Peppa Pig – “Mr. Skinny Legs”
If you have a child at home, or you had a TV when you were younger, then you will know about the children’s TV show – Peppa Pig. In 2004, the seemingly harmless episode “Mr. Skinny Legs” aired, which showed Peppa becomes friends with a spider, learning that she shouldn’t be afraid of them. However in Australia, this episode has been banned due to an ‘inappropriate message’ since spiders in Australia can be incredibly poisonous.
Pokemon – “Electric Soldier Porygon”
Everyone knows Pokemon, the popular game whether you collect little monsters to make them bigger and stronger, however did you know that the visuals in “Electric Soldier Porygon” caused the episode to get banned? The episode had flashing and strobing lights to simulate explosions, which caused 600 children need a trip to the hospital as the lights caused various illnesses like nausea, seizures and even temporary blindness!
The X-Files – “Home”
The X-Files have never been known to shy away from horrible things, from monsters to mutants, it’s really no surprise that they found themselves on the wrong end of the banning stick in 1994. The “Home” episode showed a deformed baby buried in a field, but as Mulder and Scully investigate, they find a family of inbred monster men without arms or legs, living under a bed in the family home. The episode was deemed too disturbing to air.
Sesame Street – The entire show
There’s nothing that screams childhood more than this fun-loving show of Sesame Street. There could be nothing worth banning from this muppet-filled show, right? Mississippi seem to disagree. In 1970, the state cited its fully integrated cast of diverse characters and how that may clash with the Mississippian veiws, and the show was banned from channels for 22 days. Although it was eventually unbanned, it was still historical for the state.
Cow And Chicken – “Buffalo Gals”
If you were a fan of cartoons in the late 90s, then you most likely watched Cow And Chicken, a show about a pair of siblings that portrayed often crude, unobvious adult jokes and made various jokes about bodily functions. However, one joke crossed the line which led to it being instantly banned. It was about a group of female bikers who wore buffalo head helmets who broke into peoples houses to check up their carpets. The show was full of innuendos.
Family Guy – “Partial Terms of Endearment”
It’s no surprise that the raunchiest, grossest adult cartoon would get a banned episode at some point in its career. Surprisingly, the episode that was banned wasn’t with Quagmire or Herbert, but rather an episode tackling abortion and pro-choice VS pro-life views. It focuses on Lois’s decision to have an abortion or not after the couple she was a surrogate for died in a car crash. The episode was full of jokes and jests from both sides, which inevitably led to a banning.
The Amanda Show – “Episode 29”
Remember Amanda Bynes? The 90s girl who ran Nickelodeon from her sketch show alongside co-host Drake Bell. The ill fated episode featured a skit called ‘The Lucklesses’ which was about a family who tried to go about their day bit received numerous unlucky disasters like their house being hit by a meteor. The episode was banned since it aired just 6 months before the 9/11 attack and producers were scared it would resemble the tragedy a little too much.
Married With Children – “I’ll See You In Court”
The well-known sitcom from the 1980s Married With Children often used crude humour and remarks to make the audience giggle. However, 1 woman wasn’t laughing at the “I’ll See You In Court” episode which showed the main characters suing the owner of a hotel for filming their ‘intimate’ time without permission. It showed a woman removing her bra, and mentions homosexuality, which led to a woman from Michigan writing a letter of complaint due to the shock-factor of its time.
You Can’t Do That On Television – “Adoption”
I mean come on, on a show called You Can’t Do That On Television, it was basically asking for an episode to get banned! The episode titled “Adoption” was about a couple who had adopted several children. The children were treated poorly, but in a funny way to adhere to the rules of comedy – slime was dunked on everyone. However, instead of the audience laughing like they were meant to, they became quite upset as the episode ‘went too far’ and the episode was instantly pulled.
South Park – “201”
South Park is the Holy Grail of offensive shows. It parodies and mocks anyone and everyone without any limit or concern. However, episode “201” was the reached limit, which was about a team of religious icons acting as superheroes, fighting against numerous celebrities. The episode was banned due to it featuring Muhammad, the prophet of Islamic faith who cannot be depicted in any form. The episode aired once, and never again.