Top 9+ huge TV shows that could never be made today

There's no nice way of saying this: some TV shows just have not aged well. From basing an entire concept around diet culture and body shaming to airing - and then publicly mocking - people's personal lives for ratings, nowadays they wouldn't even make it past the first pitch stages. Seriously, some of these shows are so un-PC that they've been pulled from major streaming platforms due to mass complaints. Intrigued as to which titles would never have been given the green light today? Read on… (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

1. Little Britain: 2003-2006

Beginning on the radio in 2000, David Walliams and Matt Lucas' comedy sketch show made it onto mainstream telly in 2003 and was a major hit at the time. The show ran until 2006 and followed various British characters from all aspects of life. Notable roles included Vicky Pollard, a moody and obnoxious teenage girl, Liz, a middle-aged woman constantly bragging (and lying) about attending Mollie Sugden's wedding, and Sebastian Love, the private secretary to the Prime Minister. All sounds fairly safe, right? Wrong. In 2020, every series was removed from BBC iPlayer, Netflix and BritBox, after viewers labelled it explicitly racist and outdated (Picture: BBC)

2. Absolutely Fabulous: 1992-2012

Absolutely Fabulous followed the lives of PR mogul Edina 'Eddie' Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) and ex-model and fashion mag director Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley). However, the pair never did any work. Instead, they'd spend their days chain-smoking, pill-popping, boozing and drug-abusing either at Eddie's kitchen table or at exclusive events around London. Despite reaching legendary sitcom status, there are multiple reasons why the show would never be made today. Writer Saunders even admitted as such in 2021. Firstly, Eddie's obsession with being 'thin' was very problematic, with episodes often trivialising body-shaming and eating disorders, which could be triggering. Secondly, there was the flippancy around Patsy and Edina's evident alcoholism and substance abuse (Picture: BBC)

3. Ugly Betty: 2006-2010

Betty Suarez is a hard-working, enthusiastic young woman desperate to build a career in the publishing industry. But, because she doesn't meet the 'traditional beauty standards,' she's often ridiculed, and considered less than by her peers. So, naturally, Betty has to work harder than everyone else to prove she is worthy. Is this premise enough to convince you that a show - which was also confidently named 'Ugly Betty' - probably wouldn't be picked up today? (Picture: © 2006 American Broadcasting Com)

4. Friends: 1994-2004

You're likely thinking, 'Good old lighthearted Friends? What's wrong with this show?' Now, we're not here to say that every episode should be cancelled. Rather, there are some scenes, concepts, and thought processes that wouldn't land well today. From Monica's insecurity about her appearance because she was dubbed 'Fat Monica' as a kid, the lack of diversity in its cast, and Ross' sexist tendencies that became evident very early on, there was also an abundance of homophobia and transphobia littered throughout the show's 10-year run (Picture: Getty Images)

5. Baywatch: 1990-2001

For a period in the 1990s, Baywatch was the most-watched television show in the world. And we likely all know the reason for this: the 'traditionally' beautiful people running in slow-motion on the beach in skimpy bathing suits. If a show like this were to be made today, a lot more thought would have to be put into it (Picture: Fremantle Media/REX/Shutterstock)

6. The Jerry Springer Show: 1991-2018

The Jerry Springer Show is one of the most famous talk shows ever. But a lot of the time it wasn't for the right reasons. In front of a studio audience, members of the public would discuss their problems in the hopes that the host - Mr Springer - and the audience would offer suggestions to resolve them. However, instead these people were usually heckled, laughed at and ridiculed (Picture: Getty Images)

7. Fat Friends: 2000-2005

The title of this show gives you a pretty obvious heads-up about its problematic content. Set in the Headingley district of Leeds, the premise revolves around a slimming club and its formidable leader Carol, who constantly tries to force her members to follow the 'Super Slimmers' diet. Back in the early noughties this kind of body image discourse was unfortunately normal. But now, there's no way a show like this - which we imagine was meant to be harmless - would ever be considered for television (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)

8. Snog Marry Avoid?: 2008-2011

This is another body image programme that would never see the light of day now. And yet, back in its prime, raked in over 750,000 viewers every episode. The point of the reality show? A computer, that went by the name 'Pod,' would approach random people on the street and ask them to judge a person based on their looks. The question was: 'Would you snog, marry, or avoid this person?' Following the strangers' advice, they'd give the chosen subject a completely new look based on 'traditional beauty standards', often stripping them of every inch of uniqueness. The only good thing about this show was that the people given the makeover usually reverted to how they used to dress by choice, or into what made them most comfortable (Picture: BBC)

9. Come Fly With Me: 2010-2011

Eek, comedy duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas are at it again. Four years after Little Britain ended, they co-wrote and starred together in Come Fly With Me, a comedy series set in an airport, designed to be a spoof of British documentaries Airport and Airline. The show followed the same sketch premise as Little Britain, introducing different characters who all worked at the same airport. Memorable names included Ian Foot (the Chief Immigration Officer of the UK Immigration Service), check-in assistants Keeley and Melody, Fearghal O'Farrell (a steward in Economy Class at low budget airline, Our Lady Air), and Buster Bell (an airport paparazzi). Just like their previous works, Come Fly With Me was removed from Netflix in 2020, 10 years after it first aired, due to being slammed for crude racial stereotypes (Picture: BBC)