TV Shows That Defined Life in the 1990s
A chronological list of TV shows that best portray everyday life in the 1990s. These shows capture the fashion, music, politics, jargon, and general mindset of the decade.
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- CreatorJeff FranklinStarsBob SagetJohn StamosDave CoulierA widowed sportscaster raises his three daughters with assistance from his rock and roll brother-in-law and madcap best friend.
- CreatorRon LeavittMichael G. MoyeStarsEd O'NeillChristina ApplegateKatey SagalAl is the quintessential working class dad. Peggy, his wife, always wants more from him. With their children, they go through the highs and lows of ordinary life.
- CreatorRoseanne BarrMatt WilliamsStarsRoseanne BarrJohn GoodmanLaurie MetcalfA revival of the popular 1990s sitcom "Roseanne," which centered on the everyday life of an American working-class family.
- CreatorDiane EnglishStarsCandice BergenGrant ShaudRobert PastorelliThe personal and professional misadventures of an opinionated but beloved woman working as a television journalist.
- CreatorJames L. BrooksMatt GroeningSam SimonStarsDan CastellanetaNancy CartwrightHarry ShearerThe satiric half-hour adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.
- CreatorLarry DavidJerry SeinfeldStarsJerry SeinfeldJulia Louis-DreyfusMichael RichardsThe continuing misadventures of neurotic New York City stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his equally neurotic New York City friends.
- CreatorSam BobrickStarsMark-Paul GosselaarMario LopezDustin DiamondA close-knit group of six friends get through their teens together while attending Bayside High School in Palisades, California.
- CreatorWilliam BickleyRobert L. BoyettThomas L. MillerStarsReginald VelJohnsonJaleel WhiteDarius McCraryThe Winslow family deals with various misadventures, many of them caused by their pesky next-door neighbor, ultra-nerd Steve Urkel.
- StarsCraig T. NelsonJerry Van DykeBill FagerbakkeHayden Fox is the head coach of a university football team, and eats, sleeps and lives football.
- StarsDarren McMullenAshley RobertsThe Pussycat DollsNews related to music, celebrities, and other pop culture topics.
- CreatorAndy BorowitzSusan BorowitzStarsWill SmithJames AveryAlfonso RibeiroA streetwise, poor young man from Philadelphia is sent by his mother to live with his aunt, uncle and cousins in their Bel-Air mansion.
- CreatorJim BurnsRobert SmallStars10,000 ManiacsPerry Montague-MasonTony BennettMajor pop music stars play their songs with only acoustic instruments.
- CreatorSteven DoddStarsJohn KassirRoy BrocksmithMiguel Ferrer"Tales from the Crypt" was a 1989 horror story anthology series based on the gruesome E.C. comic books of the 1950s presented by the legendary "Crypt Keeper", a sinister ghoul obsessed with gallows humor and horrific puns.
- CreatorDarren StarStarsJason PriestleyShannen DohertyLuke PerryA group of friends living in Beverly Hills, California make their way through life from their school days into adulthood.
- StarsBen StillerJeff KahnHarry O'ReillyA weekly behind the scenes look at the world of TV comedy in which host Stiller was constantly getting grief from co-writer Kahn and other cast members. Aired on MTV in 1990.
- CreatorDavid AngellPeter CaseyDavid LeeStarsTim DalySteven WeberCrystal BernardBrothers Brian and Joe Hackett attempt to run an airline on the New England island of Nantucket while surrounded by their various wacky friends and employees.
- CreatorDon ReoStarsMayim BialikJenna von OÿJoey LawrenceA teenage girl living in a house run by men dreams what life would be like if she lived in a more conventional family.
- CreatorCarmen FinestraDavid McFadzeanMatt WilliamsStarsTim AllenEarl HindmanTaran Noah SmithThe daily trials and tribulations of Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor, a television show host raising three mischievous boys with help from his loyal co-host, loving wife, and eccentric neighbor.
- CreatorMitchell KriegmanStarsMelissa Joan HartJason ZimblerElizabeth HessAs events unfold in her life, Clarissa explains to the viewer the motivations behind people's actions.
- CreatorWilliam BickleyRobert L. BoyettThomas L. MillerStarsPatrick DuffySuzanne SomersBrandon CallDivorced contractor Frank Lambert and widowed beautician Carol Foster meet, fall in love and quickly get married. Both have three children and when the families all move in together the kids and parents have a lot of learning to do.
- CreatorJonathan MurrayMary-Ellis BunimStarsJanelle CasanaveAlton Williams IIArissa HillA new version of the long-running MTV reality show, which looks to unite people from different backgrounds and find a common ground.
- CreatorDarren StarStarsHeather LocklearAndrew ShueCourtney Thorne-SmithClassic serial drama around a group of friends living in Melrose Place, California.
- CreatorWill McRobbChris ViscardiStarsMichael C. MaronnaDanny TamberelliJudy GrafeThis delightfully quirky show looks at the lives and adventures of two red-headed brothers with the same name.
- CreatorDanny JacobsonPaul ReiserPeter TolanStarsPaul ReiserHelen HuntJohn PankowMad About You centers on the trials and tribulations of a married couple living in New York.
- StarsEd MarquesLisa Kennedy MontgomeryMatt PinfieldMTV program that showcased videos by alternative bands.
- CreatorFran DrescherPrudence FraserPeter Marc JacobsonStarsFran DrescherCharles ShaughnessyDaniel DavisAfter being fired from her job and dumped by her boyfriend, a cosmetics saleswoman becomes the nanny to the three children of a rich English widower. As time passes, the two fall for each other.
- CreatorDavid AngellPeter CaseyDavid LeeStarsKelsey GrammerJane LeevesDavid Hyde PierceDr. Frasier Crane moves back to his hometown of Seattle, where he lives with his father and works as a radio psychiatrist.
- CreatorChris CarterStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiTwo F.B.I. Agents, Fox Mulder the believer and Dana Scully the skeptic, investigate the strange and unexplained, while hidden forces work to impede their efforts.
- CreatorChuck LorreStarsBrett ButlerCasey SanderKaitlin CullumGrace is a recovering alcoholic, now divorced from an abusive husband, struggling to bring up three children on her own.
- CreatorDeborah Joy LeVineJoe ShusterJerry SiegelStarsDean CainTeri HatcherLane SmithIn addition to fighting evil, Superman has a burning romance with Lois Lane in both of his identities.
- CreatorMichael JacobsApril KellyStarsBen SavageRider StrongWilliam DanielsAn adolescent with two siblings tests his various theories about life as he endures the trials of growing up alongside a good friend.
- CreatorMike JudgeStarsMike JudgeKristofor BrownDale RevoAnimated MTV series about two teenage heavy-metal music fans who occasionally do idiotic things because they're bored. For them, everything is "cool" or "sucks."
- CreatorDavid CraneMarta KauffmanStarsJennifer AnistonCourteney CoxLisa KudrowFollows the personal and professional lives of six twenty to thirty year-old friends living in the Manhattan borough of New York City.
- CreatorChristopher KeyserAmy LippmanStarsMatthew FoxScott WolfNeve CampbellFive siblings raise each other following their parents' untimely deaths.
- CreatorCarol BlackNeal MarlensDavid S. RosenthalStarsEllen DeGeneresDavid Anthony HigginsJoely FisherEllen Morgan is a neurotic bookstore owner who deals with life through comedy and extensive rambling.
- CreatorWinnie HolzmanStarsBess ArmstrongWilson CruzClaire DanesA 15-year-old girl and her trials and tribulations of being a teenager and dealing with friends, guys, parents, and school.
- CreatorKim BassGary GilbertFred ShaffermanStarsTia MowryTamera Mowry-HousleyJackée HarryTia Landry and Tamera Campbell are twins separated at birth who learn of each other's existence and come together as teenagers.
- CreatorSam RaimiJohn SchulianR.J. StewartStarsLucy LawlessRenée O'ConnorTed RaimiXena, a mighty Warrior Princess with a dark past, sets out to redeem herself. She is joined by small town bard, Gabrielle. Together they journey the ancient world and fight for the greater good against ruthless Warlords and Gods.
- CreatorFred BarronMarco PennetteDottie Dartland ZicklinStarsLea ThompsonMalcolm GetsAmy PietzCaroline Duffy is a successful cartoonist in Manhattan, whose eclectic friends are sometimes the subjects of her comic strip.
- CreatorPaul SimmsStarsDave FoleyStephen RootAndy DickThe workplace sitcom "NewsRadio" explores the office politics and interpersonal relationships among the staff of WNYX NewsRadio, New York's #2 news radio station.
- CreatorDrew CareyBruce HelfordStarsDrew CareyDiedrich BaderKathy KinneyA sitcom about Drew's personal and professional life.
- StarsChris HardwickJon ErnstJenny McCarthy-Wahlberg"Singled Out" is a dating game show.
- CreatorChristian WilliamsStarsKevin SorboMichael HurstKevin SmithHercules is half-man, half-god and a hero of fantastic strength. After his malevolent stepmother, Hera, kills his wife and children, he wanders about Earth with mortal best friend Iolaus, fighting evil and trying to overcome his loss.
- CreatorBonnie TurnerTerry TurnerStarsJohn LithgowJane CurtinKristen JohnstonA group of aliens is sent to Earth, disguised as a human family, to experience and report life on the third planet from the sun.
- CreatorBrenda HamptonStarsStephen CollinsCatherine HicksJessica BielEric Camden, a minister, and his wife Annie deal with the drama of having seven children, ranging from toddlers to adults with families of their own.
- CreatorAmy HeckerlingStarsRachel BlanchardStacey DashDavid LascherA follow-up to the blockbuster movie of the same name, following the rich teenager Cher and her friends as they attend high school in Beverly Hills.
- CreatorKim BassStarsKenan ThompsonKel MitchellKen ForeeKenan and Kel: two best friends who live in Chicago are always dragged down by Kenan's get rich quick schemes while orange soda-loving buddy Kel is dragged along but tends to mess things up.
- CreatorJoss WhedonStarsSarah Michelle GellarNicholas BrendonAlyson HanniganA young woman, destined to slay vampires, demons and other infernal creatures, deals with her life fighting evil, with the help of her friends.
- CreatorDavid E. KelleyStarsCalista FlockhartGreg GermannJane KrakowskiFollows the personal and professional life of lawyer Ally.
- CreatorTrey ParkerMatt StoneBrian GradenStarsTrey ParkerMatt StoneIsaac HayesFollows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.
- CreatorChuck LorreDottie Dartland ZicklinStarsJenna ElfmanThomas GibsonJoel MurrayA free-spirited yoga instructor finds true love in a conservative lawyer and they get married on the first date. Though they are polar opposites, he fulfills her need of stability and she fulfills his need of optimism.
- CreatorGlenn EichlerSusie LewisStarsTracy GrandstaffWendy HoopesJulian RebolledoA smart and cynical girl goes through teenage life as a proud outsider in a world of mainly idiotic adolescents and condescending adults.
- CreatorDarren StarStarsSarah Jessica ParkerKim CattrallKristin DavisFour female New Yorkers gossip about their sex lives (or lack thereof) and find new ways to deal with being a woman in the late 1990s.
- CreatorAaron SorkinStarsJosh CharlesPeter KrauseFelicity HuffmanCasey McCall and Dan Rydell are sports anchors and best friends on "Sports Night", a nightly cable program.
- CreatorEric FogelGordon BarnettStarsMaurice SchlaferLen MaxwellMills LaneCelebrities duel it out in a wrestling ring, the first one who dies loses.
- CreatorConstance M. BurgeStarsHolly Marie CombsAlyssa MilanoBrian KrauseThree Halliwell sisters discover that they are descendants of a line of good female witches and are destined to fight against the forces of evil, using their combined power of witchcraft known as the "Power of Three".
- CreatorDavid KohanMax MutchnickStarsEric McCormackDebra MessingMegan MullallyGay lawyer Will and straight interior designer Grace share a New York City apartment. Their best friends are gleeful and proud gay Jack and charismatic, filthy-rich, amoral socialite Karen.
- CreatorJ.J. AbramsMatt ReevesStarsKeri RussellScott SpeedmanScott FoleyA young girl, fresh out of high school, follows her high school crush to college to be near him.
- CreatorKatherine ApplegateStarsBoris CabreraNadia-Leigh NascimentoShawn AshmoreFive teenagers and an alien with the ability to turn into any beast they touch vs. an army of parasitic aliens who are slowly infiltrating Earth.
- CreatorPaul FeigStarsLinda CardelliniJohn Francis DaleyJames FrancoA high school mathlete starts hanging out with a group of burnouts while her younger brother navigates his freshman year.Technically set in the 1980s.
- StarsSerah D'LaineScott Hamm DuenasGina MayAnthology series examines the diverse sexual relationships involving the different genders, races, sexual orientations, and fetishes of high schoolers, college students, and post-college roommates.
- CreatorStephen ColbertPaul DinelloMitch RouseStarsAmy SedarisPaul DinelloStephen ColbertA 46-year-old ex-drug addict returns to high school as a freshman.
- CreatorGina MatthewsRyan MurphyStarsLeslie BibbCarly PopeTamara MelloTwo girls who despise each other because they're on opposite sides of the "popularity fence" are forced together when the father of one of them marries the other's mother.
- CreatorDavid GreenwaltJoss WhedonStarsDavid BoreanazCharisma CarpenterAlexis DenisofThe vampire Angel, cursed with a soul, moves to Los Angeles and aids people with supernatural-related problems while questing for his own redemption.
- CreatorJason KatimsStarsShiri ApplebyJason BehrKatherine HeiglThe lives of three young alien/human hybrids with extraordinary gifts in Roswell.
- StarsCarson DalyChris SabellaDamien FaheyVJs count down the top ten music videos of the day alongside a studio audience. Celebrities also stop by the studio and pop culture is discussed as well.
- CreatorDavid ChaseStarsJames GandolfiniLorraine BraccoEdie FalcoNew Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.
- CreatorEmily FoxStarsLaura RamseySarah GoldbergCraig HornerBecca, as she nears 40, is about to embark on her second wedding to Andy Kelly, but her joy is tempered by the absence of her old best friend Lolly who's a no-show, having dropped out of their relationship years ago.Set in 1995.
- CreatorNahnatchka KhanStarsRandall ParkConstance WuHudson YangA Taiwanese family makes their way in America during the 1990s.Set in the mid-1990s.