Many of the TV Shows of the 90s set a benchmark for the way television would develop in the 21st century.
Indeed, a few of them are still going strong, albeit with new actors and with, for some observers, somewhat tired storylines.
Television today is facing competition for audiences from areas which didn’t exist in the 1990s. The internet and social media, especially YouTube, provide different forms of entertainment more suited to a generation for whom news comprises 30 second sound bites. Attention spans are not what they once were, and the roughly 40 minute length of each episode of even the most popular shows is a strain for many young people.
The newest shows have become so formulaic in terms of plot, special effects and musical background that, if you don’t catch the opening credits, it’s difficult to know what you are actually watching.
The 90s TV shows, at least when they started, offered new angles on familiar themes, and that was the reason for their popularity.
Our LifeDaily team has chosen what we think were the best of the shows– see if your agree:
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
Buffy is young girl whose life is dedicated to slaying vampires, demons and other infernal creatures, and fighting evil.
Stars: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Head
2. Angel (1999)
Angel, a vampire cursed with a soul, moves to Los Angeles and helps people with supernatural-related problems.
Stars: David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, Alexis Denisof, J. August Richards
3. Stargate SG-1 (1997)
A secret military team, SG-1, is created to explore the recently discovered Stargates.
Stars: Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge
4. Charmed (1998)
Three sisters discover that their destiny is to battle against the forces of evil, using their witchcraft.
Stars: Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano, Brian Krause, Rose McGowan
5. The X Files (1993)
Two FBI agents, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, investigate strange and unexplained phenomena while hidden forces tyr to stop them.
Stars: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, Robert Patrick
6. Twin Peaks (1990)
An FBI Agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks.
Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook
7. Roswell (1999)
Some of those living among the citizens of the infamous New Mexico city of Roswell are not there by choice…
Stars: Shiri Appleby, Jason Behr, Katherine Heigl, Majandra Delfino
8. Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990)
A group of friends living in Beverley Hills, California, from their school days through to adulthood are the basis for this popular show.
Stars: Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Luke Perry, Jennie Garth
9. Party of Five (1994)
Five siblings have to to find their own way in the world after their parents are killed by a drunk driver.
Stars: Matthew Fox, Scott Wolf, Neve Campbell, Lacey Chabert
10. Dawson’s Creek (1998)
Four friends in a small coastal town help each other deal with adolescence.
Stars: James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson
11. Law & Order (1990)
The show follows a crime from two separate vantage points. The first half of the show follows the investigation of the crime by the police, the second half deals with the prosecution of the crime in court.
Stars: Jerry Orbach, Jesse L. Martin, Dennis Farina, S. Epatha Merkerson
12. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
Originally a spinoff from the original series, this show became successful in its own right. It introduces the Special Victims Unit, an elite squad of NYPD detectives who investigate sexually related crimes.
Stars: Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Dann Florek, Richard Belzer
13. Sliders (1995)
A boy genius and his friends travel to different parallel universes, trying to find their way back home.
Stars: Jerry O’Connell, Sabrina Lloyd, John Rhys-Davies, Cleavant Derricks
14. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993)
This show features Superman’s burning romance with Lois Lane — and he finds some time to to fight evil,
Stars: Dean Cain, Teri Hatcher, Lane Smith, Eddie Jones
15. My So-Called Life (1994)
The show follows the life of a 15-year-old girl with her trials and tribulations of being a teenager.
Stars: Bess Armstrong, Wilson Cruz, Claire Danes, Devon Gummersall
Did some of the 90s TV Shows on our list make you nostalgic for the “good old days?”
Are there any of your favorites among them? Are they any shows you would like to add to the selection?
You can share your thoughts and opinions by making use of the comments feed provided below.
