Controversial Episodes

[GoldenFamilyTies]

Can anyone think of episodes of TV Shows that were controversial in any way?

[Janice]

I don't know if controversial is the right word, but Edith's near rape on All in The Family packed an emotional punch.

There was a lot of buzz surrounding Ellen DeGenere's character coming out on her show (Ellen?).

[C Doody]

The Diff'rent Strokes episode with the Bike Guy trying to molest Arnolds and Dudley.

[James]

I am a fan of Laverne and Shirley on the whole, but I remember several episodes I thought were controversial:

1. Episode #161, "The Playboy Show" (from the last--and Shirley-less--season: When I saw the Playboy building I immediately switched the channel! Forget the absence of Shirley!)

2. Episode #125, "I Do, I Do" (they almost marry two British rockers after eating marijuana-laced brownies--N@N or TVLand (or both!) refused to air this one)

Also, Episode #78 of The Wonder Years , "Christmas Party", was aired very sparingly because of the scene with Mr. Ermin smoking marijuana in the Arnold basement. (FWIW, there was also a scene with a scantily-dressed woman in a short dress in one of the scenes in the house in which Wayne said, "I'm outta here!" or the equivalent.)

[Sitcomwriter]

Just about any episode of NYPD Blue....

[Chocoholic]

What was that Married With Children episode that got those conservatives all up in arms? I didn't like the show myself, but I just changed the channel when it came on. Couldn't those people have just done the same thing? It bugs me when people try to censor TV.

[JT]

Originally posted by James
I am a fan of Laverne and Shirley on the whole, but I remember several episodes I thought were controversial:

1. Episode #161, "The Playboy Show" (from the last--and Shirley-less--season: When I saw the Playboy building I immediately switched the channel! Forget the absence of Shirley!)

You changed the channel just because you saw the Playboy building? Talk about straight-laced...

I think that the episode of Three's Company "Days of Beer Weeds" was probably sparking a lot of controversy. The episode was about Jack, Janet, and Chrissy finding what they think is marijuana in the Ropers' garden. Not-knowing that it is marijuana, Mrs. Roper enters it in a flower arranging competition. It turns out that it isn't marijuana, and Mrs. Roper loses the competition because Mr. Roper threw a big clump of clay on it. This episodes has one of my favorites quotes of the series that goes kinda like this (it isn't accurate):

Chrissy (after they find the "marijuana"): I know what we can do [to get rid of it]! We can burn it!
Jack: Yeah, and get the whole neighborhood stoned!


I think "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" had some controversal storylines, Such as Mary getting VD from Tom who got it from Mae who got it from some man she didn't even know.

In recent years, "Three's Company" has raised controcersy at N@N with the episodes "Paradise Lost," "Going to Pot," and "The Charming Stranger." For many years, up to last year, these three episodes were NOT included in the rerun package. "Paradise Lost" was excluded because it features Larry and Mr. Furley drunk. "Going to Pot" was left out because it has many references to pot. "The Charming Stranger" wasn't shown because of a SPLIT-SECOND, accidental showing of John Ritter's........"jewel bag." All three episodes are now back in the package, with all of the "controversal" scenes still in them.

[*PinkLady*]

Wasn't Soap (the entire show) supposed to be controversial? I've only watched it once so I don't know.

[David]

"Three's Company" Here are 3 contreversial episodes...

"A Hundred Dollars A What" because it had something about a hundred dollar a night call girl

"Paradise Lost" because there's a scene with Mr Furley and Larry drinking and getting drunk

"The Charming Stranger" because we can see John Ritter's scrotum for like 1 second.

[Impressions]

The Facts of Life had over ten controversial episodes, but I don't think the the whole show to be controversial, even though the name does give it away. But it did deal with a few serious issues, that would be cosidered controversial.

[David]

A lot of All in the Family episodes were contreversial

[SBTB Geek]

I always considered the following sitcoms to be very controversial:
-Facts of Life
-Diff'rent Strokes
-All In The Family/Archie Bunker's Place
-Jeffersons
-Sanford & Son

Sitcoms like, "Full House," "Saved By The Bell," and "Boy Meets World" touched controversial issues without making the episodes un-"airable."

[David]

Facts of Life touched on many serious topics

[Adamantium]

-Maude's abortion episode (I think it was episode 5)

-The "TV Land Controversial" episode of "The Munsters" where Eddie wants to kill a bully at school. TV Land refuses to show it, even though it's The Munsters.

-I remember seeing a special about Janet Jackson's character on "Good Times" having an abusive mom.

-Although not the exact episode was controversial, but in "I Love Lucy", they weren't aloud to say the word "pregnant." They just said "Lucy's expecting.

That's all I've got.

[boechsner]

The Hogan Family (known as Valerie from 1986-1987) episode called Bad Timing. David decides to have sex and buys condoms. This is the first TV show to state the word condom and NBC aired a parental warning before the episode aired on 2/8/1987. The episode called The Best of Friends, the Worst of Times (12/1/90), in which David's friend Rich reveals he has AIDS and by the end of the episode has died.

Mr. Belvedere episode called, The Counselor (5/6/88) in which Wesley deals with a camp counselor who's a child molestor. The episode called, Wesley's Friend (1/31/86), in which Wesley's friend has AIDS. The episode called Kevin's Date (10/24/86) in which Kevin decides to have sex for the first time. ABC aired a parental warning on that one.