Disney released some of its best TV shows in the 1990s, but there are some great shows from that decade that most people don’t remember. Disney is best known for its movies, especially its animated ones, but it also has many great TV shows. Some of Disney’s TV shows now rank among the best animated shows of all time, and it also has iconic live-action shows.
Disney is home to shows like DuckTales, Hannah Montana, and Lizzie McGuire, which continue to be widely popular and praised. The 1990s saw the release of many great Disney TV shows like Gargoyles, but among those popular shows are others as great but not as well-remembered, for different reasons.
Bonkers (1993-1994)
One Season
Bonkers Disney TV show
Bonkers is an animated TV series, inspired by the 1988 movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Bonkers followed Bonkers D. Bobcat (voiced by Jim Cummings), a once-popular cartoon star who is now a cop. Bonkers is the partner of ill-tempered, cartoon-hating human Detective Lucky Piquel, and they work together to solve crimes in Los Angeles.
What mostly prevented Bonkers from reaching its full potential and getting to a wider audience was the misconception that it was a spinoff of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. In reality, Bonkers was its own story, comedy, and fun, though chaotic at times, but that was part of its essence.
Jungle Cubs (1996-1998)
Two Seasons
Jungle Cubs Disney TV show
Many animated Disney movies have gotten sequels, mostly direct-to-video movies, and some have gotten spinoff TV shows. Among them is The Jungle Book, which got an animated prequel show titled Jungle Cubs. As such, Jungle Cubs follows the animal characters of the movie when they were young, such as Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan, and Louie.
Jungle Cubs was a critical success, but it wasn’t as big as the movie, and as such, it didn’t get much attention. Still, it’s a fun look at how these characters learned to live in the jungle and how they became what they are by the time they meet Mowgli.
So Weird (1999-2001)
Three Seasons
So Weird Disney TV show
So Weird is a sci-fi fantasy TV show created by Tom J. Astle. So Weird follows teenager Fiona Phillips (Cara DeLizia), who lives with her rockstar mother, Molly (Mackenzie Phillips), who is on tour to revive her career. While on tour with her, Fiona encounters paranormal activity and hopes to communicate with her deceased father.
So Weird was darker than the rest of Disney’s shows at the time, and it even drew comparisons to The X-Files. So Weird was creative and had a heavy emotional charge thanks to Fiona’s family backstory and tragedies, and it was different from what Disney usually does.
Goof Troop (1992)
One Season
Goof Troop TV show
Goof Troop is an animated TV show created by Robert Taylor and Michael Peraza Jr. Goof Troop follows Goofy, who moves back to his hometown of Spoonerville with his son, Max. Goofy and Max move next door to the former’s high school friend Pete, who lives with his wife, Peg, their son, P.J., and their daughter Pistol.
Max and P.J. quickly become friends, and in addition to dealing with everything that comes with being a teenager, Max has to deal with his father’s many eccentricities. Goof Troop made way for A Goofy Movie, one of the best Disney movies that no one remembers.
Smart Guy (1997-1999)
Three Seasons
Smart Guy Disney TV show
Smart Guy is a sitcom created by Danny Kallis and set in Washington, D.C., where the audience meets T.J. Henderson (Tahj Mowry), a boy genius. At the age of 10, T.J. is transferred from elementary school to Piedmont High School, where he has to adjust to attending school with teenagers who are older but not exactly wiser than him.
Smart Guy was a critical hit, and it’s now considered a cult classic, but it didn’t reach its full potential as Disney canceled the show after three seasons. One of the reasons was that Mowry was growing older for the character, and it became tricky to maintain the show’s premise and tone.
Flash Forward (1995-1997)
One Season
Flash Forward Disney TV show
Flash Forward is an adventure sitcom created by Bernice Vanderlaan, Alyson Feltes, and Daphne Ballon. Flash Forward follows best friends and neighbors Tucker (Ben Foster) and Rebecca (Jewel Staite), who navigate life and school together, alongside their friends Christine (Asia Vieira) and Miles (Theodore Borders).
Flash Forward was the first official Disney Channel Original Series.
It’s a simple premise, for sure, but that’s where its charm lies. The dynamic between Tucker and Rebecca is relatable and sweet to watch, with the rest of the characters bringing in the comedy. Because of its simplicity, Flash Forward faded into obscurity then, and it’s still a mostly unknown Disney show.
Disney’s Aladdin: The Series (1994-1995)
Two Seasons
Aladdin The Series
Going back to Disney animated movies that got TV shows that no one remembers is Aladdin, which, in 1992, got a sequel show simply titled Aladdin: The Series. The show is set after the direct-to-video sequel The Return of Jafar (though it premiered before it), and it follows Aladdin, who is now engaged to Princess Jasmine, as he goes on different adventures in Agrabah and beyond.
While Aladdin: The Series wasn’t a failure, it couldn’t match the quality, success, and legacy of the original movie. The absence of Robin Williams as the Genie was a point against it that led to viewers not caring about the show, along with its lower quality compared to the movie.
Pepper Ann (1997-2001)
Four Seasons
Pepper Ann TV show
Pepper Ann is an animated sitcom created by Sue Rose. Pepper Ann follows the title character (voiced by Kathleen Wilhoite) and her daily adventures at home and school, accompanied by her best friends Nicky and Milo, and her seven-year-old sister, Moose. Pepper Ann was a fun and relatable portrayal of the awkwardness of being a teenager, and it beautifully addressed more mature themes.
Pepper Ann was different in the sense that its main character isn’t pursuing popularity and romance (though she did have a love interest), instead focusing on her own experiences as a 12-year-old. Pepper Ann almost got its own movie, but the project was canceled for unknown reasons.
The Famous Jett Jackson (1998-2001)
Three Seasons
The Famous Jett Jackson TV show
The Famous Jett Jackson is a coming-of-age TV show created by Fracaswell Hyman. The Famous Jett Jackson follows the title character (Lee Thompson Young), who brings the production of a TV show to his town of Wilsted, North Carolina. Because of this, Jett has to balance his family life, friends, school, and his job as an actor, as well as his celebrity status.
The Famous Jett Jackson was a critical hit, with praise for its themes of empowerment and community while also being relatable in how it handles the complexities of being a teenager. The Famous Jett Jackson was more grounded than its successors, which has led to it being left aside when talking about great Disney live-action shows.
Recess (1997-2001)
Four Seasons
Recess Disney TV show
Recess is an animated TV show created by Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere. Recess takes the audience to Third Street Elementary School to follow friends and fourth graders T.J., Vince, Spinelli, Mikey, Gretchen, and Gus through their daily adventures at school. What makes these so fun is that there’s a whole society at school with its own government, class system, laws, and more.
Through these, Recess addresses themes like discrimination, social inequality, manipulation, and more. Recess is one of the cleverest, most fun, and most relatable Disney animated shows ever, and while it might not be remembered by many, those who do have a special place in their hearts for it.
Callsign
DISN
Website
https://disneynow.com/all-shows
Station Type
Satellite