Top 10 Banned TV Shows

On paper, a group of kids in spandex saving the Earth from goofy monsters seems about as innocent as you can get. But these teenagers with attitude got majorly grounded in Malaysia. Not because of the show’s violence or anything like that, but because of its name. As a shorthand for the “morphing” Rangers underwent before battle, the show almost exclusively used the word “Morphin’.” Unfortunately, Malaysian officials thought it sounded a bit too close to the word “morphine.” The bright heroes were accused of glorifying drug use, and were forbidden entry to the country until the slang was dropped from the title entirely. Guess it wasn’t quite morphin’ time, yet.

No matter what their theme song says, it seems the real boss of the Wilkerson family are certain censors. “Malcolm In The Middle” launched to critical acclaim in 2000 due to its hilariously honest portrayal of adolescence. However, its unflinching look at Malcolm’s hormone-ridden life is the same reason it was banned from Malaysian airwaves. Representatives believed that both the young and adult characters were placed in mature situations far too often. This comedy certainly was a bit edgier than a few of its contemporaries. While its offbeat nature may not have appealed to censors in Malaysia, the show definitely found an audience in other markets.

Don’t let the name fool you. This is most definitely not a show for kids. Honestly, it’s not for anyone with a weak stomach. The cartoon-ish art style is just a facade to deliver some of the most graphic, gruesome, and merciless violence ever seen in animation. Simple storylines like going to the amusement park or setting up a lemonade stand always end with someone’s fur coated red. It’s hard to blame countries like Russia for preventing its international release since it could easily be mistaken for a children’s program. If a kid ever did tune into this, they'd probably be left with nightmares for life.

This seminal sitcom’s potrayal of a happy same-sex couple led to a few snafus with overseas markets. But censors in Iran took it a step further. After the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting refused to air the show due to Mitch and Cam’s romance, the country decided to remake “Modern Family” completely. “Haft Sang,” as it’s called there, is virtually a shot-for-shot remake without Mitch or Cam. They’re instead replaced with a heterosexual couple that has an adoptive child. Ironically, the great lengths they went through to alter the show made “Modern Family” feel less modern.

The title admittedly doesn’t leave much to the imagination. As you might imagine, the main ingredient of this food themed reality show is recreational marijuana. While it's legal to chef up the plant in certain states in the U.S., the show didn’t get license to air in a few international markets. Notably, Netflix removed it from their Singapore service because the censors there have a largely negative perception of marijuana. That policy also meant that the similarly themed “Cooking on High” (xref) that launched on the streaming service two years prior didn’t last either. There’s little chance any show that features marijuana themed dishes will be served to the country anytime soon.

Since its humble beginnings, the crude exploits of the Simpsons family have faced serious backlash over its crass humor. But that’s nothing compared to the complete removals it saw in other countries. China dropped its license allegedly to help foster its own animation industry. A BBC News article revealed that Venezuela also found the show “unsuitable for children”.. Miraculously, “The Simpsons” was able to narrowly escape a ban in Russia. Given the amount of bold jokes on the show, it’s kind of shocking that the Simpsons isn’t forbidden from airing in more parts of the world. The biggest thing the show seemingly has to worry about are criticisms that it isn’t as funny as it used to be.

Hawkeye and co.’s Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is regarded as one of the most popular television series of all time. But it was a different story in Korea. While the show was full of great humor, there was no avoiding that it was set against the backdrop of the Korean War. As a result, the series often portrayed the harsh reality of a war-torn country. This included showing South Korean citizens struggling to get by. Since the country didn’t want to be seen in such a negative light, the show was banned there. The harsh circumstances that “MASH” wanted to portray clearly wasn’t something South Korean censors thought was appropriate for its people.

A single episode is all it takes to understand why this lewd animated program has weathered a decade-long hurricane of controversy. It’s succeeded in offending most every part of society at some point, and it wears that as a badge of honor. Vulgarity, violence, politics, religion - you name it, they’re probably banned for it somewhere. The show’s aggressively obscene nature and willingness to criticize everyone led to an unprecedented ban from China. Not only was it removed from streaming sites and broadcast, but any terms related to the series were forbidden from social media platforms. Of course, in true “South Park” fashion, there’s an entire episode of the series poking fun at the situation.

After four seasons and over fifty episodes, it’s only Korra’s final minutes that ended up sealing its fate in Kenya. The show’s dramatic and action-heavy plots take a front-seat through most of its storylines. But they don’t overshadow a plotline wherein heroines named Korra and Asami become a lot more than friends. While the two are never depicted sharing a kiss onscreen, the show uses imagery from its predecessor series to heavily imply the two were in a relationship. Although it was a breakthrough for representation, the moment caused the Kenya Film Classification Board to deny the show entry.

Unless there’s some serious rewrites coming, this show may never get a release in China. The government has been known to enforce edits on international media. But the issue they have with this show can’t be easily written around. And no, it’s not the sci-fi violence, political commentary, or even the themes of reincarnation. Instead, China draws the line at time travel. The country reportedly frowns upon any media where characters are able to alter time for their detriment or benefit. Unfortunately, the show’s entire plot revolves around visiting the past, future and everything in between. It seems the Doctor would need more than his Tardis to travel to airwaves in China.