Top 10 TV Scandals That Got Episodes Banned

The Disney Channel sitcom "Shake It Up" created a lot of controversy in 2010. In an episode titled "Party It Up”, characters CeCe and Rocky find themselves at a party where they meet a model who tells them, "I could just eat you guys up. You know, if I ate." The line did not sit well with Disney Channel alum, Demi Lovato. The singer, who has dealt with their own eating disorders, took to Twitter to express their anger towards the network. Shortly afterwards, the episode was pulled, re-edited and put back on the air without the harmful line. Another “Disney” series, “So Random” also earned backlash for a similar joke in poor taste.

Since first airing in 2004, "Peppa Pig" has become a children's television phenomenon and, therefore, quite influential. So, when an episode featuring a lesson about spiders aired, there was some concern. The episode titled "Mister Skinny Legs" followed Peppa's family befriending an arachnid, teaching its young audience not to fear the eight-legged creatures. It was a message with good intentions, but it’s important to note that not all spiders are built equally. The episode was pulled in Australia, home to some of the most dangerous spiders, given that the message was not only false but potentially hazardous to children who live there.

After an early screening of an episode with a misguided plotline, some reached out to Disney to voice their concerns. "No Sugar, Sugar" sees Miley and Lily discover their friend, Oliver, is diabetic and attempt to keep him safe from candy. Of course, chaos ensues when they go to a party where sweets are plentiful. With an influx of worries flooding in after the on-demand viewing, Disney Channel removed the episode, reshot, and renamed it "Uptight (Oliver's Alright)" so that it could air in the following season without spreading misinformation.

The sports world was rocked in 2012 when news broke that cyclist Lance Armstrong was being investigated for performance-enhancing substance use. A couple of years prior, the once celebrated athlete appeared as a special guest on an episode of PBS's long running series "Arthur." In "The Great MacGrady," Arthur and the gang tend to their school's lunch lady who is diagnosed with cancer. Armstrong, a cancer survivor, appeared as an animated version of himself to help the young characters cope with the heavy news. By the time the scandal happened, the episode was already airing as a rerun. PBS took it out of circulation and, in 2021, a new version aired where Armstrong was replaced with a character named Uncle Slam.

"Family Guy" has never been afraid to ruffle feathers and, in 2010, it even challenged its own network. FOX banned an episode of the series called "Partial Terms of Endearment" due to its storyline featuring abortion. The plot follows Lois becoming a surrogate for her old college roommate and her husband. After she becomes pregnant, however, the couple is killed in a car accident, and Lois must decide whether to carry the pregnancy to term. In the end, she decides to not to. The episode was prohibited from being shown in the USA. Still, critical responses were largely favorable and, that summer, “Partial Terms of Endearment” made its debut on the UK network BBC Three.

"Pokémon" once caused a major health scare due to an on-screen special effect. In the episode "Electric Soldier Porygon," Pikachu creates an eruption of electricity resulting in flashing lights. The strobe effect caused some children watching to become ill. Many experienced seizures, and over a jaw-dropping number of 600 ended up in the hospital. The fallout from the episode, known as "Pokémon Shock," was swift, and the episode hasn’t seen the light of day screen. Other animated series like "The Simpsons" and "South Park" have also parodied the incident, proving that this scary event will not be forgotten.

"Sesame Street" is one of television's most educational programs but, in 1976, it received a harsh lesson of its own. Infamously known as "Episode 847", "Sesame" welcomed guest star Margaret Hamilton. Reprising her role as the Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz," Hamilton goes on a journey to retrieve her missing broomstick and, in the process, scares residents like Big Bird. Not only were the cuddly characters terrified, but so were the series' young viewers. Parents' complaints to PBS were heard loud and clear, and the episode flew right off the air.

There have been so many controversial episodes of "Dance Moms," but one episode, in particular, is truly shocking. During "Topless Showgirls," dance teacher Abby Lee Miller choreographs a fan dance for her pre-teen pupils. In Western culture, this type of dance is known for being a revealing and rather adult style of performance. To make matters even worse the girls were made to wear bodysuits the same color as their skin. Miller called the whole thing "harmless," despite some dancers and their mothers expressing discomfort. The network ended up yanking the episode and excluding it from all of its DVDs and streaming services.

"Fear Factor" fans used to tune in week after week to see what new dangerous or disgusting challenges the reality show had up its sleeve. But the "Hee Haw! Hee Haw!" episode could sicken even the strongest of stomachs. Meant to air in the seventh season, the show challenged sets of twins to drink… let’s just say different bodily fluids from donkeys. Thankfully, NBC pulled the nauseating episode before it made it to air, but it was made available online years later. Now that we think of it, perhaps they should have renamed the show "Ick Factor."

Just ahead of its series finale, "Seinfeld" was at the top of its game. "The Puerto Rican Day'' episode brought in its highest ratings thus far, but it wasn't exactly a success. The episode saw Jerry and his quartet dealing with New York traffic during the Puerto Rican Day parade. During the climax, Kramer accidentally sets a Puerto Rican flag ablaze and is chased by angry parade attendees. NBC faced severe backlash, and went ahead and removed the episode, acknowledging their offense. However, the episode was later resurrected as part of the sitcom’s syndication.