10 Controversial TV Scenes That Had To Be Cut

Jun 24, 2023

TV episodes are always edited for time and story, but these 10 scenes from the most popular shows were cut for being too controversial for audiences.

Warning: Contains discussion of violence, terrorism, suicide, sexual abuse and graphic depictions of sex and murder.There are 10 scenes from TV's most popular series that were deemed offensive and cut to avoid controversy. Removing scenes to fit an episode's allotted running time and to provide a cohesive story for its viewers are the most common reasons for making editing decisions. Additionally, the reviewing of a completed episode by the production crew and the network or streaming service can prevent a problematic scene from being shown to audiences.

While TV shows can't please everyone, efforts are made to nix any scene that will likely cause a major uproar. Feedback and protests from viewers can easily cause a series' ratings to plummet or be canceled. In some instances, series creators will edit out a scene years after it's aired because of newfound awareness around a particular issue. Information about controversial scenes can be found online via entertainment news outlets, and these are the 10 cut scenes that are the most discussed in retrospect.

Related: 10 Controversial Movie Scenes That Had To Be Cut Before Release

Before it aired on October 11, 2001, Friends altered the third episode of season 8, "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross," due to the terrorist attacks on 9/11 that occurred one month prior. The subplot of the episode featured Chandler and Monica at the airport, preparing to depart on their honeymoon. Throughout the episode, they are upstaged by another newlywed couple on every part of the trip, including their resort destination. Originally, Chandler and Monica weren't supposed to make their flight due to being detained by airport security after Chandler jokes about a sign that says "Federal law prohibits any joking about aircraft hijacking or bombings."

The finale of the first season of 13 Reasons Why featured a graphic 3-minute depiction of Hannah's suicide, of which the show was centered around. Following outcry from several suicide prevention organizations who raised concerns about the romanticizing of suicide, the show added a warning note at the beginning of the episode. However, two years later, the Netflix series decided to re-edit Hannah's death, which was a result of her cutting her wrists. The edited version shows a distraught Hannah looking in her bathroom mirror before transitioning to her parents finding her body and reacting to the tragedy.

Although viewers regularly expected a fair amount of graphic violence on The Walking Dead, audiences were shocked, during the season 7 premiere of The Walking Dead, when Negan bludgeoned Glenn and Abraham to death with his barb-wired baseball bat, Lucille. It was one of the series' most terrifying and gory scenes, and it could've been much worse. Initially, all 11 characters in Rick Grime's group were filmed being murdered, and the death that creators considered showing was of Negan pummeling a pregnant Maggie with his bat.

A subplot in the season 1 episode of Sex and the City focused on Charlotte's relationship with Michael whose golden retriever Butterscotch hangs around constantly. Angry at Michael's insistence that Charlotte perform oral sex and freaked out that the dog is staring at them, Charlotte stormed from the room. Returning a few minutes later to apologize for her reaction, Charlotte discovered that Butterscotch is fulfilling Michael's request. The scene, of course, was too much for HBO who immediately demanded the content be eliminated.

The relationship between Norman Bates and his mother Norma was unhealthy and twisted from the start in Bates Motel. An incestuous vibe was ever-present in all five seasons though no explicit scenes were presented to viewers. But Vera Farmiga, who played Norma, confirmed in July 2016 that overtly sexual scenes were filmed to make it clear to audiences that sexual abuse occurred between Norman and Norma. Realizing that such a depiction would be unfit for television, the scenes were never aired.

Despite its penchant for graphic portrayals of sex and violence, Game of Thrones filmed one scene that was too brutal for HBO. In the season 4 episode, "The Mountain and the Viper," there is an intense battle between Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane and Oberyn "Red Viper" Martell. The Mountain surprisingly defeated the Viper by gouging his opponent's eyes and then ripping his head completely apart. For the edited version that aired, the camera turned away from Gregor as he stuck his fingers in the eyes of Oberyn, sparing viewers from seeing the swordsman's head explode.

Following its initial broadcast, the irreverent workplace sitcom, The Office, cut the cold open to the season 6 episode, "Koi Pond" where the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin set up a Halloween party in the warehouse for kids in the community. The scene was fairly benign until the end when Michael simulated a suicide to teach a life lesson. Michael's insensitivity horrified the kids and the fictional incident caused enough outrage that viewers pulled the entire Halloween scene from re-runs, syndication and streaming platforms.

Related: The Office's Season 6 Halloween Episode Opening Was Cut On Netflix

In the wake of nationwide protests for racial justice in the summer of 2020, The Office re-edited the 2012 season 12 episode, "Dwight Christmas," because of a blackface scene. In the episode, Dwight shared his family's German Christmas traditions, his co-workers quickly learn that the folklore includes a character named Zwarte Piet, or Black Peter, a young slave who is often depicted in blackface and wearing bright pantaloons. When Stanley, the lone Black salesperson at Dunder Mifflin, objected to the racism, Dwight sent a text warning warehouse worker Nate, dressed as Black Peter, to not attend the office Christmas party.

A show about a forensic expert who moonlights as a serial killer of criminals was bound to be visually disturbing, and Dexter's opening credits gave viewers a glimpse of the main character's psyche and obsession. However, the first draft of the credits, which shows Dexter making breakfast before heading to work, was too gory and dark to broadcast with its depiction of food that looked nearly identical to the insides of a human body. As a result, a toned down version was used instead.

For 34 seasons, the long-running satirical sitcom, The Simpsons, has had episodes censored and offended just about everybody with clever, humorous and silly social commentary. Yet, there are several instances in which certain scenes were censored or cut post-broadcast, and one particular scene comes from the episode, "The Front." On a visit to the local film studio, Bart and Lisa pass by a room where animators for the "The Itchy and Scratchy Show" are putting a lit stick of dynamite in a cat's mouth, so they can make their cartoons look more realistic. As the camera pans to the Simpsons' kids in the corridor, an explosion arises from the animators' room. Because it implied animal abuse, the scene was edited out of the episode.

Andy is a 47-year-old writer who lives in the Atlanta metro area with his two children. Andy is a huge Star Wars and Marvel fan and loves all kinds of TV, movies, music and comic books.