5 Times Full-Frontal Nudity Changed TV Shows
Sometimes, a TV show has to introduce some shocking element to stay relevant. For some shows, that means killing off a major character, introducing a giant twist, or another tactic. For others, that tactic is simple: hire very beautiful people and have them strip down on camera.
With the rise of streaming services and premium networks that can skirt rules set in place by more traditional networks, nudity on the small screen has become pretty standard, especially for prestige shows. So how did this come to pass? Sure, shows like "Sex and the City" ushered television into a new age of frank, open discussions about sexuality, but even that series was relatively buttoned-up by today's standards — and a handful of shows that followed really upped the ante, so to speak.
So which shows set new standards for on-screen nudity and changed not only the television landscape but also their broader legacies? Here are five shows that featured a ton of nudity and became something different as a result.
True Blood (2008-2014)
HBO is one of the biggest peddlers of small-screen nudity out there, and the network's vampire drama "True Blood" was no exception. Based on the book series "The Southern Vampire Mysteries" by Charlaine Harris, the series stars Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse, a humble waitress living in Bon Temps, Louisiana, who can hear people's thoughts (whether she likes it or not). As the small town grapples with the fact that vampires are "coming out of the coffin" now that synthetic blood known as "True Blood" is readily available, Sookie meets a charming named vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), whose thoughts are a mystery to her — immediately establishing a mutual attraction.
Sex and vampires typically go hand-in-hand in pop culture, and "True Blood" takes that idea and runs with it. In the first season, Sookie's brother Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) beds several women who later turn up dead, and those scenes are all pretty graphic; in Season 2, Maryann Forrester (Michelle Forbes), a newcomer to Bon Temps, turns out to be a maenad, and the scenes at her lavish parties — which devolve into sex-crazed bacchanalia where everyone involved is possessed by Maryann's malevolent magic — are explicit, to say the least. The central love story of "True Blood" might be a sweet tale about Sookie and Bill, but audiences still got to look at Eric Northman's (Alexander Skårsgard) butt quite a lot, establishing it as one of the raunchiest shows on television.
Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
No other entry on this list focuses on a show that literally created the portmanteau "sexposition," and there's no question that "Game of Thrones" led to a string of very, very naked shows in its wake. Based on George R.R. Martin's novel series "A Song of Ice and Fire," the show kicks off with Emilia Clarke going fully nude as Daenerys Targaryen and later sees twin siblings having sex (and one of them attempting murder after a child catches them in the act). There's also a Season 1 scene where Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish (Aidan Gillen) delivers a full monologue while two sex workers "practice" with each other at his brothel. That scene is the epitome of "sexposition," as Littlefinger is providing essential character backstory while two women are writhing next to him — and "Game of Thrones" had its reputation set in stone from that point on.
For the rest of its run, "Game of Thrones" never shied away from explicit sex scenes, and even with different showrunners, that trend continued in the first prequel and spin-off, "House of the Dragon." People get pretty salacious in Westeros, and aside from its disastrous ending, the legacy of "Game of Thrones" is largely centered around its raunchy sex scenes, both for better and for worse.
Euphoria (2019-present)
"Euphoria" isn't a particularly realistic show about what high school kids do in their free time (hopefully), but it is a raw, unflinching exploration of sexuality and addiction, featuring a wildly talented cast who are, thankfully, all too old to actually attend high school. Set in California and created by Sam Levinson, the show ostensibly follows Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a recovering drug addict returning to school after time away in a rehab facility. Besides Rue, who narrates the show and serves as its central protagonist, the series manages to shift its focus throughout its supporting cast, even devoting an introduction to each character throughout Season 1. To say these kids are troubled is a severe understatement. Whether they're grappling with their sexual identities or broken families, every young "Euphoria" character needs their vices, whether it's sex, drugs, or alcohol.
That's where the nudity comes in. With each character, from Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) to Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) to Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer), we see their intimate lives, whether Jules is unwittingly seducing Nate's father Cal (Eric Dane) or Cassie is lusting after Nate in Season 2. There's actually so much nudity on "Euphoria" that both Sweeney and Season 2 recurring actor Minka Kelly revealed that they asked Levinson to tone down some of their full-frontal scenes — which is precisely why "Euphoria" remains one of television's most controversial and discussed shows.
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Girls (2012-2017)
Whether you love it or hate it, there's no denying that "Girls" was one of the biggest lightning rods in recent pop culture history — thanks to rampant nudity and a fair amount of bad-faith takes. A spiritual successor to "Sex and the City" which focuses on four girlfriends navigating life and love in New York City, "Girls" proved that it was different right out of the gate when Hannah Horvath (creator Lena Dunham) gets high on opium tea, has a meltdown in her parents' hotel room, and steals the tip they've left for housekeeping as she exits in the morning. Beyond that, even without the word "sex" in the title, "Girls" was completely unrepentant about showing its characters' intimate lives, whether free spirit Jessa Johansson (Jemima Kirke) is bedding old flames or Marnie Michaels (Allison Williams) is shirking her reputation as a buttoned-up prude with her lover Desi (Ebon Moss-Bacharach) in Season 4.
That's to say nothing of Dunham herself who disrobed almost constantly — especially in her scenes with Adam Driver's Adam (a breakout role for the future "Star Wars" and "Ferrari" star). Dunham's body, which reflected those of far more real women than those of typically svelte Hollywood stars, drew ire and criticism just by virtue of having curves, which was never a good take. But notably, the actress bared all without worry (including a Season 2 episode where she plays ping pong completely nude). "Girls" was always divisive, but it absolutely pushed the envelope when it came to nudity on television and put forth the idea that all sorts of body types can be celebrated.
Orange is the New Black (2013-2019)
At first glance, Netflix's original series "Orange is the New Black" is about Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) and her time in federal prison after she's caught smuggling drugs for her girlfriend Alex Vause (Laura Prepon). What the show really does, though, is use Piper as a sort of Trojan horse character — and beyond Piper's story, audiences meet a diverse cast of women, carrying on a variety of relationships inside and outside of the main setting of Litchfield Penitentiary.
From Laverne Cox — a trans actress playing a proud trans woman — baring all to multiple scenes where Natasha Lyonne's Nicky Nichols gets down with women in the prison chapel (that place sees quite a lot of action) to the sexual awakening of Poussey Washington (Samira Wiley), "Orange is the New Black" never shied away from showing women's bodies and queer love, with these characters even finding joy within the walls of a prison. Because of the earnest and respectful way that showrunner Jenji Kohan and her team approached the material, the nudity never felt exploitative, but it did cement "Orange is the New Black" as a show unafraid to show absolutely everything, and that reputation stuck with the series until it came to a close after Season 7.