In the 1990s, television was one of the fastest growing mediums. More TV shows were popping up than ever before, and ratings were at all-time highs. In contrast to today’s era of TV, where we’re obsessed with Netflix and the popular genre includes reality TV shows.
It’s time for some nostalgia. Let’s jump back to the era of TV shows that were popular on our TVs during the 90s.
Friends
- When it aired: 1994 – 2002
- Genre: Sitcom, Comedy
- No. of seasons: 10
The show revolves around six friends in their 20s and 30s who live in Manhattan, New York City and go through just about every life experience imaginable together; love, marriage, divorce, children, heartbreaks, fights, new jobs, job losses and all sort of drama. The contrast between each of the characters allows for various forms of humor and interactions.
Sex and the City
- When it aired: 1998 – 2002
- Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama
- No. of seasons: 6
Set and filmed in New York City, the show follows the lives of a group of four women—three in their mid-thirties and one in her forties—who, despite their different natures and ever-changing sex lives, remain inseparable and confide in each other. he series had multiple continuing storylines that tackled relevant and modern social issues such as sexuality, promiscuity and femininity, while exploring the difference between friendships and romantic relationships.
Beverly Hills, 90210
- When it aired: 1990 – 2000
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- No. of seasons: 10
The series follows the lives of a group of friends living in the upscale and star-studded community of Beverly Hills, California, as they transition from high school to college and into the adult world. In addition to chronicling the characters’ friendships and romantic relationships, the show addressed topical issues such as sex, rape, alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence, eating disorders, racism, teenage suicide, teenage pregnancy and AIDS.
Baywatch
- When it aired: 1989 – 2001
- Genre: Drama, Action-adventure
- No. of seasons: 11
The series is about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California. It revolves around the work of a team of lifeguards and their interpersonal relationships, with plots usually centering on dangers related to the beach and other activities pertinent to the California beach lifestyle.
Dawson’s Creek
- When it aired: 1998 – 2003
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- No. of seasons: 6
In the idyllic town of Capeside, Dawson Leery is a typical 90s all-American teen with a passion for film and popular culture. The series traces the complexity of Dawson’s close adolescent friendship group, romantic relationships and the angsty problems plaguing teen life.
Full House
- When it aired: 1987 – 1995
- Genre: Sitcom, Comedy
- No. of seasons: 8
The show chronicles the events of widowed father and sports anchor Danny, recruiting his brother-in-law Jesse, a rock musician, and his best friend since childhood, Joey, who works as a stand-up comedian, to help raise his three young daughters in his San Francisco home. Over time, the three men, as well as the girls, bond and become closer to one another.
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
- When it aired: 1990 – 1996
- Genre: Sitcom, Comedy
- No. of seasons: 6
The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager born and raised in West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his wealthy uncle and aunt in their Bel Air mansion after getting into a fight in the local playground in his neighborhood. However, his lifestyle often clashes with the lifestyle of his upper-class relatives.
ER
- When it aired: 1994 – 2009
- Genre: Medical drama
- No. of seasons: 15
ER follows the inner life of the emergency room (ER) of fictional County General Hospital in Chicago and various critical issues faced by the room’s physicians and staff. Although medical emergencies were regularly the show’s main plot, the narrative also dealt with the characters’ personal lives and relationships.
That ’70s Show
- When it aired: 1998 – 2006
- Genre: Comedy, Sitcom
- No. of seasons: 8
The series focuses on the lives of a group of six teenage friends living in fictional Point Place, Wisconsin, who are nearing their maturity during the 70s. They deal with sex, drugs, and rock and roll, as well as disco, leisure suits and, of course, parents.
7th Heaven
- When it aired: 1996 – 2007
- Genre: Drama
- No. of seasons: 11
The series follows the Reverend Eric Camden—a Protestant minister living in the fictional town of Glenoak, California—as well as his wife Annie and their seven children and deals sensitively and intelligently with such issues as homelessness, drug abuse and teen pregnancy.
Melrose Place
- When it aired: 1992 – 1999
- Genre: Soap opera
- No. of seasons: 7
The show is set in a small apartment courtyard complex located at 4616 Melrose Place in the city of West Hollywood, California. Several young adults reside in the apartments, each with their own dreams and drives.