Top 10 Dark Truths About Shows You Love

“That ‘70s Show” (1998-2006)
This beloved period sitcom follows six high school students who spend their nights indulging in a certain herbal substance. Jackie and Kelso were one of the show’s enduring pairings, and the performers behind them, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, ended up becoming a real-life couple. As Jackie was the youngest character, Kunis was also the youngest of her co-stars. In fact, she was only 14 when she landed the role! The actress actually lied about her age and didn’t tell the show’s creators until it was time to sign the contracts. Some viewers have since expressed discomfort over this, as it means Kunis was often kissing much older co-stars.

“Roseanne” (1988-97; 2018)
Roseanne Barr’s fictionalized counterpart was known for her irascible personality and withering wit, but writers who worked on the show might be the first to tell you it wasn’t all an act. Even when the show was airing, horror stories from the set were rampant. One such story was that instead of learning the writers names, Barr and her co-star, as well as then-husband, Tom Arnold, had them all assigned numbered T-shirts to wear. Barr was also heavy-handed when it came to firing people, and the t-shirts made this easier. Some saw working on the show as a great challenge, while others called it a degrading experience.

“Community” (2009-14)
The former “Saturday Night Live” star played Pierce Hawthorne, the rich and bigoted member of the core study group at Greendale Community College. The actor fought with series creator Dan Harmon and his fellow actors from early on, including a reported outburst in which he used a racial slur. Apparently, Chase had become aggravated about his character’s bigotry and was using the slurs as an example. Star Joel McHale also had his own stories about Chase. According to McHale, the two got into physical fights on the set that were halfway between roughousing and genuine violence. So much for community spirit!

“The Ren & Stimpy Show” (1991-96)
Given that it aired on both Nickelodeon and MTV, it’s hard to always place who this trippy and eccentric animated show’s audience really was. But the show’s weirdness captivated 90s kids everywhere. John Kricfalusi[a], also known as John K., was not just the show’s creator. He wore many hats, fulfilling roles as the show’s main voice actor, theme music composer, and showrunner. In 2018, fans of “Ren & Stimpy” were horrified to learn of multiple allegations against John K. of inappropriate relationships with young fans, many of which happened around the time he was making the show.

“Martin” (1992-97)
Martin Lawrence’s self-titled sitcom followed his fictional alter ego, Martin Payne, a Detroit DJ. His on-screen love interest, Gina, was played by Tisha [b]Campbell. The show was wildly popular in the early to mid ‘90s, but a sexual harassment lawsuit made it all come crashing down. Campbell filed the suit against Lawrence, who vehemently denied the harassment, and the show ended amidst the chaos. Campbell only returned to the show under the condition she wouldn’t share scenes with Lawrence. Fan speculation has surrounded the drama ever since. They’ve since patched things up, but it’s hard to go back and watch, knowing how their off-screen relationship would play out.

“Boy Meets World” (1993-2000)
In the show’s fifth season, Trina McGee joined the cast of ABC’s cherished sitcom about a group of adolescents and their teacher, Mr. Feeny. She played Angela Moore, the girlfriend of Shawn Hunter. During her time on “Boy Meets World,” McGee recalls moments where she was subject to prejudiced comments and microaggressions from her castmates. One instance included co-star Will Friedle[c] comparing her to Aunt Jemima, an American breakfast brand based on the Jim Crow-era mammy stereotype. Even her guest spot years later on the show’s revival, “Girl Meets World,” was an uncomfortable experience. Her tweets on the subject were picked up by the news media, but she has since made amends with many former castmates.

“7th Heaven” (1996-2007)
This WB series about a Protestant minister and his wife raising a family and learning moral lessons along the way was sometimes criticized for a heavy-handed and preachy approach. For 11 seasons, actor Stephen Collins played Reverend Camden, the moral center of “7th Heaven.” But in 2014, a recording of Collins’ marriage counseling session made it to the news media, and in it, he confessed to several instances of sexual abuse. In an instant, his image was shattered. He hasn’t worked since, and even fans who watched “7th Heaven” ironically were never really able to view the show the same way.

“Sesame Street” (1969-)
The jovial red Muppet has been a family favorite for years. Since his introduction in the 1980s, “Sesame Street’s” Elmo has been one of the show’s breakout stars. So, to think that the man behind Elmo left the role due to a huge scandal is a pretty hard pill to swallow. Voice actor and puppeteer Kevin Clash resigned from the role in 2012 after several men came forward accusing him of an inappropriate relationship with them. Due to the statute of limitations being up on these alleged crimes, their cases were dismissed. Clash has since moved on to other puppeteering gigs while Elmo has been voiced and puppeteered by Ryan Dillon since Clash vacated the role.

Various
In 2022, former “iCarly” star Jennette McCurdy’s explosive memoir detailed much of her traumatic years as a child actor at Nickelodeon. Next came the 2024 docu-series, “Quiet on Set,” which blew the lid off of what happened behind the scenes at the kid-friendly network. Internet gossip had circulated surrounding Dan Schneider’s actions for a while before that. The showrunner and bigwig producer’s alleged abuse of power behind the scenes was felt both by the performers and staff on shows like “All That” and “The Amanda Show.” But that was just the start of the parade of horrors some of the young actors endured at the network.

“The Cosby Show” (1984-92)
He was America’s dad. Bill Cosby’s character, the lovable Cliff Huxtable, was the patriarch of an affluent African-American family, something that was seldom seen on TV at the time. The wholesome illusion was torn apart when Cosby was accused of sexual assault by multiple women spanning back decades. Standup comedian Hannibal Buress[d] jump-started renewed interest in old gossip when his jokes about Cosby went viral. It wasn’t long after that multiple victims came forward to share their stories. Cosby was later convicted, but that conviction was overturned in 2021 over questions of due process. However, as former “Cosby Show” actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner says, it forever “tarnished” the legacy of the show.

Did these dark truths make you think differently about your favorite show? Let us know in the comments.

[b]TEE-shuh.
[c]fri-DEL
[d]BURR-iss.