The 15 Most Controversial TV Show Episodes of All Time

From full-blown nudity to the most shocking plot twist of them all, we've got you covered.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

If you crave a little sex and violence in your life, chances are network television is the last place you should turn to satisfy your urges. For years, advertisers and censors have all but stripped away the vulgarity and nudity from television, leaving us with endless cooking competition shows and so-called reality TV that is about as staged as professional wrestling. And if you don’t have a paid cable package like HBO and Cinemax, you’re stuck watching shows that are about as edgy as church.

However, occasionally an episode of a TV show comes along that pushes the boundaries of basic human decency and gives us the mature content we all want to see. Whether they feature excessive violence, religious and political satire, or a brief flash of nudity, the history of TV is filled with standout episodes that have gained the ire of people from around the globe. Sometimes the networks censor out the racy parts and leave us with a truncated mess, but other times they simply decide to ban the episode from ever hitting the air. Either way, these episodes give us a glimpse at what we wish the television landscape looked like. 

Tonight marks the premiere of Seth MacFarlane’s new show, titled Dads, and the buzz is that the first episode is filled with racial and sexual humor that often gets network executives reaching for the kill switch. The show is already being singled-out by various activist groups for its content, and that just makes us want to watch it even more.

Will the series premiere of Dads really live up to the hype and be crowned the most offensive 30 minutes in TV history? We’re still waiting on that answer, but until then, check out some of its competition in our countdown of The 15 Most Controversial TV Show Episodes of All Time.

RELATED: 20 Banned or Otherwise Unavailable Movies You Can Only Watch Online 
RELATED: The Most Ridiculous "Message" Episodes in TV History 

15. “Blame it on Lisa” (The Simpsons)

Not Available Interstitial

14. “Electric Soldier Porygon” (Pokemon)

Not Available Interstitial

13. “One Beer" (Tiny Toon Adventures)

Not Available Interstitial

12. “I’ll See You in Court” (Married with Children)

Not Available Interstitial

11. “Comedians” (Beavis and Butthead)

Not Available Interstitial

10. “Conflict” (Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood)

Not Available Interstitial

9. “Man’s Best Friend” (The Ren & Stimpy Show)

Not Available Interstitial

8. “Pilot” (NYPD Blue)

Not Available Interstitial

7. “Return to Camelot Part 1” (Dallas)

Not Available Interstitial

6. “Partial Terms of Endearment” (Family Guy)

Not Available Interstitial

5. “The Puppy Episode” (Ellen)

Not Available Interstitial

4. “Home” (The X-Files)

Not Available Interstitial

3. “The Puerto Rican Day” (Seinfeld)

Not Available Interstitial

2. “Maude’s Dilemma: Parts 1 & 2” (Maude)

Not Available Interstitial

1. “200 and “201” (South Park)

Not Available Interstitial

Latest in Pop Culture