10 most controversial TV shows ever

Despite its long run and millions of viewers, Teen Mom, now known as Teen Mom OG to differentiate from the numerous spin-offs it sparked as well, remains one of the most controversial shows ever on television. Naysayers argue that the series glorifies the idea of teenage pregnancies, even though it purports to showcase the hardships teenage parents must endure.

Following each young woman’s story on the show, many of them went on to experience intense scrutiny and became involved in various scandals. From one star joining the adult film industry to another going to prison and other criminal behavior from both the moms and the fathers, the message Teen Mom sent was not one of positivity and education. Instead, it comes across as capitalizing on the misfortunes of these young, unprepared parents.

Before shows like Euphoria, there was 13 Reasons Why. Executive-produced by Selena Gomez, the show elicited strong reactions from viewers, many of them negative. While 13 Reasons Why set out to deliver a real and emotional depiction of teenage suicide, many people found it to be far too raw, particularly the actual suicide scene featured in the first season.

There was a public outcry that led to trigger warnings before episodes. The show, however, didn’t shy away from controversy in subsequent seasons, featuring a storyline about a school shooter and an equally graphic and troubling scene of rape with an inanimate object. Some feel the stories are important to tell and the show serves as a good educational tool for parents to watch with their teenagers and encourage an open discussion about mental health. But others felt it was far too graphic and triggering, believing the show did more damage than good. Nonetheless, 13 Reasons Why lasted for four seasons, perhaps due to the controversy it kept generating year after year.

Chances are that if a show like Beavis and Butt-Head was pitched today, it would never see the light of the day. With that said, Paramount+ has ordered a revival of the show, proving that despite controversy, Beavis and Butt-Head made its mark in pop culture history. But not everyone was all for the adult animated satirical black comedy, which followed the two title characters (both voiced by creator Mike Judge) as teenage slackers who are unintelligent, lowbrow, and apathetic.

So many reality shows fall into the most controversial TV shows ever category, but arguably none so much as Bridalplasty. The competitors were 12 women competing to win a dream wedding and plastic surgery they so desperately wanted. Each week, the winner of a specific challenge would win one procedure they wanted, from a nose job to a tummy tuck.

In the end, the women were paraded on stage for their husbands-to-be and judges to determine whose transformation was the most compelling. It’s no surprise Bridalplasty was widely criticized for promoting body image issues among women and “pushing the limits of medical ethics.” Even reality TV fans couldn’t stomach the show, with viewership dropping exponentially as the sole season continued to air.

While there was an American version of Skins, it’s the original British version that is widely considered to be the better of the two, and also the one that drew the most controversy. Back in 2007, openly portraying characters with fluid sexuality and issues like mental illness, substance abuse, and bullying so graphically wasn’t as common. Skins, however, jumped head-first into controversial topics, depicting a group of teenagers dealing with everything from eating disorders to bipolar disorder, adolescent sexuality, and even death.

Widely successful and developing a cult following, looking back, many consider Skins to mark a turning point in television and serious depictions of the teenage experience. Without Skins, we would never have shows like 13 Reasons Why and Euphoria. But at the time, some critics called the show irresponsible, exaggerated, and inappropriate for teens.

The name says it all. Soon after it premiered in 2000, Jackass made household names of Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, and Steve-O. But the dangerous nature of the stunts the men and others in the cast pulled through the reality show’s season made fans cringe and question why such a show should be permitted on television. In every episode of Jackass, the men would perform various stunts, like getting themselves tasered on purpose, pepper spraying themselves, and even getting shot in the chest while wearing a bulletproof vest. Basically, anything and everything a jackass might do.

Not surprisingly, Jackass was criticized for being dangerous, indecent, and irresponsible. The show moved to an after 10 p.m. time slot (with repeats still airing earlier) and heavily featured “do not try this at home” disclaimers. Jackass remains part of pop culture history, despite the controversy around it, and has spawned an entire media franchise of spin-offs along with nine movies, a video game, and merchandise.

“Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” is a chant that any ‘90s kid knows well. And while The Jerry Springer Show was just another low-brow daytime talk show among a sea of many, it arguably got most of the heat. The controversy surrounded the purported exploitative nature of the show. Episodes often made a mockery of people’s misfortunes, dire circumstances, and violent personalities. Their outbursts were put on full display for selfish entertainment. Indeed, The Jerry Springer Show became so heated more times than not that security guard Steve Wilkos became a celebrity in his own right.

Nonetheless, the late Springer, who passed away in April 2023, has been credited with heavily influencing the conflict-based daytime television format that continues to do this day through numerous other talk shows. Despite being on the air for decades, he managed to garner an entirely new fanbase of Millennials in the 2010s as well.

Heil Honey I’m Home! was meant to be a spoof of American sitcoms. But this U.K. sitcom arguably went too far, and was disgustingly distasteful, even for the far more liberal times of the ‘90s. Adolf Hitler (Neil McCaul) was the central character, a typical middle-class man having trouble getting along with his neighbors, a Jewish couple.

Critics called the show “perhaps the world’s most tasteless situation comedy.” The show was so controversial that while eight episodes were filmed, only the first was ever aired. The first season was supposed to have 11 episodes, and the plot was to thicken with Hitler’s attempt to kill his neighbors. It’s a wonder this series ever made it on television.

Heil Honey I’m Home! is not available to stream, rent, or buy, and for good reason.

One of the most controversial, and ironically also one of the longest-running television series ever, South Park has been going strong for 26 seasons and has developed a strong base of devoted fans across multiple generations. But the satirical animated black comedy hasn’t been without controversy. The show is profane, dark, and deeply inappropriate, which is not everyone’s cup of tea. There are particular scenes and episodes, however, that naysayers believe were taken too far.

Beyond the general “toilet humor,” people have criticized South Park’s constant mockery of religion for cheap laughs, repeated use of racial slurs, and how it pokes fun at influential figures, including everyone from Tom Cruise to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Following an episode entitled Band in China, South Park was officially banned in that country, fulfilling its destiny as one of the most controversial and successful shows ever.