10 TV Shows Made With INSANE Restrictions
9. The Hyundai Can't Get Dirty Or Kill Zombies - The Walking Dead
Product placement deals are serious business in Hollywood, because if a company is going to pay big money for their product to be included in a movie or TV show, they want to ensure it's depicted in a way which benefits their bottom line.
And so, when the 2011 Hyundai Tucson was featured extensively in The Walking Dead's earlier seasons as a vehicle for the heroes to traverse the undead-riddled world, the carmaker had a few key provisions for how it was shown.
Chief among them? The Tucson had to look basically spotless. Despite the show taking place in a zombie apocalypse, note how the car looks incredibly pristine at basically all times, often to the point of self-parody.
Beyond that, it was also never allowed to be shown breaking down, which makes a little more sense from a branding perspective, and Hyundai also vetoed their car ever being used "as a tank" to crush or run over the Walkers.
Product placement can be absolutely fine when it doesn't intrude upon the creativity of the story, but when the company behind said product is so fiercely protective of its image, it must feel constraining for those writing and directing the show.