Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we are going back in time. This is a special blog post for all my fellow 90s kids who either grew up in the 90s, or just love the TV shows that were on-air during this decade. Now I think we can all agree that there were a lot of AMAZING cartoons, sitcoms, and other TV shows that we just loved to tune into every week (now I know that there was a lot of great shows in other decades too but since I was a kid in this decade, I’m a bit biased. Y’all know that were all a little biased too the time we grew up in). Now we all know that there are some shows that came out during this time that we can’t forget, but there are others that we love, but may have forgotten how much we love them. So here goes a small list of some of the Top 6 TV shows of the 90s (know I know that there are SOOOO many more shows that deserve to be on this list, so if y’all like this blog post then I will definitely post another with YOUR fav 90s TV shows. Just comment below with your suggestions). Ok, let’s jump into the list! Now these shows aren’t in any particular order, because it’s really difficult to say that one of these shows is better than another (honestly they’re all equally AWESOME!). I also tried to include a wide variety of shows so there’s something for everyone!
Bill Nye The Science Guy:
Now everybody remembers this guy as one of their first science teachers. Bill Nye was able to make science fun and interesting. This show really had a cool formula of keeping our attention by fusing Bill Nye’s funny banter and knowledge of science into an unforgettable show that is truly showed us that being nerdy is always cool (and who could forget that theme song…Bill! Bill! Bill)
Boy Meets World:
Now this isn’t really a show that was easy to forget because it has always lived on in syndication, but I think that a lot of people really forget just how much they love this show. It was really awesome to be able to sit down with your family and watch a show that everyone enjoyed. Boy Meets World was a show where everyone could relate to a character, whether you were a Cory, Shawn, Topanga, Mr. Feeny, Eric, or Minkus. Through his show we learned about how to deal with everyday problems, and that the most important things in life are friends and family. We also all fell in love with the love story of Cory and Topanga (there still our example of the perfect OTP). When Girl Meets World was announced, everyone was really anxious to see the story continue, because these characters became our best friends over the 7 seasons they were on air. What was the best thing we got out of Boy Meets World though? The Feeny Call of course!
All That:
In the 90s there wasn’t a show that was much cooler than All That. The sketches were cool, the characters were funny, it was truly a kids’ version of SNL (Saturday Night Live). This show also brought us actors that we fell in love with such as: Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, Nick Cannon, and of course, Amanda Bynes. It was fun to see a kid’s show that didn’t talk down to kids, and had jokes that were actually funny and memorable. We also got a lot of cool spin-off shows that stared members of the All That cast, and a sketch from the show even got turned into a movie. Does the phrase “Welcome to Good Burger” ring a bell? If it doesn’t congratulations, you’re a 90s K
Rugrats:
Now this is a show that only gets better the more times you watch it. Honestly who would have thought that seeing the world through the eyes of a baby would be so much fun? We laughed, we cried, and we actually learned some lessons about friendship and family. One thing that I really love about this franchise, is when the characters entered their preteen/teen years, the show was brought back with a new show that had our fav characters learning new life lessons. Now whether or not you liked the sequel, Rugrats: All Grown Up (personally I loved it), you have to admit that it was cool that the creators of the show aged the characters with the fans, so we got to enter those all too important/slightly awkward years with our favorite cartoon friends.
Digimon & Pokémon:
Now if you were a kid in the 90s, this was a serious debate. I mean for a lot of us this was our first experience being a part of a fandom, so you had to choose wisely. Personally I was a fan of both, but a lot of people said you had to take a side (I’m telling y’all this was serious business). Looking back it’s sort of funny that the world was divided into people who like Digimon & people who liked Pokémon, just like pop culture was divided into people who liked the Backstreet Boys & people who like NSync. This was the decade were shipping wars really became a big deal (and if you look on YouTube we still ship all the various characters from these shows). With both shows still going strong (and the recent announcement of a sequel to the first 2 seasons of Digimon…yay Digimon Adventure Tri!), we get to continue wishing we were digidestined & Pokémon masters.
Hello people of the internet!!! With Disney Channel’s announcement of their newest show ‘Girl Meets World’ (a spin-off show of the popular 90s hit ‘Boy Meets World’), I began to think about the “spin-off” trend in television. First in 2003 Nickelodeon premiered its spin-off of the beloved children’s show ‘Rugrats’, which was entitled ‘All Grown Up’ and remained on air until 2008. Then, in 2008 The CW premiered a new version of the 90s teen phenomenon ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’, with a new cast of characters (however some of the actors from the original show guest stared on 90210). So, it’s apparent that “spin-off fever” has become very prevalent in Hollywood over the past few years. I think that this is because we become very emotionally invested in the characters from our favorite TV shows, that we begin to subconsciously think of them as real people, and thus we want to know all about their past and future (oh you know you start thinking of them as real people, don’t pretend like I’m the only one…I thought so). Although many great shows have had spin-offs (and occasionally prequels), I have made a list of 10 shows that I think deserve a chance to live again. If I’ve missed any shows, please let me know in the comments below!
10) Sister Sister
The thing that I always liked about this comedy, was how the characters dealt with real life issues, along with the primary storyline of two twin sisters who meet unexpectedly after being separated at birth. This show catapulted Tia & Tamera Mowry into superstardom, which led them to star in numerous other projects both separately and together. I think that it would be very interesting to see how the characters developed as they grew up, and how they ended up relating to one another as adults.
9) Doc
From 2001-2004, the world was reintroduced to country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, as the kind hearted and wise doctor ‘Clint Cassidy’ on ‘Doc’. On the show, Cyrus’ character dealt with personal, moral, and ethical issues; as well as the common politics found in the professional world. The show was full of complex relationships, interesting twists, and very relatable characters, so I think that it would be really interesting to see where their lives led them.
8)Lizzie McGuire
This show was a HUGE hit for Disney Channel in the early 2000s, and become a very successful franchise which included: clothing, fashion accessories, toys, a movie, and numerous other products, which became very profitable for the Disney Corporation. This show also launched the career of Hilary Duff, and quickly made the young girl a household name. The show ended at the end of the summer, right before the main characters where going to enter high school. The success of this show paved the way for numerous other young actresses to have successful careers in music, fashion, etc.
7)7th Heaven
This long running family drama revolved around the lives of the Camden family. The Camden family was a typical middle class family, who dealt with real life issues and triumphs in the town of Glen Oak, California. The father character on the show Eric Camden, (who was portrayed by Stephen Collins) was a protestant minister, whose large heart often placed him and his family in interesting situations. This show explored various social, economical, and ethical themes, which evolved over the years to keep in tune with our ever changing society. I think that the plot lines and character development were so impressive, that a spin-off of this show would have success for a numerous amount of years, and would grow with a generation the way 7th Heaven did.
6)George Lopez
This show (which starred comedian/actor George Lopez), showed the reality of a middle-class Hispanic family living in California. As the majority of the shows on this list do, this show explored real-life issues however; it also explored the plight of what working class individuals go through, when they move up the cooperate ladder. Although this show was not extremely popular when it originally aired, its ratings have done extremely well in syndication. I believe that due to how popular the show has become since its original run ended, along with the growing popularity of George Lopez, (due to his involvement with the Disney ‘Beverly Hills Chihuahua’ franchise), that this would be the perfect time for a spin-off to happen. George Lopez now has voice recognition credibility, so even if some people don’t know how he is, they will recognize his voice, and be attracted to the sitcom.
5) Home Improvement
‘Home Improvement’ was a family sitcom, (which starred actor Tim Allen), which revolved around the lives of a man named Tim (who was the host of a home improvement show, where he also sold tools for a fictional tool company called ‘Binford Tools’),his family, his best friend, and his neighbor. Tim was a very cocky man, whose pride often got his family into crazy situations. This sitcom made a large amount of the cast into household names, and led to numerous other projects during, and after the show originally aired. I think that a spin-off of this show would do very well, due to the original team’s excellent casting choices and witty scripts.
4)Seinfeld
This long running situational comedy starred (and was co-created by) comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who portrayed a comedian named Jerry on the show (talk about life imitating art). Jerry had three close friends on the show: George ( his best friend, whose extreme penny pitching ways and jealously of others, often got him into extremely uncomfortable situations), Elaine (his ex-girlfriend who is often too honest for her own good), and Kramer (Jerry’s eccentric neighbor, who often slid through Jerry’s door as his way of entrance, and was very abrasive of Jerry’s personal space). I believe that this show was so popular, because it resonated with the general public due to its dry and subtle humor. This show presented a model of comedy that had not previously been explored, and thus opened a new market in television, that has continued to be used ever since.
3)Friends
This highly acclaimed show, consisted of an ensemble cast, who portrayed 6 friends living in New York City, who dealt with the ups and downs of adult life. The characters had numerous entanglements among each other, which often were the cause of several interesting situations. Ever since the show ended its original run, fans of the show have asked for its return, so I think that it’s easy to see why a spin-off of the show would be a huge success. This show also launched the careers of all of the cast members, although some have had more fruitful careers than others, all 6 members of the cast have had career opportunities because of the show’s popularity. Although this show did have a short lived spin-off, I believe that the show’s continued popularity, would make a second spin-off a profitable investment.
2)Full House
There is no question that this family comedy has had amazing success in syndication, and thus certainly warrants a spin-off. This show revolved around the life of single father Danny Tanner (Bob Saget), who asks for the aid of his best friend (Joey) and brother-in-law (Jesse) , in raising his three daughters, once his wife passes away. Joey and Jesse soon become pseudo fathers to the girls, and continue to become essential members of the family for the shows entire run. This show starred John Stamos and Bob Saget, who were already successful entertainers in their own right, and launched the careers of the various other cast members, most notably, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen (who portrayed the youngest daughter Michelle).
1)The Cosby Show
Now we’ve reached #1 on our list!!! Although many of the other shows mentioned on this list could have easily been #1, I chose this show because of its ability to transcend through the decades, and remain relevant. This sitcom starred famous comedian and all around entertainer Bill Cosby, as a good natured New York doctor named Heathcliff “Cliff” Huxtable, who had a tendency to exaggerate, and tell tall tells. The cast was rounded out with Cliff’s wife Claire (a successful attorney), and his 5 children. The show dealt with more intense and difficult topics as the children on the show grew up however, the show was essentially a family sitcom, so the topics never got too out of control. The Cosby Show has continued to be a syndication success even though it has been two decades since the show went of air. Although this show has already had a spin-off (called ‘A Different World’, which aired form 1987-1993), I believe that the original show has been off air long enough to warrant a second spin-off. Additionally, this new spin-off would be much more successful than A Different World, because it would not be in direct competition with The Cosby Show, like A Different World was.
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