Between “Friends,” “Seinfeld” and “Frasier,” the '90s were a landmark period for American sitcoms. But the decade was also a high point for the sci-fi genre, with shows like the “The X-Files” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation” making a big splash. Here's a look at the best of the best:
Best of the '90s
With the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, the television landscape has undergone major shifts in the last few years. But this isn't the first time the TV industry has seen seismic changes in how people consume content.
Patrick J. Kiger of National Geographic argues that the 1990s also "marked a radical turning point for television." He goes on to note how the number of cable providers and channels expanded during this period, leading to more and more programming choices.
The result was a chance for TV writers and producers to experiment and create some of the most influential shows in TV history. PrettyFamous, an entertainment data site by Graphiq, decided to celebrate the '90s by finding the 50 best TV shows from that decade. To create the ranking, the data experts looked at shows with more than 10,000 IMDb votes that had the majority of their episodes air in the '90s. These shows were then ranked on their Smart Rating -- a score out of 100 that takes into account a show's IMDb votes, IMDb rating and the number of Emmy awards won.
Note: TV show descriptions are sourced (with minor edits) from Gracenote.
#50. "Cow and Chicken"
Smart Rating: 51.5
Series premiere: 11/12/1995 Series finale: 07/24/1999 Number of seasons: 4
A scrawny, 11-year-old chicken named Chicken reluctantly watches out for his beefy "little" sister, a 7-year-old cow named Cow. The unconventional offspring of two human parents, the two young animals navigate their way through suburbia, encountering problems not only at school, but with the devilish schemes of the Red Guy, a crimson-colored antagonist of many guises whose singular intent is to make the siblings' lives miserable.
#49. "Xena: Warrior Princess"
Smart Rating: 54.19
Series premiere: 09/04/1995 Series finale: 06/18/2001 Number of seasons: 6
Xena is a reformed warrior princess who travels around fighting evil. Gabrielle — bard and friend — keeps her company and helps her stay on the path of good.
#48. "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman"
Smart Rating: 54.33
Series premiere: 09/12/1993 Series finale: 06/14/1997 Number of seasons: 4
Another incarnation of the Superman legend, this series puts a 1990s spin on the standard story. This time, the focus is on the romantic triangle forming between Superman, Clark Kent and Lois (who obviously doesn't know that they are in fact one and the same). True to old Superman form, the evil Lex Luthor pops up every once in a while to wreak havoc on The Daily Planet and the city of Metropolis.
#47. "Full House"
Smart Rating: 55.61
Series premiere: 09/22/1987 Series finale: 05/23/1995 Number of seasons: 8
When Danny Tanner's wife dies, the San Francisco sportscaster gets support in the form of two new roommates: brother-in-law and party boy Jesse, and his stand-up comic friend, Joey. The duo helps out with raising the three Tanner daughters: D.J., Stephanie and Michelle.
#46. "Murder, She Wrote"
Smart Rating: 56.59
Series premiere: 09/30/1984 Series finale: 05/19/1996 Number of seasons: 12
Mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher — a down-to-earth, middle-aged widow — ferrets out the criminals in idyllic Cabot Cove, Maine, which apparently is the murder capital of the United States for the show's 12-season run. Though while traveling, she uncovers a fair number of killers as well.
#45. "Mad About You"
Smart Rating: 58.44
Series premiere: 09/23/1992 Series finale: 05/24/1999 Number of seasons: 7
In this comedy, married New York couple Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt) share their lives and offer wit and wisdom about relationships. Paul is a documentary filmmaker and Jamie works as a public relations specialist. Together, they grow and mature as they learn the art of staying married and loving it. Along for the ride is their ever-tolerant dog, Murray; Jamie's best friend, Fran; Jamie's sister, Lisa; and Paul's cousin, Ira. Playing recurring characters on the series are veteran actors including Lisa Kudrow and Hank Azaria.
#44. "The Nanny"
Smart Rating: 58.96
Series premiere: 11/03/1993 Series finale: 05/12/1999 Number of seasons: 6
When she appears on the doorstep of wealthy widower Maxwell Sheffield's New York home, cosmetics saleswoman Fran Fine unexpectedly gets a job as the nanny for the Broadway producer's three children: Maggie, Brighton and Grace. Fran brings her no-nonsense honesty, sharp sense of humor and "Queens logic" into the Sheffield household, helping them become a happy, healthy family — a family that Fran eventually joins when she marries Maxwell. Also in the Sheffield household is sarcastic English butler Niles.
#43. "Saved by the Bell"
Smart Rating: 61.09
Series premiere: 08/20/1989 Series finale: 05/22/1993 Number of seasons: 4
This light comedy focuses on the lives, crushes and pranks of six Bayside High School students. Headed by leader Zach, the six are reminiscent of modern day "Archie" characters, complete with Jughead-like character Screech. Bayside principal Richard Belding tries to keep the gang in check.
#42. "Highlander"
Smart Rating: 66.75
Series premiere: 09/28/1992 Series finale: 05/11/1998 Number of seasons: 6
Duncan MacLeod cannot die — well, unless you cut off his head. He is a 400-year-old immortal, who has seen his share of humanity's bad side. Still, he risks his life to save people from harm.
#41. "Home Improvement"
Smart Rating: 67.18
Series premiere: 09/17/1991 Series finale: 05/25/1999 Number of seasons: 8
Tim "The Toolman" Taylor, host of the home improvement show "Tool Time," definitely is not as handy at home as he is on screen. He and his wife, Jill, raise three boys who are racing toward adulthood. The Taylor family often relies on next-door neighbor Wilson, who provides unconventional wisdom and perspective to the Taylors' personal and familial crises.
#40. "Roseanne"
Smart Rating: 68.46
Series premiere: 10/18/1988 Series finale: 05/20/1997 Number of seasons: 9
A breakout hit at a time when they were few and far between, the series casts actors — led by comedy star Roseanne — who look like ordinary people. Beneath the show's barrage of caustic one-liners, the Conner family deals with everyday problems like juggling work and family, and trying to make ends meet.
#39. "The Angry Beavers"
Smart Rating: 69.37
Series premiere: 04/19/1997 Series finale: 06/11/2001 Number of seasons: 4
Brothers Daggett and Norbert Beaver have left home to gain independence by living on their own in the forest near their Oregon hometown. Their goal is to live a wild bachelor lifestyle but, as might be expected from young brothers, they get into some weird situations. The brothers run into everything from wacky government scientists to a swamp witch and evil, mind-controlling pond scum. One of the brothers' good friends is Stump, a giant tree stump, who is an integral part of their inner circle.
#38. "Dinosaurs"
Smart Rating: 72.51
Series premiere: 04/26/1991 Series finale: 07/20/1994 Number of seasons: 4
Blue-collar dinosaur Earl Sinclair tries to cope with short-tempered boss B.P. Richfield of the Wesayso Corporation so he can put food on the table for his large family: sweet-natured and long-suffering wife Fran, rebellious teenage son Robbie, shop-til-she-drops daughter Charlene and precocious Baby — not to mention his crusty mother-in-law, Ethyl. On his rare night out, Earl pals around with his buddy Roy Hess.
#37. "The Pretender"
Smart Rating: 72.52
Series premiere: 09/19/1996 Series finale: 05/13/2000 Number of seasons: 4
Raised in a secret facility built for experimenting on children, Jarod is a genius who can master any profession and become anyone he has to be. When he realizes as an adult that he's actually a prisoner and his captors are not as benevolent as he's been told, he breaks out. While trying to find his real identity, Jarod helps those he encounters and tries to avoid the woman sent to retrieve him.
#36. "Sliders"
Smart Rating: 72.55
Series premiere: 03/22/1995 Series finale: 02/04/2000 Number of seasons: 5
Quinn Mallory has a problem: He's discovered a way to travel to other dimensions. So what's the issue? Like Sam in "Quantum Leap," he can't get back home. But don't worry; he's not lost alone.
#35. "The Ren & Stimpy Show"
Smart Rating: 73.02
Series premiere: 08/11/1991 Series finale: 12/16/1995 Number of seasons: 5
Ren, a psychotic Chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a dimwitted Manx cat who goes by the nickname Stimpy, have a host of unusual adventures.
#34. "Spin City"
Smart Rating: 73.53
Series premiere: 09/17/1996 Series finale: 04/30/2002 Number of seasons: 6
New York Mayor Randall Winston needs help running the city. So, for much of the series, he counts on Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty to help him. Flaherty, usually a man who is calm and organized, can "spin" out of control when it comes to his personal life, the ditzy mayor and his abnormal co-workers. For the show's final two seasons, Flaherty is replaced as deputy mayor by Charlie Crawford after Michael J. Fox, who played Flaherty, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and left the show.
#33. "Doug"
Smart Rating: 75.35
Series premiere: 08/11/1991 Series finale: 06/26/1999 Number of seasons: 7
Meet Douglas Yancy Funnie, who just moved to Bluffington with his parents, Phil and Theda, and his sister, Judy. When he isn't playing with friends Skeeter, Patti and Beebe, Roger Klotz is one of Doug's rivals. Doug likes to write in his journal and fantasize that he is a superhero named Quailman.
#32. "Keeping Up Appearances"
Smart Rating: 80.15
Series premiere: 10/29/1990 Series finale: 12/25/1995 Number of seasons: 5
Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet, if you please) lives to impress. And she has no patience for people who pretend to be superior — because that makes it "so much harder for those of us who really are." Assured of her own eminence, she spends her days trying to make sure everyone else is, too. Her down-market sisters, Rose and Daisy, are a challenge, but she's always willing to talk about her rich sister Violet.
#31. "Star Trek: Voyager"
Smart Rating: 81.86
Series premiere: 01/16/1995 Series finale: 05/23/2001 Number of seasons: 7
Kathryn Janeway is the captain of a starship that is lost in space and must travel across an unexplored region of the galaxy to find its way back home. On its way, the crew encounters different species they must deal with, but find that all their adventures only make them long for home.
#30. "NewsRadio"
Smart Rating: 82.93
Series premiere: 03/21/1995 Series finale: 05/04/1999 Number of seasons: 5
"NewsRadio" showcases the hilarious antics of staffers at WNYX, the fictional No.2 news radio station serving New York. The characters are eccentric and witty, and sarcasm is the name of the game as they surprise one another with back-and-forth banter. Dave Foley stars as the level-headed news director who tries — but mostly fails — to keep his colleagues in line.
#29. "Kenan & Kel"
Smart Rating: 83
Series premiere: 08/17/1996 Series finale: 07/15/2000 Number of seasons: 4
"Aw, here it goes!" Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell were among the original cast members of the popular Nickelodeon sketch-comedy series "All That" when they received their own sitcom in 1996. Set in Chicago, the show follows the kid-friendly misadventures of two high school friends who are always scheming and dreaming. Kenan, who works at a grocery store, constantly devises crazy plans to strike it rich, while orange soda-loving buddy Kel is always dragged along for the ride despite his track record for messing things up.
#28. "Rocko's Modern Life"
Smart Rating: 84.16
Series premiere: 09/18/1993 Series finale: 11/24/1996 Number of seasons: 4
Rocko is a wallaby who has moved from his native Australia to the United States. But life in the United States isn't as idyllic as he had hoped it would be, for he is surrounded by annoying neighbors, tons of laundry and life's issues in general. By Rocko's side to help him overcome the obstacles and get through the challenges life throws at him are his best friend Heffer (a dim-witted bovine), his canine companion Spunky and his neurotic buddy Filburt.
#27. "Tales From the Crypt"
Smart Rating: 84.17
Series premiere: 06/10/1989 Series finale: 07/19/1996 Number of seasons: 7
Based on the EC Comics series of the same name, this campy and stylized anthology series recounts a string of horrific yarns introduced by the show's moldering host, the Crypt Keeper. Episodes feature a number of well-known actors and actresses, including Dan Aykroyd, Malcolm McDowell, Christopher Reeve and Sam Waterston. Michael J. Fox, Tom Hanks, Robert Zemeckis, Richard Donner and John Frankenheimer are among notables who directed episodes.
#26. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"
Smart Rating: 84.18
Series premiere: 01/04/1993 Series finale: 05/31/1999 Number of seasons: 7
A spinoff of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine" is set on a space station near the planet Bajor. This time, Commander Benjamin Sisko is in charge of a diverse crew. But unlike other "Star Trek" series, there's no USS Enterprise to help them. Sisko and the crew must fight off rival alien species who want control of Deep Space Nine because of its strategic position close to a wormhole, which allows speedy travel to the far reaches of space.
#25. "Daria"
Smart Rating: 84.21
Series premiere: 03/03/1997 Series finale: 06/25/2001 Number of seasons: 5
Brainy, sardonic Daria Morgendorffer tries to fly under the radar at Lawndale High School, and she's doing a pretty good job of it: Her self-esteem teacher can't even remember her name. Not that low self-esteem is a problem for Daria, who explains that "I have low esteem for everyone else." Frankly, she couldn't care less about the airheads in the "in" crowd, like her sister, Quinn, or cheerleader Brittany. At least best friend Jane Lane is readily available any time Daria needs a break from all the clueless masses around them.
#24. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"
Smart Rating: 84.26
Series premiere: 12/28/1987 Series finale: 11/02/1996 Number of seasons: 10
Mutant heroes live in New York sewers and train in martial arts to protect the city from crime.
#23. "Gargoyles"
Smart Rating: 84.31
Series premiere: 10/24/1994 Series finale: 02/15/1997 Number of seasons: 3
Manhattan gargoyles come to life at night to fight crime.
#22. "Dexter's Laboratory"
Smart Rating: 84.33
Series premiere: 05/04/1996 Series finale: 11/20/2003 Number of seasons: 4
Sleep tight, America! Your fate lies safely in the hands of Dexter, a child genius who whips up dazzling, world-saving inventions in his secret laboratory. Big sister Dee Dee frequently wrecks his experiments, but his bigger nemesis is Mandark, his brilliant rival at Huber Elementary School. Mom and Dad, of course, have no idea what their little angel is up to.
#21. "Batman Beyond"
Smart Rating: 84.39
Series premiere: 01/16/1999 Series finale: 09/14/2001 Number of seasons: 3
A new Dark Knight protects the Gotham of the future.
#20. "Quantum Leap"
Smart Rating: 84.42
Series premiere: 03/26/1989 Series finale: 05/05/1993 Number of seasons: 5
Former scientist Sam Beckett finds himself trapped in time due to an experiment gone awry, leaping into the body of a different person each week. Al Calavicci, at first known only as The Observer, is Sam's holographic adviser; he provides Sam with some details about his new identity and gives him guidance on how to help the people affected by his presence. But with little memory to help guide him, our hero is forced to bluff his way through many a wacky situation.
#19. "Boy Meets World"
Smart Rating: 84.55
Series premiere: 09/24/1993 Series finale: 05/05/2000 Number of seasons: 7
With the help of true love Topanga, best friend Shawn and teacher Mr. Feeny, Cory Matthews juggles school, friends and romance. The series, a popular Friday night staple on ABC for seven seasons, began with Cory in the sixth grade and follows him and his entourage through their college years.
#18. "Babylon 5"
Smart Rating: 84.64
Series premiere: 01/24/1994 Series finale: 11/25/1998 Number of seasons: 5
Creator J. Michael Straczynski's ambitious and complex futuristic space opera charts five years in the lives of those aboard the titular 5-mile-long space station, where personal drama plays out against a tense political backdrop of looming war between bitter enemies the Centauri and the Narn.
#17. "Spider-Man"
Smart Rating: 84.77
Series premiere: 09/10/1994 Series finale: 01/31/1998 Number of seasons: 5
A superhero with spider-like skills fights villains.
#16. "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"
Smart Rating: 84.81
Series premiere: 09/10/1990 Series finale: 05/20/1996 Number of seasons: 6
Will Smith more or less plays himself in this good-natured NBC sitcom. As the show's popular theme song explains, fictional Will's mom sends him away from his rough Philadelphia neighborhood to live with wealthy Uncle Phil and Aunt Vivian in Bel-Air. Will often has fun at the expense of stuck-up cousins Carlton and Hilary.
#15. "Northern Exposure"
Smart Rating: 84.89
Series premiere: 07/12/1990 Series finale: 07/26/1995 Number of seasons: 6
Dr. Joel Fleischman graduates from Columbia University medical school and is assigned to work in the tiny Alaskan town of Cicely to pay for his education. The location is remote, the people are weird and Joel just wants to return to New York. And yet, the people of Cicely — particularly pilot Maggie O'Connell — begin to grow on him.
#14. "3rd Rock From the Sun"
Smart Rating: 84.9
Series premiere: 01/09/1996 Series finale: 05/22/2001 Number of seasons: 6
The high commander of an alien expedition lands on Earth — what he considers to be the least important planet — in human form as Dick Solomon. Along for the ride are his alien compatriots Harry, Sally and Tommy — who is the eldest of the group but is now angrily trapped in a teen's body.
#13. "My So-Called Life"
Smart Rating: 84.95
Series premiere: 08/25/1994 Series finale: 01/26/1995 Number of seasons: 1
"My So-Called Life" is a bastion of teen angst. Angela is a high schooler in constant turmoil over her exposure to boys, friends, drugs, sex ... basically the normal 1990s teen trappings. Many a plot revolves around Angela's crush on heartthrob Jordan Catalano.
#12. "Married ... With Children"
Smart Rating: 85.06
Series premiere: 04/05/1987 Series finale: 05/14/1998 Number of seasons: 11
The antithesis of the loving "Cosby Show" family, "Married ... With Children" focused on the Bundys, a suburban Chicago family who would rather eat nails than say a kind word to one another. Al, the patriarch, is a misogynistic shoe salesman, whose wife, Peggy, is a housewife who does no work around the house. Saying their children, Kelly and Bud, do not have a lot going for them is an understatement. This biting comedy focuses on the couple's constant verbal sparring over their slacker kids, their lack of money, success and intimacy.
#11. "X-Men"
Smart Rating: 85.25
Series premiere: 10/31/1992 Series finale: 09/20/1997 Number of seasons: 5
Professor Charles Xavier and his band of courageous mutants strike back against corrupt and bigoted government agencies, as well as mutant extremist Magneto. This animated series is based on the Marvel Comics characters.
#10. "Father Ted"
Smart Rating: 85.46
Series premiere: 04/21/1995 Series finale: 05/01/1998 Number of seasons: 3
This British comedy series focuses on three priests living on Craggy Island — a remote isle off the coast of Ireland. Father Ted Crilly is sent to the island as punishment for using money earmarked for a sick child and taking a holiday in Las Vegas (which he denies, of course). Fathers Dougal Maguire and Jack Hackett are his superiors, and Mrs. Doyle is their nosy housekeeper, who makes plentiful pots of tea. Naturally, the priests get into their fair share of somewhat sinful, madcap adventures.
#9. "Mystery Science Theater 3000"
Smart Rating: 85.55
Series premiere: 11/24/1988 Series finale: 08/08/1999 Number of seasons: 10
Forced by evil scientists to watch bad "B" movies until he breaks, a host (Joel in the early years, Mike later in the show's run) and a bunch of captive robots comment on the films in order to keep sane. During each movie, the host and robots perform skits or songs, known as host segments, that are usually related to that episode's film.
#8. "The Wonder Years"
Smart Rating: 85.59
Series premiere: 01/31/1988 Series finale: 05/12/1993 Number of seasons: 6
"The Wonder Years" tracks life in the turbulent late 1960s and early '70s through the eyes of the increasingly less innocent Kevin Arnold. Narrated by an adult Kevin, the show follows him as he faces first love and the obstacles of life with best friend Paul.
#7. "Mr. Bean"
Smart Rating: 85.68
Series premiere: 01/01/1990 Series finale: 11/15/1995 Number of seasons: 1
The misadventures of bumbling loner, Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson), who rarely speaks.
#6. "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
Smart Rating: 85.9
Series premiere: 09/28/1987 Series finale: 05/23/1994 Number of seasons: 7
Featuring a bigger and better USS Enterprise, this series is set 78 years after the original series — in the 24th century. Instead of Capt. James Kirk, a less volatile and more mature Capt. Jean-Luc Picard heads the crew of various humans and alien creatures in their adventures in space — the final frontier.
#5. "Twin Peaks"
Smart Rating: 86.98
Series premiere: 04/08/1990 Series finale: 06/10/1991 Number of seasons: 2
A crime drama mixed with healthy doses of the surreal, this series is about FBI Agent Dale Cooper, who travels to the small logging town of Twin Peaks to solve the murder of seemingly innocent high schooler Laura Palmer. Almost nothing is as it seems, however, and the show's sometimes eerie visuals, oddball characters and wild dream sequences drive the point home.
#4. "The X-Files"
Smart Rating: 87.38
Series premiere: 09/10/1993 Series finale: 05/19/2002 Number of seasons: 10
In one of the longest-running science fiction series in network TV history, FBI special agents investigate unexplained, mind-bending cases known as "X-Files." Though the government is convinced that the outlandish reports are false, conspiracy theorist Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and realist Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), for most of the series, stop at nothing to prove that "the truth is out there."
Note: "The X-Files" returned for a 10th season in 2016, consisting of six episodes.
#3. "Seinfeld"
Smart Rating: 89.43
Series premiere: 07/05/1989 Series finale: 05/14/1998 Number of seasons: 9
Four single friends — comic Jerry Seinfeld, bungling George Costanza, frustrated working gal Elaine Benes and eccentric neighbor Cosmo Kramer — deal with the absurdities of everyday life in New York City.
#2. "Frasier"
Smart Rating: 91.02
Series premiere: 09/16/1993 Series finale: 05/13/2004 Number of seasons: 11
Dr. Frasier Crane, a successful Boston therapist, moves to Seattle to get a new start on life. He has a radio talk show, which he uses to relay his wit and wisdom to others, but at times he struggles with his own problems with his salt-of-the-earth father, his pretentious brother and his friends and co-workers.
#1. "Friends"
Smart Rating: 92.39
Series premiere: 09/22/1994 Series finale: 05/06/2004 Number of seasons: 10
Three young men and three young women — of the BFF kind — live in the same apartment complex and face life and love in New York. They're not above sticking their noses into one another's businesses and swapping romantic partners, which always leads to the kind of hilarity average people will never experience — especially during breakups.
