Top 10 Most Controversial TV Shows of the Century (So Far)
#10: “Family Guy” (1999-2002; 2005-)
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There aren’t many topics that the “Family Guy” writers haven't taken aim at, and they’ve upset plenty of people along the way. For example, the episode “Peter-assment” features a musical number about Terri Schiavo’s end-of-life battle which infuriated her family. The show has also been criticized for insensitivity towards transgender people and victims of domestic violence. But the reaction to the episode “Turban Cowboy” was particularly bad. In the episode, Peter inadvertently falls in with an extremist group. There is a cutaway we can’t show here that features him driving a car into runners during the Boston Marathon. The situation got worse when a real attack happened a month after the episode aired. “Family Guy’s” willingness to push the envelope has kept it in hot water.
#9: “The Idol” (2023)
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This HBO show was apparently in shambles behind the scenes, resulting in a critically panned final product that was cancelled after one season. Reports came out alleging various toxic incidents on set. The departure of director Amy Seimetz seemingly changed the show's focus and led to reshoots. In the show, Lily-Rose Depp’s Jocelyn attempts to rebuild her music career while falling under the thrall of cult leader Tedros, played by Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd. The hyper-sexualization and seedy scenes, some of which contained assault, caused outrage. The events of the final episode, when Jocelyn declares her love for the abusive Tedros, didn’t help the show’s case.
#8: “13 Reasons Why” (2017-20)
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Tackling tough subject matter for a largely teenage audience can be difficult. Some succeed, but some don’t. The Netflix show “13 Reasons Why” had several controversial moments. According to a study led by the Nationwide Children’s Hospital, there was an increase in teens and preteens taking their own lives around the release of the first season. This was possibly inspired by the graphic nature of the scene where the main character ends her life, which we’ll refrain from lingering on here. The show prompted a national discussion about what's appropriate to depict for a younger audience. Netflix actually removed a part of the first season finale before releasing the third season in response to the criticism.
#7: “The Boondocks” (2005-14)
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From its origins as a comic strip to its run as an animated series, “The Boondocks” always pushed boundaries. But it went too far for some audiences. In the season one episode “Return of the King,” an alternate history is described where Martin Luther King Jr. survives his assassination attempt and wakes up from a coma in 2000. While the episode won a Peabody Award, some viewers were shocked to see the Civil Rights leader use racial slurs multiple times towards a room filled with people. When the show was added to HBO Max, the episode “The Story of Jimmy Rebel” was left off the streaming service. This was allegedly due to its depiction of a racist country singer character based on Johnny Rebel.
#6: “Toddlers & Tiaras” (2009-16)
Considering “Toddlers & Tiaras” is a reality show about child beauty pageants, you can probably guess it’s going to have plenty of problems. Somehow, it still lasted seven seasons. One of the more disturbing moments involved one youngster being dressed in a padded costume to resemble Dolly Parton. The incident was even referenced in a custody battle between the child’s parents. Another episode saw a child dressed as the main character of “Pretty Woman.” Alana Thompson, who went on to get her own show in “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” first appeared on “Toddlers & Tiaras.” The spinoff was criticized for exploitation and leaning into stereotypes.
#5: “Saturday Night Live” (1975-)
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With a sketch comedy show that’s been going since 1975, there are bound to be a few scandal skeletons in the closet. One of the most infamous controversies from “Saturday Night Live” happened in 1992. The late Sinéad O'Connor tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II in order to protest against the Catholic Church’s alleged abuse. But the series has found itself in hot water many times. In 2022, SNL parodied the The Try Guys video on the Ned Fulmer scandal. It drew criticism for making light of the situation, which involved inappropriate workplace conduct. Then, in 2023, Woody Harrelson’s monologue included jokes which alluded to anti-vaccine conspiracies.
#4: “Jackass” (2000-01)
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If you grew up in the 2000s, there’s a good chance you tried to copy the antics of “Jackass” by doing a dumb stunt. Maybe you took some swings at your friend’s mid-section or consumed something horrendous. However, the slew of alleged imitations caused some concern as people were rumored to have been injured or killed while emulating them. After three seasons, the show ended. It was reported that the creators, particularly Johnny Knoxville, were unhappy with overbearing executives dictating what they could portray on the show. An intervention into a planned vomit and omelet stunt could have been the final straw. The “Jackass” crew moved on to creating films, where they had room for many more controversial stunts.
#3: “Game of Thrones” (2011-19)
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This groundbreaking HBO show covered a lot of controversial topics. After all, there was a ton of violence, graphic scenes, family members who were way too friendly with each other, and an Ed Sheeran cameo.Even the lighting being too dark was seen as a big issue. Some elements of the show were criticized for attempting to draw viewers by being exploitative. However, “Game of Thrones” really fanned the flames of controversy when it came to its rushed season 8. Fans were livid at Daenerys’s rapid heel turn when she attacked King’s Landing. Throw in the disappointing conclusion to several character arcs and an underwhelming crowning and fans were not pleased.
#2: “Making a Murderer” (2015-18)
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The media could not get enough of the debate around this Netflix documentary series. The show tells the story of Steven Avery, convicted in the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach, and his nephew Brendan Dassey, who was convicted as an accessory to the crime. The show follows the case and Avery’s legal history, making the argument that the police investigation could have been corrupt and botched. A petition to pardon Avery and Dassey took off, eventually reaching over 500,000 signatures and garnering an official response from the White House. The portrayal of the investigation also resulted in a lawsuit. In 2018, a former detective in Manitowoc County, Andrew Colborn, claimed that certain events of the series amounted to defamation and sued Netflix.
#1: “South Park” (1997-)
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Famous for its satire, the animated series “South Park” has ruffled many feathers over its hundreds of episodes. The show has taken aim at many targets, such as Tom Cruise and his affiliation with Scientology. It had an episode where a parody of Steve Irwin appeared with a stingray hanging off him at a costume party, alluding to his real life death. That episode aired only seven weeks after the incident. In 2010, the Indian Ministry of Broadcasting banned the show for its vulgarity. “South Park” also sparked backlash for several episodes that featured the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Despite the amount of flack it’s received over time, this hotly debated show seems to be able to weather any and all controversies.
