21 Shows with Unbelievable Off-Screen Drama In 2018

Television drama does not always unfold on screen. There are plenty of times where a TV show has more drama off screen than on.

Each year is full of television shows making headlines for off-screen drama, and 2018 was no exception. In fact, some people know more about what is going on with a show behind the scenes than on the show’s actual plotlines.

Cast members clashing, racist Tweets, harassment allegations, fat-shaming, sudden exits, and reboot backlash are only a few of the off-screen drama that was in the spotlight this past year.

And now our list of Shows with Unbelievable Off-Screen Drama in 2018! After you scroll the list be sure to share your thoughts with us in the comments section.

1. Roseanne

Roseanne Barr’s racist Tweet about Valerie Jarrett, a former senior advisor to President Barack Obama, caused the hit show to be abruptly canceled last May. The Connors spin-off was announced a month later, without Barr. Fans were outraged when the character of Roseanne was killed off by an opioid overdose. Although the ratings for The Connors have not been as successful as the Roseanne revival, it is still considered a hit for ABC.

2. Lethal Weapon

Last spring after reports of Clayne Crawford’s on-set anger issues surfaced, Warner Brothers fired him. Both Crawford and co-star Damon Wayans later spoke out about their hostile working relationship. There is no love lost between these two men. Instead of canceling the show, Warner Brothers brought in Sean Williams Scott to play opposite Wayans, in the new role of Wesley Cole. A week after the premiere of Season 3, Wayans announced he was leaving the show at the end of the current season.

3. Grey’s Anatomy

The news that Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw’s characters would exit at the end of Grey's Anatomy Season 14 caused an uproar among fans. Showrunner Krista Vernoff explained letting the women go was strictly for storyline reasons. However, her explanation did not sit well with fans. They blamed Ellen Pompeo's hefty $20 million a year salary for as the real reason Drew and Capshaw were let go from the show.

4. NCIS

Not long after original cast member Pauley Perrette's final episode, the actress took to Twitter to share why she chose to leave. Perrette did not name specific people, but she revealed the show was run by a “machine” that she referenced as "him." She also alluded to being physically attacked on set. CBS later confirmed that the previous year, Perrette came to them with a workplace concern. Rumors began circulating that the actress was speaking about actor Mark Harmon in her Tweets.

5. The Ranch

Danny Masterson’s firing from The Ranch has been front and center this entire year. Fans were outraged he was let go and vowed to boycott the show. Those who support his rape accusers bashed Netflix for airing episodes that featured the actor. Despite all the drama, The Ranch was renewed for Part 7 and 8, even before the episodes without Masterson aired. Fans were quick to point out that the newly released Part 6 took a dark turn and they blamed it on the absence of Masterson's character Rooster.

6. Talking Dead

Chris Hardwick’s ex-girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra, wrote an essay revealing she was once in an abusive and controlling relationship. Although she did not name Hardwick, sufficient details pointed to him being the ex in her piece. AMC immediately pulled him as host of the Talking Dead. Weeks later he was reinstated after AMC conducted an internal investigation. His return caused inner turmoil at the show. Co-executive producer Jen Patton and several other staff members quit in protest of his reinstatement.

7. Charmed (2018)

Drama plagued the Charmed reboot from the beginning. Original cast members, Holly Marie Combs, Shannon Doherty, and Alyssa Milano were extremely displeased the reboot did not involve them. When the CW described the new show as “fierce,” “funny,” and “feminist,” as well as Combs, Doherty, and Milano, took offense to the wording and used social media to express their feelings. The ratings for the reboot have been far lower than the original, and they continue to decline each week.

8. Arrested Development

During a cast interview with The New York Times, Jessica Walter publicly detailed the harassment she endured from costar Jeffrey Tambor. She revealed he was verbally abusive to her. Walter also shared that Tambor has never apologized for his actions. Jason Bateman tried to explain Tambor's behavior as him being "difficult" to work with, Bateman later apologized for his remarks. Walter admitted she was working on forgiving Tambor. The interview generated several unflattering headlines for the show.

9. Dynasty (2017)

Changing directions for Dynasty Season 2, resulted in a couple of cast shake-ups. Nathalie Kelley, who played Cristal Flores Carrington, was not asked back. Her character was killed. Then actress Ana-Brenda Contreras was brought on to play the “real” Cristal Flores, who also falls in love with Blake Carrington. The drama continued when actor James Mackay, who played Steven Carrington, revealed via social media that he was no longer on the show. Mackay made it clear that it was not his choice to leave.

10. Insatiable

Insatiable came under fire for fat-shaming the minute the trailer dropped. There was even a petition with over 200,000 signatures calling for the show's cancellation before the episodes dropped. Netflix executives and Insatiable cast members defend the show stating it was not fat shaming but instead shedding light on the damage that occurs due to fat shaming. Despite all the controversy, Netflix renewed the low-rated show for a second season resulting in public outrage on social media.

11. Bull

Michael Weatherly made inappropriate comments to Eliza Dushku while filming Bull. She confronted him on his remarks about her appearance, his reference to a threesome and the rape joke he made. Soon after Dushku spoke to Weatherly, she was written off the show. She entered mediation with CBS and was awarded a $9.5 million settlement. The network confirmed the agreement. Weatherly publicly apologized for his remarks claiming they were intended to be funny, but he could now see they were not.

12. Who Is America?

Sasha Baron Cohen returned to TV where he plays four characters, who tricked people into doing interviews about the current state of America. Those involved were not happy when they found out they were duped, especially the politicians he fooled. Sarah Palin blasted Cohen because she thought the interview was for a historical documentary. Former Republican Rep. Joe Walsh called Cohen’s antics trickery, deception, and dishonesty when he learned the pro-Israel event was not real.

13. Heathers

In a world full of mass shootings, bullying, and teen suicide, there was just no place for Heathers. Even after the trailer sparked an uproar on social media, Paramount set a premiere date. Heathers was postponed after the Parkland shooting in February. Paramount shelved it for good in June, only to air eight of the ten episodes in a two-night block during October. Two episodes did not air due to the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. In the end, most television watchers didn’t even know the show aired.

14. Chicago P.D.

Sophia Bush shed some light on why she left Chicago P.D. She revealed on Dax Shepard’s podcast that she was assaulted by someone on the show in a room full of men who did nothing. The actress did not give out specifics, but she made it abundantly clear the environment was not healthy. Bush also talked about the terrible Chicago winter working conditions that led to cast and crew being increasingly ill. A rep for the show has not yet responded to Bush’s statement.

15. The Real Housewives of New York

There is always behind the scenes drama on The Real Housewives of New York. Luann de Lesseps’ felt the impact from her 2017 Christmas Eve drunken arrest all year. After finishing rehab and taking a plea deal for the charges against her, she relapsed. In July it was revealed the reality star would miss the RHONY reunion show because she was headed back to rehab. She shocked fans when she left ten days later. The drama will most likely be a story on the upcoming season of RHONY.

16. Love Is

OWN renewed Love Is for a second season, only to cancel it months later. The reason for the abrupt about-face is that producer Salim Akil has been accused of abuse by his former mistress. Love Is has been billed as being based on the real-life relationship between Akil and his wife, Mara Brock Akil. The network felt the allegations presented too many challenges for the show's narrative, so OWN axed it.

17. Dr. Who

Chris Chibnall took over as showrunner for Doctor Who Season 11. However, rumors of behind the scenes drama, especially between Chibnall and BBC, have indicated he will leave the show in 2019. The showrunner has not made an announcement and is still reportedly penning Doctor Who Season 12. Should he exit the show, there is talk that Jodie Whittaker would not want to continue as the Doctor. BBC recently announced that Season 12 would not air until 2020 adding fuel to the rumors that the network and Chibnall are at odds.

18. The Affair

Ruth Wilson’s decision to leave The Affair came not long after she spoke out about pay inequality. However, when pressed about why she was exiting the Showtime series, Wilson shared she was not allowed to talk about it. She did reveal that she never complained to Showtime regarding her pay but did mention that costar Dominic West had a higher salary. Showrunner Sarah Treem confirmed it was Wilson’s choice to leave. Treem also explained the character of Allison had ”run its course.”

19. Transparent

Jeffrey Tambor was fired from Transparent after Amazon Studios investigated sexual harassment claims against him. The streaming giant announced last winter that it was cutting all ties with Tambor. Multiple allegations against the actor surfaced at the end of 2017. Tambor has denied all accusations but at the beginning of the year hinted he wasn’t sure how he could return to Transparent. After being fired, he expressed his disappointment in Amazon and show creator Jill Soloway.

20. RuPaul’s Drag Race

The reality TV show has never seen off-screen drama like what unfolded this year. Battles between the contestants on social media were epic. Each day there was a new feud, usually involving Vixen who took the drama to the next level by disrespecting a deceased Season 2 cast member on Twitter. Tyra Sanchez, Ru Paul's Drag Race Season 2 winner, was banned from DragCon for threatening violence against other queens. Plus, there are rumors of some of the winners not fulfilling their gigs post-show.

21. American Gods

American Gods’ showrunner drama has caused delays and frustration for the Starz show. Original showrunners Michael Green and Bryan Fuller were pushed out in February. Jesse Alexander took on the role, but during the summer he was asked to stop working on the show. He was not fired. However, Alexander was not allowed to participate in any areas of production or postproduction. American Gods' production was forced to shut down, pushing the American Gods Season 2 premiere well into 2019.