In light of the recent storms that have killed hundreds throughout the South, Fox has decided not to air its hurricane-themed cross over episodes of “Family Guy,” “American Dad” and “The “Cleveland Show.” Granted, these shows were conceived months in advance, and the writers were obviously not intending to make light of the current situation. Even so, Fox felt running the episodes now would be in poor taste. However, to the network’s credit, the episodes will air next season, weather permitting.
Through out the years, there have been numerous episodes of popular shows that, for one reason or another, have been yanked from the air. Here are five examples.
The Puerto Rican Day – “Seinfeld” (May 7, 1998)
This last regular episode of “Seinfeld” was surrounded in controversy, thanks to a comical scene in which Kramer accidentally burns the Puerto Rican flag. Even though the episode was clearly not intending to mock Puerto Ricans in any way, some civil rights groups were outraged, or at least pretended to be in order to get on TV. The episode was banned from syndication for years, and some broadcasters, including TBS, still refuse to show it. Somehow, they feel crap like “Are We There Yet” is less insulting.
The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson – “The Simpsons” (Sept. 21, 1997)
In this notable episode of “The Simpson’s,” Homer must travel to New York City to retrieve his car. When it aired in 1997, no one thought anything of the fact that the car was left at the World Trade Center. But four years later, after a bunch of assholes flew planes into the famous landmark, Fox pulled it from syndication. In recent years, someone must have figured out that keeping the episode off the air served absolutely no purpose, and it has been gradually reworked into reruns.
When You Wish Upon a Weinstein – “Family Guy” (Nov. 9, 2003)
This episode of “Family Guy” should have aired in 2000. Unfortunately, Fox decided the content would be too offensive. The plot involved Peter converting to Judaism in order to become more financially successful, and contains the classic “Family Guy” song, “I need a Jew.” The episode was included on the 3rd season DVD set, and eventually aired on Cartoon Network three years later. Eventually, Fox broke down and aired the episode as well.
Bill Hick’s Stand-up – “The Late Show With David Letterman (October 1, 1993)
This entry doesn’t involve an entire episode, but rather a segment of the show. Even so, close to 20 years later, people are still talking about it. Bill Hicks, who is considered a legend in the world of stand-up comedy, performed on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” only to have his entire set edited out. One joke in particular (“if Jesus came back he might not want to see so many crosses”) scared both Letterman and the network enough to pull the plug. In January of 2009, Letterman had Hick’s mom on the show, and apologized for the way the situation was handled. Hick’s himself could not be there to accept, since he died of cancer in 1994)
Home – “The X Files” (Oct. 11, 1996)
This famous episode of “The X Files” featured dead babies, incest, deformities and murder. What’s not to like? Oh, right: the dead babies, incest, deformities and murder. Although the show was well received by critics and fans alike, it was banned from reruns by the network.
