Top 10 Controversies That Killed Their Series

Top 10 Controversies That Killed Their Series

Welcome to WatchMojoUK, and today we’re looking at controversial moments and scandals that were the death knells for the TV shows involved.

#10: A Sitcom Too Far

“Heil Honey I’m Home! (1990)

It might surprise you to hear that the infamous Hitler sitcom that aired on the short-lived channel Galaxy in the 1990s isn’t QUITE the worst thing to ever be produced for television. The controversial satire was in extremely bad taste, but there are a lot of terrible British comedies out there. Still, it was probably for the best that only one of its eight total episodes was ever broadcast and it remains remarkable that nobody realised what a bad idea it would be before it got all the way to the airwaves. People were understandably horrified by the premise of Hitler and Eva Braun trying to murder their rich, Jewish neighbours, and the show remains almost entirely unseen.

#9: Nothing Can Replace “The Word”

“The Girlie Show” (1996-97)

One of the most controversial shows of the 1990s, a decade in which people would do absolutely anything to get on TV, “The Word” was the most anarchic show of all. Airing late at night on a Friday, it was expected that the show’s young audience would be drunk and lairy, having just come back from the pub. “The Word” ended in 1995, but Channel 4 was swift to replace it with “The Girlie Show”, covering the same topics in the same timeslot, but now fronted by women. “The Girlie Show” is NOT fondly remembered by British audiences, and only had two series and twelve total episodes after the tabloids led a campaign to have it destroyed. 

#8: Non-Stop Injuries

“Gladiators” (1992-2000)

Though it ran for most of the 1990s, eventually the problems inherent in “Gladiators” got too much for ITV to bear. The show took a cast of unknown athletes and bodybuilders, made them famous, and offered them everything they could want on a silver platter. This led to chaos behind the scenes; the cast slept together, took drugs, and some even got involved in crime. Ultimately, though, the big issue was the injuries. It’s a miracle nobody died on the show, though Diane Youdale, who nearly broke her back while falling from the pyramid, came close and left soon after. It’s also telling that “Gladiators” has been revived twice, too, with the subsequent versions on Sky and the BBC also plagued with injuries.

#7: Divorce Behind-the-Scenes

“Meet the Richardsons” (2020-24)

Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont tied the knot back in 2015, but nine years later, they called it quits and announced that they were getting a divorce. Not much has been said, with the comedians’ focus being on getting everything over and done with and protecting their daughter. But both careers have been affected, with their Dave mockumentary “Meet the Richardsons” presumably cancelled. Interestingly, no cancellation has yet been announced, but they did make their separation public at the same time series 5 began. It also makes it hard to rewatch the show as they play up their bickering for the camera. Elsewhere, and Beaumont’s hit sitcom “Hullraisers” has also been cancelled in the wake of all this. 

#6: Fake Mediums

“Most Haunted” (2002-10; 2014-19)

Britian’s premier ghost-hunting show is actually still going over on its YouTube channel, but despite years of searching, Yvette Fielding and Karl Beattie haven’t found a TV network willing to give it a third chance. It already got axed once but ended after another five-year run over on Really. One controversy is still talked about it to this day, though, as Derek Acorah was dropped from the show following an episode in which he was exposed as a fake. Infamously, the show’s sceptical parapsychologist planted a fake name on the set. This name, “Kreed Kafer”, was an anagram of “Derek Faker”, and Acorah used it without realising. But the show lost its charm without him and his possessions.

#5: Quitting Live

“Blind Date” (1985-2003)

It ruled evening television in the 80s and 90s, but in 2003, time was running out for “Blind Date”. It was already on the rocks thanks to plunging ratings, but ITV decided that the way to liven things up was to send out the episodes live. For whatever reason, Cilla Black hated this, and announced on air that it was going to be her last season of “Blind Date”, to the shock of everybody involved – namely, the production crew, who suddenly found themselves out of a job. It turned out that Cilla Black was irreplaceable, surprising nobody; without her, things fell apart, and even a Paul O’Grady fronted reboot on Channel 5 ended prematurely.

#4: Allegations

“White Gold” (2017-19)

In 2017, three women made serious allegations against Ed Westwick, best known for his starring role in “Gossip Girl”. At the time, though, Westwick was the lead in the BBC sitcom “White Gold”, made by “Inbetweeners” co-creator Damon Beesley. “White Gold” wasn’t a monster hit but it was popular with everyone who tuned in, landing it a second series. But filming was paused while Westwick was investigated. He ultimately wasn’t charged and series 2 wrapped up and came out in 2019, but there has never been a hint that a third series might come. It seems that the controversy around Westwick well and truly killed this promising show.

#3: Secret Final Episode

“Sherlock” (2010-17)

It took the country by storm in 2010, as we got a sleek, stylish, modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. But slowly, “Sherlock” began to deteriorate, until they put out a fourth series so bad that its fans decided there was a secret, fourth episode hiding somewhere that would redeem it. They even decided that the BBC was covertly broadcasting the episode under the name “Apple Tree Yard”, with the clue being that “Apple Tree Yard” starred actress Emily Watson – who coincidentally shares a surname with John Watson. Unsurprisingly, the episode doesn’t exist. While this controversy was small and confined to the show’s fanbase, those dedicated fans were basically the only people watching at that point, and the fiasco destroyed whatever goodwill was left.

#2: Horror Crash

“Top Gear” (2002-22)

After twenty years and numerous cast changes, “Top Gear” came to an end in 2022. It had been through many controversies, but most memorable are the multiple near-fatal car crashes its stars have been through. First was the 2006 Vampire dragster crash, in which Richard Hammond almost lost his life. Hammond was also involved in another dangerous crash while filming “The Grand Tour”. Freddie Flintoff, one of the new presenters, also went through two brutal crashes during filming, and the second of these has left him with lifelong injuries. The details have never been revealed publicly, but it was so serious that he won millions in lost income from the BBC, and the show has been shelved indefinitely. 

#1: Death of a Guest

“The Jeremy Kyle Show” (2005-19)

While “Top Gear’s” accidents are serious, there are shows out there that have been cancelled because people involved have lost their lives. “The Jeremy Kyle Show” is one of these, and it’s not actually known how many former guests have died after participating, because it’s certainly more than Steve Dymond. Dymond took his own life in 2019 and ITV immediately paused production, with the show being swiftly cancelled for good and its presence erased from official channels online. In the aftermath, Channel 4 made an exposé about how vulnerable people were targeted by the producers involved in casting, while Kyle himself refused to speak at the inquiry into it and has also refused to apologise.

Let us know in the comments which shows deserve another chance, and which should stay cancelled.