As public awareness and attitudes shift over time, it’s no surprise that some old television shows, films, and books contain outdated tropes and jokes that could shock modern viewers.
SnooGoats1557 was a Reddit user Post to the AskUK Subreddit asking which shows would never be allowed today, the top response didn’t surprise us.
It was Channel 4’s Supersize vs. superskinny — which aired between 2008 and 2014 — with more than 2,000 upvotes.
The series, starring Dr. Christian Jessen was about swapping the diets of an obese and overweight person.
A Reddit usersaid: “Forcing people with eating disorders to strip down to their underwear, pass comments on each others’ bodies and make them eat each others’ unhealthy diets would never fly nowadays.”
Not surprisingly Little BritainAlso, was ranked high on the list. TheThe show was pulled Starting at BBCiPlayer NetflixLast year, a BBC spokesperson commented on the event: “Times have changed since Little Britain first aired.”
In a 2017 Interview, one of the show’s creators and stars Matt Lucas said: “If I could go back and do Little Britain again, I wouldn’t make those jokes about transvestites. I wouldn’t play black characters. Basically, I wouldn’t make that show now. It would upset people. We made a more cruel kind of comedy than I’d do now.”
Channel 4’s You are what you eat Gillian McKeith presented the third-ranked entry, “The Message from Gillian McKeith.” Reddit user TomFromWirral claimed McKeith would “belittle overweight people” Then, examine their poo.
Love IslandAlso, highly ranked was, which has just completed its seventh season.
“Love Island… but it’s still on the air apparently,” GuyClw responded to GuyClw. “Underrated comment that. I really hope we look back at love Island in disgust and it doesn’t get worse from here.” [sic]
Critical of Love IslandIt has shown the positive mental impact that the show can have upon its participants. The show was linked to four deaths: Caroline Flack (Sophie Gradon), Aaron Armstrong (Scott Armstrong), and Mike Thalassitis (Mike Thalassitis).
In all, the series has attracted thousands upon thousands of Ofcom complaints throughout its seasons. 2,644 complaints were received by OfCom in 2018 when Dani Dyer was upset about Jack Fincham cheating on her. These complaints stemmed from people believing producers were playing with her emotions. Dyer’s episode is one of many.
This record was topped this year, with Faye Winter’s conduct towards Teddy Soares Received 24,911 complaints
BBC’s long-running show Jim’ll Fix ItIt was also high on the list due to obvious reasons. Jimmy Savile, the host of the show, was exposed as a prolific sex predator only after he died in 2011.
Another user mentioned Sky One’s Brainiac: Science Abuse. Redditor: “Does anyone else remember Brainiac: Science Abuse? I was thinking the other day, looking back, there was a lot of casual sexism, the ‘science’ was certainly laddish. Not to mention blowing up so many caravans can’t have had a good environmental impact. Certainly not how a pop-science show would be done today.”
Sky One’s Fat FamiliesAlso, it was mentioned. Reddit user Harrijg___ wrote: “‘Fat Families’ – especially when the presenter starts off by saying ‘I’m here in Hull with some of Britain’s fattest whales’ or ‘here are some humongous fatties’… it’s so awkward to watch hahaha.”
Another user ventured Top of the Pops, for quite different reasons, commenting: “It’d be pretty boring watching people pretending to play their own CD and pretend to sing into an auto-tune machine.”
Nominated Original Poster America’s Next Top ModelCommenting on the dishonorable award “This show had everything, public humiliation, sexual assault, pitting girls against one another for drama, selective editing to make one girl the b***h, putting these very young girls in mental and physical danger.”
Reddit user dietcepheus added: “Don’t forget the blackface and other questionable cultural appropriation in photoshoots.”
Scrubs, Bo Selecta and Friends, Benefits Street, Love Thy Neighbour, The Benny Hill Show Men behaving badly were also included on the list.