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Ruffling some feathers is bound to happen in entertainment, and it occurs on all scales. SNL sketches have been banned, performers get banned from entire countries, and even the MCU, the gold standard in the movie business, has banned certain actions from their properties.
On the small screen, episodes of popular TV shows wind up being too much for the network and viewers to handle, leading to a swift ban. Most of these episodes air just once, but some never even make it to the viewers.
Let's take a look at some notable shows that featured banned episodes.
10 'Mister Rogers' Had A Few Episodes Ruffle Feathers
It is almost impossible to believe that someone as wholesome as Mr. Rogers would get himself in the hot water due to his content on the small screen, but this was precisely the case years ago. The show's beloved host broke down the Cold War simply for younger viewers, and that episode was subsequently removed from the small screen.
9 'Seinfeld' Burned A Flag And Was Quickly Banned
There are plenty of ways to anger a lot of viewers, one of which is burning the flag of an entire country. The folks making Seinfeld learned this the hard way when they opted to burn the country flag of Puerto Rico. It was a foolish decision by the show, and the episode disappeared with a quickness.
8 'The X-Files' Had An Episode Too Creepy For TV
The X-Files never shied away from touching on serious and dark themes, and while this is what made the show a powerhouse in its prime, it also caused some controversy. In the episode "Home," a depiction of incest and deformity was too dark for many viewers, and complaints came pouring in, which got the episode banned.
7 'Boy Meets World' Had Multiple Episodes Banned From Disney Channel
Boy Meets World Is about as wholesome as it gets, but even this show touched on mature themes that were too much for the Disney Channel. Underage drinking and sex were the themes of episodes like "Promises, Promises" and "If You Can’t Be with The One You Love," which were banned from the kids' network.
6 'South Park' Took On A Religious Figure And Caused Controversy
Controversy has been the name of the game for this show since it made its debut back in the 1990s, and when they poked fun at a religious figure, there was a massive blowback against the show. "200" and "201" featured depictions of many religious figures, and it was the depiction of Muhammad that sparked the backlash.
5 'Sesame Street' Had A Frightening '70s Episode That Was Pulled
So, how did one of the most beloved TV shows of all time wind up with an episode that was banned from viewers? Well, the show decided to feature Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz. Just like she was in the movie, she was scary while on Sesame Street, leading to complaints and a ban.
4 'SVU' Had A Politician-Related Episode That Never Aired
Sometimes, the writers at SVU get a little too close to things that happen in real life. This was the case when they wrote and filmed an entire episode around a politician who was dealing with scandal, and this mirrored what was going on with a notable political figure at the time. Unlike others on this list, this episode didn't air a single time.
3 'Friends' Got A Ban Due To Its Adult Entertainment Theme
Friends had several episodes that were deemed controversial, but "The One With The Free Porn" was an episode that was banned in some places. The subject matter was too adult in nature to be aired during the majority of the day, which shifted the episode out of rotation.
2 'The Simpsons' Banned Episode Hit Too Close To A Tragedy
While not controversial all the time, The Simpsons is a show that has certainly gotten under some people's skin through the years. Sadly, the episode "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" featured the Twin Towers, and after the tragic events of 9/11, the episode was banned for a long time. It would come back on the air years later.
1 'SpongeBob' Has Had Multiple Banned Episodes
Talk about bad timing. A SpongeBob episode dealing with a virus was going to be featured on Nickelodeon, but given everything going on in the world, the network axed the idea. Another banned episode from years back had Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob stealing underwear, if you can believe that.
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