November 21 is World Television Day, a date established in 1997 through UN initiative to highlight television’s role in promoting peace and development. In practice, TV often serves pure entertainment, sometimes delivering moments that astonish or even your face with embarrassment. Across decades, a string of programs from different countries has become famous for their shock value, audacity, and sometimes uncomfortable truths. Here are several that have sparked discussion around media, culture, and ethics in North America and beyond.
“Susunu! Denpa Shōnen” (“Do Not Enter! Crazy Youth”)
This Japanese reality show, airing on Nippon TV from 1998 to 2002, is remembered for its outright daring and cruelty. Aspiring comedians risk everything to land on camera, with Nasubi as its most infamous figure. He was confined to a closed apartment for 15 months, deprived of basic needs like food, water, and clothing, and forced to gamble for provision. Live cameras captured his unfiltered life as reality blurred into isolation and fixation. Nasubi believed the footage was edited before broadcast, unaware that he was living through a controlled experiment in endurance.
“My Little Old Boy”
In a format that mirrors the private lives of celebrities, this South Korean program peeks into the day-to-day routines of stars who live solo. The twist comes as society’s expectations of family life contrast with personal choices. Viewers watch a celeb rummage for a clean shirt amid a pile of laundry or unsort rotten leftovers from the fridge, while their mothers react with a blend of concern and humor. The show invites audiences to consider fame, aging, and personal independence on screen.
“Close to the Bone: Surgeons and Chiefs”
Debuting on a Canadian educational channel in 2004, this cooking format pairs surgeons with chefs to prepare parts of animal anatomy live under expert guidance. An orthopedic surgeon guides the episode, while a hepatologist tackles the liver and a traumatologist the leg of lamb. A butcher serves as a practical consultant, explaining anatomy to help viewers understand both the science and the cooking. The blend of medicine, culinary craft, and real-time demonstrations invites reflection on expertise and practical knowledge in popular media.
“I Want to Marry Harry”
In 2014, the United States hosted a dating-style show with a playful but unsettling premise: contestants competed for a chance to marry a man portrayed as Prince Harry and join the royal family. The deception was part of the setup, with a challenger named Matthew acting as a stand-in for the royal heir. The show’s premise aimed to test romance under a manufactured royal lens, ultimately delivering a viral but controversial blend of satire and spectacle. Critics described it as a curiosity that wasn’t quite compelling television.
“Swan”
aired on Fox in 2004–2005 and embodied the transformational genre, following a participant through a rigorous makeover that included fitness coaching, dental work, psychotherapy, and a visit to a surgeon. In the finale, experts presented a beauty contest to evaluate how far the transformation had gone. One season long, the program faced significant backlash over gender norms and the pressure to conform to narrow standards of beauty.
“Be Cute or Get Cake”
This Japanese program has attracted criticism for sexism. Contestants wake each participant by means that emphasize performance of cuteness. A row of sleepers is awakened, and the goal is to preserve a charming facial expression. If the wake-up mishap makes a contestant lose poise, a cake is smeared in the face. The setup favors a dramatic, sometimes messy, display over practical competition, prompting conversations about gendered expectations on television.
“Sugar or No Sugar” – or “Sokkuri Suito” (“Sugar or No Sugar”)
Continuing the food-centered theme, this Japanese challenge tasks contestants with biting into objects that resemble edible items but may be inedible or edible only by chance. The payoff is a safe chocolate cake if luck is on the side, or biting into a real object like a shoe if not. The premise invites discussion about appetite, risk, and the line between playful deception and real danger on screen.
“Slippery Stairs”
Japan’s fascination with extreme physical feats is on full display here. Contestants must ascend a glossy, slippery staircase while wearing a tight, reflective suit. The surface resistance makes progress nearly impossible, turning each ascent into a comic struggle of crawling, slipping, and tumbling. Over time, the spectacle evolved into a standalone non-Olympic sport, with ESPN 8 later broadcasting related competitions—an example of how a TV moment can morph into a separate entertainment niche.
“Mustache Wars”
Back in the United States, this IFC show brought a bearded community into the spotlight. Over two seasons, a cast of men with lush facial hair prepared for an international beard competition, vying for admiration and leadership within the group. The storyline wove in humor, tension, and camaraderie, highlighting how niche communities can become compelling television narratives.
“I Was Born in the Wilderness”
One of the more controversial US series, this 2015 season tracked couples who chose to give birth in natural, medically unassisted settings. The premise raised urgent questions about safety, medical risk, and the ethics of broadcasting intimate, high-stakes moments. Critics from the medical community argued that such portrayals could endanger newborns, leading to swift public outcry and eventual cancellation.