The 100 Best ’90s TV Shows

Before the era of streaming services, TGIF and Must-See TV reigned supreme. In the 1990s, networks like ABC and NBC stocked up on comedies and realistic dramas, while relative newcomer Fox had its own arsenal of groundbreaking shows. Even cable networks like HBO and Cartoon Network started upping the ante with quality programming, marking a turning point in television history. Viewers had more options than ever to get their entertainment fix.

Stacker compiled data on all 1990s TV shows in English with over 7,500 votes on the Internet Movie Database and ranked the top 100 according to IMDb user score (as of February 2023), with ties broken by votes.

Do you remember the cop show that introduced (partial) nudity and crude language to primetime TV? Or the Nickelodeon show that launched the career of a future cast member of Saturday Night Live? How about the NBC crime drama that has had more spinoffs than there are presidents on Mount Rushmore? We include those shows and more, plus transcendent British comedies, genre-bending cartoons, and the sketch show that birthed the careers of many of the top comedians of the ’90s.

It is a testament to the power of ’90s TV that many of the shows on the list, while still holding up on their own, are being rebooted for newer generations. Each slide includes a hodgepodge of information like notable cast and crew, accolades won, the show’s legacy, and other interesting tidbits.

Continue reading to see if your favorite ’90s shows made the list.

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