There’s a reason the best shows of the ’90s still get quoted and rewatched decades later. At this point, ’90s nostalgia has overtaken thebest ’80s sitcoms, with a new wave of fans discovering the decade’s greatest hits through streaming platforms. Whether animated or live-action, sitcom or supernatural drama, these series shaped how we laugh, think, and binge today.
Part of their staying power comes from how effortlessly these creators adapted to shifts in audience taste. Even themost underrated ’90s showsexperimented with format, pushed boundaries in writing, and created characters who felt like our best friends, mentors, or heroes. They were as willing to be heartfelt as they were to be fearless, tackling themes that still resonate.
In 2025, it’s striking how effortlessly these ’90s shows hold up. Still sharp, still relevant, and still influencing the DNA of the shows being made right now.
Boy Meets Worldwas rare among sitcoms for letting its audience grow alongside its characters. Starting in middle school and ending with marriage, it offered a complete coming-of-age arc rarely seen on network TV. It’s unimaginable to remotely think this is possible today.
Corey and Topanga’s romance became one of television’s most enduring, with ups and downs that felt authentic rather than manufactured. Hunter’s broken home offered an unflinching look at troubled teens too afraid to admit they need help. And Mr. Feeny, oh Mr. Feeney. His lessons, always wise, never condescending, made him an entire generation’s favorite teacher.
The show’s reruns on ABC Family kept it alive long after its original run, allowing fans torewatch the bestBoy Meets Worldepisodeswhile introducing new viewers to its mix of humor, heart, and honesty. Watching it today is like reconnecting with old friends who have actually aged with you.
9The X-Files
The X-Filesreshaped the DNA of genre television storytelling. Mulder and Scully’s partnership was a masterclass in balancing skepticism and belief, with chemistry that fueled both the procedural plots and the overarching conspiracy.
The mix ofmonster-of-the-week TVepisodes and serialized arcs gave the show longevity without sacrificing momentum long before the stellar 2005Doctor Whorevival followed suit. Standouts like “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” and “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space” are among thebestX-Filesepisodes, and showed it could be as weirdly funny as it was terrifying.
Its influence is everywhere, fromFringetoStranger Thingsto Nu-Who. In our current binge-watching era,The X-Filesstill works because each episode offers a complete mystery while nudging forward a grander, more unsettling story about trust, truth, and the unknown.
8SNL: The ’90s Years
TheSNL'90s years are often regarded as one of the best eras, and for good reason. It was an ensemble stacked with future icons—Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, David Spade, Will Ferrell, Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon, Tracy Morgan. Nobody could have predicted the cultural phenomena they would become across the entire 21st century.
This era ushered in dozens ofSNL'90s comedy classics. “Wayne’s World” went from recurring sketch to box office hit, “Celebrity Jeopardy” became a comedy institution, songs like “Lunch Lady Land” and characters like Mary Katherine Gallagher are still part of the comedy lexicon.
We exist in an age of infinite online content, yet’90sSNLsketchesrack up millions of YouTube views. They’re still passed around in group chats, proving that truly great sketch comedy keeps finding new audiences and influencing new comedic generations. The decade’s sketches were lightning in a bottle, showcasing the magic ofSNLwhen an entire cast clicks.
7Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Buffywas a game-changer for genre television, blending supernatural spectacle with the rhythms of a teen drama. The writing gave Buffy Summers the wit to match her slayer skills, and the “Scooby Gang” brought heart and camaraderie that grounded the more fantastical elements.
ThebestBuffyepisodes to introduce new viewersinclude “Hush,” “School Hard,” and “Lie to Me,” all of which prove that it is more than a teen drama. The show dealt with love, grief, and identity in mature, metaphorical ways that resonated just as deeply as the monster fights.
Its metaphor-rich storytelling turned high school into a literal hellmouth, making it endlessly relatable for anyone who’s ever felt their teenage years were apocalyptic. In 2025,Buffystill feels rewatchablebecause it understood that good genre storytelling is always about the characters first, and how those characters react within a bulletproof plot.
6King Of The Hill
King of the Hillfound humor in the rhythms of quiet suburban Texas life. Hank Hill’s old-fashioned values, occasional stubbornness, and passion for propane and propane accessories were the anchor for stories that poked fun without cruelty. In fact, the straight-lacedHank has done more than his fair share of ridiculous stunts.
Bobby Hill remains one of animation’s great comedic creations, with lines like “That’s my purse! I don’t know you!” becoming internet shorthand. Dale Gribble, Peggy Hill, and Cotton, among many more, rounded out a cast that could carry both absurd plots and heartfelt moments.
Critics loved the 2025King of the Hillrevival, proving how little it needed to change to still work. The show’s warmth, restraint, and observational wit are just as welcome now as they were in the ’90s.
5The Simpsons
The ’90s era ofThe Simpsonsremains the gold standard for animated sitcoms. The writing team delivered gags layered so deep you’d catch new ones on the third rewatch, andSimpsonsguest starslike Leonard Nimoy, Michael Jackson, and Stephen Hawking elevated episodes to event status.
Not to mention, its cultural footprint is staggering. TheSouth Parkepisode “Simpsons Already Did It” wasn’t a joke—it was an acknowledgment that the show had touched every conceivable storyline. And then there’sThe Simpsons' unsettling track record of predicting real-world events.
Even as later seasons wavered, the ’90s run remains endlessly quotable and remarkably fresh. Few shows can claim to be as relevant to three different generations of viewers.
4Neon Genesis Evangelion
Don’t be mistaken:Neon Genesis Evangelionis much more than mecha anime. It’s a psychological and philosophical deep dive disguised as one. The battles are intense, but the real war is internal, with characters like Shinji and Asuka wrestling with trauma, identity, and alienation.
The show’s religious imagery and cryptic symbolism sparked debates that still rage online. Was the ending hopeful or bleak? What’s the significance of the Human Instrumentality Project? Fans are still unpacking theseEvangelionquestions and theoriesnearly 30 years later.
Its influence on anime is immeasurable, inspiring everything fromAttack on TitantoGurren Lagann. Once you’ve seenEvangelion, you measure all other anime against it, often unfairly to them.
3Batman: The Animated Series
Stylized German expressionism meets peak ’90s action inBatman: The Animated Series. In this version, Gotham felt like a place suspended between decades; the city is gritty, art deco, and dangerous. The animation’s moodiness set a new bar for superhero storytelling.
Mark Hamill’s Jokerremains one of the best villains in superhero history, and that’s tough to debate. Not to mention Kevin Conroy’s Batman, which brought gravitas and empathy, crafting a portrayal so definitive that fans still measure live-action performances against it.
Kevin Conroy’s performance as Batman became the definitive voice for the character, spanning three decades across television, film, and video games.
The series wasn’t afraid to slow down, let shadows linger, and treat kids like intelligent viewers. It birthedamazing Harley Quinn episodes, reinvented Mr. Freeze, and proved animation could tell superhero stories with as much weight as the comics themselves. It also launched the DC Animated Universe.
2Frasier
A rarespin-off show that was better than the original(Cheers),Frasierthrived on high-society shenanigans and the wit of Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce. The interplay between Frasier and Niles made intellectual snobbery a playground for farce.
The show excelled at layering humor through physical comedy, wordplay, and emotional irony, often colliding in the same scene. ThebestFrasierepisodes, like “The Ski Lodge,” where every character gets picked on, and “Ham Radio,” when Frasier botches a radio murder mystery, are masterclasses in timing, proving sophistication doesn’t have to sacrifice belly laughs.
Beneath the polish,Frasiertackled loneliness, family expectations, and the awkwardness of aging with a gentleness that kept it relatable. We often remember the classic sitcoms as overwrought and cheesy, butFrasierperfectly balanced sincerity and comedy.
Seinfeldmight as well be a live-action cartoon, but its brilliance lies in how it mined the mundane for comedy gold. The garage episode, the golf ball in the whale’s blowhole, and the Soup Nazi are absurdities built entirely from character-driven escalation. Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David made “nothing” into something unforgettable.
The series also rewired how sitcoms handle conflict. By avoiding sentimental resolutions, it leaned into the humor of pettiness and selfishness, making it an anti-sitcom in structure. Yet somehow, viewers saw their own daily gripes reflected back at them, only funnier.
Even in 2025, you’ll find yourselfquotingSeinfeldlineswithout realizing they’re fromSeinfeld. “Yada yada yada,” “No soup for you!” and “Master of my domain” have outlived the show itself. It’s still the funniest comedy on television, withCurb Your Enthusiasmthe only worthy challenger.
