What were the best 90s TV Shows? The Programmes That Defined a Generation

The 1990s were a different world.

We chewed Hubba Bubba until our jaws hurt. We spent pocket money on football stickers and magazines. We recorded our favourite programmes onto VHS tapes and hoped nobody taped over them. If you missed an episode, there was no catch-up service waiting for you.

The internet made strange screeching noises, Tamagotchis demanded constant attention and Saturday nights were spent in front of the television with the family rather than staring at a smartphone.

And what television it was.

From iconic American sitcoms and groundbreaking cartoons to unforgettable British comedies and children's shows that terrified us in equal measure, the 1990s delivered some of the most memorable television ever made.

Here are some of the programmes that defined the decade.

Friends 

For many people, the 1990s simply wouldn't be complete without Friends.

Every week, millions tuned in to see what Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe would get up to next. Whether it was Ross shouting "Pivot!", Joey asking "How you doin'?" or endless debates about whether Ross and Rachel were really on a break, the show became a cultural phenomenon.

Even today, it's hard to hear the opening bars of I'll Be There For You without feeling a little nostalgic.

Only Fools and Horses

While the series began in the 1980s, some of its most beloved episodes arrived during the 1990s.

Christmas specials became national events, with families gathering around the television after Christmas dinner to see whether Del Boy's latest scheme would finally make him a millionaire.

Of course, no amount of success could ever top the moment he fell through the bar hatch.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 

Long before Hollywood superstardom, Will Smith was making audiences laugh every week as the Fresh Prince.

The theme tune became playground gold, and nearly every child in Britain could recite at least part of it from memory.

If you grew up in the 90s, chances are you've tried.

Father Ted 

The adventures of Father Ted, Father Dougal and Father Jack remain among the funniest moments in television history.

From the infamous "small" and "far away" cows to Father Jack's legendary cries of "Drink!", the show created some of the decade's most quoted comedy moments.

Fun House 

Every child watching at home thought exactly the same thing:

"I could absolutely win Fun House."

Hosted by Pat Sharp and assisted by the legendary twins Melanie and Martina Grant, Fun House looked like the greatest place on Earth.

Go-karts. Giant slides. Foam-filled chaos. A huge fun-filled obstacle course.

It was basically Gladiators for children and remains one of the most fondly remembered kids' shows of the decade.

Let's be honest – most of us still want to be on it.

The Simpsons

If you rushed home from school to watch television while eating a packet of Space Raiders or a bowl of cereal, chances are The Simpsons was on your screen.

The 1990s are widely regarded as the show's golden age, producing classic episodes featuring Homer, Bart, Lisa, Mr Burns and countless unforgettable guest stars.

Some television shows age. The best Simpsons episodes never seem to.

Men Behaving Badly

Few programmes captured a certain side of 1990s Britain better.

Lager, football, takeaway food and terrible life decisions combined to create one of the most successful sitcoms of the decade.

It may be a snapshot of a very different era, but it's still incredibly funny.

The Demon Headmaster 

No children's television villain had any right to be this terrifying.

With his piercing stare and ability to hypnotise pupils into doing exactly what he wanted, The Demon Headmaster gave an entire generation nightmares.

Every school seemed to have at least one teacher who looked vaguely like him, which didn't help.

Looking back now, it was brilliant television. At the time, it was genuinely unsettling.

Frasier 

While Friends often grabbed the headlines, Frasier quietly became one of the smartest and funniest sitcoms ever made.

Its sharp writing, brilliant performances and endless misunderstandings made it essential viewing throughout the decade.

And nobody did awkward comedy better than Niles Crane.

The Royle Family 

The genius of The Royle Family was that almost nothing happened.

The family sat around watching television, drinking tea and discussing everyday life.

Yet somehow it became one of the funniest and most accurate portrayals of British family life ever created.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 

Being a teenager was hard enough.

Imagine doing it while fighting vampires, demons and the forces of darkness.

Buffy mixed action, horror, comedy and drama in a way that felt completely fresh, becoming one of the most influential television shows of its era.

Alan Partridge

A-ha!

Need we say more?

Steve Coogan's creation became one of Britain's greatest comedy characters, delivering endless cringe-worthy moments and some of the most quotable lines of the decade.

What Made 90s Television 

Perhaps what makes these shows so special isn't just the programmes themselves.

It's remembering where we were when we watched them.

It's the smell of a freshly opened VHS tape. It's arguing with your siblings over what to watch. It's eating those Space Raiders while waiting for your favourite show to start. It's rushing home from school because if you missed it, you missed it.

There were no streaming services, no recommendations and no endless scrolling.

Just great television and the excitement of knowing millions of other people were watching at exactly the same time.

And maybe that's why we still love these shows so much today.

Honourable Mentions: The Shows We Couldn't Leave Out

The 1990s gave us so much great television that no list could ever include everything. Before we put the remote down, here are a few more classics that deserve a mention.

SMTV Live (1998–2003)

For many British kids, Saturday mornings meant one thing: Ant, Dec and Cat Deeley causing absolute chaos on live television.

Packed with celebrity guests, sketches, competitions and the legendary Pokémon and Wonky Donkey segments, SMTV Live became essential weekend viewing.

If you were of a certain age, chances are your Saturday didn't properly begin until SMTV did.

Live & Kicking (1993–2001)

Before SMTV arrived, there was Live & Kicking.

The BBC's flagship Saturday morning show featured celebrity interviews, games, cartoons and enough gunge to fill a swimming pool. It was a staple of 90s childhood and one of those programmes that instantly transports viewers back to weekend mornings in front of the television.

Art Attack (1990–2007)

Neil Buchanan somehow convinced an entire generation that they could create incredible works of art using cereal boxes, toilet rolls and whatever happened to be lying around the house.

Most of us never quite achieved the same results.

But that didn't stop us trying.

Gladiators (1992–2000)

Saturday night television doesn't get much more 90s than Gladiators.

Contenders battled giant athletes with names like Wolf, Jet, Hunter and Lightning in a series of increasingly ridiculous challenges.

Every child had a favourite Gladiator, and every child imagined themselves conquering the Travelator.

Very few would have made it past Wolf.

Robot Wars (1998–2004)

What's not to love about homemade robots smashing each other to pieces?

Robot Wars somehow managed to combine engineering, destruction and family entertainment into one of the most addictive shows on television.

House Robot Sir Killalot remains one of the most intimidating figures in TV history.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996–2003)

Every teenager secretly wished they had Sabrina Spellman's powers.

School would have been a lot easier.

Funny, charming and packed with 90s fashion, Sabrina became one of the defining family sitcoms of the era.

And let's not forget Salem, the sarcastic talking cat who stole almost every scene.

Baywatch (1989–2001)

Whether you watched it for the action, the drama or simply because it seemed to be on television all the time, Baywatch was impossible to ignore during the 1990s.

Slow-motion running became an art form, and the show's red swimsuits became instantly recognisable around the world.

The X-Files (1993–2002)

The truth was out there.

Combining science fiction, horror and conspiracy theories, The X-Files became one of the most influential television shows of the decade.

Mulder and Scully convinced millions of viewers to stay up later than they probably should have, only to spend the rest of the night wondering whether aliens really existed.

Crystal Maze (1990–1995)

Before escape rooms became fashionable, there was The Crystal Maze.

Hosted by the unforgettable Richard O'Brien, teams raced through bizarre challenges while collecting crystals and trying not to embarrass themselves in the giant crystal dome.

It remains one of the most unique game shows ever created.

Bottom (1991–1995)

Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson delivered some of the most gloriously chaotic comedy ever shown on British television.

Loud, ridiculous and often completely absurd, Bottom was unlike anything else on television and became a cult favourite that still has a passionate following today.

Were the 90s the Greatest Decade for Television?

Every generation thinks its television was the best, but the 1990s make a compelling case.

It was a decade that gave us Del Boy and Rodney, Ross and Rachel, Buffy, Alan Partridge, Pat Sharp's Fun House, The Demon Headmaster, Mulder and Scully, Wolf from Gladiators and Homer Simpson.

All while we were chewing Hubba Bubba, collecting football stickers, waiting for our Tamagotchis to stop beeping and trying to keep our siblings from recording over our favourite VHS tapes.

Maybe it wasn't perfect.

But it was certainly unforgettable.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What were the most popular TV shows of the 1990s?

Friends, The Simpsons, Only Fools and Horses, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Frasier were among the most popular shows of the decade.

What were the best British TV shows of the 1990s?

Only Fools and Horses, Father Ted, The Royle Family, Men Behaving Badly, Alan Partridge and The Demon Headmaster are among the most fondly remembered.

What children's TV shows were popular in the 1990s?

Fun House, The Demon Headmaster, Art Attack, SMTV Live, Live & Kicking and Gladiators were all hugely popular with young viewers.

Why are 90s TV shows still so popular?

Strong writing, memorable characters and nostalgia continue to attract audiences who grew up watching them, while new viewers continue to discover them.