10 Times Nickelodeon Shows Were Censored (& Why)
Welcome to MsMojo, and today were looking at some of the most shocking Nickelodeon moments that had to be heavily altered or banned, either from TV or streaming broadcast, in the United States or internationally. Expect spoilers ahead.
#10: DONT Kiss Me, Brother!
Drake & Josh (2004-07)
It always warms our hearts to see our favorite stepbrothers show affection. However, there is such a thing as being TOO affectionate for some countries. In certain international dubs, any scene featuring characters kissing had to be censored for the broadcast. They were often trimmed out of the episode entirely, presumably because it was feared viewers in some countries might be uncomfortable watching them. One kiss in particular, where Josh surprises Drake with an appreciative smooch, is cut from several international dubs. Good thing the Hug me, brother moments remain intact, or wed be in major trouble.
#9: Twistory Pulled From the Air
The Fairly OddParents (2001-06; 2008-17)
Desperate to finish his history report, Timmy wishes George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin into the present for an interview. This ultimately results in a time paradox and the usual magical shenanigans that only our heroes can fix. The episode barely aired later on and was pulled from Nickelodeon due to its questionable depictions of historical figures and reliance on British stereotypes. In a similar incident, an episode parodying Steve Irwin was pulled from the airwaves following his death out of respect, although it appears to have been available for streaming.
#8: The Grim Future
Invader Zim (2001-02; 2006)
While Invader Zim managed to sneak a lot past the censors, the line seems to have been drawn when it came to disaster scenes. For example, in the episode Door to Door, Zim subjects a local family to a horrific vision of the future if they do not buy his candy. The original uncut scene showed New York City in ruins... eerily similar to certain real-life tragedies. While the original version can still be seen in some countries, the scene has been heavily altered in US releases to a tamer, though still horrifying, vision. Similarly, one episode had to change the color of a catastrophic explosion from fiery red to green to avoid paralleling real-world tragedies again.
#7: Taboo Family Time
The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991-96)
Ren & Stimpy never shied away from taboo subjects. But even they couldnt avoid network censorship; some episodes were banned altogether. One infamous censored example is in the episode The Big Baby Scam, where our titular twosome impersonates an unsuspecting couples babies. Eventually, the boys join their Parents and Grandpa for a family bath time. While nothing too explicit is shown, the female nudity involved in the scene was enough to have it removed from the episode entirely. The episode as a whole was later pulled from the airwaves, at least for a while.
#6: Copyright Issues Banned an Episode
ChalkZone (2002-08)
If youre a fan of ChalkZone, you might notice one episode missing from certain media. Season Twos The Smooch has Rudy and the gang meeting the Haha Men - chalk parodies of the real-life band, the Baha Men. The episode ends with the gang jamming to the Baha Mens cover of Coconut. Unfortunately, the song was licensed by Sony Music, and thanks to copyright laws, the episode was excluded from future DVD and other media releases. This could probably have been avoided if they had just made an original song or struck a deal with Sony. But instead, we have an episode lost to the ages.
#5: The Banned Panty Raid
SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-)
Even the networks plucky yellow mascot walked the tightrope with mature humor including a TV gag that flew over your head, or a risqué bikini scene followed by a gruesome car crash . One episode, in particular, had to be banned altogether - Mid-Life Crustacean. Near the end of this episode, Mr. Krabs joins SpongeBob and Patrick on a panty raid and steals a pair of women's undergarments. The woman turns out to be Krabs mother, and hes rightfully punished in the end. Not wanting the younger audience to be influenced by a poorly-aged gag, the episode was pulled, reminding us that there are some risks even SpongeBob shouldnt take.
#4: Aggressive Dental Hygiene
The Loud House (2016-)
While The Loud House is a fairly tame show, there were a few visual gags that never made it past the animatic phase. One deleted scene featuring Clyde in disguise was cut for grossly obvious reasons. Another disturbing animatic shows Lynn getting competitive when brushing her teeth. She brushes so hard and so fast that her gums start bleeding. Fortunately for us, this scene was altered in the final product instead of bleeding gums, her aggressive brushing causes a tooth to fall out. Were not sure if losing a tooth is any better, but its at least easier to stomach than bleeding gums.
#3: Dated Word Choice
iCarly (2007-12)
While on a wild goose chase, the iCarly gang confronts a car salesman about a contest his son made them host. However, it turns out that he doesnt have a son, but two daughters. He describes one of the daughters, Jessica, as mannish and needs to be taken to Special doctors. While no one thought of it at the time, its easy to interpret the line as a hateful jab towards transgender people. As a result, the joke was removed from modern reruns of the episode and streaming services. The editing is a little rough, but its a small price to pay for removing a poorly aged quote.
#2: The Milking Machine
Rocko's Modern Life (1993-96)
While the humor was often ahead of its time, there were also plenty of jokes in Rockos Modern Life that were too mature for the airwaves. These range from the infamous deleted hotel scene to the unfortunate berry-picking incident. In another episode, Rocko and Heffer are on a ranch getaway when Heffer is mistaken for a dairy cow and hooked up to a milking machine. While we dont see the actual milking, Heffers reactions say more than enough to make our jaws drop. Near the end, he bids goodbye to the milker, thanking it for the fun times they shared. The fact that they were allowed to make this joke is staggering, but it later had to be removed for reruns and streaming services.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Shocking Potty Humor, Wonder Pets! (2006-16; 2024-)
Too Much Potty Humor for Nick Jr.
The Pet Cemetery, The Loud House (2016-)
A Deleted Animatic Gives Us a Grim Look at the Loud Familys History With Pets
Invader Skoodges Survival Tactics, Invader Zim (2001-02; 2006)
Skoodge Almost Had to Eat His Own Skin... Too Gross Even for THIS Show
An Intolerant Outburst, iCarly (2007-12)
Spencer Makes an Offensive Outburst Thats Later Cut From the Episode
Mental Health Prejudice, iCarly (2007-12)
This Episode Was Pulled for Its Unflattering Portrayal of Mental Health
#1: Grim Imagery
The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991-96)
Even though the humor was often obscene enough, Ren & Stimpy could not resist pushing the envelope with graphic imagery. Whether they were eaten alive, violently attacked a man, or scalped someone, they did it all and faced the consequences. Arguably, the most unsettling offender was Its a Dogs Life. It is a disturbing trip from beginning to end, from the murderous implications and gruesome imagery to the unsettling ending where Ren and Stimpy are turned into stuffed, lifeless statues. While our twosome had gotten away with plenty before, this episode was too much for the network to take and was swiftly banned from the airwaves. The fact that it was allowed on Paramount+ is a miracle.
Did we miss a particularly offensive scene? Let us know in the comments.