The 15 most controversial TV shows ever

Daniel Smith/FOX

TV’s been an institution in homes around the world for over 6 decades now. It’s what families do at the end of a long day, and these days, it’s the way a Saturday afternoon gets frittered away. Many shows come and go without much noise. Others are remembered for their quality, either because it’s very high or very low. There are some TV shows that are remembered for reasons that have little to do with quality, though. Some shows are remembered for the controversies they caused.

These controversies can come in a variety of forms. Sometimes they occur because a show brings up realities that its audience is not ready to confront. Other times, the show is in the wrong, typically for depicting something that’s insensitive or in some way a betrayal of fan engagement. Plenty of shows have made missteps, and plenty more have intentionally stirred up trouble.

Here are the 15 Most Controversial TV Shows Ever:

15. "24" (2001-2010)

Daniel Smith/FOX

24 broke plenty of formulaic barriers during its run on Fox, but it was also notable for pushing the boundaries of how much, and what degree of, violence could be shown on broadcast network television. While the violence was certainly part of the reason that there was some pushback to "24," there were also arguments about its depictions of torture and its treatment of the subject of terrorism.

While there are certainly some who believe that Bauer’s tactics are justified given the circumstances of his life, there are many who saw these depictions as crossing a line of moral responsibility. Still others criticized the show for its depiction of Muslims, and of anti-Islamic sentiment. While the show always worked to quell any idea that it was biased against Muslims or in favor of torture, there were many who felt that its constant attempts to tackle the topic were often insufficient in addressing the problems.

14. "Luck" (2011)

HBO/"Luck"

Luck is infamous for reasons that have little to do with the show’s content. The short-lived HBO series focused on horse racing was actually fairly acclaimed by critics, and featured Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman in the leading role. It was the behind the scenes story that got this series canceled after a single season. The show, which frequently used real horses, was accused of violating the safety of the animals it was using, and was marred by this controversy almost from the minute it aired.

The accusations of animal cruelty eventually overwhelmed any love that people felt for the show. HBO’s statement on the show’s cancelation claimed that, although safety precautions had been taken, several accidents had occurred which led to the death of three horses during the show’s first season. Clearly, the death of these horses wasn’t acceptable, and it was probably for the best that the show was taken off the air.

13. "The Simpsons" (1989-)

The Simpsons/YouTube

The Simpsons is an institution in the world of animation, but that doesn’t mean that the show has always been free of controversy. Bart, the son of Homer Simpson and the show’s early breakout character, was a controversial figure because of his constant misbehavior, and the fact that he was rarely punished for his actions.

The show also caught flack for specific episodes. One, which featured a family visit to Rio de Janeiro, was seen as playing into stereotypes about Brazilians. Another, which was one of the show’s most controversial episodes, was controversial not because of its depictions of stereotypes, but because of the changes that were made to Principal Skinner, a character who had been part of the show since the first season.

In the episode in question, Principal Skinner is revealed to be a fraud, and his entire identity is retroactively changed, which also changed the audience’s relationship to the character moving forward. Naturally, the audience felt kind of betrayed by this revelation.

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