It’s hard to believe it’s been about 30 years since the 1990s: we were just kids when we first saw Friends, Saved By The Bell, and The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. This decade can be summed up as a time when things were simpler: we didn’t have to worry about our mortgages, commuting, or paying medical bills. We could just sit back and enjoy the good times with these classic shows that turned us into a laughing mess every day.
But even harder to believe is how much time we spent re-watching these shows on repeat as the years went by. No matter if we already knew the things we might expect to see there — the cultural references, the humor, and getting stunned at how young our beloved actors from that era were. But whether you’re an old-school fan of the ’90s shows or just learning about these programs for the first time, there’s no doubt this decade fed us some of the finest pieces of entertainment ever delivered by the television industry.
We’ve already provided you with lists of sitcoms from the 1980s and 2000s. Now it’s time to pay tribute to some of the best ’90s sitcoms — the ones we never really forgot because they’re too iconic. We’ve rounded up our top favorite sitcoms from the ’90s so that you can look back on a simpler time and laugh at all the hilarious antics that your favorite TV characters got themselves into!
Although quite a few of these ’90s series will be painfully familiar, we bet you haven’t watched every last one of them. Every decade has its hidden TV entertainment gems, and the 1990s make no exception, so we invite you to upvote your all-time faves. And really, all you have to do is scroll down below, check out the series, and pick one! And if it’s still too hard to decide, a coin flip or magic eight ball’s advice always helps (don’t trust a mood ring though — those suckers always lie).
#1 Frasier
1993-2004 | 11 seasons
A Harvard-educated psychiatrist who gives his advice and wit on a radio show? That’s Frasier, a spin-off series of Cheers, and it’s hilarious! Named the most successful ’90s comedy series (hello, 37 Emmys) and one of the most popular spin-off series, Frasier ran for eleven seasons, gaining more and more fans with each one. This show will always be one of our top choices for binging and re-watching, and you may be happy to know that a revival is currently underway, with Kelsey Grammer reprising his iconic role.
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75points
#2 The Simpsons
1989-Present | 34 seasons
The Simpsons, the longest-running American animated series, has given generations of viewers plenty to laugh about, cry over, and love for over three decades. The satiric adventures of Homer and his dysfunctional family in Springfield saw baby boomers laughing at hidden jokes their millennial kids couldn’t understand at the time. And then, it saw those same millennials showing the sitcom to their kids — a staple animated series any generation can find relatable and enjoyable.
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68points
#3 The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
1990-1996 | 6 seasons
The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air is the gold standard of ’90s TV, capturing the spirit of the decade and its culture in a way that will always be remembered. Here, Will Smith portrays a street-smart teenager born and raised in West Philadelphia. After an incident with local bullies, he’s sent to live with his posh uncle and auntie in Bel-Air, Los Angeles. As it should be, their lifestyles and cultural backgrounds often clash, creating humorous situations that we just can’t get enough of. A more dramatic version of the series, titled Bel-Air, premiered on Peacock in February 2022.
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60points
#4 Friends
1994-2004 | 10 seasons
Love it or hate it, there probably aren’t any other ’90s sitcoms that left such a huge cultural impact as Friends — from giving us “The Rachel,” a haircut inspired by Jennifer Aniston’s hairstyle and wanted by millions of girls worldwide, to expanding the vocabulary of Western English slang and helping people learn the English language. Seriously, though, a 2012 poll by Kaplan International English Colleges revealed that 26% of students cited Friends as the best show to improve English. Do you really need any other reason to watch one of the best comedy casts in action?
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59points
#5 Home Improvement
1991-1999 | 8 seasons
Home Improvement made Tim Allen a star, and if you ask us, we’d say that Tim Allen gave it all back by making this show iconic. It centers on the Taylor family — Tim, Jill, and their three sons. Their contrasting personalities often lead to humorous quarrels, but love keeps them together. Home Improvement’s biggest joke is the show-within-a-show called Tool Time, which Tim hosts with Al Borland and the “Tool Time girl,” who was none other than Pamela Anderson in her debut role. What’s funny is that despite Tim’s ability to efficiently sell tools, he’s astonishingly prone to accidents, causing one disaster after another. Overall, Home Improvement is a great, never-boring example of a ’90s TV show that withstood the test of time.
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59points
#6 3rd Rock From The Sun
1996-2001 | 6 seasons
Two words: John Lithgow. As an extraterrestrial. Here on earth, trying to understand us humans and our way of life. 3rd Rock From The Sun is one of the most original series on our ’90s sitcoms list and a quirky look at the human race and our society through the eyes of an alien. It may seem that the show’s primary goal is to entertain with its offbeat humor and skits, but it actually manages to bring up social issues and relatable problems in a way that doesn’t feel forced. Thanks to a great cast and excellent writing, 3rd Rock From The Sun won numerous awards and was widely praised by critics.
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59points
#7 That '70s Show
1998-2006 | 8 seasons
Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Laura Prepon as teenagers in the ’70s? Say no more, we’re in. The series follows six teenagers living their lives in the ’70s. Though the premise might seem a bit simplistic, besides being hilariously funny, the show never forgets to discuss the pressing realities of the times it was set in. Yes, the 1970s were fifty years ago, but some situations are timeless, so the show is always relatable to both adult and teenage audiences. During its eight seasons, That ’70s Show was nominated for multiple awards and gained recognition as one of the most successful and popular shows from the ’90s.
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53points
#8 Cheers
1982-1993 | 11 seasons
The oldest TV show on our list, Cheers premiered in 1982 and nearly got canceled as its ratings were at about sea-bottom level. Thankfully, though, the broadcasting channel did not give up on it, and the summer reruns caught the viewers’ attention and created a loyal audience, which proved to be an ever-growing one. A sitcom in all of its essence, Cheers follows a group of friends spending their time at a bar called, you guessed it, Cheers. It’s the series that birthed one of the most successful spin-offs ever: if not for Cheers, we wouldn’t have gotten Frasier!
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53points
#9 The Nanny
1993-1999 | 6 seasons
Fran Drescher’s embodiment of the Jewish fashionista nanny, her addictive (to put it in a better light) laugh and her unmistakable manners made The Nanny a favorite among audiences and critics alike. The main character, Fran Fine, is a fish out of water in New York’s upper crust, and the clash of different social backgrounds makes every episode beyond hilarious! Then, there’s the will-they-won’t-they romantic line between Fran and her boss Maxwell that will get anyone rooting for something to happen. Never dull, always exciting, The Nanny is a fantastic 1990s TV show to watch and re-watch.
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49points
#10 South Park
1997-Present | 25 seasons
An animated series that’s old enough to gamble, buy beer, and smoke cigarettes, South Park has been running since 1997, gracing our screens with its dark and surreal humor, satire, and loads of profanity for 24 years. While social satire wasn’t one of the central narratives of the series when it first aired, it developed its voice over the years. Most episodes revolve around pressing social issues or important events, as seen by the four wiser-than-your-average-4th-grader boys. South Park is a rare example of those famous TV shows that aged like good wine and stayed relevant, iconic and impactful, and an inseparable part of popular culture.
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46points
#11 Family Matters
1989-1998 | 9 seasons
Some old sitcoms are authentic entertainment gems, and Family Matters is a clear example. Born as a spin-off series of another show called Perfect Strangers, it quickly became one of the most beloved shows in the ’90s. The events center on the Winslows, a middle-class African-American family living in Chicago. Somewhere in the first season, the series introduced a new character, Steve Urkel, a nerdy neighbor who was supposed to be a one-time character, but he was an instant hit and ended up taking a leading role. Family Matters is a genuinely fun, entertaining series that earned its spot in TV entertainment’s hall of fame.
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44points
#12 Saved By The Bell
1989-1993 | 4 seasons
Saved By The Bell follows a group of high school friends as they navigate their way through life at Bayside High School in Los Angeles. Though its main attraction is the comedic situations spawning from your regular and painstakingly familiar high school happenings, Saved By The Bell didn’t shy away from more serious topics. Throughout its run, the series discussed a broad array of themes: from DUIs to environmental issues, it wanted to tell the youth about the problems they might encounter, to the point it was classified as “educational and informational” in later years. And if watching and re-watching the series, the spin-offs, and the revivals isn’t enough, you can always read one of the 21 novels based on the sitcom.
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44points
#13 Full House
1987-1995 | 8 seasons
Full House chronicles the life of widower Danny Tanner who enlists his brother-in-law and best friend to help raise his three daughters. And you know there’s bound to be some hilarious misunderstandings with young girls being raised by young and very inexperienced guys. This family sitcom was an immediate hit among audiences, and it kept on gaining popularity in syndicated international reruns. A sequel series, Fuller House, premiered on Netflix in 2016.
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43points
#14 The King Of Queens
1998-2007 | 9 seasons
Here we are with one of the most interesting shows of the ’90s. This old-fashioned sitcom is the last of its kind — a live-action sitcom filmed in front of a studio audience. It follows your average working-class couple, Doug and Carrie, living in Queens with Carrie’s father, Arthur. The narratives and happenings are heavily based on the characters’ occupations, their incompatible characteristics, and the quarrels born from it all. Though some critics name The King Of Queens as obvious and distasteful, others praise Kevin James (Doug) as the funniest guy on the TV screen — so I guess this show is like olives. You either like it or you don’t.
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43points
#15 Will & Grace
1998-2006 | 8 seasons + 3 seasons (revival)
Loud, flamboyant, and hilariously funny, this series delivered some of the most memorable examples of ’90s comedy and was praised for educating the American public on LGBT issues like nothing else before. Set in New York City, the series follows Will Truman, a gay lawyer, and his best friend Grace Adler, an interior designer. Both of them are equipped with the oddest of friends who are often incapable of helping the leading duo in the trials and tribulations of everyday life. And if that’s not enough to make it funny, Will & Grace often braves gay and Jewish culture stereotypes in very entertaining ways. Though critics were dubious about this show’s potential, it earned plenty of awards and the audience’s love. Items from Will & Grace are included in the Smithsonian Institution’s collection on LGBT history. Sounds like a solid accomplishment to us! A revival of the series was released in 2017.
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43points
#16 Everybody Loves Raymond
1996-2005 | 9 seasons
A clever depiction of everyday life and a sarcastic approach by Ray, the main character in Everybody Loves Raymond, sure captured the hearts of many. Showing families as slightly dysfunctional yet inseparable and unbreakable, this series resonated with many viewers and gained praise from critics. And though the plot and the narratives might seem like very well-written fiction, the show was based on the real-life exploits of the leading actor Ray Romano. Maybe that’s why Everybody Loves Raymond was so effortlessly engaging and empathetic and became one of the best sitcoms of the ’90s.
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41points
#17 Roseanne
1988-1997 | 9 seasons
Roseanne follows the lives of the Conners, a working-class family struggling to make ends meet. The family consists of lively and outspoken Roseanne, her husband Dan, and their three kids (though later in the series, they have a fourth). Roseanne was praised for its realistic portrayal of a blue-collar family and for the fact that its lead characters were noticeably overweight without it being some sort of staple joke of the show. Provocative topics were also a considerable part of this family sitcom, making it even more relatable to real-life working-class families.
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40points
#18 Mad About You
1992-1999 | 7 seasons
Mad About You employs a seemingly simple premise by following the lives of a married couple, Paul and Jamie. But, as we all know so well, nothing in life is simple, and seeing the things you also go through is always gratifying and relatable. The series effortlessly entered the league of most popular sitcoms of its time, claiming plenty of Emmy wins and, most importantly, the audience’s love. In 2019, a 12-episode revival was released on Spectrum.
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40points
#19 Sabrina The Teenage Witch
1996-2003 | 7 seasons
Here we are with another icon among the ’90s shows: Sabrina The Teenage Witch revolves around the life of Sabrina Spellman, who just learned she has magical powers. Sabrina lives with her 600-year-old aunts, Hilda and Zelda, and their talking cat, Salem. As a novice witch, Sabrina’s spells occasionally go awry, hindering her life as a regular high schooler. Of course, there’s also the swoon-worthy Harvey and all Sabrina’s friends to whom she cannot reveal her secret. Lighthearted, whimsical, and original, Sabrina The Teenage Witch became an instant hit among younger audiences.
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40points
#20 Dharma & Greg
1997-2002 | 5 seasons
Some old sitcoms are still so relevant and funny that it almost feels like they were made only some years ago. It’s the case of Dharma & Greg, which follows its titular characters, a married couple who tied the knot on their first date despite being polar opposites. While love unites them, their absolutely different characters create plenty of hilarious situations. So, if you’re looking for a series that is both heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny, Dharma & Greg might be your best bet.
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39points