Television is a relatively new invention, so networks and creators are still working out the logistics of how to please the mass population. Due to the ebb and flow of society and culture, some episodes from popular were a "good idea" or had a decent plotline in the past, but aged poorly. There are a lot of episodes of your favorite TV shows that you may remember but have been totally banned from streaming or cable rotation! How many of these did you know? 

"Promises, Promises" - Boy Meets World

Boy Meets World was a coming-of-age comedy aimed at teenagers. The show taught lots of life lessons mixed in with some funny situations. The episode "Promises, Promises" almost crossed the line from family-friendly into raunchy territory. Topanga and Cory get a little intimate at prom. This was deemed too inappropriate and promptly nixed. 

Ghostwatch

This movie single-handedly terrified a generation of children. Ghostwatch is a TV special hosted by the BBC about a paranormal haunting in the UK. They never claimed that it was a real documentary, but they never said it was fake, either. The documentary followed a group of reporters who were ghost hunting. They ended up getting attacked by the ghost, Pipes. The documentary even featured a "live" call segment where apparent viewers could call in about their ghostly experience. This caused actual cases of PTSD in young children and was subsequently banned from the network.  

"Mid-Life Crustacean" - SpongeBob SquarePants

In this episode, Mr. Krabs decides to run around and create mischief with SpongeBob and Patrick. The episode was pulled from Nickelodeon's rotation in 2018 after a routine standards review. In 2002, this episode was a bop. In 2018, not so much. Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob, and Patrick sneak into someone's home to play a prank since Mr. Krabs wants to feel a little "excitement" in his life. Turns out, he accidentally broke into his own mother's house. You can still find this episode online. 

"Mr. Ratburn And The Special Someone" - Arthur

In the 22nd season of Arthur, Mr. Ratburn gets married to a man. In the episode, the children are trying to figure out who Mr. Ratburn is marrying because they cannot believe that teachers have lives outside of school. Then, they find out that Mr. Ratburn is gay. The episode was groundbreaking and applauded, except for folks in Alabama. The state of Alabama had it banned because it featured gay marriage.

"Electric Soldier Porygon" - Pokémon

This episode of Pokémon was not inappropriate nor offensive, but physically dangerous. "Electric Soldier Porygon" featured tons of flashing lights that ended up causing hundreds of hospitalizations in Japan. Flashing lights can induce painful headaches, seizures, and other serious health problems. The episode was cut and never aired anywhere else in the world. This was before flash warnings became a thing!

"The City Of New York VS. Homer Simpson" - The Simpsons

"The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" is a fan favorite to many, but critics felt that the episode is not tasteful since the 9/11 attacks. Homer Simpson is getting "victimized" by the city when he runs into tons of different obstacles. Homer even makes threats towards the Twin Towers and the city. Naturally, the episode wasn't aired after the events on 9/11. 

"iRue The Day" - iCarly

This "controversy" was a bit much and mostly seemed like an overreaction from the network heads at Nickelodeon. "iRue the Day" involved a character, Nevel, who blackmails Carly and her friends after hacking into her website. The episode was aired in 2007 but pulled from the network in 2014 due to the Sony hack. The network was afraid that the episode was "glorifying hacking." The episode was quickly put back into syndication. 

"The One With The Lesbian Wedding" - Friends

A major plotline of Friends is that Ross's ex-wife, Carol, gets married to a woman named Susan. Now, Ross has to co-parent with a lesbian couple, making them a very blended and progressive family. The wedding of Carol and Susan was banned on NBC just because it was a lesbian wedding. This was the first banned lesbian wedding on TV.

“Home” – The X-Files

The X-Files obviously has some questionable episodes. They deal with the paranormal and supernatural, after all! Apparently, only one episode crossed the line and made it on the banned list: "Home" followed an inbred family who was murderous criminals. It seems like it was too much for normal audiences to handle. 

"OEuf" - Hannibal

Hannibal can be quite gruesome with the death and murder. The show is about a big-time murderer, after all. The episode titled "OEuf" featured children who were being trained to kill. The episode was pulled from airing on TV at the request of the show's creator, Bryan Fuller, who said that he realized hours before it was set to air that the subject matter went too far.

"Comedians" - Beavis And Butt-Head

Beavis and Butt-Head is a weird, nuanced cartoon show that is funny yet uncomfortable. They took that uncomfy feeling and brought it to the next level with their episode called "Comedians." The raunchy show finally crossed the line when it ended up creating a real-life situation. The episode shows the two characters burning down a comedy club. This inspired a 5-year-old boy to do the same to his family home. 

"Episode 0847" - Sesame Street

Did you know that there is one episode of Sesame Street that is deemed too scary for children? In season 7, Margaret Hamilton showed up as her Wizard of Oz character, the Wicked Witch of the West. The episode aired in 1976. Shortly after, the company was flooded with complaints of scared children. It was quickly taken out of syndication. 

"Bored, She Hung Herself" - Hawaii Five-0

An episode of Hawaii Five-0 that aired in 1970 was titled "Bored, She Hung Herself." Obviously, that is a pretty heavy title for an episode. It was about a young woman who dies from an alleged suicide. It turns out, she died trying to master a yoga pose and accidentally suffocated. Sadly, one viewer tried the pose themselves and suffered from the same fate. The episode was cut.

"Elephant Issues" - Tiny Toon Adventures

Tiny Toon Adventures was all about the Looney Toons characters, but small! It was supposed to be a family-friendly show, but they fell short with one episode. The episode "Elephant Issues" had a segment called "One Beer." The segment follows a few of the characters who find an unopened beer. They end up getting drunk and stealing a cop car. The message was supposed to be that drinking is "bad" but it was still pulled due to the lack of clarity on the message. 

"Adopted" - You Can't Do That In Television

If you were a kid during the 1980s, then you definitely remember this show! You Can't Do That on Television is a comedy sketch show that was about kids, for kids. Comedy skits tend to walk on the line of what is appropriate and what isn't, but this episode absolutely crossed it. They ended up making fun of children who were adopted in the episode "Adopted." A lot of people weren't comfortable with this message and complained. The episode was pulled after enough people complained. 

"Buffalo Gals" - Cow And Chicken

Cow and Chicken were definitely one of the grossest, most annoying shows out there. It was pretty gnarly, especially for a children's show. In the episode "Buffalo Gals," the creators of the show made fun of gay women by using commonly known (and harmful) stereotypes. The women rode motorcycles, played softball, looked "like dudes" and liked to chew on carpets. It was aired once in 1998 and never seen again. Rightfully so!

"Conflict" - Mister Rodgers Neighborhood

Yes, somehow, an episode was Mister Rogers Neighborhood got banned! Mister Rogers was a kind soul who always tried to teach kids life lessons through kind words and fun neighbors. One episode, titled "Conflict," was about war and bombings. That's a tricky lesson for children, but Mister Rogers did his best at explaining why this happens in the world. Unfortunately, the episode aired the week of November 7th in 1983. This was a tough time in America, and parents felt that it was a little too close to home. So, the episode was pulled. It aired again in 1996, but never again. 

"The Puerto Rican Day" - Seinfeld

It's pretty obvious as to why this episode was pulled just by looking at the title. In the episode, George, Elaine, Kramer, and Jerry get stuck in traffic during a Puerto Rican Day parade. The episode was riddled with negative stereotypes against Puerto Ricans and even showed someone burning a Puerto Rican flag. The PR community was not pleased with how they were portrayed. The episode was cut from syndication. 

"Flying Dupes" - TaleSpin

TaleSpin was a popular cartoon show in the 1980s. It was a child's cartoon, so the themes were always positive or silly. That was not the case for this particular episode. In "Flying Dupes," Baloo delivers a package to the Thembrian High Marshall. Inside the package was a bomb. It was aired once in August 1991 and subsequently banned after that. 

"Episode 29" - The Amanda Show

Amanda Bynes starred in her own show called The Amanda Show. It was one of the most popular kids' shows airing during its time on Nickelodeon. In Episode 29, a family called The Lucklesses got their house hit by an asteroid and destroyed. The episode aired on March 17, 2001, but was pulled after the 9/11 attacks. 

"Partial Terms Of Endearment" - Family Guy

Family Guy has been airing for years, so it's not surprising that at least one episode has gotten completely canceled. In the eighth season, an episode titled "Partial Terms of Endearment" followed Lois as she decided to become a surrogate for a friend's baby. When the friends pass away in a car crash, she and Pete have to decide whether or not they will keep the baby. Fox didn't like this episode and canceled it from airing. It can still be found on the Season 8 DVD. 

"Windy City" - Mike & Molly

Mike & Molly is a silly sitcom that never really dabbled in anything controversial. This situation wasn't too bad, but they did ban an episode due to weather issues. The episode "Windy City" was about tornadoes and bad weather. At the time, tons of tornadoes were destroying the states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Kansas. In order to not draw any negative attention or make light of a bad situation, they pulled the episode. It was rescheduled to air at a later date. 

"201" - South Park

Yes, South Park has always been problematic, but never so much so that an episode was wiped off the grid... except for this one. Episode "201" is a notorious two-part episode that depicted the prophet Mohammed along with other religious figures. In religion, depicting Mohammed in any way is considered blasphemous. This episode sparked rage in a lot of folks. The animators tried hiding the figure in the second part (pictured) but they only made it worse. 

"Dial M For Monkey: Barbequor" - Dexter's Laboratory

Dexter's Laboratory was a total winner for Cartoon Network. Kids and (most) parents loved it despite its bizarre humor. The episode "Dial M for Monkey: Barbequor" featured the popular Justice Friends. One villain, introduced as Silver Spoon, was introduced. He was a parody off of another superhero, but fans of the show weren't happy about how Silver Spoon was portrayed. The writers completely holed him into a gay stereotype and fans felt that it was unfair to the gay community. The show was ripped from all platforms. 

"Earshot" - Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was met with tricky waters when they aired "Earshot." The episode follows a student who planned to harm his classmates. The story ends up unearthing the fact that he meant to harm himself, but that still is a dangerous message to bring out into the world. The episode was scheduled to air just a week after the Columbine mass shooting in 1999. It was aired at a later date, but the air around dangerous acts in a school was already hot and viewers weren't happy with it. 

"Patterns Of Force" - Star Trek

Star Trek always tried to slip in some relevant commentary of the time despite it being a total Sci-Fi flick. In the episode "Patterns of Force," the characters were dressed in Nazi uniforms. The reason was that they were being "brainwashed." Naturally, Germans didn't like this episode and banned it from airing in the country.

"The Ricardos Visit Cuba" - I Love Lucy

This episode isn't necessarily inappropriate or controversial, but there came a point where it didn't feel like it should be aired (apparently.) In the episode, Lucy, Ricky, and Little Ricky went to Cuba to visit Ricky's, Uncle Alberto. They wanted to get on his good side since he wasn't happy with the fact that Ricky married Lucy and not a Cuban woman. After the US went south with Cuba in the early '60s, the episode was pulled. 

"Boston" - Aqua Teen Hunger Force

Aqua Teen Hunger Force is a bit of a weird show, that's for sure. They ended up making an episode that was a parody of a marketing issue that the ATHF team faced. In the marketing for the film, the team made claims that homemade Lite-Brites were actually bombs. Unfortunately, the Boston police thought that it was true, and the entire situation ended up costing $2 million in fines and fees. The parody episode was taken off the air once a terrorist used a homemade bomb in Boston years later.

"Hee Haw! Hee Haw!" - Fear Factor

Fear Factor is obviously a show that is going to be gross, just look at the name. The contestants performed gross challenges to win money. This episode took it too far. The contestants were forced to choose between drinking two different liquids from a donkey. It was so disgusting that fans of the show complained if you can believe it. 

"The High Ground" - Star Trek: The Next Generation

This episode of Star Trek had the characters visit the planet of Rutia IV in which "a generation of peace has ended with terrorist attacks by Ansata separatists who are demanding autonomy and self-determination for their homeland on the western continent." Although this is obviously a fake world that was built by the writers, many folks noticed the similarities between the episode and the Irish Troubles, or better known as the Northern Ireland Conflict. This sparked tensions and was subsequently banned in the UK and Ireland. 

Derrick

This show was based in Munich and aired in the '70s and '80s. It was a major hit, especially in Germany. Overall, it was broadcast in 102 countries. The show was taken completely off the air (the re-runs, of course) in 2013 after it was revealed that Horst Tappert, who played Derrick, lied about his service during WWII. Tappert had been under the command of the Waffen-SS, which is a Nazi military branch. The network did not want to be associated with it, so it was completely taken out of rotation and abandoned. 

"Mister Skinnylegs" - Peppa Pig

Yes, Peppa Pig has a canceled episode! The children's cartoon got some backlash thanks to the episode "Mister Skinnylegs." This episode tried to show kids that spiders aren't bad creatures, nor are they scary. This may be the case for most kids, but not in Australia. The country has some gnarly spiders that should not be messed with, and Aussie parents felt that the show played down the severity of spiders. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation banned the episode.

"Living In Harmony" - The Prisoner

In this episode, Number 6 is placed in a virtual reality simulation. In fact, he's been placed right in the middle of the Old West. He is tasked with taking on the role of the town sheriff. Apparently, the episode was banned due to the portrayal of drugs and commentary on the Vietnam War. 

"Stokey The Bear" - Dudley Do-Right

Dudley Do-Right is a silly, old-school cartoon that accidentally took things a bit too far in one episode. "Stokey The Bear" follows a hypnotized bear who is going around and setting things on fire. Critics said that the episode glorified arson and lessened the severity of the offense. There was also the fact that Stokey the Bear was a total rip-off from Smokey the Bear, so there was a lawsuit in the works. Everything was destroyed.

"I'll See You In Court" - Married...With Children

Married... With Children was always under fire for being inappropriate, misogynistic, and crude. This episode in particular took things way too far and the network could not approve it to be aired. In this episode, a motel secretly films a couple while they're being intimate. The main characters Peggy and Al find the tape and end up helping their friends sue the motel for filming the couple. It was a bit much for the network.

"Imprint" - Masters Of Horror

This Showtime anthology series has tons of creepy stories and scenes, but one episode was too much to handle. Masters of Horror debuted back in 2005 and was edgy for the time. This episode was considered way too graphic and crude by those who previewed the episode. It was never released.

"Spychangers To The Rescue" - Transformers

Once again, an episode of a fictional show ended up hitting too close to comfort for the 9/11 attacks. This episode showcased a generator that exploded and released a poisonous gas. The network decided to kick the episode to the curb. 

"Party It Up" - Shake It Up!

Many would agree that Disney Channel shows have gone downhill in recent years. In Shake It Up!, the two characters snuck out of the house to attend a party where a world-famous supermodel was visiting. During the episode, there were many jokes made about eating disorders that made a lot of audiences uncomfortable. Even former Disney Channel star Demi Lovato spoke out against the episode. Luckily, it was removed. Rightly so!

"S-Out" - Bottom

For those who don't know, Bottom is a British show that involves two pranksters with no jobs or money running around in Hammersmith, West London. The show was meant to be crude, but one episode was completely condemned for crossing the line. In "S-Out," the two characters spend the night on Wimbledon Common. This wouldn't have been odd except for the fact that the real-life murder happened in that same area. Fans thought that they crossed a line by shooting there.

"See Me, Feel Me, Gnome" - The Powerpuff Girls

The Powerpuff Girls is filled with innuendos meant for adults that go over kids' heads (a lot of kids' cartoons are like that!). But one episode was a bit too much for most people and ended up getting banned. The episode "See Me, Feel Me, Gnome" was apparently too close to the themes of communism. So, the episode was shot.

"Busted" - BraceFace

BraceFace was a hilarious coming-of-age TV series that tons of kids enjoyed. This episode in particular was way too raunchy for TV. The episode follows the main character as she wishes for a bigger bust. Her wish is granted, but it goes awry. Naturally, the episode was quickly pulled off the TV. 

"Big Brother Caillou" - Caillou

Caillou is a Canadian animated show that was aimed at children. Caillou himself is a child who is going through his young life filled with obstacles that promote life lessons. In this episode, Caillou decides that he doesn't like his baby sister and ends up pinching her. Instead of reprimanding him, Caillou's Dad simply states that he pinched his sister. Parents weren't happy for this lack of message and they had it pulled.

"The Great MacGrady" "Binky vs. Binky" "Room to Ride" - Arthur

The children's show Arthur featured Lance Armstrong in three episodes, the last one being in 2009. It was quickly kicked out of the rotation in the network after the doping allegations against Armstrong turned out to be true in 2012. The episodes haven't been aired since, except for "The Great MacGrady," because they totally edited his weird bunny character out of the episode.

 "Unstoppable" - Law & Order: SVU

This episode was never aired due to bad timing. It was filmed in 2014 and slotted to air in 2015, but that was around the same time that the presidential campaigns began. The episode was about a narcissistic man who runs for president and is accused of sexual assault. The episode hit a little too close to home, and the producers were afraid that the episode would make it seem like they were making light of the very reality of America. Ice T confirmed that they filmed it but said it'll probably never get released since so much time has gone by.

"Kwarantined Krab" - SpongeBob SquarePants

This episode is titled "Kwarantined Krab." It was supposed to air in early 2020, but you can probably guess why it never went live. You can still find it online even though the Nickelodeon network never put it on air.

“Topless Showgirls” - Dance Moms

Dance Moms was already a super controversial show, but this dance routine really took the cake. The episode is titled "Topless Showgirls" so you already know that the network somehow thought that it was okay. Abby Lee had her dance team dress up as Vegas Showgirls and do a routine similar to that of a Showgirls. After it aired, it received a lot of complaints (naturally) and was taken off the network. 

“Accidents Will Happen” - Degrassi: The Next Generation

Degrassi was all about life lessons for teenagers. The writers had the characters go through some life-changing experiences that a lot of teenagers have to face. One character, Manny, had to get an abortion. The Canadian networks were fine with airing this, but it took American networks over two years to go through with releasing the episode. In fact, a petition had to be made in order to show this episode to American audiences.

"If You Can’t Be With the One You Love” - Boy Meets World

Like many teen sitcoms, Boy Meets World was a mix of silly and serious. In this episode, Corey and Shawn start drinking and getting drunk. They end up pushing their friends and family away because of it. Disney decided to stop airing the episode but it's still available on Disney+. 

"Maude's Dilemma Pt. 1" "Maude's Dilemma Pt. 2" - Maude

Believe it or not, Maude also had two episodes about abortion. Maude, played by Bea Arthur, finds herself pregnant at 47-years-old. The episodes follow her while she tries to figure out if she could keep the baby or not. This was aired in 1973, which is pretty impressive since the stances on abortion were generally against the surgery. After it was aired once, over 30 major networks refused to ever air it again. 

"Fat Like Me" - Daria

Daria was never really controversial, but this episode totally aged out. In "Fat Like Me" a character faces discrimination after she gains weight. Nickelodeon decided to stop airing the episode after a while since there was a negative correlation between gaining weight and popularity.

"The Hunger Strike" - The Boondocks

The Boondocks was created by Aaron McGruder and aired on Adult Swim. McGruder commonly took jabs at BET since he felt that the network was "destructive" towards the Black community. In this episode, the main character goes on a hunger strike. This is done to promote a boycott against BET. Adult Swim never aired the episode and it went straight to DVD.

"Minstrel Krampus" - American Dad

American Dad released the episode "Minstrel Krampus" right around the Sandy Hook massacre. The episode involved child death, so Fox decided that it was not appropriate for the current event that was unfolding. They wanted to stay sensitive to the families of the event. The episode was aired a year later.

"Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" - Community

Netflix and Hulu, two popular streaming platforms that have hosted Community, decided to completely remove a season two episode titled "Advances Dungeons and Dragons." In the episode, Chang (played by Ken Jeong) arrives at the high-stakes game of D&D wearing black makeup, elf ears, and a dark robe. Shirley (played by Yvette Nicole Brown) points out the makeup by saying, "So we're just going to ignore this hate crime?" in which Chang responds, "I'm a dark elf."

"Snuffy's Parents Get a Divorce" - Sesame Street

Sesame Street was all about teaching children life lessons in an easily digestible way. This episode talked about divorce, but it was never aired because the testing group didn't pass. Apparently, the children didn't understand the core message so the episode was never approved.

"Butt Atoms" - Teen Titans Go!

In this episode of Teen Titans Go!, the team messes around with "atomic toots" and accidentally end up causing a worldwide plague. The episode was first aired in October of 2019 but was taken completely off of the roster in 2019. Cartoon Network never said "why" outright, but we can all guess. 

"Blame It On Lisa" - The Simpsons

The Simpsons have yet another banned episode, but this time it was for insensitive content. "Blame It On Lisa" was originally aired in 2002 and followed the family as they traveled to Brazil. There were a lot of unfair stereotypes presented in the episode, and Brazilians were not happy. 

"The Puppy Episode" - Ellen

Ellen was a popular sitcom in the mid-'90s starring Ellen Degeneres. In "The Puppy Episode," Ellen's character comes out as gay. This was aired not long after Ellen herself came out. Though the episode wasn't outright banned, advertisers completely pulled away from the show leading it to get canceled. 

"Stark Raving Dad" - The Simpsons

The creators of The Simpsons and folks over at Disney+ decided that the episode featuring Michael Jackson would cease to exist. It has been pulled from streaming platforms and the cable show rotation. Obviously, the show came out before all of the allegations against Jackson. 

"The List" - Felicity

This episode wasn't banned, but it was quite controversial (especially among the made audience.) In this episode, the main character Felicity ends up cutting off her hair in order to start over after a break-up. Senior executives at The WB said that they received tons of emails complaining about Felicity cutting off her hair. The series even had a decline in ratings!