Television censorship is a notoriously fickle thing. With audiences’ standards constantly changing from one decade to the next, certain things that were once normal to joke about soon become inherently unacceptable by today’s sensibilities. Conversely, other, then-controversial humor might be looked upon as relatively tame by modern audiences, leading to these episodes’ critical reevaluation years after their initial release.
While these episodes continue to endure their fair share of controversy, they also remain definitive products of their time, illustrating how far audiences have come since these episodes aired on television. In some cases, the reason for their banned status might be justified, but at the time they were released, audiences utterly adored the content of these somewhat problematic episodes.
“Episode 847” (Sesame Street)
It’s ironic to think that one of the nicest individuals in Hollywood portrayed one of the most frightening villains in cinematic history. Famously regarded as one of the kindest actors on the set of The Wizard of Oz, Margaret Hamilton nevertheless terrified audiences with her portrayal of the infamously loathsome Wicked Witch of the West. Just as audiences recoiled at the sight of Hamilton’s Witch in 1939, 1976 viewers expressed similar derision upon seeing the character again in Sesame Street’s “Episode 847.” After dozens of parents sent in letters of complaint regarding the Witch’s “horrifying” appearance, Sesame Street removed “Episode 847” from syndication, ixnaying any chances of further upsetting impressionable young viewers.
“Dee Reynolds: Shaping America’s Youth” (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has never shied away from some admittedly dark humor. Case in point with Season 6’s “Dee Reynolds: Shaping America’s Youth.” As with several other banned It’s Always Sunny episodes, “Dee Reynolds” features a prominent use of blackface in its episode’s main narrative, mainly owing to the gang’s amateur fan film, Lethal Weapon 5. Though the episode is no longer available on streaming services, viewers can still purchase “Dee Reynolds” through websites like Google and other digital providers.
“Cartoon Wars: Part 1 and 2” (South Park)
Like the aforementioned It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, South Park has gained a well-deserved reputation for pushing the envelope in terms of its graphic, often lewd subject matter. Yet even then, “Cartoon Wars: Part 1 and 2” remains an entirely different sort of animal altogether. Satirizing the larger entertainment medium (with special focus on South Park’s creative rivals at Family Guy), “Cartoon Wars” left some viewers a tad uncomfortable with its satirical portrait of Muhammad, with Comedy Central censoring images of the Islamic prophet in the two-part episode’s second installment. Ultimately, when South Park was transferred to streaming services like Max and Paramount+, the two companies notably left “Cartoon Wars” and several other episodes off their online catalog, almost entirely due to each episode’s depiction of Muhammad.
“Advanced Dungeons & Dragons” (Community)
Community’s “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons” is notable for a few reasons. As most D & D fans will likely tell you, it’s one of the few mainstream sitcoms to feature a largely accurate portrayal of a Dungeons & Dragons game in its entirety. More tellingly, the episode also offers a stirring look at mental health and depression, especially through its sympathetic treatment of the study group’s ailing classmate, Neil. Unfortunately, various streaming providers removed “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons” from their digital libraries owing to Ken Jeong’s lore-accurate appearance as a dark elf – which strongly resembles the use of blackface. (Something even commented upon by Pierce halfway through the episode.)
“Mid-Life Crustacean” (SpongeBob SquarePants)
A fan-favorite episode for SpongeBob fans around the globe, “Mid-Life Crustacean” also packs in some surprisingly adult-oriented jokes throughout its 15-minute runtime. While it does a great job focusing on Mr. Krabs’ attempts to reclaim his lost youth, concerned parents regarded “Mid-Life Crustacean” with a degree of skepticism for its focus on Patrick and SpongeBob’s panty raid at the end of the episode. Because of this, Nickelodeon and Paramount+ halted “Mid-Life Crustacean”’s syndication, with Nickelodeon representatives citing the episode’s adult humor as the reason for its banned status today.
“Home” (The X-Files)
At the time it was released, “Home” was widely regarded as the most horrifying episode of The X-Files to air on television (which, considering the nature of certain X-Files episodes, is certainly saying something). The first X-Files episode to earn a TV-MA rating, “Home” only aired once in 1996 before it was pulled from syndication, largely stemming from its disturbing subject matter and graphic content. Three years later, the episode aired as a highly publicized Halloween special, complete with a network warning detailing “Home’s” notoriety among mainstream viewers. Due to the episode’s austere popularity, “Home” has since become far more readily available to watch on both streaming services and network syndication.
