10 Most Controversial Television Shows Ever Aired

Television, unlike almost all other entertainment mediums, has the ability to cause more controversy and offend viewers. This is thanks to the fact that it is the most easily available content and has such a wide and diverse audience compared to the likes of film and music. While most broadcasters do their best to avoid upsetting those watching, so that they can continue to sell advertisements and not distress sponsors, there are occasionally episodes or entire series that slip through the cracks and cause outrage. Here are ten of the most controversial shows to ever air on TV.

Seinfeld – The Puerto Rican Day

Thanks to the fact that this particular episode of Seinfeld came on the back of the show growing immeasurably in popularity, it had an audience of almost 40 million people watching it when it aired one of the most controversial television episodes of all time. Having gotten stuck in a traffic jam caused by Puerto Rican Day celebrations, the episode displays a number of derogatory stereotypes about people from the country and even shows one character setting a flag on fire and then stamping it out.

Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones has been controversial throughout its run, largely due to the intense violence and sex that is shown on screen in almost every episode. The relationship between Jaime and Cersei Lannister has particularly irked some viewers, with the episodes such as “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” and” Breaker of Chains” both drawing criticism for their depiction of rape scenes.