Critics Abandon 12 Hit TV Shows Over Abuse Allegations and Toxic Content

1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 21

Twelve once-popular series, from America’s Next Top Model to House of Cards, are being recast by critics as effectively unwatchable after rewatching them through today’s standards.
America’s Next Top Model, Married at First Sight and Good Omens drew the sharpest objections because off-screen allegations or documentaries reframed what viewers saw on screen—covering eating disorders, safeguarding failures and claims against Neil Gaiman, which he denies.
Other shows were rejected for content that now feels intolerable rather than newly exposed: The Office, This Life, Coupling and Entourage were cited for sexism, homophobia, misogyny or toxic masculinity.
The backlash also hit titles tied to politics or industry decisions, with The Apprentice faulted for glorifying greed, I’m a Celebrity shunned after Nigel Farage’s 2023 appearance, and Bake Off soured by its move from the BBC to Channel 4.
Taken together, the reassessments show how nostalgia for 1990s, 2000s and 2010s television is being overtaken by changing social norms and scrutiny of how entertainment was made.

Sources

Are your favorite childhood comfort shows actually toxic time bombs waiting to be exposed by modern standards?

Could a blockbuster lawsuit over deceptive editing rewrite the dark history of a legendary 2000s reality show?

When does a dating show's manufactured drama cross the line into a covered-up crime scene?

1 total