It’s time for a quick stroll down memory lane. Whether you were into action, comedy, teen dramas — whatever, there are certain ’90s TV shows that will stick with us forever. We grew up with them and got through our awkward years together. Not to be too dramatic, but some of these shows had a big part in making us who we are today… even if we’re not fighting crimes like Mulder and Scully or kicking vampire butt like Buffy. Here are 16 90s shows we watched religiously, and still do today TBH.
16. The X-Files (1993 – 2002)
Everyone knows that the sexual tension between Scully and Mulder is one of the greatest things to happen in the history of ’90s TV shows. If you didn’t believe in aliens and government conspiracies to begin with, you sure did after watching a couple episodes of The X-Files. This show could get a little too creepy at times, but it was always balanced out by Mulder’s super-dry sense of humor. The second you heard the iconic and spooky theme song, you could guarantee you were about to have your mind blown.
15. My So-Called Life (1994 – 1995)
My So-Called Life was the quintessential ’90s TV show, though it was completely underrated when it was actually on air. We see a young Claire Danes, playing Angela, who’s crushing on bad boy Jared Leto‘s Jordan Catalano, while breaking away from the ‘good girl’ facade she’d always displayed. With her new friends leading the way, My So-Called Life dared to break down boundaries and do what many teen TV shows hadn’t done before.
14. Boy Meets World (1993 – 2000)
As one of the most nostalgia-inducing ’90s TV shows of all time, we have Boy Meets World. Getting to grow up with Cory, Topanga and Shawn was a universally-bonding experience for all kids who grew up in this iconic decade. Through all the drama, laughs, romance and friendships, this show made it feel like each and every character was actually one of our actual friends, not just people on a cheesy teen sitcom. Granted, Cory and Topanga gave us some pretty unrealistic expectations for our high school romances, but other than that? Totally relatable.
13. Friends (1994 – 2004)
If you’re talking about ’90s TV shows, you obviously have to talk about Friends. This is still probably one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, and with good reason. We got to see Chandler, Monica, Rachel, Ross, Phoebe and Joey transition from being clueless twentysomethings with no direction, to grown ups with stable jobs and relationships — even babies! Now that we’re clueless twentysomethings, let’s hope our lives end up at least a little something like the Friends gang.
12. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990 – 1996)
NOW THIS IS A STORY ALL ABOUT HOW The Fresh Prince of Bel Air is one of the best TV shows — not just from the ’90s — but ever. It’s pretty crazy to think that the serious and well-respected Will Smith we know and love started as a neon-clad goofball. Will (the character) was one of the coolest and most hilarious teenagers ever, and while we all aspired to be like him. Most of us were probably a lot more Carlton-like in reality but c’est la vie. While Fresh Prince was obviously hilarious, there was nothing better than when it got serious and managed to make us weep like babies. *Cough cough* the episode when Will’s deadbeat dad comes to visit? Waterworks.
11. Saved by the Bell (1989 – 1992)
To this day, few high school-centric shows like this one stay as important to the fans as this one has. All of the characters on Saved by the Bell felt like our closest pals. Whether you were cute and popular like Kelly Kapowski, or (more realistically) goofy and awkward like Screech, it felt like the characters of SbtB just understood us. This show is pretty much the poster show of the early part of the decade, with more overalls and scrunchies than you could ever imagine.
10. Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 – 2003)
This was honestly such a great idea for a TV show, it’s no wonder it was such a hit. Take a super cute, totally cool teenager and give her magical powers and a talking cat? We’re sold. Sabrina the Teenage Witch is such a classic when it comes to ’90s TV shows that teen girls were obsessed with. When you combined Sabrina’s spunk with Hilda and Zelda’s wisdom, Harvey’s dreamboat-ness and Salem’s sarcasm, you’ve got yourself sitcom ~magic~. Sabrina was the kind of witch we all wanted to be friends with, mostly because the show was packed with ’90s cultural references and admirable outfits.
9. All That (1994 – 2005)
Nothing is as stereotypically-’90s as this Nickelodeon Show. All That was basically a cruder, teenage version of Saturday Night Live. If you don’t remember, this sketch comedy show was the starting place of some of Nickelodeon’s biggest stars. We’re talking Kenan & Kel, The Amanda Show, The Nick Cannon Show and Zoey 101 are all related to this starter show. Every sketch was completely ridiculous, a little bit obnoxious, and, natch, always hilarious. This ’90s TV show encouraged all of us to explore the weirder parts of our personalities — which clearly we did.
8. Kenan & Kel (1996 – 2000)
Of course, if we talked about All That we had to give a shoutout to Kenan & Kel. These two were honestly hilarious, and it makes total sense when we can see how far Kenan’s career has gone (hello, SNL). Plus, Kel’s career is still going strong, with appearances on sitcoms and other TV shows here and there. These two were always up to no good, had strange and hilarious antics, most of which included Kel doing ridiculous things while Kenan rolled his eyes. Plus, let us not forget the work of art that was Good Burger.
7. Seinfeld (1989 – 1998)
And how could we possibly talk about ’90s sitcoms without bringing up Seinfeld. Starring Jerry Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself — this show was quirky, weird, clever and smart. Oh, it was also hilarious. It’s largely considered one of the most influential shows of all time and rightfully so. It’s also the show that pushed Julia Louis-Dreyfus to the level of comedic celebrity she’s reached today.
6. Sister, Sister (1994 – 1999)
Ugh, who doesn’t miss Sister, Sister? These girls were so cool and funny and they were pretty awesome role models for those of us who were raised on ’90s TV shows. The whole family’s dynamic was so unusual, yet a great example of unconditional love and support. You have Tia and Tamara — twins separated at birth with almost nothing in common, who move in together with their adoptive, single parents. Getting to watch these girls go from goofy teenagers to college students was a wild ride, one that was formative for many of us.
5. The Amanda Show (1999 – 2002)
A lot like All That, The Amanda Show was an over-the-top sketch show made for kids. It was entirely ridiculous, but undeniably funny and we know it made only a brief cameo in the ’90s, it made a mark. Let us not forget some of this show’s classic sketches such as “Hillbilly Moment,” “Moody’s Point,” and “The Girls’ Room.” Amanda Bynes was the kind of silly, sweet and smart kid that we all wanted to be BFFs with. She had a wacky sense of humor that made the show such a huge hit and keeps us rooting for her to this day.
4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997 – 2003)
Was there any show with a leading lady more badass than Buffy the Vampire Slayer? As far as TV shows go, this one was definitely ahead of its time. As the title suggests, Buffy was a super-cool teenager who also just so happened to be a vampire slayer. She could kick anyone’s butt without a question, while still looking unbelievably cute while doing it all. We really just wanted to be part of her group of friends, hanging out in the library and helping in whatever way we can. Plus, we’d love to take a dip in Buffy’s closet, especially during the first three seasons.
3. Full House (1987 – 1995)
Of course, we had to mention one of the most wholesome ’90s TV shows of all time, Full House. This show is about as cheesy as it gets, but it is the absolute most heartwarming sitcom ever created. Whether it was Uncle Joey’s lame jokes, Uncle Jesse’s bad boy antics, Michelle doing something adorable, or one of Danny Tanner’s world famous pep talks — we loved watching all the happenings of this San Francisco family. There was nothing better than hanging out on a Sunday morning and belting along to that theme song, too.
2. Bill Nye the Science Guy (1993 – 1998)
BILL! BILL! BILL! Whether you were watching this show at home or watching a VHS of it in your middle school science class, everyone loved learning from Bill Nye the Science Guy. What makes this one of everyone’s favorite ’90s TV shows is that it was just so darn wholesome. Bill made learning cool! All of us felt like we, too, could become experienced scientists after watching an episode or two, and Bill believed in us as well. OG favorite teacher, right here.
1. Freaks & Geeks (1999 – 2000)
Pinpointing the time period of this show is always difficult because its one season went from the ’90s to the aughts, but the plot was located in the ’80s. At the time the show came out, Freaks and Geeks was one of the more underrated ’90s TV shows. It’s crazy to think what’s now one of the most popular TV shows of all time was canceled after just one season. That’s part of what makes it so perfect, though. In just one season we all fell in love with James Franco and wanted so badly to be Lindsay, hangin’ out with the likes of James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and Busy Philipps .