The 1990s were a revolutionary era for television, with sitcoms being no exception. In an era when TV dramas and cartoons were becoming more cinematic, sitcoms ventured into new territory. Far from the typical nuclear families of yore, 1990s sitcoms featured diverse casts, single friends, and embraced more absurdism in breaking the fourth wall.
Between my consumption of Surge soda and my fascination with Quentin Tarantino films, I still had time to enjoy some multi-camera comedy on television. There were plenty of sitcoms to choose from, but only a few tore us millennials away from the Super Nintendo. These are the 1990s primetime sitcoms that have held up better than my collection of Pogs.
1993 - 2000
7
158
Status
Ended
As a staple of ABC’s TGIF family-friendly sitcom night,Boy Meets Worldstood out as one more earnestly geared towards kids. The show followed the coming-of-age adventures of Cory Matthews (Ben Savage), a suburban kid struggling to navigate school and understand the world around him. He’ll get into trouble with his misfit pal Shaun (Rider Strong), but also receive sage advice from the scrutinizing yet uniquely intelligent teacher, Mr. Feeny (William Daniels).
Boy Meets Worldwas one of the longer-lasting sitcoms of TIGF and was able to grow considerably as a result. Audiences got to witness the hills and valleys of Cory’s crush on Topanga (Danielle Fishel) and the journey from middle school to college. The show could be sweet and enduring, but also experiment with its humor, as in the slasher parody episode that toys with convention. The series was so revered that it eventually received a legacy spin-off,Girl Meets World.
Disney+
Boy Meets Worldis a coming-of-age sitcom about a kid growing up and learning about the world with wise adults and quirky friends.
1992 - 1997
5
132
Before Martin Lawrence wasBad-Boy-ing it up with Will Smith, he was goofing on his own sitcom, simply titledMartin. Living in Detroit as a radio personality, Martin finds himself getting into ridiculous situations with his girlfriend, Gina Waters (Tisha Campbell), and his cohort of friends. Living in an apartment building, Martin often encounters many odd characters, including some even weirder acquaintances played by Lawrence himself.
Martin Lawrence is maybe the only other sitcom actor who could match Will Smith’s manic manner of humor. There are several cleverly written episodes, especially the one where calling the cops about a dead body somehow turns into a game ofFamily Feud. It’s also just fun to watch Lawrence flex his many characters before he settled into theBig Momma’s Housemovies.
Netflix
Martindepicts the comical adventures of a Detroit radio personality and his friends, some of whom are played by Martin Lawrence.
1993 - 1998
118
While there were plenty of sitcoms about adult friends in the 1990s,Living Singlestands out for featuring an all-black and predominantly female cast. The show centered on two groups of friends residing in a Brooklyn Brownstone. All six friends are single and in their 20s, simply trying to find their way to the next stage in their lives, whether it’s professional or romantic.
Living Singlepresented a colorful and inspiring sitcom of early adult life, especially with Queen Latifah in the role of an accomplished magazine publisher. The many characters assembled all come from different backgrounds and have different outlooks on life, which creator Yvette Lee Bowser has noted were inspired by real women she knew. For drawing from reality,Living Singlefelt like a more grounded approach to the single life with quirky friends.
Hulu
Living Singlefollows the lives of 20-something women as they struggle to make it on their own in the city, balancing their careers and love lives.
1995 - 2004
9
233
Canceled
Drew Carey became the comedy king of the hapless everyman inThe Drew Carey Show. Drew plays a Cleveland man who bonds with friends (Diedrich Bader, Ryan Stiles, Christa Miller) over beers and clashes at work with his colorful nemesis, Mimi (Kathy Kinney). His many antics of dating and workplace politics were hilarious, but the show wasn’t afraid to go into more meta and goofy territory, where even Daffy Duck could show up.
The Drew Carey Showmade great use of its comedic ensemble, including the exuberant Scottish wit of Craig Ferguson. Drew Carey had a natural ease to his comedy, where his deadpan nature could ground a sitcom capable of incredibly absurd situations. It also has one of the most theatrical opening sequences of any sitcom, where you’ll never be able to hearCleveland Rocksthe same way again.
Pluto TV
The Drew Carey Showfeatures Drew Carey as the hapless hero of his sitcom centered on his workplace of rivals and home of his beer-drinking friends.
1991 - 1994
3
72
WhileRocisn’t exactly the most iconic sitcom of the 1990s, it is one of the most underrated. The series centers around Roc Emerson (Charles S. Dutton), a garbage collector in Baltimore, living with his wife, Eleanor (Ella Joyce). While trying to make ends meet, Roc endures the pressures that come with his working-class life, ranging from trying to find a bigger home to being confronted with racial discrimination.
To understand how goodRocwas, you need only look to the second season, where every single episode was performed live for broadcast. You wouldn’t know it was live because the performances were so flawless, with Dutton’s stage presence being so incredible. The writing was poignant, dramatic, and earnest, offering up the most potent distillation of the tensions after the Rodney King incident. The sitcom is also worth watching for the wealth of guest stars, including Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Roundtree, andCheersactors Rhea Perlman and George Wendt appearing in the same episode.
Rocis a sitcom about a trash collector in Baltimore who just tries to get by, with the pressures of family and work always on his mind.
1998 - 2006
8
200
A nostalgic sitcom of the 1990s is also a show about nostalgia for the 1970s. Set in 1970s Wisconsin,That ‘70s Showfollows the suburban antics of teenager Eric (Topher Grace), his rocky relationship with his neighbor Donna (Laura Prepon), and his quirky friends composed of the rebellious Hyde (Danny Masterson), dim-witted Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), bratty Jackie (Mila Kunis), and odd Fez (Wilmer Valderrama). Additionally, Eric tries not to aggravate his eccentric mother (Debra Jo Rupp) and conservative father (Kurtwood Smith), who is constantly threatening to stick his foot where the sun doesn’t shine.
That ‘70s Showhad the benefit of being a sitcom with hilarious characters and jokes about the 1970s. It was a sitcom where one episode could highlight Eric’s ongoing romantic concerns while still having fun with the craze overStar Warshitting theaters in 1977. Even if an entire generation didn’t get every gag about 8-track players and disco (with Fez remarking that it’s just samba), the characters had a timeless quality, allowing any young person to relate to rocking out in the car or sneaking around their parents.
Peacock
That ’70s Showdraws on the dated nostalgia of the 1970s while still offering up relatable situations of teenagers in the Midwest.
1993 - 2004
11
264
Spinning off fromCheers, Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) took his psychological expertise to the Seattle radio scene. While listening to the problems of his listeners, he must also endure the complaints of his old-fashioned father (John Mahoney), his dad’s British live-in aide (Jane Leeves), and his dry-witted brother (David Hyde Pierce). Coupled with his failed marriage and an inability to connect with the world, Frasier’s intellectual prowess explodes in fits of misunderstandings, most hilarious for the stuffy psychiatrist.
Equal parts brilliant and absurd,Frasierpresented an unorthodox sitcom of a cultured man having his ego thrown back at him. It was fun to laugh at Frasier’s misreadings of the modern world beyond his books, but there was also heart and charm in the developing relationships and the love of family. With its razor-sharp wit,Frasierultimately proved just as successful asCheers, lasting for 11 seasons and winning numerous Emmy Awards.
Paramount Plus
Frasiertakes the psychiatrist out ofCheersand into the hilarious misunderstandings of his Seattle setting.
1995 - 1999
97
Workplace comedies don’t come much wackier thanNewsRadio. Dave Nelson (Dave Foley) is the underdog new boss of the AM radio station WNYX, owned by the eccentric billionaire Jimmy James (Stephen Root). He struggles to keep the station running with the egotistical on-air personality, Bill (Phil Hartman), the clumsy reporter, Matthew (Andy Dick), and his love interest, the producer, Lisa (Maura Tierney).
With a fantastic comedic ensemble,NewsRadiowasn’t afraid to go into some odd places. The episodes could be as familiar as trying to decide who to fire or as left-field bizarre as staging the entire workplace like the Titanic, going so far as to flood it. The quirky characters and uproarious situations madeNewsRadioa workplace sitcom that wasn’t afraid to take its premise to bizarre places.
NewsRadiotakes an absurd look at the workplace hijinks of a New York AM radio station.
1989 - 1998
180
For a sitcom about nothing,Seinfeldhad everything that made it one of the top sitcoms of the 1990s. Four single friends living in New York City navigate the trials and tribulations of dating, work, and every odd situation they run into in the city. The episodes could be about something as familiar as debating whether to eat pastries out of the trash or as uncommon as dealing with the Soup Nazi.
For being one of the most divergent sitcoms of the decade,Seinfeldhas a pop culture footprint as massive asThe Simpsons. The writing is loaded with so many memorable quotes, from “serenity now” to “master of your domain.” For a show built out of Jerry Seinfeld’s stand-up comedy bits, there was a lot of something to this show, where the series finale garnered the largest audience of the 1990s. There are too manymust-watch episodes ofSeinfeldto count.
Seinfeldfollows the adventures of four friends in dating and day-to-day life around New York City.
1990 - 1996
6
148
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Airdid far more than crown Will Smith as the decade’s prince of getting jiggy with it. The sitcom found the troublesome and playful Will (Smith) staying at the home of his wealthy uncle Phil (James Avery), easily aggravated by Will’s street-smart snark. While the expected class-difference hijinks ensued, there were also some pretty grounded stories of race relations and family connections that are more messy than melodramatic.
Infused with a love of music by composer Quincy Jones,The Fresh Princewas a lively dose of comedy that could be wise about the world. When the show sought authenticity, it could delve into profound topics in more ways than one. When it wanted to be funny, Will Smith was an unstoppable storm of absurd lines and physical comedy. And let us not forget the iconic dance of Phil’s son Carlton, which forever changed how we listen to Tom Jones' music.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Airfeatures Will Smith as the eccentric nephew of the wealthy Uncle Phil and getting into all sorts of hilarious situations in California.
The variety of sitcoms from the 1990s was like a buffet of comedy and drama, and a step up fromsitcoms of the 1980s. You get a heaping helping of tear-jerking moments fromThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air(that scene of Will ranting about his father is unforgettable) or a cartoonish divergence in the workplace withNewsRadio. And you don’t even have to wait until prime time to get a shot of that studio audience laughter.
