Top 10 Most Controversial Television Shows of the 1990s

For many years, television was mostly wholesome fun for the whole family. But then the 1990s happened, and that's when people started to get bold with their programming. Shows became raunchier, cartoons were no longer just for kids, and parents began to complain.

Here's a list of TV shows that helped define the 1990s, even if it was for all the wrong reasons. They didn't have to premiere in the 1990s, as long as they were still airing new episodes during that decade.

Feel free to add any 1990s TV show you can think of, because I can only list 10 to start with.

1. South Park

   

   South Park is an American adult animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. The show centers on four boys: Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick, and their adventures in the fictional town of South Park, Colorado. It's known... read more

   There's never been a controversial cartoon quite like South Park. It looked like a cheap construction paper diorama, but what it lacked in production value, it more than made up for with its raunchy humor, tons of violence, and subject matter that many people consider taboo. Probably the most noteworthy running gag was Kenny getting killed in every episode, save for "Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo."

   As far as series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were concerned, there were no sacred cows in this show. Everything was fair game.

   I quite agree. For some reason, many people love this show. I never gave it much of a chance after the first couple of episodes because it was pretty awful, with bad jokes, tons of unnecessary violence, and weird plot holes that were even worse than the obvious ones in other adult animated sitcoms like The Simpsons or Family Guy, both of which I like.

2. Family Guy

   

   Family Guy is an American adult animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a family consisting of Peter, Lois, their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their anthropomorphic dog, Brian. The show is set in the fictional city of Quahog... read more

   When Family Guy made its debut on January 31, 1999, it was clear that this animated sitcom was a different beast than The Simpsons. For starters, Stewie the baby spoke with a British accent, was able to craft science fiction-esque weapons and gadgets, and was constantly trying to kill Lois.

   There were also numerous cut-away gags, such as the Ernie and Bert bit in "Mind Over Murder," that was a flashing red warning light that this show wasn't child-friendly. Needless to say, the show only got more controversial from there on out.

   "Oh, you thought The Simpsons was bad? Well, here you go!" Still not really as bad as South Park, but it isn't just a general audience show with a few swears and innuendos like The Simpsons.

3. Beavis and Butt-Head

   

   Beavis and Butt-Head is an American adult animated television series created by Mike Judge. The show originally aired from 1993 to 1997 and was revived in 2011 and again in 2022. It follows two teenage slackers who comment on music videos and engage in absurd and often crude adventures.

   The show was controversial because people committed incidents similar to those in the show. Everything changed when a 5-year-old boy used a lighter to burn down his trailer home, killing his 2-year-old sister.

   However, it turned out the boy hadn't even watched Beavis and Butt-Head. The neighbors confirmed the family didn't have cable at the time. The boy later stated he had never seen the show and revealed that his mother was a drug addict. It was just a weak excuse to censor a TV show.

   After the controversy, the show was moved to a 10 p.m. time slot, and all references to fire were removed, even from the master tapes. Finding the original master tapes from before the incident is rare and usually only possible through broadcast recordings on videotapes. The 2011 revival eventually allowed Beavis to say the word "fire" again, which in one instance had been said 11 times in 30 seconds.

4. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

   

   Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is an American children's superhero television series. The show debuted on August 28, 1993, on the Fox Kids programming block. It became a cultural phenomenon in the 1990s and spawned movies, later television series, and a lasting toy franchise. The series combined American... read more

   Aired on August 28, 1993, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers used stock footage from the Japanese show Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger as well as American footage akin to teen sitcoms such as Saved by the Bell. When the show first aired, parents felt that the show was too violent for young children. Canadian network YTV pulled the show before the first season could finish airing.

   There were also allegations of racial stereotyping, most noticeably Zack Taylor as the Black Ranger and Trini Kwan as the Yellow Ranger, as well as poor working conditions, low pay, and hostile work environments. That was where the black magic happened to make this one of the hottest shows of the 1990s.

5. The Simpsons

   

   The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening. It originally aired as shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show starting April 19, 1987, and debuted as a standalone series on December 17, 1989.

   As of 2026, it remains the longest-running animated sitcom. The show follows Homer Simpson... read more

   Even though its first episode, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire," technically aired in the 1980s (barely), The Simpsons were an iconic part of 1990s television, for better and worse. It did quite a few things that people never thought would be done in an animated show, like children swearing, seeing characters naked or in some state of undress, and a bunch of other mature subject matter.

   Nevertheless, it became one of the most-watched shows of that era, with some episodes like the legendary "Homer at the Bat" episode being the first to beat The Cosby Show in terms of ratings.

6. The Ren & Stimpy Show

   

   The Ren & Stimpy Show, often referred to simply as Ren & Stimpy, is an American animated television series created by John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. It originally aired from 1991 to 1995 and is known for its surreal humor and controversial content. The series centers on Ren, an emotionally unstable... read more

   Created by John Kricfalusi and first airing on Nickelodeon, Ren and Stimpy was a dark slapstick comedy about a short-tempered Chihuahua named Ren and a dim-witted cat named Stimpy as they got into all kinds of bonkers antics. It was controversial for its violence and gross humor.

   Probably the show's most controversial episode was "Man's Best Friend," where the duo is adopted by a man named George Liquor. I'll let you do the research on that. In 2003, John was able to air some previously unaired episodes on Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon on MTV, which just goes to show how sometimes censorship is necessary.

7. Pokémon

   

   Pokémon, abbreviated from the Japanese title Pocket Monsters and branded in English as Pokémon the Series, is a Japanese anime television series adapted for international audiences. It was first broadcast in Japan on April 1, 1997, and in the United States on September 8, 1998.... read more

   Concerns over abusive use of Pokémon like chicken fighting as well as the overuse of merchandise that makes parents spend too much money. And Jynx. But all in all, it culminated in a phenomenon.

8. The Jerry Springer Show

   

   The Jerry Springer Show, sometimes called Jerry Springer or simply Springer, was an American syndicated tabloid talk show. It was hosted by Jerry Springer, who was a politician before becoming a television personality. The show became famous for its controversial and often chaotic subject matter involving... read more

   There were a few talk shows in the 1990s, but none stood out the way The Jerry Springer Show did. Unlike most talk shows, guests swear like sailors, take off their clothes, and fight like they're in a wrestling ring. There were even VHS tapes people could buy or rent that had no censorship at all.

   When "Weird Al" Yankovic's album "Running with Scissors" was released in 1999, there was a parody song based on "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies, which accurately describes what you can expect to see on such a TV show. It was so successful it lasted until 2018.

   It's no wonder it didn't win an Emmy or a Golden Globe Award. Jerry Springer looked so bad.

9. Rocko's Modern Life

   

   Rocko's Modern Life is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray for Nickelodeon. The series centers on the surreal life of an anthropomorphic Australian-immigrant wallaby named Rocko, along with his friends: the gluttonous steer Heffer, the neurotic turtle Filburt, and Rocko's faithful... read more

10. Married... with Children

    

    Married... with Children is an American live-action television sitcom that aired on Fox. Created by Michael G. Moye and Ron Leavitt, it was originally broadcast from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. It ran for 11 seasons and was one of the first prime-time series broadcast by Fox.

    The show that began Fox Network's rise to power, Married with Children, was not your garden-variety family-friendly sitcom. On the contrary, it was quite the opposite. Even though it aired in 1987, its raunchy and risqué sense of humor helped it become popular enough to last until 1997, ten years after its debut. It seemed to get wilder every season.

    The sitcom revolves mostly around the misogynistic patriarch Al Bundy as he struggles to provide for his family and tries to get some respect. His wife Peg has a nasty habit of spending almost as much money as Al makes, his daughter Kelly isn't too bright, and his son Bud is the only one with any intelligence.

    One of TV's most dysfunctional families, Al has no qualms about insulting women and is a member of "NO MA'AM," which explains a lot. There are a few YouTube videos on Al's best comebacks, although they are not something you should use in real life.

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Animaniacs

    

    Animaniacs is an American animated musical comedy television series created by Tom Ruegger. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. The series originally aired from 1993 to 1998 and included 99 episodes and a direct-to-video film titled... read more

    From the creators of Tiny Toon Adventures came Animaniacs. Despite its target audience being children, it was filled with adult humor that flew over many kids' heads.

    One of the running gags featured Yakko blowing a kiss to the viewers and saying, "Goodnight everybody," whenever someone did or said anything inappropriate for children, to end the episode before things got too raunchy. Here's one example: in the episode "Bubba Bo Bob Brain," where Brain becomes a country singer, he's seen on a talk show with a woman resembling Dolly Parton, complete with puffy blonde hair, big lips, a thick country accent, and very large breasts. When she bends down and calls Brain her biggest fan, he replies, "I'd say puberty was inordinately kind to you." And don't get me started on the whole "Prince" joke.

12. ?

    SpongeBob SquarePants

    

    SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It has become one of Nickelodeon's most popular and longest-running shows, attracting both children and adults.... read more

The Contenders

13. Sailor Moon

    

    Sailor Moon is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. The series was originally serialized in Nakayoshi magazine from 1991 to 1997. The story was collected into 18 tankōbon volumes containing 52 individual chapters.... read more

    What makes this beloved anime controversial is how it was something of a culture clash. The characters engaged in behavior that was normal in Japan but heavily frowned upon in North America, like Usagi and Mamu-chan's age gap and Makoto being a 15-year-old orphan living on her own. Cloverleaf kind of went overboard and tried to Americanize it as much as it could.

    Probably the biggest controversy surrounding the show was in season 3, where Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune were portrayed as cousins, which is in stark contrast to their lesbian relationship in the original Japanese version. This anime goes to show that you can take the anime out of Japan, but you can't take Japan out of the anime.

14. Seinfeld

    

    Four single friends, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, bungling George Costanza, frustrated working woman Elaine Benes, and eccentric neighbor Cosmo Kramer, deal with the absurdities of everyday life in New York City.

    Seinfeld is a sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1989 to 1998. It is widely regarded... read more

    One of the most controversial episodes of the series is "The Puerto Rican Day," which involves Kramer accidentally burning the Puerto Rican flag during the Puerto Rican Day parade and getting attacked by a mob of people.

15. WWF Raw

    

16. Sesame Street

    

    Sesame Street is a long-running American children's television series. It is produced by Sesame Workshop and was created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett. The show premiered on November 10, 1969, and has become one of the most influential educational programs in television history.

    I think it was for tackling topics your average Nickelodeon show wouldn't handle, like divorce or real-world events.

17. The Angry Beavers

    

    The Angry Beavers is an American animated television series created by Mitch Schauer for Nickelodeon. The series follows Daggett and Norbert Beaver, two beaver brothers who leave their family home to live independently in a forest near the fictional town of Wayouttatown, Oregon. The show premiered in... read more

    There was one episode where one of the beavers said "SHUT UP!" but it sounded more like the s-word because of how it was pronounced.

18. Johnny Bravo

    

    Johnny Bravo is an American animated television series created by Van Partible for Cartoon Network. It was the second original Cartoon Network series to be branded as part of the Cartoon Cartoons lineup. The show originally aired from 1997 to 2004 and follows the comedic misadventures of a muscular,... read more

    A show like this probably wouldn't be successful nowadays.

19. Caillou

    

    Caillou is a Canadian educational children's television series based on books by Hélène Desputeaux. The show premiered on Teletoon in both English and French on September 15, 1997. It later aired on Treehouse TV, where its final episode was broadcast on October 3, 2010.... read more

    Has always received criticism for teaching kids to behave like whiny little privileged brats, just like the main character himself.

20. The Powerpuff Girls

    

    The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken for Cartoon Network. The show's main characters are Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. The story follows Professor Utonium, who accidentally creates three little superhero girls using a mixture of sugar, spice... read more

    It could get a bit brutal and bloody sometimes.

21. Cow and Chicken

    

    Cow and Chicken was an American animated comedy television series created by David Feiss for Cartoon Network. The show was the third series in the network's Cartoon Cartoons lineup. It featured surreal and humorous adventures centered on the two main characters.

22. Courage the Cowardly Dog

    

    Courage the Cowardly Dog is an American animated horror comedy television series created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network. The show follows a timid pink dog named Courage who lives with an elderly couple, Muriel and Eustace Bagge, in a farmhouse near the fictional town of Nowhere, Kansas. The... read more

23. The Kids in the Hall

24. CatDog

    

    CatDog is an American animated television series created by Peter Hannan for Nickelodeon. The show centers on conjoined brothers, with one half being a cat and the other a dog. The series explores their daily lives and the challenges that arise from their very different personalities.

25. Dexter's Laboratory

    

    Dexter's Laboratory is an American comic science fiction animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network. It was one of the network's earliest original animated series and was later branded as a Cartoon Cartoon. The show follows Dexter, a boy genius with a secret laboratory.... read more