Television has always been a powerful vehicle for social development, sparking difficult yet important conversations and challenging long-held beliefs. That’s not an easy thing for everyone to handle, and this aspect of TV has caused polarized reactions for almost as long as the medium has existed. It’s a tricky situation, but in many cases, the controversies also end up becoming the selling points of the shows in question, bringing them recognition from a wider audience.

Some shows do cause controversy by playing up traumatic situations for shock value, but the majority of these series are truly groundbreaking productions that make crucial points about society. Interestingly enough, many of the most controversial shows over the years (the good ones, at least) have been comedies that used humor as a medium to communicate progressive ideas. Without further ado, here’s our ranked selection of some of the most divisive shows of all time, including both landmark classics and more modern fare.

1

‘13 Reasons Why’ (2017–2020)

Based on Jay Asher’s eponymous 2007 novel, 13 Reasons Why is a teen drama series that stars Dylan Minnette and Katherine Langford as Clay Jensen and Hannah Baker, both students at the fictional Liberty High School. Two weeks after Hannah’s death by suicide, Clay finds a box of cassette tapes she left behind detailing the reasons why she chose to kill herself. Developed by Brian Yorkey and executive produced by Selena Gomez, the series also stars Christian Navarro, Alisha Boe, Brandon Flynn, Justin Prentice, Miles Heizer, Ross Butler, and more in key roles.

13 Reasons Why’s premise alone was a reason for controversy when it first premiered on Netflix in 2017, but it proved to be a popular watch among streaming audiences, becoming Netflix’s second-most-watched series at the time. The show’s first season was praised by critics and audiences for its themes, emotional depth, character development, and performance, but it was also criticized by mental health professionals and some viewers for its graphic depictions of suicide, sexual assault, and bullying. Subsequent seasons received significantly more negative reviews, especially for a brutal depiction of sexual assault at the end of Season 2.

2

‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ (1993–2011)

An adult-animated sitcom, <em>Beavis and Butt-Head</em> was created by Mike Judge, who also voices the titular teenage slackers. The show follows its apathetic, unintelligent, and decidedly lowbrow stars as they find themselves on various misadventures and watch a lot of music videos (their favorites are hard rock and heavy metal). Judge voices most of the characters, but Tracy Grandstaff, Kristofer Brown, and Toby Huss also star.

Beavis and Butt-Head was a massive hit on MTV in the ’90s, with its title characters becoming pop culture icons to Gen X while also drawing conservative criticism for their alleged impact on adolescents. For a while, the show was blamed for practically any sort of violent incident involving children and young adults, but that didn’t stop it from having a successful seven-season run. And though the original series ended in 1997, the show has had two revivals, in 2011 and 2022, and was adapted into two movies, Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) and Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe (2022).

3

‘Murphy Brown’ (1988–1999)

Created by Diane English, Murphy Brown is a sitcom that stars Candice Bergen as the titular character, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor. Set in Washington, D.C., the show follows Murphy’s life as the star reporter of a television news magazine series, where she and her co-workers inevitably end up at each other’s throats. Besides Bergen, the series also stars Faith Ford, Pat Corley, Charles Kimbrough, Robert Pastorelli, Joe Regalbuto, Grant Shaud, and more in lead roles.

Murphy Brown’s original run lasted 10 seasons, airing 247 episodes from 1988 to 1998, and it ruffled a lot of feathers over that decade. Like its protagonist, the show was never scared to address complex issues, no matter how much it infuriated some sections of society. Its most notable controversy erupted during the 1991–1992 season when Murphy became pregnant and decided to raise the child as a single mother. As divisive as it was in its day, Murphy Brown is now hailed as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, with a 13-episode revival premiering on CBS in 2018.