Warning: This article discusses the topics of religion, racism, eating disorders, child abuse, and mental health.
Unfortunately, there are multiple classic TV shows that are difficult to rewatch now. Many ofthe best TV shows of all timeeventually became hard to watch again, because as the years passed by, audiences’ perspectives on certain topics changed. While many of these titles were products of their time, nowadays, viewers simply don’t connect with them.
There are several reasons why a TV show may be hard to watch now. For example, somesitcoms have aged poorlybecause of jokes that were targeted towards a certain group of people, cheesy or out-of-touch storylines, or behind-the-scenes drama. Whilethese titles can still be enjoyed while acknowledging their flaws,in hindsight, they are difficult to rewatch today.
7Baywatch/Baywatch: Hawaii
1989-1999 - 9 Seasons, 1999-2001 - 2 Seasons
David Hasselhoff’s hit lifeguard TV show managed to save itself several times over the years, but perhaps the fact thatBaywatchwas originally canceled after season 1was a sign of things to come.Baywatch, later retitledBaywatch: Hawaiifor the last two installments, followed a team of lifeguards and focused on both their personal and professional qualms.
Over time,the somewhat gripping stories that saw civilians being rescued from drowning or harsh weather conditions fell to the sidelines.However, the show relied on sexualizing its characters (especially its female characters) to draw viewers in, and there were some questionable romances at various points, too.
Frustratingly,theBaywatchslow-motionrunning montages were what the show became renowned for,rather than anything to do with the narrative. WhileBaywatch’s Pamela Andersonlater found further success outside of portraying C. J. Parker, it was a shame her acting talents weren’t better utilized at the time.
6The Monkees
1966-1968 - 2 Seasons
The Monkeeswas one ofthe best sitcoms of the 1960s, but over time, it became a rather out-of-touch title. The showcentered on the titular rock n’ roll band who were attempting to achieve stardom in Los Angeles. While this simple premise didn’t appear terrible, upon revisiting it, many of the jokes madeThe Monkeeshard to watch.
The Monkeeswas a product of its time, butthe racist gags felt a bit much, even for the ‘60s.Multiple episode titles used harmful language, for example, and included slurs or other forms of bigotry. On top of the casual, stereotypical remarks about various cultures,The Monkeeseven saw characters whose faces were painted to resemble other races.
Althoughthere were some things aboutThe Monkeesthat could be considered as progressivefor the era, it wasn’t enough to power through the painful and offensive humor. It’s near impossible to find clips of these moments online now, but that’s likely for the best.
5Growing Pains
1985-1992 - 7 Seasons
As a whole,Growing Painshasn’t aged as poorly as other past titles.However, there were many moments throughout the show that made it nearly impossible to see it in a positive light.Growing Painsfollowed the day-to-day life of psychiatrist Jason Seaver (Alan Thicke) and his family, but ironically,the show’s portrayal of mental health was far from appropriate.
Jason’s approach to dealing with his patients was baffling, and his words weren’t exactly well-thought-out. At one point, the show mocked one of his patients, who threatened to kill themselves by jumping down Jason’s chimney. However, the reason whyGrowing Painsis so hard to watch now is because of Tracey Gold’s character, Carol.
The other characters frequently made jokes about Carol’s weight inGrowing Pains,and it was awful to witness the young girl experience them. But behind the scenes, it was even more heartbreaking. Gold later revealed she developed an eating disorder, which impacted her weight fluctuation, but this didn’t stop the show from implementing similar storylines for Carol.
4Gimme A Break!
1981-1987 - 6 Seasons
Gimme a Break!followed Nell Carter as the Black housekeeper of the Kanisky family, and while this show seemed to be diverse on the surface, in reality, it wasn’t.Nell was often the punching bag inGimme a Break!and was subjected to jokes about her race and weight, and even witnessed another character in blackface.
However, it wasn’t just the racism that madeGimme a Break!a struggle to watch. As the head of the household, Carl (Dolph Sweet) took every opportunity he could to remind Nell and his children of his power. On several occasions,Carl openly beat his daughters, butGimme a Break!played it off as comedic.
There were also other issues that weren’t directly linked to bigotry. Katie (Kari Michaelsen) became aFlanderized TV characterthrough her dwindling intelligence, Grandpa Stanley (John Hoyt) in general, and the fact that Nell Carter eventually distanced herself fromGimme a Break!, for example.
37th Heaven
1996-2007 - 11 Seasons
As there is currently a7th Heavenrebootin the works, there are a few things from the original show that the upcoming revival should really avoid.7th Heavencentered on Reverend Eric Camden (Stephen Collins) and his family, and it was a somewhat relatable watch for those who were growing up in a religious household at the time.
However, upon reflection,7th Heaven’s messaging wasn’t as wholesome as it seemed.Many have realized years later that many episodes of7th Heavenfelt more like religious propaganda,or as a way to preach to youngsters about their morals and decisions. For example, the show was obsessed with premarital sex, and Eric’s eldest kids were often a part of this discussion.
Even taking the subliminal messaging out of the equation,7th Heavenalso became hard to watch because of its cringeworthy content.When the show wasn’t shaming viewers for their sexualities, it tried to tackle topics like drugs and racism as if it were a heavily one-sided after-school special.
2Glee
2009-2015 - 6 Seasons
Seeingevery actor inGleewho diedon the screen again has made the show difficult to watch, undoubtedly. However, there were plenty of things about Ryan Murphy’s hit musical TV show that haven’t aged well. ThroughoutGlee,the characters frequently faced bullying, general abuse, misogyny, racism, homophobia, and everything in between,and not just from their peers, but from teachers, too.
Annoyingly,Gleetrivialized a lot of issues,too. It wasn’t unusual to see storylines that tackled topics like eating disorders, teen pregnancy, or promiscuity treated as a joke. This unfortunately madeGlee’s character development rapidly decline, as quite often, characters would make a decision that made no sense for them.
From Mr. Schue being the most questionable high school teacher of all time to the cheesy song and dance numbers,every season ofGleehad its controversial moments.Gleeis still a guilty pleasure title for some, but this doesn’t make it easy to watch.
1Seinfeld
1989-1998 - 9 Seasons
WhileSeinfeldwill forever remain one ofthe best sitcoms of all time, the show was very much a product of its time, too, which has made it harder to rewatch nowadays.Seinfeld’s characters were supposed to be awful people, but this wasn’t really enough to justify some of the gags throughout the show.
Racist jokes weren’t uncommon inSeinfeld’s controversial episodes, and season 9’s“The Puerto Rican Day” was even removed from syndication because of a scene that saw the gang stomping on a Puerto Rican flag.There was also a lot of misogyny inSeinfeld, especially from the titular character himself, whose attitude towards women was less than favorable.
Like several older TV shows,many of the topics discussed inSeinfeldare now outdated or irrelevant,and this has made certain scenes cringey to watch. However, the biggest issue overall was that the characters’ attempts not to appear racist, homophobic, or sexist were for the sake of comedy, and they often had the opposite result.
