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These TV shows really let it all hang out! Join us as we count down our picks for the TV shows featuring the most explicit nudity. For this list, we're focusing on mainstream premium cable and streaming dramas and comedies, so afterhours erotic shows are excluded. Which of these bold series pushed the envelope the most for you?
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00:03Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the TV
00:06shows with the most scenes featuring explicit nudity. To keep it tasteful,
00:10we're excluding after-hours erotic shows.
00:23Number 20. Black Sails. Stars' adventure on the high seas could get a little low-brow.
00:28Actually, Black Sails earned a dedicated cult following for its uniquely mature and gritty
00:33depiction of the golden age of piracy. This included frank sexual content that aimed to
00:45illustrate power dynamics and even empower the diversity of the characters. For many viewers,
00:50though, it was just the show's crudest ode to Game of Thrones, especially as it was women who were
00:54most frequently and explicitly naked. Over time, Black Sails became more selective in such scenes
00:59to curb the controversy and serve the drama.
01:02I was right. There is conflict amongst them. I don't know how deep it runs, but it is there to
01:10be exploited.
01:11There's still plenty across four seasons to set the show apart from Hollywood's usual family-friendly
01:15swashbucklers. Number 19. Westworld. The TV adaptation of Michael Crichton's Westworld opened
01:21the sci-fi frontier to patrons' ultimate fantasies. Considering human nature and the fact that it
01:26was HBO, that meant a lot of nudity.
01:29I'll give you a discount.
01:31We have no offense, but I'd rather earn a woman's affection than pay for it.
01:36You're always paying for it, Doug. And the difference is our costs are fixed and posted
01:40right there on the door.
01:42But it isn't just exploitive sex scenes, usually involving lifelike androids. Nudity is used to
01:47express their humanoid form, and the often disturbing power dynamics that lead to their
01:51uprising. Westworld moved away from this trope, as each of the four seasons moved further away
01:56from the eponymous theme park.
02:01Co-showrunner Lisa Joy said that part of the motivation was to spare the actor's vulnerability,
02:06though there are still a lot of moments on the show that use it effectively.
02:09Number 18. Power.
02:11Starz's flagship franchise gets pretty hot and heavy just with its intense portrayal of organized crime.
02:16This carries over into the more intimate character moments in the power universe.
02:20When did you get home?
02:26Late.
02:28The original series was particularly excessive with its passionate sex scenes, but noted for
02:33its careful handling of the hallmark. Nonetheless, many found the nudity repetitive and even cheesy,
02:38particularly as it became less about drama than sensationalism. That can also be said of the
02:43bold violence and drama that kept audiences talking. These scandalous elements have persisted into
02:48spin-offs of rather debatable taste.
02:50Come on, don't do that. Don't start.
02:52It's just that the OG power had six seasons and immediate shock value to give its mature content,
02:57well, power.
02:59Number 17. P-Valley.
03:00Starz's flair for diversity with sex appeal made it the ideal stage for Katori Hall's scandalous play.
03:18P-Valley follows the many complicated lives of exotic dancers in the Mississippi Delta, so the nudity is
03:24persistent, graphic, and necessary, even for the sake of character development. Hall made sure of that to
03:30counter the historic objectification of black women, whether it empowers diverse beauty or symbolizes
03:35the complexities of agency in class and race. There's a lot of depth to the sleaze, but some
03:39lament that it's sleaze all the time, particularly when it seems to fetishize offstage intimate
03:44moments. In any case, P-Valley is undoubtedly bold with how it bears its progressive drama.
03:50So that's it. Just these last few and we done.
03:52Number 16. Minx. Moving from HBO Max to Starz, a period comedy about a woman's erotic magazine,
03:58pushed the boundaries of nudity in a TV comedy.
04:01I'm looking for a different kind of publisher.
04:03Oh yeah? What kind is that?
04:04The kind that doesn't fetishize lactating mothers.
04:07I'm showing mouth on you. You know, for your information, I got four million in circulation.
04:13The boldest part of this was who was doing those scenes. Most of the show's beautifying and very
04:17graphic nudity is of male models, and when women did disrobe, it was typically natural,
04:22empowering, or self-aware. The show was overall a smartly funny, character-driven immersion into the
04:271970s golden ages of both feminism and adult media. The subject was a tough pitch to multiple networks,
04:33and apparently to audiences. Though Minx was apparently canceled after two seasons,
04:37its refreshing use of body and brains kept subscribers turning the page.
04:41Male desire is celebrating. There's an entire industry built on servicing,
04:46and why should female desire be any different?
04:49Number 15. Entourage. The four leads on Entourage weren't just chasing entertainment industry success
04:54in Los Angeles. Their sexually charged misadventures were a cornerstone of the lowbrow comedy's fantasy
05:12about the City of Angels. The frequent female nudity, coupled with archetypally male humor and
05:17themes, led to accusations of misogyny across an eight-season run. Others have argued that the show
05:22merely satirizes a misogynistic industry that is still heavily populated by powerful women.
05:27The hashtag MeToo movement and several allegations of on-set misconduct reignited this debate in the
05:32wake of the 2015 film Entourage. Travis, have you met Emily Rodakowski? No, but I feel like we already
05:38know each other. I saw your Sports Illustrated spread on the plane. That looked cold. Was that cold?
05:43It was. Well, it was still hot. At the very least, the original series hasn't aged well even in how
05:49it
05:49mocks Hollywood's culture of sex and sexism. Number 14. Orange is the New Black. Well,
05:55they aren't wearing orange for long. Netflix's breakout dramedy, Orange is the New Black,
06:00is an edgy look inside of a women's corrections facility and the lack of privacy therein.
06:04I have to go to another prison. A different one. You have to move me.
06:11Like this is the Radisson and you don't like your room?
06:13But showrunner Jenji Koen actively subverted objectifying fantasies on the subject with
06:18naturalistic depictions of nudity and sexuality. That said, it's still very prevalent across seven
06:23seasons. This sparked debates about whether graphic content is a healthy form of representation of
06:28diverse ethnicities, body types, and gender identities. Koen has noted the challenge in
06:33convincing nearly every core cast member that their nude scenes were necessary. At least they didn't
06:37distract from Orange is the New Black's captivating storytelling, whether because of that naturalism or
06:42because of desensitization. I'm not sure I like prison. Oh, come on. Give it a chance.
06:48Number 13. Outlander. Starz's adaptation of the Outlander books threw out any idea that
06:53swashbuckling romance should be tender. Is that what you think of me, Frank?
06:58No, no. No. All I meant was that even if you had, it would make no difference to me.
07:05A time traveler's adventures in the 18th century is full of epic politics, violence, and of course,
07:11raw sexuality. The show historically used nudity in a naturalistic way or to enhance the passionate
07:16romantic arcs. Though the volume of nudity has declined over the course of eight seasons,
07:21many viewers have questioned the consistent necessity of the sex scenes as they've sparked
07:25hype. The graphic depiction of sexual violence in a more regressive time period has courted particular
07:30controversy. Do as you wish. It matters not to me. While Outlander is definitely deeper
07:41than its marketing, it does take all of its rugged fantasies to the extreme. Number 12. Banshee. A
07:47small town in Pennsylvania isn't as conservative as you might think, nor is the local Amish community,
07:52apparently. Cinemax's Banshee managed to find compelling drama even as a criminal on the run
08:04pushed pulpy action tropes to the max. This included over-the-top sex scenes and graphic
08:09nudity. In a 2014 interview with The Wrap, showrunner Greg Yatanis addressed the show's efforts to
08:15seemingly balance this with men and women. He also shut down rumors that such adult content was actively
08:20pushed by the network to serve its Skinamax brand. So this is the one, huh? Yeah.
08:27They were just really lenient toward Banshee serving its own edgy brand to keep people talking
08:32for four brutal and steamy seasons. Number 11. The Girlfriend Experience. Inspired by Steven
08:37Soderbergh's 2009 experimental film of the same name, stars as The Girlfriend Experience pushed TV's
08:42limits with an appropriate subject. So where's the guy? He's at a meeting, but he left his credit card
08:48on the room. Do you get room service? The anthology focuses on the lives of women who utilize sex work
08:54to advance other professional or personal ambitions. The four storylines in three seasons
08:58were driven by often shockingly graphic content. They were also elevated by highly intelligent themes,
09:04with the most recurring being of sex in relation to power for women. Even at its sleaziest,
09:09the Girlfriend Experience represented strength and vulnerability in complex ways through nudity.
09:22The graphicness of it did actually die down a bit over time, but the impact of the psychosexual
09:27drama did not. Number 10. Euphoria. Every modern anxiety and vice grip the sleazy suburbanites of
09:33East Highland, California.
09:41With themes including body image, orientation, and sex drive, nudity is prevalent on HBO's Euphoria.
09:48Each episode pushes the envelope with it across genders, as well as graphic simulated sex. While the
09:53teen characters are obviously played by adults, the show has received much controversy for holding
09:58nothing back and dramatizing the mature exploits of kids these days. Critical acclaim aside, Euphoria
10:11has enraged the public in debate about how to address youth and general sexuality in mainstream
10:16television. Whether it can get any more scandalous with the characters moving into adulthood for the
10:20third season, the first two were candid enough about some naked truths.
10:24To be honest, I'm not really the kind of person who wants to be known for their body.
10:28Number 9. Girls. Showrunner and star Lena Dunham aspired to a nuanced, unglamorous portrait
10:33of millennial womanhood on girls. She and her castmates weren't afraid to bear all in every sense.
10:39I don't like it when you talk to me that way.
10:41Yeah, well, I don't like talking to you that way, okay? I just want to be sweet to you,
10:43that's the thing that... But I also want to know why you didn't text me back.
10:48The HBO dramedy wasn't just noted for representing realistic female bodies,
10:52it represented them as frequently and as casually as possible. Of course,
10:56the regular sex scenes further defied idealized Hollywood myths with awkward humor, romance,
11:01and titillation. You're beautiful.
11:05You really think so? I do. Don't you? Um, no I do, it's just not always the feedback that I've
11:15been given,
11:16so... It was a tasteful confrontation with anxieties about body image and nudity in everyday life.
11:21There was probably more controversy surrounding critics' scrutiny of this hallmark.
11:25I worked very, very hard to overcome the challenges of my non-traditional body type and
11:30accept myself for who I am. Whether the nudity on girls can be considered gratuitous or refreshingly
11:35natural, there's plenty of it across six seasons. Number eight, Game of Thrones. You still slouch?
11:46Let them see.
11:48For eight seasons, HBO's Game of Thrones stripped all romance from the high fantasy genre. One of its
11:53most talked about methods was the extensive use of nudity. Much of the cast disrode for sensationalistic
11:59or bold, often disturbing dramatic purposes. Some actors were actually recruited from the adult film
12:04industry. This element of the brand was often criticized for diluting the show's prestige,
12:18especially as it was disproportionately focused on women. Such scenes were thus walked back in later
12:23seasons of Game of Thrones, and are surprisingly rare on its spin-off.
12:34The nudity on House of the Dragon is also generally more modest and male-centric. At any rate,
12:39its predecessor had enough explicit material for several shows. Number seven, Spartacus.
12:44He does seem a touch overdressed for the occasion. Your sublugaria, remove it.
12:53Before Game of Thrones, stars really set the standard for shock value in TV costume epics. Their
12:58take on the legend of gladiator-turned-revolutionary Spartacus went way over the top on style,
13:04obscene language, and gore, never mind the graphic nudity of both men and women.
13:08Would your wife have wanted this? To see her husband consumed? There are many things she would not
13:15have wanted. Sexuality drove a great deal of the show's characterization, but its ancient Rome's
13:20glaringly anachronistic body types and cosmetic enhancements that asserted the gratuitousness of
13:25it all. At least this complements the camp value of Spartacus, creatively entangled with
13:29truly sweeping storytelling over three distinctly titled seasons. You are Spartacus?
13:36I stand so named. Stars' spinoff, Spartacus, House of Asher, has a lot of substance to live up to,
13:42never mind its more saucy gimmicks. Number six, Masters of Sex. Excessive nudity doesn't
13:48have to equate to gratuitous. Nice to meet you. I'm anonymous. What a coincidence. I'm anonymous,
13:56too. I'll take your gowns. Showtime's Masters of Sex fictionalizes the lives and works of sexology
14:04pioneers William Masters and Virginia Johnson. This means that each episode is full of graphic
14:09sexual content, um, in the name of science. I think that's, uh, enough. There are women in the room,
14:16Bill. There were women in the study, Chuck. Nudity is also utilized as a way of expressing the
14:20complexity of the characters and relationships in the 1950s and 60s. The show tastefully placed
14:26sexuality at the center of the human condition, winning critical acclaim as a legitimately adult
14:30drama. Unfortunately, the premise was tough to sell to a wide audience. What are our chances of
14:35winning? Acquittal is one goal, but winning in the court of public opinion. It's even more crucial.
14:40I mean, this case could tell the world about the work that we do. Masters of Sex may have ended
14:44prematurely with four seasons, but it was a lofty experiment in premium TV standards. Number five,
14:50The L Word. Sexuality is fluid. Whether you're gay or you're straight or you're bisexual,
14:54you just go with the flow. Sometimes, The L Word was ahead of its time for focusing on LGBTQ culture
15:00from the female perspective. It's driven by friendship, love, politics, and of course,
15:05the bedroom. The show features tons of casual female nudity and passionate hookups.
15:10I thought you were a hottie. Get out. I did.
15:19Did you realize? Some feel that this key trend across six seasons sensationalized the subject
15:24matter. Moreover, many in the represented community criticized the perpetuation of an
15:29affluent Hollywood fantasy. The showrunners at least respected that for the short-lived reboot,
15:33The L Word Generation Q, which was just as steamy as the original and much more diverse.
15:37I needed you, uh, I needed you to talk about nothing with or eat spicy fruit or vegan pizza
15:44or something. I don't know, but I just, I needed you. Just you. And I just, I wanted...
15:47The L Word may not have been the perfect representation for its ambition,
15:51but the explicit material is confrontational enough.
15:54Number four, True Blood. You should take some vitamin B12 to replenish.
15:59Do I need to do that every day? If you don't mind, yes.
16:03The sexy vampire fantasy was practically the heart of HBO's True Blood. This steamy supernatural
16:09soap explores society after synthetic blood allows vampires to come out, as it were. Obvious
16:14allegories for sexuality, blended with camp, made graphic nudity a hallmark of seven seasons. In fact,
16:20it escalated with each season. I'm sorry. Uh, low blood sugar.
16:27This custom helped make True Blood a hot topic and a subject of controversy. Besides accusations of
16:33exploitative sexual content, particularly in later plot lines, there was criticism of
16:37imbalanced nudity between men and women. Oh, great. Now you want to save me too?
16:44I thought I was dead to you, Bill Compton. The show's ostensibly progressive themes were
16:48as divisive as its storytelling. True Blood remains a cult classic, partly for how far it took
16:52racy soap tropes on premium cable. Number three, Californication. David Duchovny's
16:58shocking follow-up to the X-Files. May as well have added two more X's.
17:02Sweet baby Jesus. Hank is going to hell. Showtime's Californication follows Bachelor
17:08writer Hank Moody through the Los Angeles dating and celebrity scenes. There was no shortage of
17:13beautiful people across seven seasons, but there was a shortage of clothes.
17:16Give me a break. You once spent an entire class ranting about how much you hate Coldplay.
17:22Something tells me that you could care less about what's frowned upon.
17:26Awkward sexual exploits were a key comedic and plot device that grew more prevalent as the show went
17:31along. Many viewers felt that it came to rely too heavily on nudity. Duchovny himself, who struggled
17:36with many of Moody's vices, told Rolling Stone magazine that the complicated themes of debauchery
17:41got muddled by sensationalism. It's about a guy trying to keep it together while falling apart.
17:46Did my life love sex? Californication is still a blunt portrait of success, particularly in one area.
17:53Number two, The Deuce. Only HBO could do justice to The Deuce, which finds epic drama in New York's
17:58sex work and adult film industries around the 1970s. I heard they got sex clubs advertising on the
18:04TV. Half the damn country walks around naked. Yeah, but the movies, you could sell them like out in the
18:08open. Needless to say, explicit male and female nudity is rampant in each episode. At least the boundary
18:14pushing content was appropriate for the raunchy subject matter. The dedication to the cast and
18:19crew's comfort was no less groundbreaking. The Deuce was the first TV show to have a
18:23resident intimacy coordinator, now a standard for sex scenes in Hollywood productions.
18:27Frank, you know what a producer does? What? He solves problems. He doesn't cause them.
18:31The show could definitely back up its commentary on the perils and politics of crude entertainment,
18:36but mainstream entertainment would have to get pretty crude to match that much nudity in three seasons.
18:40Here's what I know. Deuce looks like a cockroach. He's here before us. He's going to be here long
18:48after you and me are gone.
18:56Before we continue, check out this single from Sound Mojo's Aria, Songs from Iran, reimagining
19:02Persian melodies as modern rock, metal and pop songs. Check out the full track and album below.
19:07I'm going to be here long.
19:22Number 1. Shameless.
19:24Before we begin, we must set a safe word. It will be, french fry.
19:31Paul Abbott adapted his British dramedy to working-class Chicago with even more riotous
19:36satire and nuance. Showtime's Shameless also took advantage of its premium cable format to fulfill
19:42its title. For 11 seasons, the Gallagher's coped with dysfunction through debauchery,
19:46crime, and steamy misadventures.
19:48I'm not sure what you think you're doing, but there's a policy against fraternizing with your
19:52professors. I don't want to fraternize it.
19:55There were hundreds of nude scenes to progress the characters, comedy, and commentary.
19:59Amy Rosa most notably defended this content, and defended against being shamed for it.
20:03I just don't get it. Like, it's not violence, it's not offensive to anyone,
20:06I don't get it, it's the human body. Right.
20:08We're all born naked. That's true.
20:10Got it off my chest.
20:11But was all of it necessary?
20:13Nudity was part of a shocking brand that actively outdid the competition in mature television.
20:17With even that declining over time, there may never be another show like Shameless.
20:21At least there's still quality TV behind the more crude and controversial content.
20:25What are the raciest TV shows you can think of?
20:27Expose them in the comments below.
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