17 Popular TV Shows That Would Never Be Made Today

Jake Valentine

July 31, 2025

It’s a popular saying: there’s no way you could make a show like that today.

You’d be surprised at how often that’s true, but not for the reasons you may think. Yes, a lot of the time, someone’s talking about problematic themes or characters in the series. Othertimes, however, a show releases in the right climate to become a pop culture sensation.

For whatever reason, here are popular shows that we believe would never be made today.

Friends

One thing that Gen Z is pointing out as they watch Friends for the first time is a complete lack of diversity in the cast.

Add in some problematic tropes the show loves to make fun of that feel out of date today, and you have the recipe for disaster with younger audiences.

All in the Family

Modern audiences won’t be able to realize that you’re laughing at Archie Bunker, not with him.

Instead, people would miss the fact that he’s out of touch and instead hone in on his problematic nature. We’ve already seen it with several shows removing episodes from streaming despite the fact that they’re calling out problematic behavior.

The Dukes of Hazzard

There is no shot that in today’s political climate, you can make a series that prominently displays the Confederate Flag.

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The Beverly Hillbillies

There’s also no shot that in today’s political climate, you can make a sitcom that portrays lower-class Americans as bumbling idiots.

Yes, the show exaggerates things for effect, but that doesn’t make it less offensive.

The Simple Life

Similarly, despite the continued popularity of reality television, there’s no way you could put two models like Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie into situations that essentially make fun of lower-class Americans.

With the way people view elite celebrities, there’s not a chance people would care about the antics of Paris and Nicole today.

Married… with Children

I remember watching a reunion show with the cast of Married… with Children talking about how they all expected to be canceled as quickly as the show was greenlit.

Of course, that thankfully wasn’t the case, but there’s no way a show with this type of humor would fly today.

The Honeymooners

As iconic and classic as the series is, it’s the same problem with a modern-day version of Married… with Children.

Basing all of your jokes on metaphors for beating isn’t something that would work in a post #MeToo world.

Entourage

Believe it or not, Entourage was one of HBO’s most popular shows during its run in the 2000s and early 2010s.

However, the show’s emphasis on bro culture has become less popular over time, which I firmly believe led to its less-than-stellar performance at the box office when the Entourage film was released in 2015.

The Man Show

Having said all that, The Man Show‘s bro culture and toxic masculinity content make Entourage look incredibly tame.

It’s very much a product of its time, airing on Comedy Central from 1999 through 2004.

Baywatch

Yes, one of the things that helped make Baywatch so popular in the ’90s was the cast’s attractiveness, but I’d argue an equally important factor was how campy the show is.

It knew not to take itself too seriously, and that’s something which has become a lost art over the years. Ironically, as I say this, the reboot of The Naked Gun, which happens to star Pamela Anderson, is getting good reviews, so maybe it’s time to bring back campy shows that don’t take themselves too seriously.

The Boondocks

On the flip side, many would view The Boondocks as being far too woke, while also being too liberal with its vocabulary.

Perhaps that’s why plans for a reboot in the early 2020s fell through. It’s a shame, because the show’s critique of society and politics would be more relevant today than ever.

Jerry Springer

There was once a time when Jerry Springer was a normal, typical daytime talk show and not the trash TV that it devolved into.

Then again, there was a huge audience for that in the ’90s that wanted nothing more but to chant “Jerry! Jerry!” as people fought on stage.

MASH

So here’s the thing that you need to remember about MASH and any attempt to air it today.

The series took place during the Korean War while offering commentary on the ongoing Vietnam War. Today, that would be akin to the series taking place during the Gulf War, or other countless Middle Eastern conflicts, in the current Middle East political climate. Modern audiences wouldn’t fly for that.

Hogan’s Heroes

In a similar manner, you can’t rerun Hogan’s Heroes today with a bunch of bumbling idiots as the Nazis; it wouldn’t have the same impact.

Instead, it would be as if you’re making a show about 9-11 terrorists being bumbling idiots and, yeah, no one’s touching that.

Who’s the Boss?

It’s funny that a man has to work as a live-in housekeeper for a woman who’s the breadwinner! Get it? Because the man is supposed to be the provider and the woman is supposed to take care of the house!

Society has become far more accustomed to “gender reversal” roles around the house today.

In Living Color

As great as it was to have not only an alternative to Saturday Night Live, but also one headlined by people of color, there are far too many skits that haven’t aged well.

A lot of the show’s humor is a product of a different era, even if some of its stars have attempted to still use it in their acts today, to less-than-stellar results.