look past it), meaning people who are fine with everything else in the series were uncomfortable with all the fanservice focused on characters who are young girls in elementary school. And for the few fans who actually liked the magical girl parody and referential humor of the first couple of seasons, they were put off by the third season's shift into DarkerAndEdgier territory, which went to the point of completely jettisoning Illya and her supporting cast to focus on an AlternateUniverse version of Shirou going through a bleak storyline with as much if not more suffering than Heaven's Feel.
* ''Anime/FZeroGPLegend'', an anime adaptation of Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s ''VideoGame/FZero'' racing series, failed due to unclear appeal. Among general audiences, the series was full of dark themes and moments such as the villains being explicit murderers, alienating younger viewers, but the characters were too over-the-top for older viewers. Even fans of the games didn't take to it as it played too fast and loose with the source material (and considering that ''F-Zero'' didn't have much lore to work with in the first place, that's saying a lot), while other Nintendo fans would ignore it due to ''F-Zero'' being obscure outside of Captain Falcon's appearances in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''
* ''Manga/DotHackLegendOfTheTwilight'''s anime adaptation: On one side, it‘s considerably more light-hearted and childish than ''Anime/DotHackSign'', with more comic relief and cute monsters. On the other side, it also has more FanService and Implied {{Twincest}} between the two main characters, such that the series has become infamously immortalized because of it.
* ''Anime/HeikeMonogatari'' suffers from the unfortunate combination of being a retelling of a literary classic from [[PerspectiveFlip a different perspective]] that also crams a DoorStopper of an epic poem into [[CompressedAdaptation eleven episodes]]. As a result, despite the critical praise for its art and animation, it suffered heavily from this: viewers who weren't familiar with the epic or the historical events behind it were confused by the large amount of characters and major events that get quickly glossed over[[labelnote:For example]]UsefulNotes/MinamotoNoYoshitsune, the protagonist of one-third of the poem, gets less than one full episode's worth of screentime ''combined''.[[/labelnote]] while viewers who were familiar with the poem were also disappointed with all the [[AdaptationDecay creative liberties]] the series took with its source material.
* ''Heroine Taru Mono!'', the fourth anime adaptation of the ''Music/ConfessionExecutiveCommittee'' series, was noted by reviewers to have this as a problem: it doesn't shy away from showing the unsavory aspects of the idol industry (unwanted attention from the media and {{Loony Fan}}s, personal scandal, [[BeneathTheMask putting on fake personalities for the camera]], and coworkers who can't stand each other, just to name a few). That said, it also plays a lot of otome game/shoujo reverse harem tropes completely straight, and ultimately ends by having the PluckyGirl protagonist getting the idols to start getting along through nothing but her determination, and casting the same {{Loony Fan}}s it decried earlier on as actually passionate and supportive all along--thus making the show unappealing to viewers who wanted a darker, more deconstructive take on the genre.
* It's unclear just who ''Anime/HigurashiWhenTheyCryGou'' is supposed to appeal to. While new fans may be interested in it as being an alleged reboot of ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'', it's actually a StealthSequel. The first half of the series, which consists mostly of adaptations of the original sound novels, contains lots of references and plot thread dropping that require knowledge of the original series and will likely leave them wondering what is going on. Returning fans who would likely be interested in a sequel, however, will likely wind up frustrated by having to watch twelve straight episodes consisting largely of stuff they've already seen, and will tune out long before the WhamEpisode starts bringing new content to the fore. While its sequel series ''Sotsu'' tries to shift itself out of this status by unambigously targeting long-term ''When They Cry'' fans who are interested in series lore, it ultimately ends by revealing ''nothing'' conclusive, making their time investment all for nought and frustrating them. The result is that a potential SequelHook for a possible ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'' adaptation has gone unexplored for years and counting.
* This trope was a contributing factor to the cancellation of ''Anime/IGPXImmortalGrandPrix'', with the tone of the HumongousMecha races being viewed as too outlandish for older audiences and the series also containing lots of material that ranged from uninteresting to inappropriate for younger audiences. No surprise that Creator/CartoonNetwork couldn't keep the show alive beyond two seasons.
* The original ''Manga/InterspeciesReviewers'' manga is noted to have this issue by fans: the series has an extremely raunchy premise (a group of sex-addicted adventurers having sex with various CuteMonsterGirl prostitutes in a fantasy world), which involves a lot of frank and explicit discussion of sex and fetishes, some of which can get very niche. This obviously excludes younger demographics and comedy fans who aren't interested in something so lewd... yet, despite its premise, the manga is extremely tame in terms of {{Fanservice}}, as the sexy stuff is only discussed in speech and writing and left up to the readers' imagination; in fact, it takes multiple volumes to show one instance of ''partial nudity''. This, as you can imagine, turns off ecchi fans who go in expecting explicit imagery from the series' premise, only to get none. While the anime adaptation's HotterAndSexier content led to it [[TooHotForTV being removed from several TV networks and streaming sites for being too raunchy]], it also makes its target audience much more obvious and it ended up getting a bigger fanbase that way.
* ''Anime/JewelpetSunshine'' is often accused of having an uncertain audience. It's a wacky kids' school (specifically ''the last year of high school'', meaning all the major characters are at least 18) comedy that deals with issues such as incest and ''zoophilia''.
* ''Manga/KakushigotoMyDadsSecretAmbition'', just like any other Creator/KojiKumeta manga, comes with a healthy dose of his trademark SurrealHumor. While the gags work fine in isolation and wouldn't be out of place in one of his more out-there stories, they really don't gel with the slow-paced slice-of-life tone of the manga, which is heavily implied to be autobiographical. The result is heartfelt parent-child bonding and philosophical musing on parenthood and growing up being interrupted by wacky gags, [[MoodWhiplash which is jarring to say the least]]. The manga fares a tiny bit better by keeping the weird moments in separate chapters from the down-to-earth ones, but the anime plays them back-to-back and includes [[spoiler:a SuddenDownerEnding]] which makes the MoodWhiplash even worse. The result is a series that's not bizarre enough for Kumeta fans who love his trademark style of writing, but too bizarre for those not familiar with his series who would otherwise be interested in a slow-paced slice of life with family themes.
* ''Manga/MissionsOfLove'' can't decide if it's a mature shoujo romance or a shounen {{moe}} sex comedy. And it's serialized in ''Magazine/{{Nakayoshi}}'', a manga magazine for young girls, further confusing things.
* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' starts out looking like a harem comedy, then takes a hard turn into a fighting series in volume three. Afterward it remains a fighting series, albeit with Harem Comedy elements left in it. Readers who came for the earlier harem comedy can get put off by the gradual change to a battle series. Conversely, fans looking for shonen action would get put off by the occasional veering towards harem antics. [[note]] This can be blamed on ExecutiveMeddling -- Ken Akamatsu wanted to write a fighting series, but the publisher wanted another harem series like ''Manga/LoveHina''. Akamatsu pretended to write a harem comedy, and [[WriterRevolt gradually turned it into the fighting shounen he'd wanted]].[[/note]]
* This was the main reason why ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamAGE'' underperformed, as it couldn't decide whether it should cater towards its intended younger demographic, or traditional Gundam fans. For Gundam fans, they were turned off by the more "kiddie" art style and the toyetic nature of the show. For its target audience, they were alienated by the [[CerebusSyndrome increasingly darker tone]], and the sudden change in cast each arc.
* The anime adaptation of ''VisualNovel/{{Nekopara}}'' was kneecapped by not being able to figure out if it wanted to appeal to a younger or an older audience. The anime is a slice-of-life spinoff revolving around a CanonForeigner that downplays the games' HaremGenre elements, supposedly so series creator Creator/{{Sayori}} could [[SoMyKidsCanWatch watch it with her children]]. However, the anime also requires heavy knowledge of the visual novels, something that kids will not be able to have since they are [[PornWithPlot H-games]], and while [[TamerAndChaster it doesn't have any sex scenes like the original games]], it still contains many examples of family-unfriendly content in the form of blatant MaleGaze and barely-disguised sexual innuendo. As a result, it flew under the radar with younger audiences due to the nature of the franchise it was adapting, and the adult audience of the visual novels found it to be much too saccharine and juvenile for their tastes. The anime became the lowest-selling part of an otherwise extremely successful franchise.
* Despite its massive popularity, ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' falls into this trope. It has mecha play an important role in the plot, but is also heavily focused on interpersonal character drama -- the audience for the two contrasting elements is very different. This might be why the series is so divisive.
** ''Anime/PetitEva'' is even more confusing. It's a school AU spinoff in {{super deformed}} style, without any of the self-awareness or (however momentary) actual character drama seen in similar Evangelion spinoff media like ''Manga/ShinjiIkariRaisingProject'' and ''Manga/NeonGenesisEvangelionAngelicDays''. This seems to imply that it's targeted towards children, but even more permissive Japanese parents wouldn’t want to introduce children to a series as dark as ''Evangelion''.
* ''Anime/{{Overtake}}'' is sold as a anime focusing on auto racing to draw in fans of sports series who are there for the intense competition and rivalries--but despite containing a lot of {{Info Dump}}ing about racing, the show itself is quite light on the racing action, with most of the races being glossed over or reduced to one or two important moments. Instead, the series is heavy on character-focused drama, turning off sports anime fans and racing fans by the bait-and-switch, as they'd rather watch ''racing'', not teenagers angsting over their personal issues, and they may be asking why a series that's ostensibly about car racing is instead focusing on [[spoiler:a photographer's personal trauma]]. However, viewers who might be interested in a drama aren't likely to tune in due to the sporting aspect of the series, [[NeverTrustATrailer which is advertised to be more important than it really is]]. While the series may be aimed at viewers of series like ''Series/F1DriveToSurvive'' which are also more about the personal drama between race car drivers than they are about the racing itself, the anime muddies those waters by focusing on Japanese F4, which is a ''very'' low-tier feeder series often compared to hobby racing. ''DTS'' viewers would rather focus on the glitz and glamor of UsefulNotes/Formula1, not a bunch of fictional teenagers in the racing equivalent to single-A baseball.
* The OVA adaptations of ''VisualNovel/OneKagayakuKisetsuE'' have no idea who they want to appeal to. The story and characters are unexplained to those who haven't played the visual novel, and almost none of the iconic scenes of any of the character routes are shown, alienating those who have played the visual novel. In fact, the events even directly contradict the canon of the visual novel.
* ''Anime/SailorMoonCrystal'' was seemingly targeted at fans of the original ''Sailor Moon'' manga, as it claimed to be a faithful adaptation of that material... But then it made several changes to the end of the first season that upset that particular demographic. Then the third season attempted to court fans of the original '90s anime by changing the art style and the cast's personalities to more closely resemble it, but fans of the original anime had already been turned off by the lack of focus on the ensemble cast vs. focus on Sailor Moon herself, a facet of the original manga. The series seemingly also failed to attract new fans, as a fourth season hung [[DevelopmentHell in limbo]] for years and underwent yet another art change before finally being retooled into two movies, ''Sailor Moon Eternal''. ''Sailor Moon Eternal'' then tried even harder to cater to fans of the anime, further driving the original audience away.
* ''Manga/ShugoChara'' has [[StockShoujoHeroine a young female protagonist]], adorable fairy mascots, and sparkly MagicalGirl battles, since the manga ran in ''Magazine/{{Nakayoshi}}'', a shoujo magazine for young girls. It also deals with some surprisingly dark and mature subjects (including one character having a BigBrotherAttraction), many characters have deep psychological issues, and a huge part of the story is the elementary school-aged heroine's romance with a boy in his ''late teens'' (who openly returns her affections). There's also lots of {{moe}} elements in order to appeal to otaku. This may be why [[NoExportForYou no licensing company]] wants to pick the anime version up.
* ''Manga/TimeParadoxGhostwriter'' runs into this problem. Despite being serialized in [[Magazine/ShonenJump a shonen magazine]] and focusing on publishing manga in that very same magazine as a plot point, the story tackles themes that would be much more relatable to adults than the intended audience of teenage boys; this includes the difficulties creators go through to live off their work, the issues inherent in the manga industry, and the morally grey dilemma of Teppei passing off ''White Knight'' as his own work despite feeling guilty about it. Along with Teppei coming across as UnintentionallyUnsympathetic due to his plagiarism, this is likely part of the reason why the manga was cancelled after only three months of serialization.
* ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'':
** Although it became a famous case of MultipleDemographicAppeal done right, though it ''did'' infamously bomb when it first aired in Japan (finding much more love [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff overseas]] and then being VindicatedByHistory), partly because the idea of an anime not being a clear-cut {{Shonen}} or {{Shoujo}} series (nor being based on a pre-existing manga) was [[AudienceAlienatingPremise unheard of at the time]].
** It also initially struggled when it first aired in the US under Fox Kids, who tried to market it exclusively to young boys but kept a lot of the romance elements beyond the unaired first episode, which might have contributed to it being much better received in other English-speaking countries (particularly Canada) and being quickly pulled from syndication. ''WebVideo/VisionOfEscaflowneAbridged'' discusses and lampoons this in its [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNRHPJ4_SPs&list=PL351914B9967572B5&index=1 opening episode]].
--->'''Van (to Hitomi):''' The reason you're confused is that the network skipped the first episode. It seems that... [[{{Bishonen}} certain elements]]... didn't test too well with that crucial "has a penis" demographic.\\
'''Hitomi:''' And they thought ''that'' was more important than maintaining continuity and the plot?\\
'''Van:''' [[TakeThat You're watching Fox]].
* The OELManga ''Manga/XMenMisfits'' is a ''{{shoujo}}''-esque story that starts several iconic members of the ComicBook/XMen. It ended up faring poorly with both ''shoujo'' fans and the team's pre-existing fanbase: the former weren't interested in buying something based on a superhero comic, and the latter were turned off by the ClicheStorm plot and the number of changes made to the characters
* ''Yoshi no Zui kara'', Satsuki Yoshino's first manga released after ''Manga/{{Barakamon}}'' was canceled after only three volumes thanks to an Uncertain Audience. The premise of the story is an incredibly personal and surprisingly dark tale about a struggling manga author who unexpectedly creates a hit and has to deal with the unexpected life changes, mental health issues, and impostor syndrome. At the same time, the story also includes a lot of rural-themed slice of life chapters (including having characters that [[{{Expy}} fill similar roles as Naru and Hiroshi did in the author's previous series]]), seemingly in an attempt to draw in the fanbase of ''Barakamon''. Needless to say, the two tones didn't mix, and readers interested in the premise were turned off by the slice-of-life, which they viewed as pointless filler...but slice-of-life fans weren't inclined to pick the manga up thanks to its dark premise and first few chapters.
* ''Franchise/YuGiOh'':
** This is the main reason why ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'' did very poorly on its initial airing, with its Japanese airing being a particular underperformer. It aired on weekdays and is as obviously a MerchandiseDriven card game advertisement as any other ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' series, and the whole premise of "card games on motorcycles" is a bit too goofy for most adults to take seriously. However, it has a fast-paced and tightly-serialized narrative, a dystopian {{Cyberpunk}} setting heavily wrapped in occultism (and [[{{Mayincatec}} fairly nontraditional occultism]], at that), more complex duel plotting due to the addition of Synchro Summoning, and [[DysfunctionJunction a fairly troubled]] and more gender-mixed cast anchored by an older, serious-minded protagonist who spends most of the early arcs in a TraumaCongaLine. [[PeripheryDemographic Older fans]] loved those elements, but they were rating poison to the primary demographic of younger boys, and it's quite telling that Creator/FourKidsEntertainment had seemingly no idea what to do with the show. It's not for no reason that the halfway point of the series saw a massive shift, almost completely ditching the occult and dystopic elements in favor of a pure sci-fi plot about a tournament arc and robots from the future, downplaying the presence of female characters, [[ArcFatigue slowing down the pace and making the series more episodic]], and [[LighterAndSofter massively reducing the level of angst]] in favor of making the protagonist into an InvincibleHero--those aforementioned older fans hated these changes and cited them as a sign of SeasonalRot, but they were almost certainly an attempt to save the show. Notably, followup series ''Anime/YuGiOhZEXAL'' would be clearly targeted at kids from the start: simplified duel plotting, a [[ContrastingSequelMainCharacter youthful and exuberant protagonist]], and a primarily episodic story with a [[GottaCatchEmAll a more down-to-earth premise]] and a lighthearted setting and tone.
** ''Anime/YuGiOhArcV'': By some accounts, about half the creators wanted it to be an idealistic show and a MilestoneCelebration about the joy of being an entertainer and making people smile, and the other half wanted it to be a gritty DeconstructorFleet with heavy WarIsHell themes. Needless to say, [[MoodWhiplash these two concepts got in the way of each other a lot]], and towards the end, the series had gotten too grim and cynical for people who liked the goofy stuff, and too saccharine and annoying for people who liked the darker stuff. For a particularly egregious example, the series' infamous Battle Beast arc shows [[TykeBomb a traumatized boy reduced to an animalistic level and trained only to kill]] [[HeroKiller off multiple named characters]], only for the protagonist help him turn over a new leaf and learn to have fun after he plays paintball with him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/AmethystPrincessOfGemworld'' fell victim to this throughout nearly all of its runs after its original and most successful run. The original comic was conceived before the MagicalGirlWarrior was codified in the West (to put it in perspective, ''Manga/SailorMoon'' would not debut on American television for more than a decade after the original maxi-series) leaving the creators with no idea where to go with a princess character that journeyed between Earth and Gemworld. Their solution was to make the series a full-on horror title, which proved extremely unpopular (as it would be long before ''Franchise/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' popularized magical girl horror) and was quickly cancelled. Several decades later, after the MagicalGirlWarrior had been codified, and following a series of well-received animated shorts, DC revived the character for the ComicBook/New52 relaunch in the pages of ''Sword Of Sorcery'', as an adult targeted title with heavy themes that included attempted rape, while having nothing in common with the shorts. The book proved unpopular and was cancelled after failed attempts to bring in readers. In 2020, a new ''Amethyst'' miniseries was published, eschewing MagicalGirlWarrior tropes in favor of heavy, complex, and mostly boring political intrigue that once again, proved unpopular with readers. While the surface trappings of a magical princess being TrappedInAnotherWorld would repel male readers and older readers, the heavy focus on elements like horror and politics turned away anyone looking for a MagicalGirlWarrior series, resulting in low readership and short runs.
* ''ComicBook/TheChildrensCrusadeVertigo'' was a RedSkiesCrossover featuring {{Kid Hero}}es like [[ComicBook/SwampThing Tefe Holland]], [[ComicBook/AnimalMan Maxine Baker]], and [[ComicBook/BooksOfMagic Tim Hunter]] - published by Creator/VertigoComics, which generally skewed towards older audiences and didn't really do intra-company crossovers that much. Those who were not repulsed at the prospect of a multi-part crossover featuring almost exclusively children might have been turned off by the awkward juxtaposition of dark themes (the plot involved a child-kidnapping ring) with humor (the bumbling antics of Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine, who've been hired to find a missing boy despite having little actual detective experience.)
* UDON's [[ComicBook/{{Darkstalkers}} comic book adaptations]] of the ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' video games have always fallen into this trope. The games they are based on are relatively obscure so mainstream audiences won't be interested on it, while hardcore or new fans that have just discovered the games are turned off by the [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks many changes]] to the lore and characterisation. The most infamous example being the poster child of the games: Morrigan Aensland, who is changed from an [[TheHedonist hedonistic]] AntiHero to a [[AxCrazy bloodthirsty]] [[ForTheEvulz murderer]] VillainProtagonist.
* Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' is famous for being [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover a truly gargantuan crossover story involving characters and stories from all across fiction]], but also for a questionable approach that's given it a very inconsistent audience. On one hand, [[ReferenceOverdosed the sheer scope of fiction being referenced is both massive]] and at times highly esoteric, either requiring annotations or [[ViewersAreGeniuses a presumed high level of respect and knowledge of said media]] to fully understand what's happening. At the same time, the series is very much a DeconstructiveParody that's often very critical of said stories, with Moore [[{{Grimmification}} often highlighting the less savory aspects of characters and their fiction]] to an often quite unflattering or unsettling point. As a result, readers tended to be engaged but not without heavy criticism -- those with wide tastes and love crossovers expecting a fun tribute usually complain about [[AuthorTract its often vindictive tone]] (some elements like its parodies of Franchise/JamesBond and Franchise/HarryPotter being criticized for coming off as [[ShallowParody shallow hatchet jobs]]), and even die-hard Moore fans admit that it's not an exactly ''inviting'' book, where you have to be just as understanding but also [[NewMediaAreEvil contemptuous of modern fiction]] as Moore to not take issue with it.
* The ''ComicBook/New52'' era of Creator/DCComics is widely regarded as [[AudienceAlienatingEra one of its worst and most alienating eras]] for a variety of reasons, with one of the bigger ones being that despite heavily advertising itself as a ContinuityReboot of the DC Universe, it ended up not committing to that promise due to trying to have their cake and eat it too. The point of the reboot was to offer a clean slate to newcomers without [[ContinuityLockout the notorious baggage of decades-long continuity]], but many editors and writers weren't keen on suddenly abandoning their work (especially as they had only been given a couple of months to prepare, [[AbortedArc causing a lot of preexisting projects to be slashed]]), so many became increasingly magnetized to [[BroadStrokes accepting past continuity as]] ''[[BroadStrokes maybe]]'' [[BroadStrokes happening]], with no standardization in place to maintain the habit. The end result was that longtime fans were turned off as the sudden reset canned and radically altered stories and characters in favor of [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks newer revisions and takes that were seen as inferior]] (primarily with the editorially-mandated edict of making things DarkerAndEdgier, [[TooBleakStoppedCaring no matter how inappropriate and overwhelming]]), and prospective newcomers were turned off as despite promises of there being a complete reset in their favor, the old canon swiftly drifted back in [[ContinuitySnarl and made the state of continuity even more confusing to keep up with]] (anyone hopping into a post-"reboot" ComicBook/{{Batman}} story would have to learn that he's still had ''four'' different sidekicks named {{ComicBook/Robin}}). It especially didn't help when DC ''still'' felt the need to jump straight into massive crossover event comics built on spiking up sales with collective star power, advertised with the promise that they'd be radically changing the status quo, seemingly forgetting that they had ''no'' unified status quo, leaving all audiences confused, lost, and uninterested. DC eventually realized they made a worst-of-both-worlds situation that was losing them sales, leading to the ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'' initiative that [[UnReboot effectively re-canonized pre-reboot lore]], retrying the approach of settling down onto a new status quo for newcomers to hop on board with, but in a way [[ContinuityPorn that paid direct respect to the history longtime comic fans wanted from their series]], which proved critically and commercially more successful.
* Much of the reason Marvel's ComicBook/TheNewUniverse failed was that it never really figured out who it was for. The entire premise was based on a sort of proto-CapePunk, where superheroes, created by a MassSuperEmpoweringEvent, would have realistic consequences on society and the world they inhabited, and the world itself was LikeRealityUnlessNoted and lacked ComicBookTime. However, unlike stories like ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' or ''ComicBook/SquadronSupreme'', which had set lengths, a single creative vision, and played their stories pretty po-faced, the New Universe was a comic line with many creators and ongoing books, and was full of traditional comic book antics like mechsuits and SuperSerum and downright silly concepts like a superpowered football team--many of its books wouldn't have been out of place at all in the Marvel Universe. This failed to appeal to fans looking for more thoughtful or deconstructive fare, and fans of Marvel's traditional comics were turned off simply because it didn't take place in the Marvel Universe or feature any of its staple concepts. One commentator noted that it seemed like Marvel was creating a second-rate knockoff of ''itself'' to compete with its own books. The concept of a "more realistic" spinoff of the Marvel Universe was done far better in ComicBook/UltimateMarvel, which kept Marvel's characters and concepts to maintain name recognition, whereas Creator/JimShooter managed to take similar ideas but forge a more cohesive identity when he created the much more successful Creator/ValiantComics.
* ''ComicBook/RunawaysRainbowRowell'', on the one hand, is marketed heavily towards fans of [[ComicBook/{{Runaways}} the original series]], with references to their past adventures and the various crossovers with other comics (for instance, [[ComicBook/AvengersAI Victor von Doombot]] is a recurring guest character, and a recurring subplot is Victor's trauma from [[ComicBook/TheVision2015 the death of his nephew]]); thus, casual readers may have to read a bunch of lesser-known comics in order to understand all the plot points. On the other hand, the series was meant to appeal to viewers of [[Series/Runaways2017 the Hulu series]], and thus a number of changes to the team's dynamics were made, including Xavin and Klara having their roles in the series severely reduced, Gert having a much larger role on the team, and Nico and Karolina being made an OfficialCouple, as they are on the show. While some of those changes were well-received, a significant number of longtime fans were annoyed by what they perceive as forced synergy with the TV show.
* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'':
** This was a major reason that ''ComicBook/TransformersGeneration2'' ultimately bombed. It showed up at a point where fans of the original ''Transformers'' at its height were likely in high school, meaning it came too early to catch the wave of nostalgic adults, but also only a few years after the tail-end of its predecessor, meaning that for kids, it still bore the stigma of the lackluster later lines. Many figures in the line were rereleases of the originals but with new color schemes and weapons, which wasn't great when it showed up at a point where many kids could simply ask their older siblings for those originals. They were also very brightly-colored and gimmicky, which suggested an attempt to appeal to younger kids--yet the comics designed to promote the series, which made up its only real new promotional material, were [[DarkerAndEdgier some of the darkest material in the franchise up to that point]].
** IDW's first attempt at ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' comics get a fair bit of this, due to being primarily focused on characters from the toyline, ''Anime/BeastWarsII'', and ''Anime/BeastWarsNeo''. Fans of the cartoon are put off because the main appeal to ''Beast Wars'' was its strong character work with a limited cast, while the comics have tons of characters that mostly exclude the cartoon's cast outside of cameos. Meanwhile, fans of the anime are put off by the massive amount of AdaptationPersonalityChange and [[DarkerAndEdgier significant tonal differences]], making it feel like the creators were crowbarring its concepts into the American continuity regardless of whether it made sense. This was especially evident with the ''[[AllThereInTheManual Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', which devoted massive chunks of pagetime to obscure characters from Japanese fiction but also rewrote half their personalities to InNameOnly levels. It seems like the only people it was made for were fans of {{Toyline Exclusive Character}}s like Razorbeast and Torca, who previously didn't have any meaningful followings or characterization. Their second attempt years later is a separate continuity more in line with the original cartoon, after seemingly learning their lesson from this.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* The fanfiction ''Fanfic/MyBravePonyStarfleetMagic'' has numerous violent and dark plotlines (the story constantly advocates ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption and that friendship is worthless while also brutalizing and breaking down several characters including killing Twilight Sparkle off for real), but it also has its share of light-hearted elements (spontaneous musical numbers, the story of a statue learning to be a real boy, wholesale references to shows like ''Series/TodaysSpecial'' and ''WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake'' with ''Franchise/PowerRangers''-esque fight scenes) and as a result, the series is too dark for children but too childish for adults.
* While ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' is far from unpopular, it's undeniably very hard to sell. The story's main draw, a superpowered Ash [[HaremGenre with a harem]], is something that doesn't attract viewers who are looking for a compelling read, while those who do have to contend with one of the archetypal "bad fanfic" plot points. Not helped that this fic also tends to [[DeconstructorFleet deconstruct said power fantasies]] as much as it plays them straight, alienating the readers lured by the mentioned main draw.
* ''Fanfic/SuperSentaiVsPowerRangers'' is marketed as "an attempt to stop fan wars" between the two fandoms. However, ''Super Sentai'' fans have to see their favorite characters get marginalized or bastardized, while ''Power Rangers'' fans have to see their favorites be treated like utter crap by the narrative.
* ''[[Fanfic/SuperSmashBrothersGuardiansArise Super Smash Bros.: Guardians Arise!]]'' has a problem with this in that it's confused on the kind of tone it wants to bring out. The series starts on a very grim note, with people being forced to slavery by Tabuu, many of the Smashers' allies killed or turned evil, and the Smashers wallowing in angst over their "failure" to be with their loved ones due to battling Tabuu; not that the Guardians (mostly composed of people going through similar losses and some acting like outright [[JerksAreWorseThanVillains jerkasses]]) or Tabuu (who is a rather malicious BigBad enforcing slavery and is responsible for killing off much of the heroes' friends or turning them evil) himself are any better. But once the story establishes itself, it introduces lighthearted moments that include referencing internet memes and comedic statements and undertones that utterly [[MoodWhiplash contrast]] with the established dark tone, and this confusion between light and dark plays out like a ping-pong match. Readers who came in expecting a somewhat lighthearted story are turned off by the bleak atmosphere of the work, while readers who did find the dark tone appealing are turned off by the level of comedy and lightheartedness that the fanfic introduces later on, ultimately making it a very hard read for anyone in this regard. The fanfic was created by [[AuthorAvatar Author Avatars]] who wanted to create a fun work, but the work's inconsistent atmosphere make it a hard sell.
** Case in point, much of the lore used in the series' home franchises (in particular, ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' and ''Franchise/FireEmblem'') are rather butchered and axed to a degree. Readers unfamiliar with the source lore might have a hard time understanding some or most of the lingo used in the story, but those who are indeed familiar are repulsed at how they're treated in story. The Fire Emblem lore most commonly used in the story is the [[VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance Tellius]] [[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn lore]], which would seem a bit unfamiliar to non-Fire Emblem readers, yet the cast of those games [[spoiler: sans Rafiel]] are completely dead, with Ike, one of the series' core protagonists left to wallow in his angst; which may come off as [[TooBleakStoppedCaring a bit too much for normal fare]].
** The fanfic also goes into other franchises that aren't even related to ''Smash'' at all. [[spoiler: Chester, Pichu's guardian, hails from the world of ''Film/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas''. While one can make the argument that he could be tied with people like [[Franchise/KingdomHearts Sora]] (who wouldn't join Smash until eleven years after the fic was published), the fic makes no connections or BroadStrokes to said franchise, and the character comes off as a straight ''Nightmare Before Christmas'' OC. Eclipse, who is Wario's guardian, actually hails from [[Franchise/TouhouProject Gensokyo]]; the ''Touhou'' series, while a popular request for roster inclusion, has never been involved in Smash at all, alienating casual readers expecting a Smash-centered fanfic. Yet readers who are familiar with the source material might find it odd that none of the ''Touhou'' cast appear in the fic at all or get mentioned; [[InferredHolocaust possible even dying like the rest of the supporting casts]].]]
** The fanfic eventually gained a sequel, ''The Awakening''. As it turns out, it and ''Guardians'' are created from [[OfficialFanSubmittedContent characters sent by the readers and the author's inner circle]]. But the problem arose when it tried to get newer characters into the fray, and there weren't that many readers there to provide new characters, mostly due to the uncertain audience. While some did send their characters, they were in very minute amounts, and the series was left hanging without a conclusion [[DeadFic for a decade]].
* ''WebVideo/SwordArtOnlineAbridged'' has this happening to this version of ''Alfheim Online''; the box description zigzags between a child-friendly game about friendship and a more adult game about violence and fighting. Tiffany describes the target audience as being the cast from ''Literature/LordOfTheFlies'', though he doubts that's a market big enough to profit from. Kirito soon finds out that the game has experienced a recent surge in popularity despite all this, mainly due to a small group of roleplayers finding the game in the bargain bin and thinking it would be a good place to play their planned campaign. It exploded from there, presumably by word of mouth, but it's still clear that it's a chaotic, buggy mess with inconsistent censorship.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* While [[VindicatedByHistory revered as a classic nowadays]], Disney's ''WesternAnimation/AliceInWonderland'' had this reaction when it was first released in 1951. Fans of the [[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland original novel]] criticized the Americanized themes, more cartoony character designs compared to John Tenniel's original illustrations, and incorporated elements from the sequel ''Through the Looking-Glass''. Viewers who weren't hardcore fans of the book and wouldn't mind these deviations were turned off by the [[RandomEventsPlot lack of a proper story]].
* One of the main reasons ''WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron'' didn't do well was its uncertainty over who it was trying to appeal to; they couldn't seem to decide between making a more serious dark fantasy film that stuck closer to [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain the source material]] or a more whimsical and lighthearted fantasy film geared towards children. The film incorporated kid-appeal elements like the changes made to Gurgi and the addition of the Fair Folk in an effort to allow the film to better appeal towards the traditional child demographic of the ''Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon''. However, many deemed certain darker aspects of the film, like the Horned King and the Cauldron Born, [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids too intense for young children]], resulting in it being Disney's first animated film to receive a PG rating (which usually had much stronger ramifications at the time than it does now). This indecision on who the film was trying to cater to likely contributed to the film's [[BoxOfficeBomb commercial failure]], and most people agree nowadays that the movie would probably have been better if they'd gone full DarkerAndEdgier, as the elements of that nature tend to be the parts people enjoy most.
* ''WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle'' had issues of trying to combine the usual Disney story conventions with a FracturedFairyTale slant in the vein of ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' (the film was the last animated film greenlit by Michael Eisner in the midst of his feud with Jeffrey Katzenberg, right before Disney's merger with Creator/{{Pixar}}). Though modestly successful financially, the film had both jokes that were unappealing to older audiences and a surprising amount of frightening content for younger ones.
* ''WesternAnimation/EightCrazyNights''. It has a lot of risqué jokes that make it too mature for young kids...while also being neck-deep in juvenile gross-out humor anyone above the age of thirteen is unlikely to find funny.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheEmojiMovie'' has a style that would mainly appeal to younger children, with a cute, colorful art style, simple character designs, a childish plot, and a juvenile sense of humor. Such an audience is generally not mature enough to responsibly use a smartphone, which the whole movie happens to be about.
* A common critique of ''WesternAnimation/{{Foodfight}}'' is that the core premise of branded food mascots coming to life is too absurd and nakedly mercenary to appeal to anyone but small children, but the film is so heavy on ParentalBonus-type jokes and plot elements (dated references, blatant {{Double Entendre}}s, sexual imagery, and [[ANaziByAnyOtherName the villains being based on Nazis]]) that it's also completely inappropriate for them.
* A major reason why ''WesternAnimation/FreeJimmy'' [[AmericansHateTingle wasn't well-received outside of its native Norway]] was its tonally dissonant story. It tried to be both a dark comedy with plenty of vulgar, slapstick humor and satire, and a tragic story about an abused elephant trying to escape a circus. Many reviewers felt that those two elements really clashed with each other instead of blending well together, resulting in an uneven tone.
* ''WesternAnimation/HomeOnTheRange'' may have flopped for this reason. Some elements such as the corny story and lighthearted song numbers feel like they were intended for a younger audience than usual for Disney, but the film also has a "hip" feel to it [[FollowTheLeader reminiscent of]] the Creator/DreamworksAnimation films at the time, resulting in a messy film that is generally considered one of Disney's weakest works.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}'' is [[VindicatedByHistory generally looked at as a good movie nowadays]], but had a bit of an identity problem when it was first released to theaters. At its core, it's a very serious and quite dark story, featuring heavy themes such as religious fundamentalism, sexual lust, and attempted genocide. This would make for a fine movie, but none of it on its own would be marketable to kids (in other words, the main demographic for Disney movies). Quasimodo's [[KidAppealCharacter wacky gargoyle friends]] Victor, Hugo, and Laverne are largely there to make it more family-friendly and provide comic relief and slapstick, which the movie devotes quite a bit of screentime to, even at moments where this silliness is [[MoodWhiplash completely out of place]] (most notably when "A Guy Like You" is put on while Frollo is trying to ''burn down Paris''). Even big fans of the movie agree that the wacky gargoyles didn't mesh well with the rest of the movie and serve to bring down the overall quality of the picture - a problem made worse by a perceived lack of effort put into the jokes themselves. The commercials and marketing for the movie (including a poster where the cast is dancing in a conga line) notably played up the comedic and lighthearted elements.
* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueXRWBYSuperheroesAndHuntsmen'' was intended to be a GatewaySeries to Creator/RoosterTeeth’s ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' for both Creator/DCComics fans and the general public, but it failed to be a NewbieBoom for multiple reasons. DC fans don’t like how most of the Justice League are aged down in Part One while questioning why they couldn’t use a more fitting superhero team like the Teen Titans, while ''RWBY'' fans don’t like how most of the attempted ShipTease between several characters in both properties is StrangledByTheRedString (with the sole exception of Jaune Arc and [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Jessica Cruz]]) and that Part 2 contained some controversial choices like [[LittleBitBeastly Blake Belladonna]] losing her trademark cat ears in the DC Universe and [[AngstWhatAngst not making a big deal about it]]. As for the general public, ''RWBY'' is a [[PopCulturalOsmosis bit more obscure]] compared to the likes of, say, the ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', who also had [[WesternAnimation/BatmanVsTheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles a more noticeable DC crossover movie]], despite both RWBY and DC being owned by the same [[Creator/WarnerBros parent company]] (and the turtles belonging to [[Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} a different company entirely]]). Not to mention, the placement of the films in the show’s canon meant that newcomers were subjected to LateArrivalSpoiler, meaning that any viewer who was introduced to ''RWBY'' through the films will know the [[ItWasHisSled main show’s twists]], ruining any of the shock value the show would give its viewers. It’s likely all of this led to the films not being the smash hit it was supposed to be, and is [[CreatorKiller most likely the final nail in the coffin for Rooster Teeth as a whole]], as Creator/WarnerBrosDiscovery shut down the studio five months after Part 2’s release, with the company planning to sell off the ''RWBY'' [=IP=] instead of keeping it and continuing the show in-house.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Lightyear}}'' seemed to confuse audiences given how it was much DarkerAndEdgier than both the ''Franchise/ToyStory'' films and ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand''. Buzz is played as a much more grounded, down to earth character in contrast to his loud and bombastic portrayals in ''Toy Story'' and ''Star Command''. And with the obvious exception of Buzz himself and [[BigBad Emperor Zurg]], none of the ''Toy Story'' or ''Star Command'' characters make any appearance, further distancing the film from those properties. In addition, the plot also revolves around hard or complex sci-fi concepts such as relativity, time dilation, alternate timelines, and time paradoxes. All of this serves is to make the film [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids less palatable to children]], who are supposed to be the target audience. On the other side, ''Lightyear's'' connection to the ''Toy Story'' franchise gave adult audiences little incentive to give it a chance, as it was assumed it was just going to be another simple childrens' movie.
* ''WesternAnimation/MegamindVsTheDoomSyndicate'' was made by [[Creator/DreamWorksAnimation DreamWorks]]' television division fourteen years after [[WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}} the original movie]], which has become a CultClassic in the years since its release. The sequel was marketed towards fans of the original, but its writing and humor is more aimed at children, who would likely be unfamiliar with the original because it's not as ingrained in popular culture as other [=DreamWorks=] franchises like ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' or ''Franchise/KungFuPanda''. Unlike [[WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar other]] [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness television]] [[WesternAnimation/DreamWorksDragons spin-offs]] of [=DreamWorks=]' [=IPs=], which started running shortly after their respective theatrical films hit theaters, ''Doom Syndicate'' was released far too late for those who grew up with the original to still be children. The result is a movie that tries to cater to two very different audiences at the same time (quite literally -- one of the ''first lines'' of the movie has Megamind address both "old friends" and "new friends" in the audience), and has come under heavy scrutiny for failing to capture the wit and charm of the original or sell the character (who requires the context of the original movie to sell his gimmick) to new audiences.
* ''WesternAnimation/MissingLink'': Laika's past four films had a consistent tone of mysticism infused with fantasy and horror elements, which built a dedicated audience of adult animation fans. Missing Link, however, decided to go for a more comedic route, seemingly in an attempt to better appeal to children. However, the film is still adult-oriented in its premise and its humor, which can be distracting, and it does not strike the same balance something like Shrek achieved. Plus, the main character design of Mr. Link was ugly and off-putting to families. What made matters worse is that the trailers greatly exaggerated the comedic elements as if they were the entirety of the film, therefore turning off a lot of Laika's fanbase (i.e. the one group most likely to see the film) as well. This resulted in the film being a massive BoxOfficeBomb, to the point where the monetary gap between this film and Laika's previous lowest opening film domestically, ''WesternAnimation/KuboAndTheTwoStrings'', was nearly double Missing Link's total gross.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017'' was meant to appeal to fans of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' as a BigDamnMovie of the series as well as reel in general audiences who weren't already sold on it, but was [[CriticalDissonance mostly shunned by critics]] and general audiences as lacking any appeal for those not already fans. It fared better with fans of the show, but was still [[BrokenBase divisive]] for ignoring much of the show's continuity and CharacterDevelopment from after Season 4, and the action wasn't a big enough step up to compensate. The series' next movie, ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyANewGeneration'', instead focused on general audiences with [[ContinuityReboot a new cast and setting]], which earned it a better reception on both sides.
* ''WesternAnimation/PawsOfFuryTheLegendOfHank'' is an animated children's film that's also meant to serve as a "re-imagining" of the classic adult comedy ''Film/BlazingSaddles''. Fans of the original movie were put off by the premise alone, since a lot of the original's humor was based around CrossesTheLineTwice and it's considered a ToughActToFollow anyways; parents were unlikely to bring their children to a movie based on something so raunchy, no matter how toned down it was; and people who weren't familiar with the source material or the film's origins were turned away once the trailers made it out to be a ClicheStorm, dashing any hopes that it would stand out based on its own merits. All of this (combined with the TroubledProduction it suffered) left a film that struggled to appeal to anyone.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'' is a Disney animated film that tries to tackle mature themes such as racism, colonization, StarCrossedLovers, and war, and has a rare BittersweetEnding to boot. But it also has all the requisite bells and whistles of a "kiddie" Disney movie, having animal sidekicks whose slapstick antics take up so much screentime that there's a whole subplot about Pocahontas' raccoon sidekick fighting with BigBad John Ratcliffe's pet pug. The end result is a movie that comes off as too preachy and serious for children to fully enjoy, but too corny and trivializing of a serious subject matter for adults. The casting of Native American actors to voice the characters suggested an attempt to appeal to Native American audiences. However, the film had no Native Americans in its creative team, played fast and loose with the [[ArtisticLicenseHistory history]] and [[ArtisticLicenseGeography geography]], and based its message on a blatant false equivalency by attempting to create a MirroringFactions narrative between the Powhatan Nation and the British and downplaying the core of the issue as just simply being different from one another, making both Native and non-native critics alike cry "DontShootTheMessage".
* ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado'' couldn't quite shake off this issue when it first came out, resulting in it largely being a BoxOfficeBomb. It's an animated movie set during the exploration of the new world involving two European friends finding the legendary El Dorado. Despite its wacky premise, it was much darker then advertised, containing blood, innuendos, and not shying away from showing some of the darker elements of the time period (such as UsefulNotes/HernanCortez). At the same time, it had a lot of slap-stick comedy, quirky songs like a [[Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon Disney movie]] would, and in general it appeared like your standard children's animated movie. Without a clear audience, it ended up not doing well once both of these issues were viewed by movie goers, though nowadays, [[VindicatedByHistory it lives on well online thanks to both of these elements being liked by fans years later]].
* ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'':
** ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooReturnToZombieIsland'' tries to be both a MilestoneCelebration of the franchise's 50th anniversary and a sequel to ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooOnZombieIsland'' at the same time, with predictably [[{{Sequelitis}} disastrous results]]. The film favors the lighter, goofier tone and music of [[WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou the original series]], and also spends time throwing shade at ''Zombie Island'', even giving several clumsy {{Retcon}}s to downplay or remove the real, supernatural threats of that film. ''Scooby'' fans who prefer the original series' "[[ScoobyDooHoax criminals in masks]]" formula won't be interested in a sequel to a famously DarkerAndEdgier installment, while fans of ''Zombie Island'' will be appalled by the disrespectful retcons.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Scoob}}'' used press releases to assure Creator/HannaBarbera fans that characters they haven't seen much of in a while are indeed going to be in the movie. The actual movie itself went full on Hanna Barbera CrisisCrossover, retaining the studio's silliness, haphazard crossovers, and playing on emotions of people who already knew the characters. Its only Uncertain Audience point seems to be whether putting it in a modern setting was necessary, which wasn't even that new to HB IP's and, with the exception of ''WesternAnimation/YoYogi'', wasn't a problem in practice.
* ''Animation/SonOfTheWhiteHorse'', a surreal Hungarian folktale-based film, was reportedly aimed at 20 year-olds with its abstract symbolism, deep mythological allusions and scenes of explicit nudity, but the plot and characters were paper-thin and more suited to very young kids, and the movie was even stamped with an "ages 6 and up" certificate. This was unavoidable, as censors clamped down on the film's creative process and [[Creator/MarcellJankovics the director]] deliberately kept the narrative simple to focus more on tone, visuals and messages. Though not a hard flop, the movie failed to meet expectations, and its Hungarian audience was confused by the film's reinterpretation of the folktale they had all been familiar with. And yet, it developed an international cult following over the decades and is [[VindicatedByHistory now seen as an artistic milestone]] in animation by people who are more open to its surreal, "psychedelic" style, deep themes and adult content. As commented on by the director, the audience he had been aiming for took 40 years to develop.
* Perhaps the main flaw of ''WesternAnimation/TitanAE'' was it did not seem to have a target demographic: The harder Science-Fiction elements turned off children from it, and the goofier moments (already hit by the AnimationAgeGhetto) turned off Science-Fiction fans. According to a publicist, they were aiming for the 10-13 year old crowd. According to the director's commentary, they were aiming for teenagers. Even the VHS reflected this uncertainty -- on it you had a trailer for the first ''Film/XMen1'' movie, followed by a promo for ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' (which was airing on Creator/FoxKids at the time).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Antiracist Baby'' by Ibram X. Kendi had a rather divisive reception due to its uncertain audience. The board book design, colorful illustrations, and cutesy rhyming dialogue would make one assume that the book is intended for toddlers, but it uses vocabulary and discusses concepts that are well above a toddler's reading level and understanding. Even if one were to assume that the book is intended as a parenting guide to teach one's children to not be racist, adults have criticized the book's messages on racism for being either vague or oversimplified.
* ''The Grimoire of the Necronomicon'' by Donald Tyson is a book that claims to be the foundation of an occult religion based off Literature/CthulhuMythos beings. However, most Cthulhu Mythos fans don't believe in their existence, and would unlikely to be amused by Tyson's take on them, where instead of Earth being an InsignificantBluePlanet it's the main focus of the Great Old One's plans. Additionally, instead of being {{Eldritch Abomination}}s beyond human comprehension, the Great Old Ones are interpreted as deities based off the seven classical planets. Actual occultists are turned off by the fact that the actual RitualMagic is extremely prosaic and simplified, effectively consisting of a few invocations around a highly minimalist altar set up. It's a book seemingly aimed at those who know about neither the Cthulhu Mythos nor occultism.
* ''Literature/TheLegendOfRahAndTheMuggles'' is [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids hypothetically]] for children 6 to 12. However, most of the story is of Teletubbies-like hijinks that most kids this age would find horrifyingly boring. After being horrified by the prologue and backstory notes, which gives a frankly terrifying post-nuclear fallout apocalypse scenario with descriptions of political corruption, escalations into outright warfare, biological and nuclear weapons and eugenics. Yes, eugenics; our sweet child-like Muggles are the mutated offspring of war prisoners, war conscientious and "ethnically impures".
* ''Literature/TheLightlarkSaga'': Many reviewers have noted that ''Lightlark'''s plot and setting are better suited to a [[MiddleGradeLiterature Middle Grade fantasy novel]], as the plot has enjoyable moments (usually when it's being a straight-forward adventure tale) and some of the more shallow or nonsensical parts of the worldbuilding wouldn't matter so much in a fantasy novel aimed at a younger audience.[[note]]notably, the author's previous works are middle grade fantasy books.[[/note]] However, the novel was marketed as [[YoungAdultLiterature Young Adult]] and contains teen/adult-oriented elements, such as strong violence, sexual content, the dark implications of the setting, a love triangle subplot and main protagonist Isla being around 19; the marketing was also geared towards readers who are fans of Creator/SarahJMaas and the like (Maas especially is known for "romantasy" books that are ''definitely'' aimed at older teens and adults). The mature content makes ''Lightlark'' inappropriate or unappealing for kids, but the story and writing can feel too contrived and simplistic to appeal to many older fantasy readers. Some adult readers also felt that because it was trying to appeal to a younger audience, it had to hold back on the sexual content (making the marketing feel [[NeverTrustATrailer misleading]] for promising "spicy" romance) and gloss over the truly grimdark moments such as the implications of the curses (Wildling's and Starling's are especially horrifying), leaving ''Lightlark'' stuck in an unsatisfying middle ground that couldn't truly realise its potential.
* ''Literature/TheNorthernCaves'' is about the fandom of the {{fictional|Document}} Chesscourt series. It's said that Chesscourt began as ChildrensLiterature, but over the course of the series this changed. It could be charitably framed as GrowingWithTheAudience… except it's done so weirdly that the latter books aren't well suited to ''any'' age range. It's too complicated for a child to be able to follow, yet not conceptually mature enough to appeal to most adults. The following is a (fictional) book review of book #7 out of #9:
-->'''Charles Adair:''' As ''Other Mirrors'' demands from its reader a certain drab, bureaucratic cast of mind, no child who is fully a child will enjoy it; as its sensibility never progresses beyond that of a precocious adolescent, no adult who is fully an adult will tolerate it. Salby has written what is perhaps a definitive test of abnormal development, but he has written a dreadful novel.
* ''One For Sorrow, Two For Joy'' by Clive Woodall has [[BeigeProse un-complex prose]] that leaves little room for subtext, basic and cliched [[FlatCharacter characterization]] and a simplistic depiction of [[BlackAndWhiteMorality morality]], which gives the impression it's aimed at young children; the adaptation rights were also picked up by Creator/{{Disney}} (which is known for family-friendly talking animal movies) and the author stated the book originated as bedtime stories for his kids. However, this is [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids countered]] by the book revolving around a bird genocide with parallels to UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and containing a lot of strong, sadistic violence that goes beyond FamilyUnfriendlyViolence, including a graphic rape scene. Several reviews have noted the narrative content is way too dark for kids, but the writing itself is too bland and simple to appeal to most adults. Many {{xenofiction}} fans are also turned off the book due to it relying on [[ArtisticLicenseOrnithology inaccurate]] AnimalStereotypes rather than more realistic depictions (one of the most egregious being the depiction of crows and ravens as StupidEvil and DumbMuscle, when they're actually some of the most intelligent animals on the planet), while readers who aren't as concerned about this are less likely to be drawn to dark stories about anthropomorphic animals.
* ''Literature/ScaryStoriesToTellInTheDark''. Most of the stories consist of cheesy folktales and urban legends unlikely to scare anyone above the age of twelve. But the illustrations are horrific and grotesque enough to downright traumatize young children. This could be part of the reason they were re-released with less scary illustrations three decades later.
* ''VideoGame/WarioLand4'', ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' (as ''Super Mario Advance''), and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames'' were adapted into obscure {{gamebooks}} in the early 2000s. They're something between novels, choose-your-own-adventures, and strategy guides. The books' narratives are boring, mostly direct play-by-plays of the games, not helped by ''Wario Land 4'' and ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' being 2D platformers with rather thin plots. The gamebook aspect doesn't work because the choices are almost meaningless, and there's only one ending for each. They're not helpful as guides, either, since they don't go in-depth and you have to work out how to defeat bosses and solve puzzles from first-person recounts. The games are pretty good, but experiencing them through these books is a waste of time.
* ''Literature/AWrinkleInTime'' by Creator/MadeleineLEngle is most often marketed to elementary school students, though its plot delves deep into the theoretical physics of time travel that would be more easily understood by a much older audience. This is also true for later books in the series, such as ''Literature/AWindInTheDoor'', which requires a baseline knowledge of cellular biology to even understand the conflict of the novel.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''The 1/2 Hour News Hour'' was intended as Fox News' conservative answer to ''Series/TheDailyShow'', but was an abject failure. Fox News has a much older viewership than ''The Daily Show'', and trying to tool the humor intended for the younger generation towards the old doesn't work [[DontShootTheMessage even if it supports their views]]. And the younger generation will not watch a news channel (especially one that does not support their views) simply because of a show marketed towards them. The result was one of the most poorly-executed shows of its time and was canned after one season. However, its successor ''Series/RedEyeWithGregGutfeld'' retooled the humor down its own unique path and was more well-received.
* Especially following the first season, ''Series/ThirteenReasonsWhy'' doesn't seem to know what it wants to be: a serious and brutally realistic portrayal of how youth are affected by bullying, sexual assault and suicide, or a melodramatic teen soap opera with crazy plot twists out the wazoo. The (likely unintentional) blending of the two resulted in a show that is increasingly too silly and outlandish to take seriously, but is also emotionally gruelling to watch due to the incessantly grim content and subject matter. Some have further noted that despite being aimed primarily at teens, the show's graphic depictions of violence and rape are so disturbing that it got slapped with [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids 'adults only' age ratings]].
* The second season of the Netflix documentary series ''African Queens'', focusing on UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII quickly became one of the worst reviewed things on the platform ever (with a whopping 1% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and only 15% from critics). Firstly, Cleopatra is considered an overexposed figure, alienating enthusiasts who felt the series couldn't offer anything not explored already. Most controversially, the decision to depict Cleopatra as a Black woman, citing the unsubstantiated theory by Hilke Thür that she might have had African heritage. This was done, per WordOfGod, to provide African-Americans with positive representation, but the majority of Black viewers found the RaceLift insulting, citing numerous unambiguously Black figures who could have been spotlighted instead (especially given Cleopatra's overexposure in media). The series being presented as a docudrama rather than HistoricalFiction, and numerous other historical inaccuracies turned off history buffs who might have been more receptive to it, turned off Egyptian audiences because they felt it was taking their history and culture away from them, and turned off everyone else because it was presented as the kind of dry and boring documentary you'd likely see in school. One review even described it as "too soapy for serious history fans, but not enough of a soap for viewers who like juicy historical dramas".
* ''Series/AnneWithAnE'' has several episodes and plot lines dedicated to educating kids and young teenagers about societal issues faced by marginalized groups and why diversity is worth celebrating; this sometimes results in a slightly corny, "PSA"-like tone that might make older viewers roll their eyes. At the same time, and probably as a consequence of this, the show presents a remarkably grounded and cynical view of the world and doesn't stray away from dark topics such as discussions of suicidal ideation, PTSD and abuse, which some might find are a bit too depressing for some younger viewers. The writers do their best to balance these aspects to produce a show that can be enjoyed by the whole family, and they mostly succeed, but there are stretches of runtime that will alienate at least some of its viewers.
* ''Franchise/BattlestarGalactica'':
** ''Series/Galactica1980'' tried to appeal to a new younger audience by being more lighthearted and kid-friendly than [[Series/BattlestarGalactica1978 its predecessor]], while at the same time also trying to appeal to fans of the original series. Unfortunately, fans were extremely put-off and alienated by the show's [[SweetnessAversion overly saccharine nature]], and the show wasn't even able to attract enough younger viewers, likely because even they found its tone too childish, resulting in the show getting cancelled after only 10 episodes.
** The original ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|1978}}'' itself suffered from uncertainty over its intended audience. At its core, it's a very serious and quite dark story, with heavy themes such as war, genocide, and religion (never mind Cassiopeia's status as a ''legal, sanctioned prostitute''). Despite this, much of it, ''especially'' after "Saga of a Star World", plays as a lightweight action-adventure series, with kid-appeal elements such as Muffit the robotic [[CallARabbitASmeerp daggit]], [[AudienceSurrogate Boxy]], and plots recycled from classic westerns. Even big fans of the series generally agree that these elements don't exactly mesh well and serve to bring down the overall quality of the series, which is one reason for the [[Series/BattlestarGalactica2003 re-imagined series]] fully embracing the darker aspects of the premise, making it more tonally consistent.
* The ''Series/BlackMirror'' episode "Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too" is a pitch-perfect parody of a Creator/DisneyChannel Original Movie in the show's usual format, but the overlap between the two fandoms is small if nonexistent. As a result, ''Black Mirror'' fans lambasted it for being [[TrueArtIsAngsty one of the series' lightest episodes]], but it's also too adult for the usual [[GirlShowGhetto demographic]] the [=DCOMs=] are targeted towards.
* While the ''Series/CaptainPowerAndTheSoldiersOfTheFuture'' toys were made for kids, the show itself was fairly dark, dealing with themes about nuclear war and Nazism, and the title of the show was enough to turn off most adults. The live-action violence didn't help matters.
* The short-lived police musical drama ''Series/CopRock'' faced this in spades, which is largely why it was canceled after a single season. Despite an assortment of incredibly-talented musicians and vocal performers, the dissonance of cheery, happy songs appearing spontaneously in an otherwise relatively serious police drama left audiences scratching their heads, particularly in cases of significant subject matter (a drug bust, a captain relating visceral details of shootings to the officers at a police precinct, ''drug trafficking and prostitution''). It didn't help that the show was seen as a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Series/HillStreetBlues'' by its creator, Steven Bochco (to the point of including references and characters from the latter), despite intending to skew far younger in its demographic, and the series continually undercutting its own concept by implying that the majority of the world see the musical numbers as an UnusuallyUninterestingSight.
* ''Series/Cursed2020'' never really seemed sure who its main target audience was. It was marketed as a FeministFantasy retelling of the Myth/ArthurianLegend but in practice it has little to do with the Arthurian mythology, merely using it as [[InNameOnly set dressing]] for a completely different story (nor does it work as a {{prequel}}). The show was also aimed towards teenagers with youthful protagonists, goofy comic relief and [[TeenDrama young adult-esque]] drama, yet simultaneously seemed to be trying to appeal to adults (especially ''Series/GameOfThrones'' fans) with graphic violence, semi-explicit sexual content and grim subjects like genocide; subsequently, the series came off as tonally inconsistent.
* ''Series/DinosaurRevolution'', a never-finished 2011 "documentary" from the Creator/DiscoveryChannel, was originally pitched as a double series, one presenting voiceless vignettes of life in the time of dinosaurs in an extreme over-the-top, comedic fashion, and a sister series explaining the science. [[MidDevelopmentGenreShift In the end, these two were merged]] and only a third of the intended episodes were made. While the series did appeal to a niche of young, internet-going paleontology nerds, even they were somewhat befuddled at the ridiculous scenes: a dinosaur running around with its head bitten off, animals performing cartoonish double-takes, [[MoodWhiplash merciless tonal shifts]] of dark humor, ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes''-style slapstick and brutal gore, dinosaurs getting high on 'shrooms, very cheesy narration with minimal scientific info, mostly done in questionable CGI. It mixed the overt wacky humor and pop-culture references of your average adult cartoon with early 2010s dinosaur science, passing the whole thing off as {{edutainment}}. Background info reveals the creators also had even wilder ideas in mind that didn't make the final cut, such as a pissed-off dinosaur with its skin burnt off slaughtering other animals with its huge claws, a la [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]]. And as a result of all these details combined, the final product proved too adult and reference-heavy for kids, too ridiculous for adults interested in paleontology, and too cartoony to work properly as a documentary.
* The makers of the 1996 ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoTVMTheTVMovie Doctor Who]]'' TV movie seem to have never decided whether they were producing a jumping-on point for the general trans-Atlantic SF/"cult TV" audience, or a revival of the show for hard-core fanboys. As a result, the latter were repelled by such things as the Doctor [[NoHuggingNoKissing kissing someone]] and being half-human and the Master being able to spit corrosive slime for no apparent reason, while the former were confused about what the "Eye of Harmony" was supposed to be and why the central character turned into a completely different person thirty minutes in.
* It's hard to tell who exactly the target audience of ''Series/EmilyInParis'' is: it's about young adults and their professional problems, but done with naivety of a Disney TV movie; it's a ChickFlick, but in the same time tries to be serious and about something else than having new hot date; it's about CultureClash, but achieved by using every possible national stereotype there is[[note]]Which [[AmericansHateTingle caused a blow-back from French and then Ukrainian viewers]][[/note]]; it's ''not'' a series about fashion, but heavily focuses on it anyway. In the end, it appeals neither to teens, being just too serious, nor to adults, being too childish and thematically, it's all over the place. None of this, it should be noted, has prevented the show from becoming a smash hit.
* ''Series/TheFairlyOddParentsFairlyOdder'' seemed to have identity problems right off the bat. While the general marketing tried to appeal to the classic generation of fans, those fans were long since grown up, and weren’t interested in the more juvenile and low-budget sitcom aesthetic, especially since the last seasons of ''The Fairly [=OddParents=]'' [[SeasonalRot left much to be desired anyway.]] But at the same time, younger viewers weren’t too invested either thanks to all the outdated meme jokes (like YOLO), old references to the original show that will go over their heads, and out-of-place adult jokes (including a reference to ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''). Naturally, many were left confused as to who the show was truly made for, and the show was canceled after just one season and subsequently [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes purged from the air entirely]] not too long after said cancellation.
* ''The First'''s premise was largely advertised around "Creator/SeanPenn goes to Mars", and centers on a group of astronauts TwentyMinutesInTheFuture preparing to go on the first manned mission to Mars. However, there's very little space travel or even all that many science fiction elements[[note]]The main characters never actually get to Mars, with first season ending just as they've left the Earth's atmosphere[[/note]], with it mostly being window dressing as the show seems to be more interested in the conflict between Penn's character Tom and his recovering addict daughter Denise as he attempts to repair their relationship following the death of his wife. This meant that science fiction fans would watch the pilot, realize it was more a normal drama instead of a science fiction show, and become uninterested, while the people who would be into a family drama about a father-daughter relationship would take one look at the premise and be turned off by the science fiction aspects. Creator/{{Hulu}} would end up cancelling ''The First'' after its first season.
* ''Series/{{Girlboss}}'' was primarily geared towards Millennials, revolving around a rebellious 22-year old in 2006 who defies the odds and naysayers to start up her own business. However, as pointed out by some reviews, the show's protagonist and a few other characters (intentionally or not) tend to display all the worst stereotypes about Millennials: that they're lazy, spoilt, immature, and expect everyone to cater to their whims (yet it also does little to critique or call out this behavior, even presenting it as Sophia just being 'quirky' or 'headstrong'). A lot of people in the target demographic understandably weren't too impressed by this. People outside this demographic were either too young to watch the show due to the more mature content, or had little interest in the story and characters for similar reasons Millennials weren't into it (it's also been noted that Zoomers - the generation immediately succeding Millennials - generally don't find the 'girlboss' schtick all that empowering or inspirational, so even Zoomers who were closer to the show's target audience didn't find it that appealing). Considering this and other issues, it's not too surprising the show didn't last long.
* ''Series/{{Glee}}'', especially in its first season. It meshes things like oral sex jokes with the teeny angst of ''Series/{{Degrassi|TheNextGeneration}}'' and the kind of {{anvilicious}} messages you'd expect from an 80s kids cartoon along with the cutesy singing appeal of Music/KidzBop and Music/TheWiggles. Based on comments from the writers, it eventually decided it was mainly for Tweens.
* ''Series/Halo2022'' had issues out of the gate when it was revealed early on that the series would not be following the events of the titular game franchise, but instead branch off on its own alternative "Silver" timeline. This already excluded the avid fans of the games and expanded universe, who had a hard time taking interest. At the same time, all of the changes the showrunners made for the Silver timeline (i.e. adding a subplot about UNSC politics, downplaying the Covenant aliens and most notably showing [[TheFaceless Master Chief]]'s face) only served to make the series look like any other generic science fiction series with few action scenes, giving potential new audiences very little incentive to go out of their way to pick it up.
* ''Hayley Goes...'', a BBC documentary series with Hayley Pearce investigates subcultures contains elements of investigative journalism mixed with celebrity prurience, and it's difficult to find a sweet spot in the middle where these two investigate. It's not highbrow enough for people who like documentaries, but not lowbrow enough for people who enjoy showbiz, and there was already a small controversy over the episode where Hayley explores gender identities.
* ''Series/JurassicFightClub'' suffers heavily from its inability to decide who it was supposed to be catering to. People who wish to be educated about prehistoric animals and/or want them to be represented realistically are going to be put off by each episode’s end goal being an [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny overblown brawl]] that oftentimes [[ArtisticLicenseBiology contradicts real-life animal behavior]] (to put it mildly). Meanwhile, those that just want a prehistoric slugfest will likely be bored by large chunks of each episode being dedicated to talking heads discussing paleontological trivia (with most of it being [[ArtisticLicensePaleontology inaccurate]] or [[ScienceMarchesOn not up to date]]), often by repeating the same point over and over again. Not helping matters is how many of the fights end up being little more than a dragged-out CurbStompBattle, due to one combatant easily outclassing the others in terms of size and strength (i.e. ''Allosaurus'' vs the smaller ''Ceratosaurus''). Most adults are likely to find this show pretty juvenile and gratuitous due to its SkewedPriorities, while all the excessive {{Gorn}} makes it unsuitable for young children. So the only real demographic left is adolescents with an interest in paleontology, who will then see the show’s many errors once they grow up and get a better grasp on the subject that interests them (as many of its current detractors have).
* At the 2014 Kids' Choice Awards, there was a tribute to Dan Schneider. However, much of the tribute revolved around shows from the 1990s and 2000s such as ''Series/AllThat'' and ''Series/DrakeAndJosh''. which hadn't had reruns in years. Much of the audience was too young to remember the shows being praised.
* A major problem with ''Series/LostInSpace'', especially after the first season, is that it seemingly can't decide if it wants to be a straightforward sci-fi take on ''Literature/TheSwissFamilyRobinson'' or a goofy FantasticComedy in the same vein as ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie'' or ''Series/MyFavoriteMartian''. The end results feels all over the place tonally, which ended up being a major contributing factor to the series' cancellation as audiences eventually couldn't tell anymore who exactly it was trying to appeal to.
* ''Series/LoveIsland'' normally had an audience who enjoyed it for the fanservice and drama, but the 2019-2021 seasons didn't know who they wanted to appeal to; at times the tone zig-zagged between DarkerAndEdgier and LighterAndSofter, meaning the show had CerebusSyndrome for what was ostensibly supposed to be light entertainment. Some people didn't like the fact the show started to include characters discussing a HardTruthAesop they'd learnt in some episodes; while the moral wasn't exactly orthodox advice, it may have been relevant to its target audience, but then again, this series wasn't for putting AnAesop across. Participants occasionally gave an AsideGlance, as well, making it too meta for some; in short, these two seasons didn't really know who their target audience was.
* ''Series/NoGoodNick'' is a show playing off the CousinOliver trope where a LongLostRelative who was [[ConvenientlyAnOrphan recently orphaned]] joins an otherwise picturesque family, except the "orphan" is actually a teenage ConArtist trying to scam them. What might work as something darker and more farcical, it's a {{dramedy}} {{sitcom}} with a LaughTrack and portrays the dramatic moments entirely straight. The general look and feel of the show emulates the tween sitcoms of Creator/DisneyChannel or Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}, but the darker story arc portrays overt criminal behavior, including TheMafia, in ways that wouldn't be out of place in a serious adult drama.
* ''Series/OnceUponATime'' fell into this in its later seasons. The first three knew very much that they were going for some DarkerAndEdgier takes on fairy tales - Cinderella making a DealWithTheDevil, Snow White becoming a forest bandit to survive, Peter Pan becoming a Machiavellian villain - leaning more towards hard PG. In Season 4, things became much LighterAndSofter - with characters rarely getting KilledOffForReal, sexual references vanishing overnight and a far more idealistic tone. They also started having characters more directly resemble their Disney animated counterparts. This appeared to be an attempt to draw in a family audience, but the result was often a show that would sometimes be {{Camp}} and [[SweetnessAversion overly sentimental]] (whereas previous seasons had more self awareness) - which alienated a lot of the initial fans. But the show would still attempt to touch on the darkness of the earlier seasons - resulting in some jarring tonal shifts like Zelena raping Robin Hood to conceive a baby, but getting redeemed via ThePowerOfLove that same season. While it did make it to seven seasons, by around Season 4-ish it was still unsure who it was meant to be aimed at.
* ''Series/PoliceCameraAction'' had three occurrences of this:
** "The Man Who Shot OJ", a two-part {{Biopic}} episode about Zoey Tur, didn't have the show's title attached to it (the TitleSequence just read "THE MAN WHO SHOT OJ", no POLICE CAMERA ACTION) and it was more like a typical biography, with police footage being secondary. Fans of the shows didn't enjoy the way the presenter links were done, and biopic fans probably felt it would have been better as a standalone series.
** "Crash Test Racers" and "Highway of Tomorrow" were [[VerySpecialEpisode Very Special Episodes]] more focused on vehicle safety. Policing was largely OutOfFocus, and it was difficult to know who the target audience was.
** "Drink Driving Special" from December 2008 and the Gethin Jones series of 2010 didn't seem to realize the target audience wanted a more straight, presenter-links-footage series than an investigative documentary. Fans of the series didn't enjoy this, leading to it being QuietlyCancelled.
* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': The TV show is rated TV-Y7, i.e. recommended for children seven and up. The toyline is aimed at 3 to 6 year olds. The show is too violent for toddlers (which is why it aired on Nickelodeon and not Nick Jr), but the toyline is too childish for older kids, due to ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' being [[AudienceShift marketed to preschoolers nowadays]], instead of the 8-12-year-olds it was aimed at in the 1990s. You've already grown out of the show before you're allowed to watch it.
* ''Series/ResidentEvil2022'' ran into issues because apart from a few [[ContinuityNod vague references]] to the Raccoon City incident and some name drops, it actually has very little to do with the ''Resident Evil'' franchise as a whole and only tells its own self-contained story starring original characters that could have existed without any reference to ''Resident Evil''. In addition, the plot alternates between standard high school drama and ZombieApocalypse stories, which both ''Resident Evil'' fans and general audiences either have no interest in or have grown tired of. Unsurprisingly, after one whole season of ''abysmal'' ratings across the board, it was unceremoniously cancelled.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek''
** ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' was the first Star Trek show in 12 years, after the ''Film/{{Star Trek 2009}}'' AlternateTimeline that reinvigorated the franchise. It was announced to be set in the PrimeTimeline ten years before ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', but featured a ''massive'' visual overhaul that [[CosmeticallyAdvancedPrequel contradicted this timeline]] while being more in line with the visual design of the movies. The dramatically darker tone of the show, even taking pride in using a [[ObligatorySwearing franchise-first F-bomb]], also felt at odds with the optimism the characters would profess about Starfleet. It was also trying to be a LowerDeckEpisode by focusing most of the main cast as lower crew members and the actual senior staff of the titular Discovery only seen in passing, but it still fell headfirst into TheMainCharactersDoEverything that made the senior staff appear not just minor but irrelevant. It took several seasons before the show found a better balance, and notably was much LighterAndSofter in return.
** ''Series/StarTrekPicard'' is ostensibly a SequelSeries to ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' and featuring Creator/PatrickStewart as Picard some 20 years after [[Film/StarTrekNemesis he was last seen]], but openly stated it was not to be a ReunionShow to avoid ContinuityLockout. But Creator/JeriRyan as [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Seven-Of-Nine]] joined the cast making it half established characters and half new characters, but the plot was built off multiple past [[ArcWelding story arcs converging]] and include constant {{Continuity Nod}}s anyway, in addition to sporadic TNG guest appearances that made the show unclear who it is supposed to be about. The third season decided to embrace itself as a SequelSeries and brings back [[PuttingTheBandBackTogether the entire TNG cast]] (which incidentally resulted in dropping some of the prior cast), and the results were generally better received.
* One of the problems with the first season of ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' seems to have been that the writers and directors were all over the shop about whether they were doing a DenserAndWackier HotterAndSexier show full of fanboy RuleOfCool moments and fangirl feels ("[[Recap/TorchwoodS1E2DayOne Day One]]", "[[Recap/TorchwoodS1E4Cyberwoman Cyberwoman]]"), or a [[GreyRainOfDepression grey rain-soaked]], DownerEnding-filled, gritty urban cop show with barely-relevant SF {{MacGuffin}}s ("[[Recap/TorchwoodS1E3GhostMachine Ghost Machine]]", "[[Recap/TorchwoodS1E9RandomShoes Random Shoes]]", "[[Recap/TorchwoodS1E11Combat Combat]]"). This led to some weird juxtapositions between episodes and disturbing results when the two seemed to overlap.
* Most of the time the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' falls under MultipleDemographicAppeal, but a few series have suffered from an uncertain audience.
** ''Series/UltramanAce''. On one hand, the show had some of the goofiest and most childish episodes of the Ultra Series and some of the worst special effects in franchise history up to that point, like "Give Back the Panda!", "The Choju is Ten Women?!", "Mystery of the Kappa's Residence", and "Shoot Down that Hot-Air Balloon!". On the other hand, the series is equally notorious for its episodes with kid-traumatizing NightmareFuel, extreme FamilyUnfriendlyViolence, and serious threats that overwhelmed even the Ultras, like "Burn! Choju Hell!", "Behold a Great Transformation at Midnight!", "40,000 Year Choju Appears", and "Ghost Story: The She-Devil of Firefly Field".
** ''Series/UltramanLeo'' suffered from the lowest ratings in franchise history because of its uncertain audience. While known as one of the DarkerAndEdgier entries in the Ultra Series, its intense FamilyUnfriendlyViolence and AnyoneCanDie approach (seen in the two-part premiere, the Living Saucer story arc, and "Battle! Leo Brothers vs Ultra Brothers!") often turned children off, as they felt it was too dark. At the same time, the series also had many silly episodes with storylines centered heavily around child characters (like "Mighty Momotaro!", "I'm the Monster General", and "The Rhinoceros Beetle is a Space Invader"), meaning adults often found the series too childish at times.
** ''Series/UltramanEighty'' really couldn't seem to decide on what kind of ''Ultraman'' series it wanted to be. For its first 12 episodes, the series played out as a school series, with Takeshi balancing out his jobs as a teacher and a UGM officer while also having to fight kaiju as 80, which kept the show relatable for kids and adults but also keeping the fun monster fights kids loved watching. But then the series got rid of the school angle to focus solely on UGM's adventures, so kids got more kaiju action, they also had more trouble relating to the adult characters. So then around the 30-episode mark, the show got {{retool}}ed again to Takeshi helping kids with their problems, except none of the kids were his students this time, so while kids found surrogate characters again, adults could not care for them since there was no real reason for Takeshi to know them. As a result of this constant inconsistency, ''80'' became the last Showa era Ultra Series, and the franchise would be in a near-death state for the next fifteen years.
* The revival of the North American ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' received this at first. Fans of the original American run disliked the removal of the original host Drew Carey, the new games lacked the same impact as the original ones, and the frequent use of cameos each episode became distracting. Newer fans however found themselves watching a show about several old men doing strange comedy improv with there not being really any major reason to keep invested because it was not as appealing. Thankfully, the series picked up steam again and is more liked.
* ''Literature/TheWorstWitch'' (1998 series) had a spin-off titled ''Weirdsister College'', with Mildred now attending college. It was slightly DarkerAndEdgier, aimed at an older crowd according to Georgina Sherrington. But the acting and effects were still in line with the parent show -- including trying to depict college students acting like grown-up children. And the shift in tone meant that it was a bit too dark for the crowd who had grown up with ''The Worst Witch'' -- tackling maturer themes like Mildred having a stalker who tries to MindRape her, Enid getting thrown out of her college, and Hobbes becoming a villain thanks to trauma from bullying. It does still have its fans though, and some feel it was TooGoodToLast.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* For ''Music/LinkinPark'', their final album "One More Light" album struggled to find an audience. The new metal and electropop fans who were familiar with the band had largely moved on, and due to band's reputation of being nu-metal band among wider crowd, the pop-oriented listeners were not very keen to listening the album.
* The AcclaimedFlop work of Music/TheBeachBoys between ''Music/PetSounds'' in 1966 and their nostalgia-fueled 1974 revival built around the ''Endless Summer'' compilation fell victim to an uncertain audience. The music was too complex for the average pop fan, but perceived as being a bit too lightweight by ProgressiveRock fans. This led to their albums being branded as "Progressive Pop". In fact, this uncertainty combined with Music/BrianWilson's SanitySlippage during production ended up being a major contributing factor to the downfall of ''Music/{{SMiLE|TheBeachBoys}}''.
* Music/VanDykeParks' (famous as an ex-collaborator of Beach Boys leader Music/BrianWilson) album ''Song Cycle'' fell victim to an uncertain audience. It contained too many elements of classical to be considered a pop album (reviews at the time likened Parks to Music/CharlesIves), but it also contained just enough elements of pop music for it not to be considered a proper classical album, leading to the album being unable to find its audience and falling into obscurity (though it has achieved AcclaimedFlop status and is Van Dyke's [[FirstInstallmentWins most celebrated solo album]]).
* The Vocalochanger function in the ''[[Music/{{Vocaloid}} Vocaloid6]]'' software attracts such claims due to its very niche applications attracting little use outside of memes. In theory, it's supposed to take any recording of singing and change it into a Vocaloid's voice, which would be a godsend for people who want to make songs with the software but don't know how to play an instrument. And, if given clean, flawless acapella singing, it does work as intended. [[UnintentionalUncannyValley Scarily so]]. However, it's so finnicky that it picks up any imperfections in the original audio, and the output cannot be edited in any way, so the only way to get halfway decent results is to be a professional singer yourself, in other words someone who probably wouldn't need a virtual vocalist in the first place. Even if you wanted to make a cover you would need the original studio stems of the song (something much easier said than done) as even the best vocal isolation software still leaves reverb that trips up Vocalochanger. And while it does have some practical use as a voice changer effect, the fact that the conversion is not real time means it's of little use to people who actually use voice changers like streamers and online gamers, plus the price point is much higher than dedicated voice changers like Voidol. Furthermore, it is not backwards compatible with any past Vocaloid banks ([[Music/HatsuneMiku including the most famous one]]), with Gumi being the only established, popular Vocaloid character compatible with it. It only sees use among vocal synth enthusiasts who also know how to sing, or as a meme machine.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
* Why ''Series/TheMuppets2015'' was a one-and-done 16-episode failure for Creator/{{ABC}}. The premise was a WorkCom mockumentary in the vein of ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' and ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'', with the Muppets inhabiting the real world. However, the show's humor tilted more adult than virtually any ''Muppet'' endeavor before it and struggled to find an audience, landing in the unwanted abyss of being too adult for kids and [[AnimationAgeGhetto too childish for adults]] who weren't ''Muppet'' devotees. And ''Muppet'' devotees were likely turned off by the changes from previous incarnations, like breaking up Kermit and Miss Piggy. Despite growing with time, the general lack of that trademark Muppet zaniness/goofiness didn't help, making the characters feel very out of their element, and by the time they found that zaniness/mockumentary balance it was already too late.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Software]]
* One common complaint about [[Platform/MicrosoftWindows Windows 8 (and, to a lesser extent, 8.1 and 10)]] is that Microsoft can’t seem to figure out whether they want to appeal to desktop users or mobile users. As a result, [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks desktop users are angry about the changes]] or they switch to [[Platform/MacOS Mac]] or [[Platform/{{UNIX}} Linux]] while mobile users simply continue to use [=iOS=] or Android.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* The short lifespan of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragonsFourthEdition'' is commonly attributed to how said edition failed to get the target audience it was hoping for while also alienating the audience already gathered from past editions. 4th Edition was seemingly designed to appeal to fans of video games, especially MMO fans, with the changes to the combat feeling like something out of said genre of games, which didn't work because people could instead play video games that catered to their interests over a tabletop game. Due to over focusing on trying to get that audience, the game lost a number of long time fans for changing so much and releasing stuff too quickly to seem like it respected the audience it already had. With the edition failing to get the target audience, and failing to maintain what it already had, it very nearly became a FranchiseKiller once new games came out that appealed to what people wanted, such as ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', making it the shortest edition, and leading to the more successful ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragonsFifthEdition'' to revive the franchise.
* ''TabletopGame/KnightmareChess'' is a TabletopGame/{{chess}} variant that adds cards with wacky, unpredictable effects. While the game received positive reviews, it is one of the publisher's more niche titles because of its conflicting appeal: a fan of chess itself likely enjoys it for being a highly tactical perfect-information game and won't like the unpredictable cards, while someone who ''does'' enjoy random wackiness would probably seek out something else than a chess variant.
* In the ''Making TabletopGame/{{Magic|TheGathering}}'' article "[[https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/twenty-years-twenty-lessons-part-3-2016-06-13 Twenty Years, Twenty Lessons—Part 3]]", lesson 15 talks about the pitfall of trying to appeal to everyone and ending up appealing to no one, and highlights the card [[https://scryfall.com/card/rav/136/molten-sentry Molten Sentry]] as an example of this problem. Molten Sentry could be a 5/2 with haste or a 2/5 with defender depending on the outcome of a coin flip. The idea was that it would appeal to both the "Timmy" and "Spike" PlayerArchetypes (Timmy being a player who loves AwesomeButImpractical craziness, Spike being one who plays competitively and tactically), as Timmy would find the coin flip fun and exciting, while Spike would appreciate the balance of the possible outcomes. In practice, neither of them liked it: Timmy found it boring because the outcomes of the coin flip were too bland and balanced, while Spike was put off by how the card took what could have been an interesting, skill-intensive choice and left it up to a coin flip.
* ''TabletopGame/StarOfAfrica'': It's unclear who the ExpansionPack ''Retkikunnat'' was supposed to appeal to. The original game mostly appeals to kids and casual players who are unlikely to appreciate the increased complexity, while the expanded game is still enough of a LuckBasedMission to alienate more hardcore players — assuming they're even willing to give a version of the heavily luck-based original a chance. This likely contributed to the expansion languishing in obscurity despite the popularity of the original.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]
* Much of ''Theatre/HarryPotterAndTheCursedChild'''s divided reception stems from its inability to decide whether it wants to continue the story of its [[Literature/HarryPotter original book series]] or tell an original story showcasing a different side of the ''Potter'' universe. The play tries to attract longtime ''Harry Potter'' fans by its marketing as the official eighth story in the canon and by having many {{Call Back}}s to the original series, particularly its TimeTravel plot that has Albus and Scorpius trying to alter events in Harry's time at Hogwarts. However, it also targets newcomers by being a SequelInAnotherMedium and focusing on Albus and Scorpius rather than the grown-up Harry and his friends. Newcomers wouldn't appreciate [[ContinuityLockout the continuity]] with the original series, and established fans would prefer to focus on the Golden Trio rather than Harry's son and friend.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theme Parks]]
* Part of the reason [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal's]] Islands of Adventure was initially unsuccessful was that it wasn't clear what audience the park was aiming for. Universal Studios Florida, its sister park, was aimed firmly at teens-and-up, with only one area directed at younger children. Meanwhile, Islands of Adventure seemed to be trying to appeal to everyone, leading to an [[DemographicDissonantCrossover odd mixture of properties]]: Creator/DrSeuss, classical mythology, ''Franchise/JurassicPark'', ''Franchise/{{Popeye}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/DudleyDoRight'', and Creator/MarvelComics. It wasn't until the addition of ''Ride/TheWizardingWorldOfHarryPotter'' that the park really found its feet.
* This is a major reason why ''Ride/StitchsGreatEscape'' became one of the most infamous attractions in [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Disney Parks]] history. The darkness, 4D effects, and loud noises mean that it was still too scary for young kids (who otherwise would be absolutely terrified to go on [[Ride/ExtraTERRORestrialAlienEncounter SGE!'s predecessor]]), but anyone older than preteens were most likely irritated by the unpleasant and gross humor. ''Franchise/LiloAndStitch'' fans didn't like how the ride put the titular Stitch, one of Disney's most emotionally complex characters, in a very unflattering light; park fans didn't like that the ride replaced the CultClassic ''Alien Encounter'', and aggressive marketing caused them to view Stitch as a CreatorsPet, a stigma that lasts to this day. The ride's negative reception led Disney to avoid developing any further major ''Lilo & Stitch'' attractions in the U.S. ever since, including a port of the better-received digital puppetry live show ''Stitch Encounter''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Toys]]
* ''Toys/{{Bionicle 2015}}'', or "''BIONICLE'' Generation 2" was a failed ContinuityReboot of Generation 1 ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}''. G1 [[MultipleDemographicAppeal was made to have a wide appeal]], aimed more toward teens. It had a fairly serious and occasionally gritty tone with massive ContinuityPorn, and a fanbase of kids and young adults. ''G2'' was partially marketed at older fans, with a booth at New York Comic Con, social media outreach and official contests held on long-standing international fansites. The toys were also more complex than most similar figures from the early 2010s, like ''Toys/HeroFactory''. The media content was however [[LighterAndSofter child oriented and a lot more toned down]] than the original, at times veering into comedy or preschooler-level [[AnAesop messaging]]. Attempts were made to hint at a larger lore, but not explored, many characters had no names, personalities or even genders as Toys/{{LEGO}} thought these would confuse kids, but the lack of cohesion ended up confusing old fans who were used to G1's extensive worldbuilding. Even freelance writer Ryder Windham, who suggested naming the side characters, admitted the story outlines he had to adapt into books and comics were contradictory and thoughtless. G2 was also mistimed, as many older fans were still in high school or collage and couldn't afford the toys. So in the end, kids showed no interest in the toys and nostalgia-nods aimed at older fans and gravitated toward the much more successful series ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'' instead, while old fans were left disappointed by the juvenile media and lack of an interesting story. Despite an initial promise of a guaranteed 3 year test period, LEGO gave up on ''BIONICLE'' G2 almost the moment it had launched, ending it within a year and a half.
* The Creator/{{Hasbro}} "Retro Collection" and "Adventure Series" releases for ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheDialOfDestiny'' ran headlong into this challenge, as noted in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU_ZkUp-G4E several]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ht1PnU926E online]] features devoted to detailing concerns. The "Retro Collection" featured a reissue of toys made for ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' in the early 80s, ostensibly to cater to fan demand. The problem is that the line reissued wanted figures (like the original Marion Ravenwood and Indy himself) with infamously-poor selling figures like the Mechanic, Toht and the Swordsman, which were brought back even though they failed to sell the first time. It didn't help that reviews of the Retro Collection pointed out that the figures could easily break or fail to function correctly, meaning it was unlikely to have much value to children (who needed to have familiarity with ''Raiders'' in the first place, notwithstanding the selection of figures on offer), and still far too sporadic a release to appeal to hardcore collectors, who were being pushed towards the Adventure Series and looked at the retro figures as cheaply made. On the flipside, the Adventure Series were expensive toys (running upwards of several hundred dollars to purchase each "wave" of figures), that failed to find much traction after it was revealed that (a) several fan-demanded figures, including the ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom''-era Indy, [[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade Donovan]] and [[Creator/SeanConnery Henry Jones]] were being held back for future waves, (b) the first wave focused exclusively on ''Raiders'' instead of the new film, ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheDialOfDestiny'', and (c) the subsequent second wave devoted more than half of its seven-figure selection to variants of Indy. This meant that the line functionally had to cater to fans (who were growing sick of the same figures being released ad nauseum) shelling out money for products that were largely outside the price range of the target market the film was (at least partially) catering to. The resulting collection got a mixed response from collectors, with Hasbro dialing back publicity for the collection just after ''Dial of Destiny'' was released, and the line expected to end with Wave 3.
* The Toys/{{LEGO}} ''Franchise/StarWars'' set #75098, "Assault on Hoth", received mixed to negative reviews for a variety of reasons, including its uncertain direction. It's in the Ultimate Collector's Series, which consists of big, expensive sets aimed at older LEGO fans and focuses on accuracy and detail above all else. However, the Assault on Hoth set sacrifices these things for the sake of interactive features [[labelnote:For example]]The shield generator consists of three discs rather than four in order to accommodate a feature that makes it explode, and the Ion Cannon turret has its back completely exposed, revealing a mishmash of multicolored bricks which comprise its insides, so it can fit a lever that fires its missile.[[/labelnote]], something which would be understandable in a set aimed at younger builders who treat LEGO as a toy, but less so for something aimed at teenagers and adults who just want a nice display piece. Meanwhile, its high price and UCS label discourage most parents from getting it for their children. There are other issues that contribute to its poor reception, but the play features taking away from other aspects of the set certainly didn't help its reputation.
* The infamous 2016 G2 ''Toys/MonsterHigh'' SoftReboot failed partially because of this issue. The reboot took a LighterAndSofter approach towards the franchise, resulting in a number of controversial changes being made to the dolls, the characters, and the setting of the tie-in animated specials. As part of the relaunch, most of the main characters were dramatically redesigned with brighter color palattes, tamer clothing, and softer expressions, and some (most notably fan-favorite [[AttractiveZombie Ghoulia Yelps]], who was orginally part of the main lineup) were AdaptedOut completely. The remaining characters were aged down slightly, and many were given younger siblings—in some cases, [[MassiveNumberedSiblings loads and loads of younger siblings]]—in an attempt to appeal to a younger demographic. However, most of the monster branding was kept. This resulted in an extremely confused reboot that attempted to target older fans of edgy, monstrous dolls ''and'' younger fans of softer, more conventional dolls at the same time. Existing fans were put-off by the reboot's lower budget, childish designs, and TamerAndChaster approach, with many saying that the franchise had lost everything that made it special to begin with. Meanwhile, shoppers who preferred more conventionally pretty, non-supernatural dolls were not won over by the reboot, and continued to gravitate towards brands like ''Toys/{{Barbie}}'' instead. Ultimately, G2 lasted less than two years, and was quietly discontinued in 2018. It would be followed up in 2021 by the [=G3=] reboot, which largely reinstated the DarkerAndEdgier aesthetic of [=G1=] and refocused on the older kids' demographic, alongside offering [=G1=]-style new figures and reprints for adult collectors for good measure.
* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'':
** This was one of the main things that made the Pretender toyline from Generation 1 a notorious flop. The intention was to appeal to fans of more traditional action figures (''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' was at its height then) by creating "Pretender shells", large hollow figures of humans or monsters that could split in two to reveal a Transformer inside. In practice, the shells made for pretty shoddy action figures, being simplistic and hollow and possessing no points of movement besides raising the shoulders, while the Transformer inside ended up being small and heavily compromised to fit inside the shell (most of the early ones barely even have altmodes). Additionally, they were hitting different age groups; the shells, with their bright colors and chunky designs, suggested they were aimed at the "just out of Playskool" demographic, but ''Transformers'', with its small parts and puzzle-based gimmick, tended to be aimed a few years older than that.
** Hasbro would not give up on the idea of a toyline designed to appeal to traditional action figure fans so soon, with next year's line introducing Action Masters, promoted as figures of Cybertronians who gave up their ability to transform to gain power, including many classic characters, making them just traditional action figures of robots. The transforming feature wasn't fully dropped, as each figure came with a weapon or vehicle accessory that could transform, but the fact that the main figures couldn't do such when the franchise is called '''''Transformers''''' was mocked by the action figure collectors and alienated older fans, being the final nail in the coffin as the the original toyline ended that year in America, and not even Takara imported the line for the Japanese audience like they at least tried with Pretenders. They fared better in Europe, where they lasted another year, amusingly with the last ones including Action Masters that ''could'' transform. Nowadays non-transforming figures are still made, but they're placed in sub-lines or sold as display collector items rather than being the main toyline of the year like Action Masters were.
** This is a major reason why the Franchise/TransformersAlignedUniverse was perceived as a failure by its designers, despite many of its individual components being successful. The main branches of it that actually came out and gained solid fanbases ended up being ''VideoGame/TransformersWarForCybertron'' and [[VideoGame/TransformersFallOfCybertron its sequel]] (aimed at older fans who grew up with ''Franchise/TransformersGeneration1''), ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' (aimed at older kids and teens introduced through the movies and the prior ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', with some nods to older audiences), and ''WesternAnimation/TransformersRescueBots'' and its direct [[WesternAnimation/TransformersRescueBotsAcademy follow-up]] (aimed at very young children with a ParentalBonus or two). While they all succeeded to varying degrees at appealing to those audiences, any attempt to play with a SharedUniverse didn't work out, as fans would invariably be confused and put off by the fact that, {{Continuity Nod}}s aside, they were watching or playing something unlike whatever they were initially interested in. While the Optimus of all three is broadly recognizable as different takes on Optimus as an archetype, it's very difficult to see them as the same person. Efforts to properly combine the various branches, such as ''Literature/TransformersExodus'', were consistently unsuccessful and often saw {{Continuity Snarl}}s or BroadStrokes as a result. This [[https://www.deviantart.com/the-edude/art/The-Aligned-Continuity-696815706 comic]] sums up how much each entry in the Aligned Continuity can clash with each other in terms of tone, mood and style.
*** Even within the continuity family, ''WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise2015'' stands out for being very confused about its audience. It's a direct sequel to ''Prime'', but carries over very few of its characters in non-cameo roles and features a very different aesthetic and tone (being sort of in the middle between ''Prime'' and ''Rescue Bots''). To fans of ''Prime'', it comes across as a DenserAndWackier followup that [[ToughActToFollow fails to match up]] in any way, while newcomers are put off by the fact that it ''is'' a followup, and spends much of its time trying to build on plot points and ideas introduced in its predecessor, such as Optimus's death, the Thirteen, and Bumblebee becoming a leader. Even among Aligned completionists, it stands out for more or less ignoring the ''Cybertron'' games.
*** While Hasbro at least tried in most of the globe, the franchise's other owner Takara-Tomy had no regard for this when bringing Aligned media to Japanese markets. For starters, in an effort to appeal to the Japanese-market more numerous model kit crowd, all ''Prime'' toys were re-done as model kits that replaced most paint applications with stickers, which alienated older kids and collectors the toys originally aimed for. The ''Prime'' cartoon itself was subject to a GagDub aimed at pre-schoolers similar to ''Beast Wars'' beforehand, but its grittier tone and atmosphere didn't mesh well with the character quirks and intended audience. The result was that ''Prime'' bombed terribly in Japan, having the lowest viewership during its timeslot and the toys selling very low, along other budget mismanagaments. In an effort to recoup loses, the dub decided to rework the season 2 finale into the series finale, ending on a cliffhanger, and then making an original sequel straight-to-video anime series named ''Anime/TransformersGo''; this not only splits the Aligned Continuity into more branches, but its heavy aesthetic based on Japanese elements like ninja, samurai and yokai don't mesh well with the aesthetic or tone of ''Prime'', even with its gag dub, turning off even the fans ''Prime'' had over there. Furthermore the existence of ''Go!'' also hurts ''Robots in Disguise (2015)'' in this regard further, as when Takara imported it there were no changes to the story, which included references to the third season of ''Prime'', which would further confuse its intended audience and casual older fans unaware of ''Prime'''s original dub.
** The ''Power Core Combiners'' line was a notorious underperformer, with many of its figures ending up on steep clearance, and largely for this reason. It was released as a companion to the ''Generations'' line, with a similar tech-y realistic aesthetic and filling out price points ''Generations'' didn't at the time, which suggested it to be aimed at older collectors. However, the line also relied heavily on gimmicks, being based around CombiningMecha where the limbs transform automatically upon being inserted into huge bright blue pegs on the main body (and in a fashion that renders the arms almost entirely unposeable), something that seemingly implies they're aimed at younger kids. The line also received very little in the way of tie-in media, to the point that it's difficult to parse which continuity it even occupies, and featured few to no existing characters in favor of relying on {{Continuity Nod}}s. In all, it ended up being too gimmicky for collectors, lacked the star power for general fans, and wasn't particularly appealing to kids.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* ''[[VisualNovel/GoGoNippon Go! Go! Nippon! ~my first trip to Japan~]]'' is an English-language VisualNovel made in Japan specifically for foreign audiences. However the makers seem to be unsure on what that audience wants... It's about an OccidentalOtaku (supposed to be the player himself) going to stay in Tokyo with two cute sisters for a week. In the developers' intentions, this game would be an educational one, a way to learn about actual Japanese landmarks and customs with a funny product tailor-made for otakus. However, these elements do not mix well since the protagonist's wacky shenanigans are too lame and boring for actual otakus and too off-putting for anyone else (since he's usually portrayed as a dorky ManChild) and the educational part is limited at best since you can't even access to all the info you gathered until you have completed the game (besides that, it's all stuff you can find on the internet for free). Plus, despite the fact that the company that made this is specialized in [[{{HGame}} erotic VNs]], there's no sex at all, thus alienating their overseas fans. Despite this, being released on Platform/{{Steam}} and featured in a series of bundles ensured that the title sold moderately well.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'': The [[FilibusterFreefall post-2011 Sisterhood story]] focus turned away many readers who weren't already on the same page as the creator when it came to sex-work exclusionary radical feminism, and the post-2019 comics turned away all of those who weren't trans-exclusionary radical feminists so opposed to trans rights that they were willing to embrace "woke" hysteria and swing out hard against political correctness. The target audience of sex-negative radical feminists who hate trans people so much that they're willing to join forces with anti-medicine conspiracy theorists, religious fundamentalists, and other groups who would otherwise hate them on principle, but are also super into cute manga-influenced art and the years of BlackComedy and religion-themed humor that preceded it, definitely seems like a niche demographic. Part of the problem stems from the creator's bizarre mash-up of political beliefs. Ishida is a radical male feminist who opposes "gender ideology" while looking down his nose at people who took COVID seriously, and he seems to support Donald Trump. While holding any one of those beliefs isn't unusual, they are all very polarizing and any audience member will more than likely be offended by at least one, making it hard to parse what sort of overall message the author is attempting to communicate. The fact that Ishida is very vocal about his politics will turn off people who just want to enjoy a good story, especially since political issues have gotten much harder to avoid since the days of Occupy Wall Street. The strip itself slowly-but-surely transitioned into a straight political cartoon, only the exact political spectrum he's attempting to court is nigh incomprehensible to most readers, leading to most of its current audience [[BileFascination being ironic readers]].
* ''Webcomic/{{Sonichu}}'' has an uncertain audience. A fanwork taking heavy influence from both ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' and ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' would be expected to be family-friendly, and the plot and characterizations are simplistic enough. But couple that with references to shows that would fly over kids' heads such as ''Series/GilligansIsland'' and ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', frequent segues into self-indulgent {{Author Tract}}s, and increasingly common graphic violence and sex, and you'll understand why it's as infamous as it is.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Video]]
* ''WebVideo/The8BitGuy'' brings this up [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDelRihDxSo when discussing]] the 2019 re-release of the ''Toys/SpeakAndSpell''. Young people today wouldn't be interested like children from the 70's as ''everything'' can speak nowadays and there's ''dozens'' of apps that can do what this toy did. The nostalgia crowd wouldn't be interested as it's not close enough to the original, with its much worse screen and lack of some features, to capture their nostalgic feelings for it. The hacking crowd wouldn't be interested since the new one is ''completely'' unhackable owing to being condensed to a single chip on a board. The collector crowd wouldn't be interested since there is such a surplus of originals that you can get them for as cheap, ''if not cheaper'', than the new one in thrift stores and on E-Bay. He ultimately considers it a failure, in spite of the genuine effort they made to make it look and act like the original, because it simply won't appeal to any of the four groups that would potentially want such a thing.
* {{Discussed|Trope}} by the ''WebVideo/GameGrumps'' during their playthrough of ''VideoGame/LinkTheFacesOfEvil'' when they begin repeatedly quoting the villain's hammy "You must die!" over and over and acknowledge that it's probably going to piss a lot of people off. They point out that they continue to do things that irritate a lot of their fans like "The Butthole Sniffin' Adventure" from ''VideoGame/Inside2016'' and the Grubba voice from ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' not to be {{Trolling Creator}}s but because [[BrokenBase they never actually know how popular any one bit is]] and when a bunch of fan complaints are just a VocalMinority. Arin explained how he gets tons of messages from fans ''begging'' him to never do the Butthole Sniffin' Adventure voice again, and yet it's one of the most requested voices from fans who meet him in real life. They then point out how no matter what they do there ''will'' be people put off by it, and thus they need to pick a lane, pick an audience, stick with the bit, and hope for the best rather than attempting to please everyone and ultimately pleasing no one.
* ''WebVideo/{{Rerez}}:'' ''Just Bad Games'' accuses all three of the ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' videogames on Platform/{{PlayStation}} of being this, as they were PointAndClick AdventureGames marketed at ''very'' young audiences but released years after the show was on the air. Fans of Tiny Toons wouldn't be interested in these games as they were now in High School at least, while the intended audience of the game would have no clue what Tiny Toons or who these characters even were.
* ''WebVideo/TechnologyConnections'' brings this up when talking about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LightScribe LightScribe]]: CD and DVD technology that allows you to burn a label onto a disk using a laser. While he thinks it's ''incredibly'' cool, convenient, and incredibly cheap, its slow burning speed and monochrome limitations made it fall into the crack between the two camps of people burning their own media: regular people would be content to just use a sharpie and write the name on the disk, while professionals would invest in something faster and capable of color or just have their disks pressed.
* Discussed by WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows:
** In his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fu40YANO1M look at "Cyberpunk"]] by Music/BillyIdol for his "Trainwreckords" series, he asked his brother about the album and got the response "who is this for?" The album largely failed to appease Idol's existing fan base from his previous works, and it also failed to win over new listeners. The album also didn't resonate with actual members of cyberpunk subculture, who saw Billy as chasing a trend (the album features a song called "Literature/{{Neuromancer}}", which Billy had never read and was subsequently called out on it by its author, Creator/WilliamGibson). Despite delivering a hit with "Shock To the System," the album largely failed and [[CreatorKiller Idol's career has never fully recovered]].
** He has brought up several times that it's self-defeating to try to make your music critical of itself (people who like the music will probably be put off by the message, and people who like the message probably don't want to listen to the music). He in part attributes the failure of Music/{{Madonna}}'s ''American Life'' to this, and argues that even if he had bought into Music/{{Jewel}}'s explanation that "Intuition" is ironic (he thinks she was only using that as an excuse for making commercialized pop music), the song would just fall into that trap. He also says that Music/KatyPerry's underperforming "Chained to the Rhythm" could never have been a hit because it has this kind of premise.
---> '''Todd:''' Madonna decided the solution was to make her music critical of itself. And what you get is pop music that makes you feel bad for listening to it. You may remember that Katy Perry tried to do the same thing for the same reasons and got the same results. No one wants this.
** Music/KatyPerry's "Bon Appétit" uses food-based innuendo and a music video about cooking Katy in an attempt to be sexual while sticking to Katy's usual fun tone and tacky video style. He felt that these elements did not work together at all, and just made the whole thing "too gross to be fun" and "way too [[FetishRetardant stupid to be erotic]]."
** He says that during the ''Witness'' era, Katy tried to appeal to everyone with messages like "it's important to have conversations with political opponents", but it was rejected because she just came off as a squishy centrist and someone too worried about alienating people to get much out of her "message" era.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* This is the reason why ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfKidDanger'' doesn't have much positive attention. It's too far removed from its [[Series/HenryDanger source material]] to appeal to its fans, while it doesn't do much to draw in new fans, in part because of the ContinuityLockout still requiring some knowledge of the source material.
* Creator/SabanEntertainment ran into this issue while adapting ''TableTopGame/BattleTech'' into a 90's cartoon. While big honkin' stompin' war robots seems like fine material for children entertainment in the abstract, the show is based on a tabletop game aimed at adults and unlike to have much name recognition to children and, beside a few vague statements in the opening narration, the show [[ContinuityLockout doesn't make much of an attempt]] to walk the viewer through the setting's sprawling mythos. Adult fans of ''Battletech'', meanwhile, would be [[AnimationAgeGhetto unlike to accept an animated adaption of the material on principle]] and recoil at [[CanonDefilement many creative liberties taken toward the lore]]. And while the series makes a fair attempt to explore mature subject matters such as politics and [[WarIsHell the cost of war]], it still bears many signs of its status as a child cartoon such as the bright blocky design of the Battlemechs (the show [[MerchandiseDriven was mean to tie into an action figures line]] by Tyco) and the setting's GreyAndGrayMorality being dumbed-down into a more straightforward "good Steiner vs evil Clans" narrative. The result is that ''Battletech'' only ran for a single 13-episodes season ending on an unresolved {{Cliffhanger}}, with later fluff of the board game establishing it as goofy in-universe propaganda.
* It's unclear whether ''WesternAnimation/BigMouth'' is aimed more at teenagers going through puberty or adults reminiscing about their puberty. The show is rated TV-MA and features explicit nudity, heavy sexual subject matter, and other details that make it inappropriate for younger audiences. On the contrary, many episodes take an {{anvilicious}} educational approach to subjects like sex education and personal identity that seem more like messages to help young teens still undergoing puberty (though adults may still appreciate them). The scenes featuring children's genitals provoke criticism regardless of the demographic - the sexual humor may be too inappropriate for 12-year-old viewers, but adults watching a show with a focus on child sexuality is often berated as creepy. The show itself loves to lampshade this on occasion, almost always in a HypocriticalHumor fashion.
* Website/{{Crunchyroll}} ran into a bit of a bind when other streaming services started offering original shows: Crunchyroll itself had to come up with its own original series to remain competitive, but it's an ''American'' site that specializes in streaming ''Asian'' shows (especially Japanese anime), meaning it cannot produce the kind of show its primary audience expects. This gave its attempts at original shows quite the uphill climb:
** ''WesternAnimation/HighGuardianSpice'' seems to have a severe identity crisis. Everything from [[PuniPlush the cutesy art style]], simple dialogue, and young protagonists who go to a magic school suggest that it's aimed at a general audience of children or at least families, but the fair amount of cursing and the inconsistent use of bloody violence in later episodes are too heavy for younger viewers, while also being too jarring and tonally incongruous for older ones. According to the show's creator, it ''was'' originally intended for younger viewers, but ExecutiveMeddling pushed to add more mature content to AvoidTheDreadedGRating, resulting in gratuitous blood and swearing that feels out of place.
** The tone of ''WesternAnimation/OnyxEquinox'' varies wildly. On the surface, it appears to aim for a children/teen audience, taking artistic and storyline cues from shows like ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. However, this is juxtaposed with explicitly adult content, with the regular presence of gory violence (including on-screen ritual sacrifice), foul language, and sexual content. The content and context clearly seem to be targeting two separate demographics, with no attempt to reconcile the varying tones.
* Despite [[CriticalDissonance high critical praise]], this is why the reboot / season 2 of ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh'' struggled to keep its old audience or find a new one. Season 1 was a self-aware parody of pop culture and teen dramas which mocked the things those other shows took seriously and depicted things like AVerySpecialEpisode and {{Celebrity Star}}s with irreverent cynicism. Season 2 however, which according to WordOfGod was because they have greatly developed as character writers in the 20 years since the original, instead unironically portrays the very things it used to mock and, while still being self-aware, seems to ''embrace'' pop culture and modern teen dramas instead of parodying them. For fans of Season 1 the shift is too drastic and they turned their backs on it, feeling the show lost its edge and [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks has changed too much to be enjoyed]]. For fans who would actually enjoy what it is now, there exist far better options like ''Series/{{Euphoria}}'' and ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'', and they are alienated by ContinuityLockout without watching a first season they're ''not'' likely to enjoy.
* This may be why ''WesternAnimation/DanVs'' never got much of a mainstream audience. It's a BlackComedy that occasionally deals with mature themes (such as murder and marital problems), has a HeroicComedicSociopath as the protagonist, and sometimes heads into very dark territory (one episode ends with the implication that a character is ''going to be raped''). It's also filled to the brim with wacky slapstick, surreal plots, has little-to-no blood or swearing, and would air in the middle of the afternoon just an hour or two after a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' rerun.
* In-universe during Cleveland's return to ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' in "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS12E20HesBlaack He's Bla-ack!]]", when the guys roast ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow''. It certainly wasn't unwarranted; the show was [[MinorityShowGhetto obviously meant to appeal to black audiences]], but it starred a character who was little more than a TokenBlackFriend in the original who had few jokes that didn't center on his race in some way. It didn't help that the show's initial setup was ''incredibly'' similar to ''Family Guy'' itself.
-->'''Quagmire''': It's not a good sign that this is the first time people even realized you ''had'' a show.
-->'''Joe''': Your logo was stupid. It looked like a big purple penis and your ratings blew.
-->'''Cleveland''': We did about the same as ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers''.
-->'''Quagmire''': ''That's'' your bar? Shame on you!
-->'''Cleveland''': This is good. This is constructive.
-->'''Quagmire''': The talking bear was so bad, Creator/SethMacFarlane stopped voicing him after season 2.
-->'''Cleveland''': It's hard to make a talking bear funny.
-->'''Quagmire''': Oh-ho-ho! But it sure worked out well in [[Film/{{Ted}} movie form.]]
-->'''Joe''': Who was your show's audience? Y'know, who'd you make it for? Some Black guy who never met another Black guy?
* A major reason ''WesternAnimation/FatherOfThePride'' flopped so badly was that the humour was too raunchy for children but at the same time too unsophisticated for its intended adult audience.
* One major reason why the ''WesternAnimation/FishPolice'' cartoon flopped; to begin with, it was an adaptation of [[ComicBook/FishPolice a comic book of the same name]] that was InNameOnly, meaning comic fans would be displeased with the changes made in the show. That on its own might not have done it in; it was made by Creator/HannaBarbera in the 90s, and it looked and felt a lot like a typical kids' show at the time. However, the show was marketed as a competitor to ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', and had some raunchy and sexual content that wouldn't be appropriate for children, either. In other words, children wouldn't be allowed to watch it, but the adults it was being marketed to would've found it too childish. All these factors put together are considered to have put an end to the show after [[ShortRunners only six episodes]].
* ''WesternAnimation/GerryAndersonsNewCaptainScarlet'' had this problem, being a DarkerAndEdgier reboot of a series that was itself pretty dark for a children's show but still being ''marketed'' as a show for kids in the six to twelve age range. The occasional somewhat clumsy attempt at avoiding censorship didn't help, the most notable example being an episode where the Mysterons are using some kind of MindControl to make people kill themselves where none of the characters were [[NeverSayDie allowed to say "suicide"]].
* The first season of ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'' couldn't decide if it wanted to appeal to sitcom fans or fans of classic ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'', though the show would come to commit to the former with its second season.
* Likewise ''WesternAnimation/LoonaticsUnleashed'' was originally supposed to be a DarkerAndEdgier superhero reimagining of the Tunes set in a dystopian future. After public criticism, the first season attempted to include some of the humor of the original shorts, while the second season tried even harder to become more of a comedy-action show. However, it never seemed sure how serious or how funny it wanted to be and neither element was handled particularly well. People who wanted a DarkerAndEdgier dystopian show were put off by the humour, and fans of the original Looney Tunes shorts didn't get enough humour to justify watching a dystopian superhero show.
* ''WesternAnimation/MagicalGirlFriendshipSquad'' seemed to be targeting an audience that didn't exist, or if it did, was too narrow to make the show a success. It was presented in advertisements as an AffectionateParody of the MagicalGirl genre. However, not only did it air on a ScienceFiction[[Creator/{{Syfy}} -focused channel]], but in practice, its early episodes were a ShallowParody that focused primarily on reference and millennial humor instead. Couple that with poor animation, and you have a show that tries to serve multiple groups, but in practice ended up appealing to very few people. It also didn't help that the show went out of its way to [[TakeThat insult anime fans]], the very demographic the show's premise was supposed to be aiming for.
* ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'':
** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyPonyLife'' reuses most of the characters and concepts from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' but is set in a comedy-focused Alternate Universe that doesn't establish those characters and concepts within itself, reminiscent of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' If the show is intended for the younger age brackets, it offers little that ''[=FiM=]'' didn't; if it intended to bring in new viewers, the show doesn't do much that would appeal to them if they weren't interested in ''[=FiM=]''. The result is that ''Pony Life'' sits in a limbo where fans of ''Friendship is Magic'' are apathetic to it, non-fans who weren't interested in [=FiM=] probably won't be interested in the show either, and non-fans who are interested in ''[=FiM=]'' can start watching any time and would probably prefer it to ''Pony Life''.
** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyMakeYourMark'': For returning/older audiences of ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Friendship Is Magic]]'' and/or ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyANewGeneration A New Generation]]'' it was seen as [[ToughActToFollow failing to live up to their writing quality]], and lacking enough continuity with '' Friendship Is Magic'' to justify being its SequelSeries but enough to displease those who wouldn't have minded if it was a separate series. Meanwhile the new/younger audiences who wouldn't care about these issues or as picky about quality were inclined to ignore ''Make Your Mark'' in favor of the ''[[WebAnimation/MyLittlePonyTellYourTale Tell Your Tale]]'' spinoff for its [[DenserAndWackier cartoony style]] and greater accessibility (more episodic, far more frequent releases, not being locked in a subscription service). Thus ''Make Your Mark'' [[https://www.equestriadaily.com/2024/02/make-your-mark-chapter-6-was-final.html wasn't renewed after its initial run]] while ''Tell Your Tale'' [[https://www.equestriadaily.com/2023/06/everything-that-was-revealed-in-mlp.html?m=1 was because it better appealed to a specific audience]].
* ''WesternAnimation/PeepoodoAndTheSuperFuckFriends'' struggled hard at even getting picked up due to the apparent uncertain audience for the show; unusually, the uncertainty was more about what platform it belonged on rather than who the intended viewers were. According to the creators of the show, it's meant to be a humorous sex education series for older teenagers and young adults. However, it is '''extremely''' sexually explicit and vulgar, which scared off streaming sites from hosting it, while not being sexy enough for actual porn sites: sex is depicted for the sake of discussing how it works rather than for titillation, it isn't shown in every episode, and the series [[BodyHorror graphically depicts]] [=STDs=] and other ways in which sex can go wrong. It was finally funded through Kickstarter and hosted on its own website, allowing the potential audience to pay for its production themselves.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016'' failed in part because it was uncertain whether it was aimed at new fans or returning fans. At first glance, it's a hard reboot with a new RoguesGallery, [[AdaptationPersonalityChange tweaked personalities]] for the girls, and a new LighterAndSofter tone. Yet in practice, it's actually a SoftReboot, filled with many references and {{Call Back}}s to events that occurred in the [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998 original 1998 cartoon]]. For example, the series expects you to already know things such as Mojo Jojo being their archenemy and his involvement in their creation, but also has him DemotedToExtra and used mostly for quick gags. This makes the series unappealing to both new viewers who don't understand the references, and old fans who don't like the new tonal and stylistic changes.
* ''WesternAnimation/SantaInc'' is a show where Santa Claus is a LegacyCharacter, and a Jewish elf named Candy wants to become the first Jewish female Santa in a line of Santas who were all white men. With such a premise, and how Candy spends a lot of screen time [[SoapboxSadie lecturing the audience]] about sexism, racism, and representation, conservative viewers immediately checked out and had zero interest in seeing it. However, at the same time, Candy embodies almost every negative stereotype of the American left, where it's clear she is merely virtue-signalling to get what she wants and doesn't actually care about the issues she preaches about. The show also features an oddly conservative sense of humor that unironically plays gender and racial stereotypes and PoliticalOvercorrectness for humor, further alienating liberal viewers. Anyone left was either too young to watch or too old for its [[AnimatedShockComedy juvenile sense of humor]], and both groups would be turned off by [[WorldOfJerkass quite literally nobody in the story being even remotely likable or sympathetic]]. It spent quite some time as the lowest-rated series on IMDB until ''WesternAnimation/{{Velma}}'' pushed it into second place, and it was unceremoniously yanked off of Creator/{{Max}} in mid-2022.
* This was one of the major problems with ''WebAnimation/SlippinJimmy''. The plot and characters are much more childish than the parent series, ''Series/BetterCallSaul'', alienating fans and making it seem like it was aimed at children. On the other hand, it's an entry in the ''Franchise/BreakingBad'' franchise, which is about the furthest thing from child-friendly, so it's very unclear who exactly it was aimed at.
* Some reviews of ''WesternAnimation/SupernaturalAcademy'' have noted confusion over the first season's intended target audience. The show's cartoonish artstyle, its themes about friendship and coming-of-age in a magical high school setting, and straight-forward fantasy plot suggests it's intended for children, but the show's more complex themes around prejudice and marginalisation (which are largely brushed aside to focus on a 'save-the-world from an EvilOverlord' plot by the second half), the emphasis on romantic subplots, the regular use of profanity and occasional sexual references suggest a teenage or older audience. Notably, the book series the show is based on is clearly intended for older readers, with the author's website stating "''Supernatural Academy'' is a sexy urban fantasy book series recommended for readers aged 17 and up due to language and sex scenes." The show [[TamerAndChaster tones it]] [[KinderAndCleaner down]] to get a TV-14 rating, but it subsequently has [[InNameOnly very little in common]] with the source material; while some book fans don't mind the show, they generally approach it as a completely separate entity to the books, while others are baffled by the way it was adapted.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' has an uncertain audience. Though a comedic retool of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' aimed at kids growing up in the 2010s, it features a lot of references and jokes aimed at older DC fans, as well as adores {{Parental Bonus}}es and [[ShoutOut Shout-Outs]] to pop culture going as far back as the 1960s, despite the fact that even the target audience of the ''2003 cartoon'' would [[SmallReferencePools have to look up some of the jokes]]. It's hard to tell if ''Teen Titans Go'' is targeted exclusively at kids or if it's aimed at general audiences, but considering its popularity with kids, it might not matter.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCatsRoar'' runs into the exact same issues as ''Teen Titans Go'', where it's a more kid-friendly comedic reboot of the original series that the fans dislike, but throws in many jabs and references to the original series and 2011 reboot series that only older fans would understand. Unlike TTG and its ilk, however, the ''Thundercats'' franchise lacked the PopCultureOsmosis that other long-running franchises boast, making this trope hit much harder, contributing to the show being cancelled after just one season.
* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaRama'' was marketed towards fans of the original ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama,'' which hadn't aired a new episode in three years (four if you don't count the spinoff), but the plots and comedy style are designed to appeal to an audience even younger than the target demographic of the parent series. Those who watched the show as children are now teens or older, and unlikely to watch a spinoff aimed at very young kids, while the very young kids likely didn't watch the original, and the serialized plot and adult humor makes it unlikely that they'd get invested in that series retroactively. Unlike something like ''WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies2018'' or ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo,'' ''Total Drama'' isn't even an established franchise property. Even those who think it's a decent show still don't understand why it had to be a ''Total Drama'' spinoff.
* This trope is one of the main reasons why ''WesternAnimation/{{TUGS}}'', the short-lived sister series to ''Series/ThomasAndFriends'' failed to be sold to American investors and become successful enough to warrant a second season. While ''TUGS'' was intended to be for children, the show wasn't able to successfully win over ''Thomas''[='=] target demographic, as ''TUGS'' frequently dealt with [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids kid-unfriendly themes such as suicide, death, criminal activities and violence]], amongst other topics. However, the show being styled after ''Thomas'' meant that older audiences wouldn't find it appealing either, due to the show's [[SentientVehicle sentient vehicles]] being perceived as being [[AnimationAgeGhetto only for young children]]. In short, ''TUGS''[='=] darker tone clashed too heavily with its ''Thomas''-esque appeal, resulting in a show that lacked both a well-defined audience and mass appeal, causing it to alienate investors and leading to the show's cancellation after just one thirteen-episode season. However, the series has become a CultClassic among the older ''Thomas'' fanbase for the above-mentioned elements.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Velma}}'' has sparked many debates as to who the hell it's aimed at, with various incompatible and contradictory elements contained within that ultimately leave the end result with what's largely agreed to be quite literally ''nothing'' for ''Velma'' to appeal to anyone with:
** The graphic violence, cursing, frank discussions of drugs and sex, and other such content make it inappropriate for the ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' franchise's traditional child demographic, while the nostalgic adult fans it's supposedly written for find the AudienceShift either poorly handled and unnecessary or cowardly and limp, and won't appreciate the rather extreme changes to characterization and tone. People who aren't ''Scooby-Doo'' fans, meanwhile, will just see yet another mediocre-at-best AnimatedShockComedy crammed full of obnoxious SelfReferentialHumor.
** Its status as an [[OriginsEpisode origin story]] for the gang makes it fall even further into the void between its potential audiences: newcomers don't have an attachment to these characters and thus don't care what their origin is, veteran fans don't ''want'' such a bleak and mean-spirited story to be these characters' origins (on top of other installments of the franchise already functioning as such, like ''WesternAnimation/APupNamedScoobyDoo''), and to everyone in-between, the numerous changes to the cast and tone render it incompatible -- and thus pointless -- as an origin in the first place.
** The show's weirdly conservative sense of humor only muddies the waters further -- left-wing viewers are likely to be offended by the show's flippant treatment of [=#MeToo=] and PoliticalOvercorrectness, while right-wing viewers tuned out because of the AdaptationalDiversity on display amongst the gang and Velma's [[AuthorFilibuster constant unironic preaching of far-left values]].
** Finally, even people who ''want'' a DarkerAndEdgier take on the ''Scooby-Doo'' characters aren't hurting for options: official entries like ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooOnZombieIsland'', ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'', ''ComicBook/ScoobyApocalypse'', and ''[[Recap/SupernaturalS13E16ScoobyNatural ScoobyNatural]]'' already exist as earlier and better-received examples, and ''tons'' of grotesquely dark skits done by the likes of ''Website/CollegeHumor'', ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'', ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheScoobyDooProject'' have done the concept to the point of StockParody. Even the fan project ''WebVideo/MysteryIncorporated2022'', which also tackled the idea of a serious adult ''Scooby-Doo'', was released on the internet a year prior to ''Velma'' and is largely agreed to have done a much better job at what the official series tried (and ultimately failed) to accomplish.
* This is a big problem with the Spanish [[{{Animesque}} Anime-inspired]] series ''WesternAnimation/VirtualHero''. On one hand, the show has a broad comedy of farts, butt jokes, and very immature, sometimes innocent, humor similar to ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo''. On the other hand, it has strong language (including R-rated swearing like "fuck" and "shit"), inappropriate scenes like Rubius building a [[GagPenis giant penis]] with ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' blocks [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext that comes to life]], and starting Season 2, the show gets BloodierAndGorier at times. Teenagers and adults would not be interested in watching a cartoon based on a [[Website/YouTube YouTuber]] like [=ElRubius=], his jokes or much less his comic books, and children would likely not be allowed to watch the show due to its raunchiness and graphic violence.
* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'': Season 8 was a SoftReboot with a new childish, doll-like art style (a complete ArtShift from the {{Animesque}} style that had been the show's trademark) and the return of season 3 BigBad Valtor. The new art style and overhaul of the show were confirmed by WordOfGod to have been done to attract new views from children, but first-time viewing kids wouldn't know who Valtor was or have reason to care without going back five seasons, and older viewers who would otherwise be drawn in by the return of a popular villain were repelled by the massive changes made. Unsurprsingly, it ended up being the final season of the original series; a reboot would be announced years later.
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