In the wake of the Newtown, Conn., elementary school killings, ABC temporarily pulled the winter season finale of "Scandal" from its online viewing lineup. The episode, titled "Blown Away," features the murder of an entire family, including two children.

"Out of respect for those affected by the tragic events in Newtown, Conn., the 'Scandal' winter finale 'Blown Away' has been temporarily taken down online," an ABC spokesperson posted on the network's official site. "We know fans are excited to see the episode, and we will update this post the moment we know when it will be available in the ABC.com Full Episode Player and the ABC Player Apps."

ABC was not kidding about "temporarily": According to the Hollywood Reporter, the episode was placed back online Monday.

"Scandal," which has acquired a considerable following since its April debut, follows Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington), a former White House employee who starts her own crisis management company. The character is inspired by Judy Smith, who served as press secretary to President George H. W. Bush in the early 1990s before starting Smith and Co. Smith currently acts as "Scandal's" executive producer.

The episode aired on Thursday, the day before the horrific slayings at Sandy Hook Elementary School that left 27 dead, including 20 children. The tragedy marks the second worst school shooting in U.S. history.

Following the mass killings, HBO decided to forgo airing the violent action film "Contraband," starring Mark Wahlberg. Paramount canceled the Pittsburgh premiere of Tom Cruise's latest film, "Jack Reacher," which centers on the aftermath of a sniper attack. The studio is also reportedly cutting scenes of brutality from the film's trailer.

A screening of the film at New York's Lincoln Center, in which Cruise was set to make an appearance, is being rescheduled.

On Saturday, Fox pulled the plug on the red carpet press festivities and after party for the premiere of family-friendly comedy "Parental Guidance."

Tuesday night's "Django Unchained" premiere also was canceled out of respect for those affected by the recent events in Sandy Hook.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., and in this time of national mourning we have decided to forgo our scheduled event," the Weinstein Company said in a statement.

Directed by Quentin Tarantino, the Western dramedy contains several scenes of brutality, including a man being ravaged by dogs, whippings and multiple assassinations by gunfire.

It's common for Hollywood to censor content following a mass tragedy. In July, after 13 people lost their lives when a shooter opened fired on a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colo., Warner Brothers pulled trailers for the crime drama "Gangster Squad" and pushed the film's release from September to January.

HBO