They don’t really make TV controversies like they used to.
1.
Tiny Toon Adventures — To teach kids not to drink, the three main characters get drunk, steal a police car, drive off a cliff, and die.
2.
South Park — Depictions of Muhammad result in the censoring and banning of episodes, as well as backlash from religious communities.
3.
Skins — Claims of underage sexualization lead to brands pulling their advertising and the show’s cancellation.
4.
NYPD Blue — The show’s pilot leads to a discussion between ABC and the FCC over whether audiences can handle booty.
5.
Duck Dynasty‘s star makes a homophobic statement.
6.
Paula Deen admits to the use of racial slurs.
7.
Kid Nation — The infamous show about kids running a town without adult supervision was, shockingly, controversial.
8.
Angel — Charisma Carpenter’s character was killed off the show after the actress became pregnant.
9.
Seinfeld — Puerto Ricans are stereotypically depicted, and Kramer stomps on a burning Puerto Rican flag in the second-to-last episode.
10.
The Ren & Stimpy Show — An episode in which Ren beats an abusive father-figure gets the show’s creator fired
11.
The Simpsons — “The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson” is pulled from syndication for five years due to the World Trade Center being heavily featured.
12.
Married… with Children — The only episode of the show Fox never aired revolved around the main characters being filmed while having sex.
13.
Power Rangers — David Yost’s onset harassment leads to him walking off set in the middle of shooting.
14.
Felicity — Series star Keri Russell cuts her hair around the same time ratings decline, and it is wrongly assumed her pixie cut tanked the show.
15.
Gilmore Girls — Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino exits before the final season due to lack of support from the studio.
16.
Pokémon — One episode causes roughly 600 Japanese kids to have “headaches and convulsions and breathing problems,” and the episode is never aired again.
17.
Dallas — An entire 31-episode season is ret-conned as a character’s dream when Patrick Duffy leaves the show then decides to come back.
18.
Charmed — Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano’s tension
19.
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood — Mr. Rogers talks about the danger of nuclear war and mutually assured destruction.
What are the craziest moments in TV history you remember? Let me know in the comments!