The 1990s are home to some of the best TV shows of all time, but there are also many forgotten shows that had everything to become classics. The success of a TV show can be the result of different factors: the story, the characters, the performances, the themes addressed in it, and how well it was marketed.
Unfortunately, ratings are also key to a show’s success, determining how long it runs. Critical reception can heavily influence these numbers, as does how the show is sold to the audience. Because of this, many shows ended up fading into obscurity.
Even worse, many TV shows had everything to succeed, but different factors led to their premature ending or not getting enough exposure. The 1990s have many examples of these from different genres, and they are all worth checking out.
10
Freakazoid!
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The 1990s saw a variety of animated TV shows and not just for children. A forgotten animated show from this decade is Freakazoid!, aimed at children and teens but also fun and weird enough to appeal to adults. Created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, Freakazoid! ran for two seasons between 1995 and 1997.
Freakazoid! was executive produced by Steven Spielberg.
Freakazoid! followed geeky student Dexter, who, due to a computer bug, turns into the title superhero: a loud, weird, and hyperactive blue-skinned superhero. Along with Animaniacs, The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries, Pinky and the Brain, and Earthworm Jim, Freakazoid! helped launch Kids’ WB, but it didn’t have the same lasting impact as most of these.
Freakazoid! is still worth watching thanks to its sense of humor, which combined pop culture references with parody, slapstick, and lots of absurdity, and its one-of-a-kind protagonist who was unlike any other superhero. If you like Animaniacs, you’ll also enjoy Freakazoid!
9
Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg was a sitcom created by Dottie Dartland and Chuck Lorre. Dharma & Greg followed Dharma Finkelstein (Jenna Elfman), a free-spirited yoga instructor and dog trainer, and Greg Montgomery (Thomas Gibson), a conservative lawyer. Despite being complete opposites, Dharma and Greg married on their first date, so the show followed the funny situations their conflicting views put them through.
Dharma & Greg was canceled due to low ratings, but throughout its five-season run, it received nominations for different awards. The premise of Dharma & Greg made way for different comedic situations and allowed it to explore different lifestyles, family dynamics, and how these blended and co-existed. It’s a different look at “opposites attract”, and the chemistry of its lead actors is undeniable.
8
Clueless
The 1995 teen classic Clueless got a TV series a year later. The Clueless TV show was unrelated to the movie (as in: it’s not a sequel or prequel, and doesn’t take into account the events of the movie), and it starred Rachel Blanchard as Cher Horowitz. Clueless followed Cher, her best friend Dionne, and their friends as they navigated high school in Beverly Hills.
Clueless was overshadowed by the popularity and impact of the movie, but that doesn’t mean the show was bad. Clueless captured the essence of the movie and gave the characters and their storylines more space and time to develop, allowing the audience to get to know the characters from the movie a lot better.
Clueless even had crossovers with Moesha and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, further cementing its place in the 1990s pop culture. If you loved the movie, you will definitely enjoy watching Cher and Dionne on more daily adventures in their unique style.
7
Eerie, Indiana
The 1990s had a good dose of sci-fi horror shows, and one that has sadly become forgettable is Eerie, Indiana. Created by José Rivera and Karl Schaefer, Eerie, Indiana followed teenager Marshall Teller (Omri Katz), who moved with his family to the title town. Marshall befriended Simon Holmes, and together, they faced a variety of bizarre, sinister, and supernatural scenarios.
From intelligent dogs planning to dominate the world, Bigfoot, and a still-alive Elvis Presley, Marshall and Simon were always busy with something strange. Eerie, Indiana brought together sci-fi, lots of humor, and bits of horror, mostly relying on urban legends for its horror parts. Eerie, Indiana is worth watching for its sense of humor, pop culture references, and overall tone.
6
Roswell
Roswell is a sci-fi TV show based on Melinda Metz’s YA book series Roswell High. Roswell is set in a world where the Roswell UFO exists, and aliens have been hiding in plain sight as three high school teenagers. Thanks to this, Roswell brought together sci-fi and teen drama, making it quite unique among the decade’s teen shows.
Through its storyline of aliens among humans, Roswell explored themes of identity, belonging, social hierarchies, friendship, and more. Roswell will appeal to sci-fi fans (especially those into aliens and UFOs) and those into teen dramas.
5
Clarissa Explains It All
The 1990s were a big decade for Nickelodeon, and one of its most underrated live-action shows is Clarissa Explains It All. Created by Mitchell Kriegman, Clarissa Explains It All was a teen sitcom that followed Clarissa Darling (Melissa Joan Hart), a teenager who directly spoke to the audience to explain what was going on in her life.
Clarissa Explains It All presented a strong, relatable, smart, and funny lead character, and the audience could easily relate to everything she went through at school, home, and with her friends. Clarissa herself became a fashion icon of the decade, thus leaving her mark on pop culture, but, unfortunately, as good as the show is, it didn’t have the same success as other Nickelodeon TV shows.
4
Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs is a family sitcom starring puppets – yes, puppets. Created by Michael Jacobs and Bob Young, Dinosaurs took the audience back to 60,000,000 BC in Pangea to follow the Sinclairs, a family of dinosaurs, who often found themselves in humorous situations.
A big part of the charm of Dinosaurs is in Baby, the Sinclair’s youngest member, the modern objects and situations adapted to prehistoric times, the puppets, and the show’s sense of humor. Dinosaurs is fun and deserves a lot more attention, but unfortunately, it’s best known for its tragic series finale.
3
Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
Are You Afraid Of The Dark? is a horror anthology series for children. Created by D. J. MacHale and Ned Kandel, Are You Afraid Of The Dark? followed the Midnight Society, a group of teenagers who met in the forest at midnight to tell different horror stories.
Despite being aimed at children, Are You Afraid Of The Dark? is also for a more mature audience, thanks to the themes addressed in its stories and their horror elements. Are You Afraid Of The Dark? made horror accessible to children, while adults could also enjoy its stories.
Although the individual struggles of the characters weren’t a main focus, they were given enough spotlight to help viewers relate to them, and their stories covered serious topics such as grief, divorce, bullying, and more. Many Are You Afraid Of The Dark? episodes still hold up today, and the show deserves to be a classic of the decade and the genre.
2
The Adventures Of Pete & Pete
Another Nickelodeon show that deserved better is The Adventures of Pete & Pete. Created by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi, the show focused on brothers Peter Wrigley, with the oldest brother referred to as “Big Pete” (Michael Maronna) and the youngest as “Little Pete” (Danny Tamberelli).
The Adventures of Pete & Pete followed the brothers’ daily lives, as they went through completely different situations due to their age difference, with Little Pete’s being more comedic and surreal. The Adventures of Pete & Pete has a unique charm that no other Nickelodeon TV show has matched, and it’s one of the network’s most relatable, well-written, and unique shows.
1
My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life now ranks among the TV shows that were canceled too soon and has gathered a cult following, but it deserves a lot more than that. Created by Winnie Holzman, My So-Called Life was a teen drama that followed 15-year-old Angela Chase (Claire Danes), a high school student in the Pittsburgh suburb of Three Rivers.
My So-Called Life focused on the daily ups and downs of Angela and her friends as they deal with high school, friendships, romances, and more. My So-Called Life offered a realistic portrayal of teenage life, making it relatable and highly influential to other teen dramas. My So-Called Life is best known for its early cancellation, but deserves to be recognized for its quality.