FORMERLY bingeable telly is getting the 2026 side-eye — and for some viewers, that means shows they once adored now feel impossible to sit through.

America’s Next Top Model is one of the sharpest examples. What once played as glossy makeovers and ‘tough love’ now lands as something much uglier, including scenes of models collapsing with hunger and a culture that appeared to celebrate eating disorders. Even the makeover episodes — contestants sobbing as their hair was chopped or shaved — hit differently on a rewatch.

Reality TV takes more heat elsewhere too. The Apprentice is condemned as a joyless advert for “competitive selfishness and relentless greed”, with criticism aimed at how the US version helped legitimise Donald Trump — while the UK edition is hardly seen as innocent. Married at First Sight has also been soured by allegations around the franchise: a BBC Panorama investigation into Mafs UK aired troubling accounts from three women, and women from Mafs Australia have questioned why men with past allegations of domestic violence and abuse were allowed to take part.

Some shows are now tainted by off-screen controversy. Prime Video’s Good Omens — praised for getting Terry Pratchett’s tone right, with David Tennant and Michael Sheen’s chemistry — has been derailed for one fan after Neil Gaiman became embroiled in sexual assault allegations, which he denies.

Comedy rewatches aren’t getting off lightly either. The Office is still hailed as a masterpiece, but its relentless sexist banter now feels “deeply disconcerting”. Coupling is criticised for sexist humour and an episode involving a character revealed to have recorded exes without consent.

And then there’s the prestige TV that can’t outrun real-life headlines: House of Cards may have faltered without Kevin Spacey, but the earlier seasons are now hard to return to because of allegations about Spacey’s personal conduct.