Top 20 TV Shows With the Most Nude Scenes

#20: “Black Sails” (2014-17)

Starz’s adventure on the high seas could get a little lowbrow. Actually, “Black Sails” earned a dedicated cult following for its uniquely mature and gritty depiction of the Golden Age of Piracy. This included frank sexual content that aimed to illustrate power dynamics and even empower the diversity of the characters. For many viewers, though, it was just the show’s crudest ode to “Game of Thrones,” especially as it was women who were most frequently and explicitly naked. Over time, “Black Sails” became more selective in such scenes to curb the controversy and serve the drama. There’s still plenty across four seasons to set the show apart from Hollywood’s usual family-friendly swashbucklers.

#19: “Westworld” (2016-22)

The TV adaptation of Michael Crichton’s “Westworld” opened the sci-fi frontier to patrons’ ultimate fantasies. Considering human nature and the fact that it was HBO, that meant a lot of nudity. But it isn't just exploitive sex scenes, usually involving lifelike androids. Nudity is used to express their humanoid form and the often disturbing power dynamics that lead to their uprising. “Westworld” moved away from this trope as each of the four seasons moved further away from the eponymous theme park. Co-showrunner Lisa Joy said that part of the motivation was to spare the actors’ vulnerability, though there are still a lot of moments on the show that use it effectively.

#18: “Power” (2014-20)

Starz’s flagship franchise gets pretty hot and heavy just with its intense portrayal of organized crime. This carries over into the more intimate character moments in the “Power Universe.” The original series was particularly excessive with its passionate sex scenes, but noted for its careful handling of the hallmark. Nonetheless, many found the nudity repetitive and even cheesy, particularly as it became less about drama than sensationalism. That can also be said of the bold violence and drama that kept audiences talking. These scandalous elements have persisted into spin-offs of rather debatable taste. It's just that the OG “Power” had six seasons and immediate shock value to give its mature content… well, power.

#17: “P-Valley” (2020-)

Starz’s flair for diversity with sex appeal made it the ideal stage for Katori Hall’s scandalous play. “P-Valley” follows the many complicated lives of exotic dancers in the Mississippi Delta. So the nudity is persistent, graphic and necessary, even for the sake of character development. Hall made sure of that to counter the historic objectification of Black women. Whether it empowers diverse beauty or symbolizes the complexities of agency in class and race, there's a lot of depth to the sleaze. But some lament that it's sleaze all the same, particularly when it seems to fetishize off-stage intimate moments. In any case, “P-Valley” is undoubtedly bold with how it bares its progressive drama.

#16: “Minx” (2022-23)

Moving from HBO Max to Starz, a period comedy about a women’s erotic magazine pushed the boundaries of nudity in a TV comedy. The boldest part of this was who was doing those scenes. Most of the show’s beautifying and very graphic nudity is of male models. And when women did disrobe, it was typically natural, empowering or self-aware. The show was overall a smartly funny, character-driven immersion into the 1970s golden ages of both feminism and adult media. The subject was a tough pitch to multiple networks, and apparently to audiences. Though “Minx” was permanently canceled after two seasons, its refreshing use of body and brains kept subscribers turning the page.

#15: “Entourage” (2004-11)

The four leads on “Entourage” weren’t just chasing entertainment industry success in Los Angeles. Their sexually-charged misadventures were a cornerstone of the lowbrow comedy’s fantasy about the City of Angels. The frequent female nudity, coupled with archetypically male humor and themes, led to accusations of misogyny across an eight-season run. Others have argued that the show merely satirizes a misogynistic industry that is still heavily populated by powerful women. The #MeToo movement and several allegations of on-set misconduct reignited this debate in the wake of the 2015 film “Entourage.” At the very least, the original series hasn’t aged well even in how it mocks Hollywood’s culture of sex and sexism.

#14: “Orange Is the New Black” (2013-19)

Well, they aren’t wearing orange for long. Netflix’s breakout dramedy “Orange Is the New Black” is an edgy look inside of a women’s corrections facility and the lack of privacy therein. But showrunner Jenji Kohan actively subverted objectifying fantasies on the subject with naturalistic depictions of nudity and sexuality. That said, it’s still very prevalent across seven seasons. This sparked debates about whether graphic content is a healthy form of representation of diverse ethnicities, body types and gender identities. Kohan has noted the challenge in convincing nearly every core cast member that their nude scenes were necessary. At least they didn’t distract from “Orange Is the New Black’s” captivating storytelling, whether because of that naturalism or because of desensitization.

#13: “Outlander” (2014-)

Starz’s adaptation of the “Outlander” books threw out any idea that swashbuckling romance should be tender. A time traveler’s adventures in the 18th century is full of epic politics, violence and, of course, raw sexuality. The show historically used nudity in a naturalistic way or to enhance the passionate romantic arcs. Though the volume of nudity has declined over the course of eight seasons, many viewers have questioned the consistent necessity of the sex scenes as they’ve sparked hype. The graphic depiction of sexual violence in a more regressive time period has courted particular controversy. While “Outlander” is definitely deeper than its marketing, it does take all of its rugged fantasies to the extreme.

#12: “Banshee” (2013-16)

A small town in Pennsylvania isn't as conservative as you might think. Nor is the local Amish community, apparently. Cinemax’s “Banshee” managed to find compelling drama even as a criminal on the run pushed pulpy action tropes to the max. This included over-the-top sex scenes and graphic nudity. In a 2014 interview with The Wrap, showrunner Greg Yaitanes addressed the show’s efforts to seemingly balance this with men and women. He also shut down rumors that such adult content was actively pushed by the network to serve its “Skinemax” brand. They were just really lenient toward “Banshee” serving its own edgy brand to keep people talking for four brutal and steamy seasons.

#11: “The Girlfriend Experience” (2016-21)

Inspired by Steven Soderbergh’s 2009 experiential film of the same name, Starz’s “The Girlfriend Experience” pushed TV’s limits with an appropriate subject. The anthology focuses on the lives of women who utilize sex work to advance other professional or personal ambitions. The four storylines in three seasons were driven by often shockingly graphic content. They were also elevated by highly intelligent themes, with the most recurring being of sex in relation to power for women. Even at its sleaziest, “The Girlfriend Experience” represented strength and vulnerability in complex ways through nudity. The graphicness of it did actually die down a bit over time, but the impact of the psychosexual drama did not.

#10: “Euphoria” (2019-)

Every modern anxiety and vice grip the sleazy suburbanites of East Highland, California. With themes including body image, orientation and sex drive, nudity is prevalent on HBO’s “Euphoria”. Each episode pushes the envelope with it across genders, as well as graphic simulated sex. While the teen characters are obviously played by adults, the show has received much controversy for holding nothing back in dramatizing the mature exploits of kids these days. Critical acclaim aside, “Euphoria” has engaged the public in debate about how to address youth and general sexuality in mainstream television. Whether it can get any more scandalous with the characters moving into adulthood for the third season, the first two were candid enough about some naked truths.

#9: “Girls” (2012-17)

Showrunner and star Lena Dunham aspired to a nuanced, unglamorous portrait of Millennial womanhood on “Girls”. She and her castmates weren't afraid to bare all in every sense. The HBO dramedy wasn't just noted for representing realistic female bodies. It represented them as frequently and as casually as possible. Of course, the regular sex scenes further defied idealized Hollywood myths with awkward humor, romance and titillation. It was a tasteful confrontation with anxieties about body image and nudity in everyday life. There was probably more controversy surrounding critics’ scrutiny of this hallmark. Whether the nudity on “Girls” can be considered gratuitous or refreshingly natural, there's plenty of it across six seasons.

#8: “Game of Thrones” (2011-19)

For eight seasons, HBO’s “Game of Thrones” stripped all romance from the high fantasy genre. One of its most talked-about methods was the extensive use of nudity. Much of the cast disrobed for sensationalistic or bold, often disturbing dramatic purposes. Some actors were actually recruited from the adult film industry. This element of the brand was often criticized for diluting the show’s prestige, especially as it was disproportionately focused on women. Such scenes were thus walked back in later seasons of “Game of Thrones”, and are surprisingly rare on its spin-off. The nudity on “House of the Dragon” is also generally more modest and male-centric. At any rate, its predecessor had enough explicit material for several shows.

#7: “Spartacus” (2010-13)

Before “Game of Thrones”, Starz really set the standard for shock value in TV costume epics. Their take on the legend of gladiator-turned-revolutionary Spartacus went way over-the-top on style, obscene language and gore. Never mind the graphic nudity of both men and women. Sexuality drove a great deal of the show’s characterization. But its Ancient Rome’s glaringly anachronistic body types and cosmetic enhancements asserted the gratuitousness of it all. At least this complements the camp value of “Spartacus”, creatively entangled with truly sweeping storytelling over three distinctly titled seasons. Starz’s spin-off “Spartacus: House of Ashur” has a lot of substance to live up to, never mind its more saucy gimmicks.

#6: “Masters of Sex” (2013-16)

Excessive nudity doesn't have to equate to gratuitous. Showtime’s “Masters of Sex” fictionalizes the lives and work of sexology pioneers William Masters and Virginia Johnson. This means that each episode is full of graphic sexual content… um, in the name of science. Nudity is also utilized as a way of expressing the complexity of the characters and relationships in the 1950s and ‘60s. The show tastefully placed sexuality at the center of the human condition, winning critical acclaim as a legitimately adult drama. Unfortunately, the premise was tough to sell to a wide audience. “Masters of Sex” may have ended prematurely with four seasons, but it was a lofty experiment in premium TV standards.

#5: “The L Word” (2004-09)

Showtime’s “The L Word” was ahead of its time for focusing on LGBTQ culture from the female perspective. It’s driven by friendship, love, politics and, of course, the bedroom. The show features tons of casual female nudity and passionate hookups. Some feel that this key trend across six seasons sensationalized the subject matter. Moreover, many in the represented community criticized the perpetuation of an affluent Hollywood fantasy. The showrunners at least respected that for the short-lived reboot “The L Word: Generation Q”, which was just as steamy as the original and much more diverse. “The L Word” may not have been the perfect representation for its ambition, but the explicit material is confrontational enough.

#4: “True Blood” (2008-14)

The sexy vampire fantasy was practically the heart of HBO’s “True Blood”. This steamy supernatural soap explores society after synthetic blood allows vampires to come out, as it were. Obvious allegories for sexuality, blended with camp, made graphic nudity a hallmark of seven seasons. In fact, it escalated with each season. This custom helped make “True Blood” a hot topic and a subject of controversy. Besides accusations of exploitative sexual content, particularly in later plotlines, there was criticism of imbalanced nudity between men and women. The show's ostensibly progressive themes were as divisive as its storytelling. “True Blood” remains a cult classic, partly for how far it took racy soap tropes on premium cable.

#3: “Californication” (2007-14)

David Duchovny’s shocking follow-up to “The X-Files” may as well have added two more X’s. Showtime’s “Californication” follows bachelor writer Hank Moody through the Los Angeles dating and celebrity scenes. There was no shortage of beautiful people across seven seasons, but there was a shortage of clothes. Awkward sexual exploits were a key comedic and plot device that grew more prevalent as the show went along. Many viewers felt that it came to rely too heavily on nudity. Duchovny himself, who struggled with many of Moody's vices, told Rolling Stone magazine that the complicated themes of debauchery got muddled by sensationalism. “Clifornication” is still a blunt portrait of excess, particularly in one area.

#2: “The Deuce” (2017-19)

Only HBO could do justice to “The Deuce”, which finds epic drama in New York’s sex work and adult film industries around the 1970s. Needless to say, explicit male and female nudity is rampant in each episode. At least the boundary-pushing content was appropriate for the raunchy subject matter. The dedication to the cast and crew’s comfort was no less groundbreaking. “The Deuce” was the first TV show to have a resident intimacy coordinator, now a standard for sex scenes in Hollywood productions. The show could definitely back up its commentary on the perils and politics of crude entertainment. But mainstream entertainment would have to get pretty crude to match that much nudity in three seasons.

#1: “Shameless” (2011-21)

Paul Abbott adapted his British dramedy to working-class Chicago with even more riotous satire and nuance. Showtime’s “Shameless” also took advantage of its premium cable format to fulfill its title. For 11 seasons, the Gallaghers coped with dysfunction through debauchery, crime and steamy misadventures. There were hundreds of nude scenes to progress the characters, comedy and commentary. Emmy Rossum most notably defended this content and defended against being shamed for it. But was all of it really necessary? Nudity was part of a shocking brand that actively outdid the competition in mature television. With even that declining over time, there may never be another show like “Shameless”. At least there's still quality TV behind the more crude and controversial content.

What are the raciest TV shows you can think of? Expose them in the comments below.