10 Banned TV shows that gave an unbelievable shock to the world

Updated on July 25, 2022 12:58 PM by Ella Bina

We're so fortunate that we live in the Golden period of the television world. We have more quality content at our fingertips than ever, and we are becoming less motivated to go out and get some cinematic entertainment.

No matter how rich the TV world is with different types of content, not everything is suitable for every type of viewer. This culminated in banning shows in other countries and, in some extreme and exceptional cases, even in the countries of their origin (which most of the time is the US).

The banned shows range from entirely produced controversial TV series that were forbidden by the network, which was never allowed to see the sunshine, to popular western shows that sparked outrage globally. The list contains shows that were the victims of state ethics, network, or foul viewers.

Doctor Who

The Chinese sensors are undoubtedly a sensitive bunch who are infamous for banning Winnie the Pooh from the state-owned TV and internet because it was mockingly likened to the current Chinese President Xi Jinping online.

Sure enough, the nation made a much stronger decision in 2011 when it clamped down any media that showed using time travel that the censors regarded as perky and disrespectful to history.

This led to a completely damaging, harmful show called Doctor Who being prohibited from official broadcast in China. The authorities didn't care about its campy, playful tone or the reality that it didn't disparage anly real-life historical people, especially the Chinese ones.

Heathers

Initially, Paramount wished to air the TV adaptation of their classic 1988 black comedy Heathers at the beginning of this year. But, after the horrific shooting incident in Stoneman Douglas in February, the series that talked about a similar subject had to be pushed back to the summer.

A month before the show was set to be premiered, the show was utterly dropped by the network, which was an entire 10-episode season that was already produced. This decision was taken because Viacom executives felt uncomfortable with the thorny theme of the show in the light of yet another unfortunate high school shooting.

As the show's rights were already sold globally, it is available in other parts of the world but is effectively banned in the country of its the United States.

Hey Arnold

Although Hey Arnold – Nickelodeon's classic animated show is more than twenty years old, it was banned the previous year. Kenya Film Classification Board banned the show in a unanimous crackdown on TV series which support the deviant LGBTQ agenda.

Just like The Legend of Korra and Adventure Time, Hey Arnold was claimed to glorify homosexual behavior and was deliberately made to corrupt children's moral judgment related to family institutions.

The board gave references from the show in the ruling – Arnold's grandfather has a d*ck for his head – refers to his testicle-shaped chin and shaft, which look to run up the side of his head. Another scene was pointed out where a sign read 'Try my sausage' while pointing toward Phil, blaming the promotion of the gay agenda. There is no point wasting time in finding out the truth and logic in it – it is simply age-old homophobia.

Manchester Prep

Manchester Prep was a Fox network series as a prequel TV show for the hit film Cruel Intentions, released in 1999. The show is all ready to star Robin Dunne as Sebastian Valmont and Amy Adams, 25, as Kathryn Martel.

However, in late 1999, Fox got cold feet for the sexual content in the show, and it stopped the production when only two episodes were shot. The irony is that most of the Fox TV shows are sexless, but gratuitous violence is okay for them. It was shocking that the network even thought about such a show.

Wait! This isn’t the end. Fox then wanted to regain their sunk money. So, they re-edited the already shot episodes in a feature film, even adding some extra sexier scenes. The funny part is the prequel was named Cruel Intentions 2.

If I did it

The show, if I did it, was a planned multi-media project in which O.J. Simpson provided a hypothesis explanation for his ex-wife Nicole Brown and also her friend Ranald Goldman's murder. Of course, Simpson was accused and acquitted as well for this murder.

It was a ghostwritten book by Pablo Fenjves and a TV special meant to be broadcast on Fox to offer the book's release simultaneously. The show had elaborative interviews with Simpson sharing how he would have committed that murder.

On the day both projects were launched, Fox abandoned both projects citing high pressure from Fox owners and poor PR.

The Simpson

Is there any other TV series animated or not that offers a better representation of the American family as done by The Simpson? Although, the show's anarchy spirit has been so controversial that President George H.W. Bush directly referred to it in his re-election speech in 1992.

Finding it objectionable is quite challenging because of the show's soft, sentimental edges.

Myanmar, a small country in southwest Asia, didn't find the show as entertaining as the rest of the world. The state felt that the bright yellow character designs with orange and red clothes in the series were way too much similar to the combination of yellow-red used by rebels at that time.

Not only was the TV series pulled, but The Simpson Movie was not granted permission to release in 2007 in the country.

The KKK

This was a documentary series produced by A&E about the members of the Ku Klux Klan who wanted to escape its tight hold on them. But, just three weeks before the show's premiere in January 2017, the network abandoned the show. This was done after the revelations were out that the producers bribed some interviewees, violating A&E policies.

Although A&E wanted to go ahead with it because it felt the documentary was a serious piece of investigative journalism. Walt Disney Co. owns the production company and obviously didn't want to get involved in any conspiracy. Still, considering the ethics, the company had no option but to prevent the show from going on air.

Captain America: The Animated Series

Marvel collaborated with Saban Entertainment and came up with a Captain America animated series that was to premiere in late 1998. It re-created Cap as Tommy Tompkins having a Red Skull will take the antagonist role. The typical Nazi context was to be dimmed significantly.

Scripts were finalized, major design elements ready, and a sizzle reel for 60 seconds was all set, yet the plug was pulled out, whose exact nature is still unknown.

Some blame it on the bankruptcy of Marvel; other consistent rumor says that the studio had an objection to the slightest whiff of Nazi thing. Although, such elements were nowhere to be seen in the finalized scripts.

All my babies’ mama

The show proved that even the cheap reality TV factory sometimes has some unclear decency standards. This show starred rapper Shawty Lo, and ten other mothers of his eleven children had to air in 2013.

The network Oxygen canceled the show following the public outcry where the accused the show of glorifying promiscuity and dangerous reinforcement of racial stereotypes.

Good Grief

Although this Lifetime-produced documentary series about the everyday working of a family in a Texan mortuary had nothing problematic initially, the network cremated the show in 2014. The decision was taken after decomposed and/or corpses were found at the funeral home resulting in the owner's arrest.

Lifetime canned the show hardly after a week the news broke out, literally on the day it had to be aired. Though, it was surprising from a network that regularly shows some horror movies like Evil Doctor, Bad Stepmother, etc.