It's not an easy job teaching children right from wrong, or the tough truths of the word,
let alone keep them entertained.
Sometimes, a TV shows attempts to grab attention (or headlines) can lead to some episodes that
were destined to be banned and destroyed.
By all accounts, there is no reason these stories should have ever been made let alone
make it to the air.
Here are Screenrant's 10 Banned Kid Show Episodes You Won't Believe.
TaleSpin – “Flying Dupes”
The Disney series that took the animal stars of The Jungle Book into the world of commercial
air transport couldn't be too serious with Baloo as it's star.
But one episode banned by Disney had too many problems to count.
The final episode of the series had Baloo deliver a bomb to a foreign leader's home,
in hopes that the resulting war would mean high profits for bomb makers.
Baloo didn't know he was attempting an assassination, but the terrorist themes, and transport of
a bomb on an airplane alone make it hard to believe it actually made it to air.
Unsurprisingly, Disney permanently banned the episode shortly after.
Peppa Pig – “Mister Skinnylegs”
When you're a kid, there are too many things to be afraid of to even count.
The British animated show Peppa Pig set out to tackle that problem by explaining that
spiders might seem scary, but can't really hurt you.
The message was a good one in Britain, but in Australia, where spiders actually CAN kill
you, broadcasters saw a horrible problem brewing.
Rather than encouraging kids to get close to venomous spiders, the episode of the series
was deemed unsuitable for public safety, and banned.
Tiny Toon Adventures – “One Beer”
Children's TV shows and cartoons make an habit of setting a good example for younger viewers,
with episodes meant to spread awareness about drugs, alcohol or abuse all but expected.
But just like every other issue, Tiny Toons took that idea beyond the extreme.
The youngsters Buster, Plucky and Hampton down a beer knowing they're going to teach
young viewers a lesson, but the bender that followed gets out of hand fast.
After stealing a cop car and plunging to their deaths, the studio decided the story went
too far, even if it was all a joke.
Although the episode still airs in Canada, it's banned on American airwaves.
Sailor Moon – Young Love
The story of young girls turned into superheroes was an absolute phenomenon when it hit American
shores, but the addition of English voices wasn't the only change made when bringing
the show from Japan.
Fans may never have realized that in its original form, Sailors Neptune and Uranus aren't just
friends, but lovers.
Rather than deal with a lesbian relationship in a kids cartoon, other countries came up
with some strange solutions.
For starters, editing out or refusing to air episodes that hinged on their romance.
In America, the pair were written as "cousins," which made their flirting even more unsettling.
But in Russia and France, Sailor Uranus' civilian form was claimed to be a man, with Neptune
pretending to be his girlfriend to keep their superhero identities a secret - even going
so far as hiring a male voice actor for the part.
Gargoyles – “Deadly Force”
This cult hit from Disney TV offers one more example of the times when trying to teach
kids a lesson ends up shocking more than it helps.
Playing off the idea that violent movies and video games glorify violence and gunslingers,
the not-too-bright gargoyle Broadway learns that guns aren't toys - in as shocking and
traumatic a way as possible.
While playing with the service weapons of the group's human ally Elisa, Broadway ends
up shooting her by accident.
Understandably, parents and protest groups complained about their kids watching a beloved
cartoon hero shoot a woman and put her in intensive care.
The episode was banned for re-airings, but has more recently returned to the rotation.
Arthur – “Room to Ride”
Sometimes, a plot line or celebrity cameo can make sense at the time, but events in
the real world conspire to make it an awkward problem for networks to solve.
When the children's cartoon Arthur decided to tackle the issue of cycling on city streets,
Binky turns to a reliable expert for inspiration: Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong.
Just a few years later, Armstrong would admit to taking banned substances, and be stripped
of his seven championships.
It was probably in the show's best interest to make sure the episode would also reflect
the ruling, stripping him of a cameo to top everything off.
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – “Conflict”
Few children's TV hosts are as respected as Mr. Rogers, and an entire week's worth of
episodes might have gotten banned for trying to teach kids *too much*.
The five episodes focused squarely on giving kids a crash course in the Cold War - and
the paranoia and fear that helped it spin out of control by the time they aired in 1983.
A strange package delivered to Corny the Beaver is all Good King Friday needed to suspect
him of amassing a nuclear arsenal, letting fear escalate the situation.
The analogy worked, but the subject matter was just too frightening for kids to handle,
and the storyline was never aired again.
Dexter’s Laboratory – “Dial M For Monkey”
Aside from the central plot of each episode of Dexter's Laboratory, the 'Dial M For Monkey'
segment gave comic book superheroes a top-notch send up.
Parodying heroes from Nick Fury to the Fantastic Four, one episode starring "the Silver Spooner"
caused seem controversy.
It wasn't the presence of a drunk Hulk, or even a ripoff of Marvel's Galactus - but the
fact that Silver Spooner was one long joke based on gay stereotypes.
The writers may have thought they were being clever, but the episode was never aired with
other reruns of the series.
Sesame Street – Wicked Witch of The West
That's right, even sesame street wasn't safe from the terror of the Wizard of Oz antagonist,
with the Witch - played by Margaret Hamilton - appearing after dropping her broom around
Mr. Hooper's store.
Naturally, Oscar the Grouch was immediately fond of the Witch, but kids at home apparently
weren't.
When parents complained en mass that the Villains appearance had upset their kids or reduced
then to tears, the network acted fast.
The apparent terror was nowhere to be found in test audiences, but figured they would
play it safe anyway.
The episode hasn't aired since.
Pokemon – “Electric Soldier Porygon”
The fun of this infamous episode all started when Ash was forced to travel inside the depths
of one of his own Poke balls.
When Pikachu used lightning to detonate incoming missiles, he saved the day.
But for the kids watching the show, things didn't go so smoothly.
The flashing red and blue explosion sent almost 700 Japanese children into bouts of dizziness,
headaches, blurred vision, or in some cases, even seizures.
"Pokemon Shock" made headlines around the world, but didn't just get the episode banned
- the entire show went on a four month break.
So what do you think of our list?
Did we miss out on any of your favorite TV shows that got episodes pulled from the air?
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this one.