Why HBO Pulled Real Sex, Cathouse & More From Its Streaming Service

In the 1990s, HBO produced raunchy shows like Real Sex and Cathouse, but they have moved away from that sort of edgy content in the years since. Home Box Office (HBO) pioneered the concept of the paid channel service going as far back as the early 1970s, and along with Cinemax, helped to completely revolutionize TV throughout the ensuing decades. By the 1990s, HBO began producing its own content which eventually flourished into shows like Tales from the Crypt and the groundbreaking drama The Sopranos. An advantage that HBO had over basic cable channels was that they were not tethered by strict FCC regulations regarding censorship of content.