Random Most Controversial TV Episode From The Year You Were Born (35 items)

(#33) Nude Awakening
- February 25, 2003
Sex, violence, and language were part of the storytelling on NYPD Blue. In "Nude Awakening," a young boy walks in on a naked Connie McDowell (played by Charlotte Ross), giving viewers a glimpse of her partially-obscured nude front before cutting to a full shot of her uncovered body from the back. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) tried to limit the time at which ABC could air the episode and, when several stations didn't meet their guidelines, proposed a $1.4 million indecency fine against the network.
(#16) 1986: St. Elsewhere, 'Family Feud'

When Dr. Robert Caldwell (played by Mark Harmon) has surgery to prepare a facial scar, his bloodwork reveals antibodies for HIV. As an early presentation of HIV and AIDS on television, St. Elsewhere helped set the tone for perception and reception of the pandemic, while simultaneously expanding public consciousness.
(#2) 1971: All In The Family, 'Archie Gives Blood'

All in the Family ushered in a new era of television when it premiered and, during its first season, the show highlighted generational and ideological divides within the United States. Topics such as Anti-Semitism, economic strife, and sexuality accompanied discussions of racism like the one in episode four of season one. Archie Bunker, played by Carroll O'Connor, remains adamant that he'll only donate blood if he knows the recipient will not be a member of a minority group.
(#32) 2002: 24 Season 1 Finale

After taking on terrorists for the better part of a day, Jack Bauer (played by Kiefer Sutherland) was unable to save his wife in the final hour of the first season of 24. According to showrunner Manny Coto, "There’s an irony that he ended up saving the world but losing the one person he really came to save."
(#26) 1996: The X-Files, 'Home'

"Home" was the first episode of The X-Files to warn viewers about its content. Graphic disfigurements, incestuous themes, and creepy imagery drove away advertisers and resulted in the episode being banned for several years after it first aired.
(#35) 2005: South Park, 'Trapped In The Closet'

Never a show that shied away from controversy, South Park offered a take on Tom Cruise's relationship with Scientology - and the belief system - as well as his sexuality, while simultaneously incorporating making reference to R. Kelly's song, "Trapped in the Closet."