15 TV Episodes That Were Pulled After Airing
These controversial TV episodes aired once and then disappeared from screens, sometimes forever.
- Chris Graciano
- 4 min read
TV history is full of episodes that vanished after airing due to unexpected real-life events. Some were yanked for being too disturbing, others for being too ahead of their time. Here’s a look at 15 episodes that networks pulled shortly after airing; some of which may never see the light of day again.
1. Pokémon – “Dennō Senshi Porygon” (“Electric Soldier Porygon”)
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A rapid-flash sequence triggered health crises; headaches, dizziness, seizures in hundreds of children, forcing TV Tokyo to pull the episode immediately and suspend the series for months.
2. Tiny Toon Adventures – “One Beer”
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This dark parody showed Buster, Plucky, and Hamton intoxicated and crashing a car. It felt way too grim for a cartoon, so Warner Bros. pulled it from American air entirely.
3. Hawaii Five‑O – “Bored, She Hung Herself”
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This 1970 episode was pulled after a viewer allegedly imitated a self-hanging yoga technique shown on screen and died. CBS never aired it again and removed it from syndication and official releases entirely.
4. The Ren & Stimpy Show – “Man’s Best Friend”
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An oar‑beating and explicit content sealed its fate on Nickelodeon. This led to the firing of its creator, and it was never aired.
5. Seinfeld – “The Puerto Rican Day”
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Viewers protested a scene where Kramer accidentally burns a Puerto Rican flag, prompting NBC to pull the episode from syndication. Though later reinstated, it remains a polarizing moment in the sitcom’s history
6. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – “Earshot”
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Set to air one week after the Columbine massacre, this episode featured a subplot involving a school shooting. Out of respect and concern, the network delayed it until months later, with added warnings.
7. The X‑Files – “Home”
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Widely considered the most disturbing X‑Files episode, its story of inbred murderers and hidden deformities horrified viewers. Fox banned it from reruns for years due to complaints over graphic violence and grotesque content.
8. Family Guy – “Partial Terms of Endearment”
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Involving Lois becoming a surrogate and debating abortion, this episode was too controversial for Fox to air in the U.S. It eventually released on DVD and aired in the U.K., sparking ongoing debate over censorship.
9. South Park – “Bloody Mary”
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This episode sparked outrage by depicting the Virgin Mary in a highly offensive way. Religious groups called for its removal, and Comedy Central pulled it from reruns despite its inclusion in DVD sets.
10. Beavis and Butt‑Head – Fire-themed episodes
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After a child set a fire allegedly inspired by Beavis’s catchphrase, “Fire! Fire!”, MTV removed all references to fire and pulled related episodes. The show returned later with censorship in place for several years.
11. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – “Conflict” Arc
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This five-episode arc dealt with nuclear war and government mistrust during the Cold War. PBS found the content too serious for its young audience and pulled it from rebroadcasts for decades.
12. Boy Meets World – “Prom‑ises, Prom‑ises”
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Corey and Topanga’s candid discussions about sex on prom night were considered inappropriate for Disney’s young viewers. The network banned it from reruns, despite strong fan support for its realism.
13. The Twilight Zone – “The Encounter”
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Featuring a Japanese-American character confronting a WWII veteran, the episode tackled themes of racism and war guilt. Due to its controversial language and themes, it was pulled from syndication for decades.
14. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – “America’s Next Top Paddy’s Billboard Model Contest”
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Originally aired with scenes involving blackface, this episode was later removed from streaming services during cultural content reviews. The creators acknowledged the controversy and removed several episodes themselves.
15. You Can’t Do That on Television – “Adoption”
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This episode made light of adoption with insensitive jokes, leading to immediate backlash from families and advocacy groups. It was pulled and labeled with a “DO NOT AIR” warning internally by the network.