Ev and Ocho” (VH1) VH1 thought it had a match made in heaven when two of its reality stars, NFL receiver Chad Johnson (aka Ochocinco) and “Basketball Wives” star Evelyn Lozada, got hitched last month. They signed the pair up for “Ev and Ocho,” a reality series following their life as a married couple. But when Johnson was arrested on a domestic-violence charge for head-butting Lozada this past weekend, VH1 pulled the plug on “Ev and Ocho” before it ever aired. At least we got to see Ocho get cut by the Miami Dolphins on HBO’s training-camp doc “Hard Knocks.”
“Megan Wants a Millionaire” (VH1)
“Rock of Love” reject Megan Hauserman got a chance to be a trophy wife when VH1 launched this reality competition in 2009, with 17 millionaires competing for her affection. But it was cut short when one of the contestants, Ryan Jenkins, became a suspect in the grisly murder of model Jasmine Fiore. VH1 hastily pulled the show off the air after just three episodes as authorities searched for Jenkins, who took his own life soon after. An unspeakable tragedy that makes reality TV seem even sillier than usual, the incident hastened the end of VH1’s wild reality-romance franchise.
“Armed and Famous” (CBS)
Giving untrained celebrities like Erik Estrada and La Toya Jackson a police badge and letting them enforce the law in Muncie, Indiana sounded like a great idea to CBS, which aired this reality series in 2007. But only four episodes made it to air before CBS shunted “Armed and Famous” off to sister-station VH1, with several episodes never airing. The quick axe could be explained by a number of ugly incidents, including a vulgar shouting match between Estrada and a perpetrator, and a lawsuit filed by resident Lyndsay Clements, who claimed that the faux police officers wrongfully entered her home and illegally searched it. You would think that Estrada would at least know a little bit about the law after all those years on “CHiPs.”
“Liza and David” (VH1)
Back in 2002, we were definitely jazzed to watch VH1’s peek behind the curtain of the highly publicized (and highly bizarre) marriage of showbiz legend Liza Minnelli and celebrity hanger-on David Gest. But before we even got to see an episode, VH1 dumped the project, citing “unprofessional” and “erratic” behavior by Gest that led to costly delays in filming. Oh well, it wouldn’t have lasted too long, anyway: Minnelli and Gest separated the following year, with Gest accusing Minnelli of being a physically abusive alcoholic. Are you sure there’s no way we can get a look at the footage you shot, VH1? Please?
“Kid Nation” (CBS) This surreal 2007 reality series was like “The Lord of the Flies” come to life, with 40 children aged 8 to 15 fending for themselves in a New Mexico ghost town with no adult supervision. The kids banded together to form a cohesive society, but the show was beset by complaints by the kids’ parents and a child-labor investigation by Hollywood union AFTRA. Ultimately, a second season was filmed, but never aired. But maybe it was just a bit ahead of its time; after all, “The Hunger Games” makes it look a little tame, doesn’t it?
“Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?” (Fox)
We’re shocked -- shocked! -- that a fail-proof concept like marrying off a rich bachelor to a woman he’s never met on national TV didn’t work out. Widely cited as one of the biggest reality-TV failures of all time, this 2000 special featured 50 single women competing for Rockwell’s affections, with nurse Darva Conger ultimately “winning” and marrying him on the spot. But the network took heat after Rockwell’s “multi-millionaire” status was questioned and a past restraining order against him was revealed. Conger quickly had a change of heart, seeking an annulment, and (needless to say) Fox never returned to the altar for a second installment.
“Pretty Wild” (E!)
E! looked to expand its stable of reality TV families in 2010 with “Pretty Wild,” which followed aspiring momager Andrea and her three daughters Tess, Alexis, and Gabby as they pursued modeling careers. But the show got an unwelcome dose of drama when Alexis was arrested for being a part of the notorious “Bling Ring,” a group of teenaged crooks who broke into the homes of celebrities like Orlando Bloom and Lindsay Lohan. After her arrest and trial were captured by E! cameras, the network declined to pick up a second season. Say what you want about the Kardashians; at least they’re not out robbing people.
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