Some TV episodes stirred so much backlash or discomfort that networks decided they were better off forgotten. Whether due to changing social norms, political pressure, or unexpectedly offensive content, these episodes aired once and then vanished. From beloved cartoons to serious dramas, these moments reveal how quickly public opinion can shift and how networks respond to controversy. While some fans still seek them out online, these shows quietly removed the episodes from reruns, streaming platforms, or official box sets. Here are nine episodes that were pulled after a single broadcast.
1. “200” and “201” — South Park
These two episodes, part of South Park’s 200th milestone celebration, included a storyline featuring the Prophet Muhammad, which sparked serious threats. The episodes were censored even during their initial airing, with Comedy Central bleeping out Muhammad’s name and blurring his image. Afterwards, the network pulled both episodes entirely from reruns and streaming platforms. Even South Park’s creators admitted the censorship was extreme but acknowledged the safety concerns involved.
2. “Elephant Issues” — Tiny Toon Adventures
This early ’90s cartoon episode took a strange and dark turn. In one segment, Buster, Babs, and Plucky experiment with beer, get drunk, and then die in a car crash. While the intent was clearly to send an anti-drinking message, the delivery shocked parents and educators. The backlash led to the episode being banned from syndication and home release. What was meant as a morality tale ended up being one of the most unsettling moments in kids’ animation.
3. “The Puerto Rican Day” — Seinfeld
Aired near the end of the show’s legendary run, this episode featured the gang getting stuck in traffic during New York’s Puerto Rican Day Parade. The scene that sparked outrage showed Kramer accidentally burning a Puerto Rican flag and stomping it out. The backlash was swift, with protests and condemnation from Puerto Rican community leaders. NBC quickly pulled the episode from rotation. It didn’t resurface on TV for years and was left out of some early syndication packages.
4. “Partial Terms of Endearment” — Family Guy
Even Family Guy has its limits. This 2010 episode tackled abortion in a surprisingly serious storyline where Lois considers terminating a pregnancy. The episode was so controversial that Fox refused to air it in the United States, although it did make it to air in the UK. It was later released on DVD, but to this day remains one of the most censored episodes in the show’s history. The subject matter hit a cultural nerve, even for a show known for boundary-pushing humor.
5. “The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson” — The Simpsons
This Season 9 episode included numerous scenes at the World Trade Center, including a running joke about the towers. After the 9/11 attacks, Fox immediately pulled the episode from rotation due to its now deeply uncomfortable imagery. Though it was eventually reintroduced years later, it remained off-air during a period of national grief. The decision reflected how external events can suddenly change how content is perceived, even if it was once harmless.
6. “Buffalo Gals” — Cow and Chicken
This surreal Cartoon Network show was always weird, but one episode took things too far. “Buffalo Gals” featured a group of motorcycle-riding women with overt lesbian stereotypes and innuendo. Parents complained, and Cartoon Network quickly pulled it from circulation. It was never released on DVD and has become a kind of underground legend. The episode’s existence is often used to highlight how early 2000s cartoons sometimes pushed boundaries without fully understanding the consequences.
7. “Holiday Episode” — Peppa Pig
In an episode shown in Australia, Peppa is told that spiders are harmless and nothing to fear. Harmless in the UK maybe, but in Australia, where dangerous spiders are a real concern, this message caused public outcry. Broadcasters pulled the episode to avoid sending kids the wrong message. It became a classic case of how content that’s fine in one country can be dangerous or tone-deaf in another. The episode remains banned in Australia.
8. “Electric Soldier Porygon” — Pokémon
Aired only once in Japan, this episode became infamous after it caused seizures in hundreds of children due to flashing red and blue lights. It was never aired again anywhere in the world, and the Pokémon Porygon, despite not being responsible for the flashing, was largely removed from the anime afterwards. The event prompted stricter animation guidelines worldwide and remains a notorious moment in television history for health-related censorship.
9. “Homeward” — Star Trek: The Next Generation
This episode tackled themes of cultural interference and extinction, as Worf’s foster brother violates the Prime Directive to save a dying alien civilization. Though it aired once in 1994, some networks later pulled reruns due to ethical controversy over the portrayal of religious belief and forced assimilation. The heavy themes and uncomfortable moral dilemmas made it one of the more debated episodes in the franchise, and its re-airing was limited in certain regions for years.