When it comes to American television, network censors often rule on certain plot points to ensure that the American public isn’t traumatized by anything that might be distasteful.
Although these standards have been relaxed over the years (you can now see toilets on TV!) “, but some episodes were omitted by censors but were banned soon after airing.
In the episode “Bored, She Hung Herself,” from the original Hawaii Five-O, a character named Don Miles practiced what is now known as autoerotic asphyxiation. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it’s sexual gratification achieved from limiting one’s oxygen, usually through strangulation.
In the episode, which aired in 1970, it’s revealed that the woman was actually killed by a neighbor, but that didn’t stop one fan from trying what they saw on television. While it hasn’t been proven, it’s believed that the episode was pulled from broadcast because a fan died while attempting to recreate what they saw in the episode.
Snopes checked into the claim and couldn’t find any evidence that this actually happened, but even if it didn’t, the episode was banned and cannot be found in any legitimate reproduction.
The episode was never aired again, and it wasn’t included on the Hawaii Five-O DVD release of season two. The episode is considered “lost” by many fans, thanks to CBS’ refusal to rebroadcast or make it available for syndication. The only images found online were taken from bootleg copies recorded 50+ years ago.
