We don’t give enough credit to the 1990s. At least, not in the way we recognize the ’80s as being iconic for its music, fashion, horror movies, and the Spielberg-led cinema industry. We tend to see the millenniums’ last decade as one for experimentation, sudden changes in music styles, and a peculiar streamlining of TV tropes and genres.
Let’s face it. During the ’90s, not much changed in terms of formats on the small screen. Sitcoms were still usually multi-camera and dramas were considered risky. Still, the dynamics of TV viewing hadn’t changed. We still gathered in our living rooms to watch our favorite shows like it was a ritual.
We put together a list (in no particular order) of what kept us entertained in the ’90s in the comfort of our own home. Plasma screens were still a thing of the future, and most of us saw these shows on tube televisions that at the time were enough to fit the stories that left us laughing, crying, or thrilled to the bones. These are the best TV shows of the 1990s.
20 Mr. Show with Bob and David
The groovy sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David was created by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross in 1995. Gross humor and constant profanity made it suitable only for premium cable and many people didn’t even know about it until its Netflix revival in 2015. Mr. Show captured the magic of great comedy writers and restrained it to a format reminiscent of Monty Python’s style. The show constantly went beyond the acceptable, and you can evidence this with the Titannica sketch. This one proves you couldn’t bring back Mr. Show today.
19 Millennium
Millenium has always been seen as a great companion to The X-Files, and there’s nothing more accurate. It told the story of an FBI consultant who had the ability to read people’s minds. Of course, they used his talents to dig into cases of serial killers and other monsters, but there was much more to his story. Ratings were always super high and when the show was canceled in 1999, we were left with a void for good, clever thrillers.
18 Sex and the City
The adventures of a group of girlfriends as they surf through a very peculiar side of society in New York City. Sex and the City could be considered a show ahead of its time, not because of its raunchy script, but because it opened a window to a world no one cared to discuss before: the truly honest social dynamics of women who allowed themselves to experiment sex, love, and relationships through a narrative mindset that, up to that point, TV had only offered to boring men.
17 3rd Rock From the Sun
The concept of 3rd Rock From the Sun is downright silly but effective. And most important, it was engaging enough to make the show a hit for six seasons on NBC. It starred John Lithgow, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, French Stewart, and Kristen Johnston as four extraterrestrials on a mission to explore Earth. Their vessels are a regular suburbia family with enough issues to make their mission much more interesting. The addition of Jane Curtin to the cast is essential as she plays the human counterpart to the aliens. This is one of those shows that still feels authentic even in “rerun mode.”
16 My So-Called Life
Few shows could tell the truth like My So-Called Life did, and yes even if it filtered out some issues sometimes, it still feels like the best a teen drama could do in the ’90s. Through the compelling character of Angela Chase (a young Claire Danes clearing the path to become a Hollywood starlet), the dynamics of teen circles were deeply explored and dissected in well-written episodes of the drama show. If you believe it’s outdated, think if we have something as sober as this one in modern TV.
15 Oz
HBO’s raw and realistic show Oz took us inside a maximum-security prison and showed us the world that hid beyond the rehabilitational nature of forced incarceration. It focused on the conflicts between the segments of the population that tilted towards any side when facing the need to survive. Harold Perrineau, J.K. Simmons, and Dean Winters shine as part of a fantastic cast ensemble that confirmed HBO had the budget to retain them for these shows. This one’s still hard to watch today.
14 That ’70s Show
The lives of teenagers growing up in the ’70s perhaps wouldn’t be taken today as a valuable subject for a sitcom. We seem to be pretty disconnected from the culture of such a peculiar decade. But That ’70s Show proved you only needed to have a great cast and a refreshing script to make a successful TV show that still gives people a lot to talk about these days. It’s never too early to rewatch this one from beginning to end. Try it. You’ll have a very good time.
13 ER
This one is a medical drama that relied on its realistic aspect and not so much on the romantic side of the plot like the current “anatomy” that’s still going on. Created by novelist and physician Michael Crichton, ER launched the careers of George Clooney and Noah Wyle and proved people were more interested in drama than formulaic sitcoms. 331 episodes may sound excessive, but we guarantee that only a handful of them feel unnecessary.
12 The Simpsons
The Simpsons rewrote the rules of animated television in the early ’90s. Here was a family that never followed a friendly moral code and exploited the unrevealed but safe decadence of suburbia. All through a series of characters that made Springfield the place we all would love to live in. The fact that it’s still going on, and it’s still successful, is proof that good writing never fails in the world of primetime television. That and a great voice cast that hasn’t lost value in decades, even if it’s evolved a bit.
11 Mr. Bean
Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis created Mr. Bean and changed the comedy trends with a great character that was never haunted by bad luck and was never bothered to question some of his immoral acts. This was released on the very first day of the decade, and quickly introduced a different style of British comedy that heavily relied on the physicality of a live-action version of a cartoon. Seeing Mr. Bean change from a suit to swimwear on a beach in broad daylight without showing unnecessary skin is fantastic.
10 Will & Grace
Will & Grace was a refreshing show that proved humor could come in many shapes. Even in the awkward form of a couple that wasn’t traditional. With time, Will & Grace progressed into a show where secondary characters had similar (and sometimes more) engaging value than its leads. Gleeful Jack (masterfully played by Sean Hayes) and raunchy Karen (Megan Mullally) took the airwaves and made this one their show. This one proved Debra Messing on the role of Grace could easily be a reincarnation of Lucille Ball.
9 The West Wing
In The West Wing, the turmoil in the Oval Office was silent but resonated heavily due to the realism and cleverness of its script. This political drama created by Aaron Sorkin portrayed a fictitious version of the staff that surrounds the President of the United States and relied on various storylines that revealed the human value in high-profile politics. Suddenly, everyone could relate to the people on top as they fought (sometimes each other) to keep everything afloat and stable.
8 Friends
It’s hard to deny the success of Friends. It’s already a modern classic of sitcoms that gets stronger as reruns dominate the airwaves in the form of syndicated TV. As engaging and magnetic as it is, people today question its charm as well as the nature of some of the characters. However, for most, it’s a reminder of sharp and witty TV screenwriting. The sitcom era came to an end in regard to the multi-camera format, but we’ll always have Friends as a good example of simple comfort TV.
7 The Nanny
The adventures of a New Yorker nanny as she got hired by a Broadway producer that wanted his children to be taken care of by someone decent and classy. However, she had no class and wasn’t a nanny. She just came to the right place at the right moment. The Nanny was a well-written sitcom that had the magic of a great character geared up perfectly with a spectacular ensemble cast and clever writing that made Ms. Fine’s shenanigans an essential piece of TV history. As more characters entered the picture, the show got better and better until it was time to let go. This one still holds up.
6 Family Guy
It’s safe to say that when Family Guy was released, people were not very fond of it. In fact, it dared to dig around sensibilities that no other show, neither animated nor live-action, could dare to touch. The raunchier version of The Simpsons proved to be a mainstream collection of pop culture references that revolved around a dysfunctional family with many, many issues. Stewie comes up with creative ways to kill his mother, the family has a sex maniac for a neighbor, and the fact that the dog is the most reasonable guy in the show, among others. Family Guy is a modern classic that’s managed to stay alive after literal cancelations.
5 The X-Files
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Most of us felt lucky to have The X-Files during the ’90s. It was a science fiction thriller that delivered different stories every week, was very well-acted, and had a frame story that would pay off in the end. Mulder and Scully were the FBI agents that dealt with the supernatural, the bizarre, and everything fascinating the writers could come up with. When it comes to comfort TV dramas, this one is a safe bet that gets better with each rewatch.
4 The Sopranos
HBO’s The Sopranos is essential television. This tells the story of a mobster boss who seeks the help of a therapist after finding himself in a moment of crisis. But after a couple of seasons, The Sopranos evolved into a kind of show that felt much more intimate and personal. Tony Soprano was a strong and intimidating man that was forced to find the balance between serving as a family man and managing the crime organization he was handed. This one is worth watching over and over again.
3 Freaks and Geeks
It really doesn’t get any better than Freaks and Geeks when it comes to comedies that constantly step on drama territory. This coming-of-age TV series ended abruptly and people are still mourning the show that a couple of executives deemed unnecessary for modern TV. At least we’ll always have reruns about a group of teenagers growing up near Detroit in the early ’80s and dealing with the many issues that made them either freaks or geeks. Created by Paul Feig and forever sponsored by Judd Apatow, Freaks and Geeks is everything a teen comedy-drama should be.
2 Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s only foray into television. And what a show it is. The town of Twin Peaks gets shaken by a brutal murder and after a very peculiar FBI agent arrives to investigate, we enter a world of horror, multiple dimensions, and… well, you decide. It’s not as open to interpretation until Lynch decides to include surrealism in its theme and the murder mystery becomes one of many subjects that we’re still trying to solve. After you watch the original version of Twin Peaks, you won’t believe how this aired and became a cultural staple. In any case, it’s an extraordinary TV series that proved drama television had some cinematic worth.
1 Seinfeld
This was a show that was really about nothing specific. Seinfeld was the creation of two comedians who creatively went beyond the expectations of TV executives and proved them wrong by making a show out of essentially anything that could happen to its main characters. That’s how the show ran for nine seasons, had more than 70 million viewers watching its finale, and stopped during its peak. Why? Jerry just didn’t want to do it anymore. Talk about power.