From Britney to Beanie Babies, and from Titanic to Tomagotchi (man those things were always hungry), the 1990s had so many things that shaped us, but few things did that job better than television. The decade was the heyday of some hella good TV — and the folks at TV Guide Magazine and TV Insider are celebrating it here with the 90 Best Shows of the 1990s.
After countless hours studying and rewatching incredible television (hey, someone had to do it), we compiled the list below. We are publishing the list in batches through next week, and have currently released #11–90. Don’t be shy about sharing your opinions in the comments. You don’t like our choices? Talk to the hand! We’re kidding — we love hearing from you!
How did we make our picks? Series with only one season in the decade were out (sorry, West Wing and Sopranos), unless the show only ran one season. Longer-running shows that quintessentially belonged to either the 1980s or the 2000s also got the boot. What you see below is pure ‘ 90s.
And it’s also pure gold. From sitcoms to dramas, kid and teen shows to adult animation classics, quirky to just plain odd, this proves the variety of that decade’s creative minds.
So enjoy. And don’t have a cow, man.
#90–81 #80–71 #70–61 #60–51 #50–41 #40–31 #30–21 #20–11 #10–1
89
87
Alton Brown, what was your favorite ’90s show?
I’ve gotta go with my own show and say Good Eats was my favorite show…. But I will tell you that I was a huge X-Files fan. It was just the cup of hemlock that I needed during that time.
7 Best Miniseriesof the ’90s
The 19 WorstShows of the ’90s
68
67
Simon Cowell, what was your favorite ’90s show?
I absolutely loved [REDACTED]. I was on it once, I think. Maybe twice, actually.
51
45
33
32
26
20
12
That’s Not All!
Come back soon, because the FINAL 10 shows in the 90 Best Shows of the ’90s countdown will be published on Wednesday, July 20. Need a reminder? Drop us your email below and we’ll ping you when it goes live.
:quality(85):upscale()/2025/05/19/981/n/1922564/93076eb0682bb18c994e06.89379902_.png "What to Wear to Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball Tour")
:quality(85):upscale()/2025/05/23/715/n/1922564/1e63d6e168309df259d956.72331408_.png "21 Best Memorial Day Clothing Sales 2025")
