Fancast Flashback: 10 Shows That Helped Define The 90s (Watch ‘Em On Fancast)

By Tom Rose
Fancast.com

As far as a decade goes, the 1990’s had more than its share of highs and lows. They started with the bang of East and West German reunification, and ended with the whimper of Y2K. Television was no different, providing us with plenty of cultural earthquakes whose aftershocks can still be felt. Here’s a list of shows debuting in the 1990’s that changed the landscape forever:

1990: Beverly Hills 90210
This series started out chronicling the lives of the lucky few A-Listers at the most exclusive public high school in the world. When the series took off we followed along to college and beyond. Along the way the kids managed to save the world from, or at least tear up over, wide-ranging social issues from apartheid to AIDS.

1991: Jerry Springer
Real-life turmoil has always been the catalyst for the Jerry Springer show, which is still going strong. Springer confronts his guests about infidelity, relationships, or personal secrets, and they often come to blows. The twist here is that the audience gladly jumps in to lend a hand.

1992: Melrose Place
This show started out as the heartfelt approach to the lives of the inhabitants of a fashionable apartment block with a killer pool. But it really hit its stride when it changed direction, and went for villainy and excess, prime time soap style. Heather Locklear was the key to its longevity, playing scheming ad exec Amanda Woodward, the very essence of 90’s avarice and excess.

1993: Late Night With Conan O’Brien
Conan replaced David Letterman after the Talk Show Wars caused Dave’s leap from NBC to CBS. O’Brien immediately established himself as the slightly warped comedic late night talk show host with lively guests, musical acts and humorous scripts. The act has worked so well, Conan is next in line to replace Jay Leno as host of “The Tonight Show.”

1994: Chicago Hope
This medical drama follows the tumultuous ups and downs in the personal and professional lives of the medical staff at a private charity hospital in the Windy City. The series went through many cast changes during its run but turned Mandy Patinkin into an overnight sensation on Day One. Each episode follows a handful of patients at the fictional hospital, afflicted with illnesses that often raise tricky ethical questions for the doctors and nurses who treat them.

1995: Mad TV
The late night sketch comedy television show has become famous for its sharp parodies of film, television and music, but the inevitable comparison to Saturday Night Live has hobbled the show’s rep somewhat. With a similar format featuring guest stars and musical acts, MADtv has still managed to create a wide variety of memorable characters including Ms. Swan, Coach Hines, and Blind Kung Fu Master.

1996: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
It’s well reported that more and more Americans admit they get their news not from traditional media Goliaths, but from The Daily Show’s David, Jon Stewart. Who can blame us? Reporting on the day’s events, Stewart and his crew spin the ironies of modern America, putting them in perspective with the world at large. Can the same be said for the Big Foots hibernating over at the network nightly news?

1997: South Park
Brought to you by gross-out whiz kids Matt Stone and Trey Parker, South Park features the outlandish adventures of four foul-mouthed elementary school children in the wilds of Colorado: Cartman, Kyle, Stan and Kenny. Offensive and hilarious at the same time, South Park manages to undermine authority with creative and meaningful critiques of the media, politics, and celebrity hype. The show has taken its share of hits for its unrelenting outrageousness, but to fans old and new, it’s still as fresh as it was in its first few golden years.

1998: Maury
Following Rupert Murdoch’s purchase of Metromedia, Maury Povich (son of legendary sports writer Shirley Povich) was hired to host a New York-based tabloid news program called “A Current Affair.” It became a hit in national syndication and lead to Maury’s solo gig on “The Maury Povich Show.” When that turkey fizzled out, this incarnation emerged, and since then “Who’s Your Daddy?” theme shows have become all the rage on daytime TV.

1999: Family Guy
With a saga rivaling the original Star Trek cancellation, Family Guy is the first show to be resurrected because of explosive DVD sales. Axed once in 2000 and again in 2002, large viewership of reruns on The Cartoon Network also convinced FOX to resume the show in 2005. Created by Seth MacFarlane, the plots revolve around an animated, nuclear family in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island. The writers thoroughly abuse “cutaway gags” but the constant cross-references to movies, musicals, literature, plays, and other TV shows continues to delight its rabidly devoted core audience.