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Credit: Mika Baumeister, UnsplashIn the streaming era, content is king. But at Disney+, some titles have been quietly banished from the kingdom. Episodes of various TV series, both old and new, have either disappeared from the platform or never been uploaded in the first place, leaving a trail of bewildered viewers in their wake.
The reasons behind these removals remain shrouded in a mix of corporate strategy, evolving sensitivities, and the ever-shifting sands of public opinion. Disney has addressed its stance on some of its older content in the past, such as adding disclaimers to the beginning of certain films containing “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or cultures” that were “wrong then and are wrong now.”
However, since President Donald Trump returned to office and cracked down on DEI schemes, the company has backtracked to instead simply acknowledge that content “may contain outdated cultural depictions.”
In the cases of some episodes, Disney has instead opted to scrub them from streaming for good. You may find the shows below on Disney+, but you definitely won’t find these episodes…
Multiple Episodes of Bear in the Big Blue House
Bear in the Big Blue House was beloved in the late 1990s and early 2000s, charming audiences with its gentle storytelling, catchy musical numbers, and the warm, fuzzy presence of its titular bear – a large, friendly puppet who guided young viewers through everyday life.
The show, which aired on Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney block, became a cultural touchstone for a generation of millennials, fostering emotional intelligence and imaginative play through its whimsical narratives and diverse cast of characters. Unsurprisingly, that same generation was overjoyed when the show made its way onto Disney+ for a whole new era of young viewers in 2022.
While the vast majority of episodes are available, some remain MIA. This includes “A Berry Bear Christmas” and “And to All a Good Night.” Disney has never explained why these episodes didn’t make the cut, but it’s been said that licensing issues for some songs played a role.
Multiple Episodes of Andi Mack
Andi Mack broke new ground on Disney Channel from 2017 to 2019, with the critically acclaimed coming-of-age series featuring an authentic portrayal of a 13-year-old girl navigating the complexities of adolescence, family, and self-discovery. The show garnered praise for its diverse characters, realistic storylines, and willingness to tackle sensitive topics such as first crushes, blended families, and cultural identity, sparking important conversations about representation and inclusivity.
If you try to watch the show on Disney+ today, you’ll find that the entire story arc is no longer present. While there was a time when you could watch Andi Mack from back to front, multiple episodes have been pulled from Disney+, with the first season suffering the most.
Disney’s motivation behind cutting the episodes is pretty straightforward. Cast member Stoney Westmoreland – who played Andi’s grandfather – was arrested and pleaded guilty to child sex charges, leading to the removal of every episode featuring the actor.
One “Satanic” Episode of Darkwing Duck
Darkwing Duck, a 1990s Disney Afternoon spin-off of DuckTales, starred Drake Mallard as the titular superhero. Balancing his secret identity with single parenthood, Darkwing fought crime in St. Canard with his signature catchphrase, “Let’s get dangerous!”, and a host of gadgets.
While multiple episodes of the show were actually banned, it was “Hot Spells” that ended up disappearing for good. This saw Darkwing, Gosalyn, and Morgana visit the latter’s old magic school, where Beelzebub decides to steal Darkwing’s soul. With parental groups protesting after its release due to its use of “religiously sensitive subject matter” and “Satanic themes,” it’s not totally surprising that Disney chose to omit this episode from its streaming library.
The “Michael Jackson Episode” of The Simpsons
The Simpsons is renowned for its celebrity cameos, including the Prince of Pop himself in season three’s episode “Stark Raving Dad.” This famously saw Michael Jackson voicing a character impersonating Michael Jackson (meta, right?) in a mental institution.
Even before Disney+ debuted, The Simpsons episode was pulled from circulation. The decision came courtesy of executive producer James L. Brooks, who decided to axe the episode from all outlets in March 2019 after HBO released Leaving Neverland, a documentary delving into the allegations made against Jackson. Some fans were disappointed with the move but, as Brooks said, “This is our book, and we’re allowed to take out a chapter.”
Two Culturally Insensitive Episodes of Tale Spin
TaleSpin, a high-flying adventure series from the Disney Afternoon, reimagined characters from The Jungle Book in a 1930s setting. Today, two episodes are missing from Disney+ despite being readily available on both Amazon and YouTube.
The missing episodes in question, “Lost Horizons” and “Flying Dupes,” are both victims of outdated themes. “Lost Horizons,” a World War II satire, features problematic Asian stereotypes. It aired on Toon Disney but was pulled from circulation in 2002. “Flying Dupes,” which involves a terrorist plot, was included on the show’s DVD release but has also been removed from syndication and is absent from Disney+, likely due to its potentially sensitive subject matter.
Brooke Shields and Chris Langham’s Episodes of The Muppet Show
It’s time to meet the Muppets – but not Brooke Shields and Chris Langham.
The Muppet Show ran from 1976-1981, taking the form of a variety series starring Kermit the Frog, the rest of the Muppets gang, and a different celebrity guest each week. These guests performed alongside the Muppets in comedic skits and musical numbers, contributing to the show’s widespread popularity.
While you can catch most of these performances on Disney+, both Shields and Langham’s episodes are missing, but for very different reasons. In the case of Shields, Disney claimed it was due to licensing issues. For that same reason, all scenes containing the song “Lullaby of Birdland” were deleted from another episode of the show.
Meanwhile, Langham’s episode is missing because he was charged with 15 counts of downloading indecent images of children in 2005. The actor was later sentenced to ten months in prison and placed on the sexual offenders register for a decade.
What other episodes have you noticed are missing or altered on Disney+?