Want to get your 90s TV fix this weekend? Here’s how (Pictures: HBO/Shutterstock)
The 1990s produced some of the greatest TV series of all time – and to this day we still go back to that wonderful decade for a big nostalgia hit.
Thanks to the huge catalogues of streaming services such as Netflix and Disney Plus, we can watch them to our heart’s content whenever we wish.
And that’s true whether we want to immerse ourselves in the world of Patrick Stewart and Star Trek’s Next Generation, or geek out with the actual geeks of Freaks and Geeks.
For drama fans, The Sopranos provides the goods on that front, and for people who want a little fantasy and blood with their drama, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Or if you want something a little funnier and you’re on the hunt for classic 90s comedy, you’re never far away from Seinfeld, Friends, or Frasier.
Find out where to watch these top-rated 1990s TV series on UK streaming, services, starring some of the biggest names in TV and showbiz.
Freaks and Geeks (98%)
Back before they were some of the biggest names in Hollywood, Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Linda Cardinelli starred in Freaks and Geeks.
The classic teen comedy-drama, created by film director extraordinaire Paul Feig, was only on the air for one season but kickstarted the careers of future household names.
Feig himself went on to direct the likes of Bridesmaids, A Simple Favour, while producing on show such as The Office (US).
First broadcast in September 1999, Freaks and Geeks follows the trials and tribulations of students at William McKinley High School – it currently has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Available to watch on Amazon Prime Video and ITVX.
The Sopranos (94%)
James Gandolfini influenced the next generation of TV (Picture: HBO)
No doubt about it, The Sopranos changed television forever. The gritty crime drama revolutionised the way stories could be told on TV and influenced the medium for years afterwards.
The domestic family life and crime family life of Tony Soprano enraptured viewers from the very first episode in 1999, leading to six seasons and a huge number of awards and accolades.
James Gandolfini, who sadly died in 2013, was the leading star who went on to influence the performances of Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad and John Hamm in Mad Men.
Set in New Jersey, the series, created by David Chase, effortlessly blended crime, family drama, comedy, philosophy, and psychology into its excellent story.
Available to watch on SkyGo and NowTV.
Friends (86%)
One of the most successful comedies of all time, Friends made global stars of its cast, from Jennifer Aniston to David Schwimmer, as well as the late Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox.
A consistent TV audience hit for a decade after starting in 1994, Friends followed the lives of six New Yorkers as they navigated their way through their late 20s and early 30s – we were there for them and they were there for us in turn.
As they fell in and out of love, we were obsessed with finding out everything about them, from who Regina Phalange really was and whether Ross and Rachel really were on a break.
Even in the 20 years since it concluded, Friends has remained a huge favourite, with its worldwide following only growing as demands for a reunion finally culminated in a live talk show special in 2021.
Available to watch on Netflix.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (89%)
You think Twilight started the vampire obsession for millennials? Think again. Wonderful as those movies were (yes, really!) Buffy really got the ball rolling on all things fanged in 1997.
Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as the eponymous heroine, the series followed high school student Buffy after becoming a slayer – a young woman chosen by fate to battle evil forces.
The supernatural horror series was geared towards the teen market but adults fell for the series, which grew significantly in popularity as the world entered the 2000s.
Haven’t seen it yet? By all means dive in, journey to Sunnydale High School, and find out what inspired the Twilight saga, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries.
Available to watch on Disney Plus.
Frasier (95%)
Frasier was a spin-off from Cheers, one of the defining comedies of the 1980s (Picture: NBC)
Frasier was one of the most beloved American sitcoms of its era, starting in 1993 and captivating audiences with its witty humour and endearing characters.
The show follows Dr. Frasier Crane, played by Kelsey Grammer – a psychiatrist who returns to his hometown of Seattle to start a new life as a radio show host.
It eventually came to an end in 2004, with its final episode being one of the most-watched broadcasts of that year – it had 11 seasons in total.
A spin-off from Cheers, Frasier was known for its sophisticated humour and became one of the most successful spin-off series of all time – it was revived in 2023 and starred Only Fools and Horses star Nicholas Lyndhurst.
Available to watch on Channel 4 and SkyGo.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (91%)
Stark Trek: The Next Generation let us know before every episode that were about to witness something that was never to have been shown on TV before.
Space: the final frontier. Boldly going where no man had gone before.
With Patrick Stewart in the lead role as the Enterprise’s captain Jean Luc Picard, The Next Generation began in 1987 and dominated sci-fi TV ratings until it came to an end in 1994.
It reinvigorated Star Trek for a new generation, almost 20 years after the original series had come to an end, with its success also responsible for the creation of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and later revivals including Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek: Discovery.
In 2020, Patrick Stewart donned the famous uniform once again for Picard, which ran for three seasons.
Available to watch on Netflix.
Seinfeld (91%)
No hugging, no learning – that was the Seinfeld way (Picture: Getty Images)
On the air from 1989 to 1998, Seinfeld was a groundbreaking sitcom.
Created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, it was famously described as ‘a show about nothing,’ with one rule imposed on every person who wrote, directed, or starred in an episode: No hugging, no learning.
Focusing on the everyday lives of Seinfeld, George Costanza, Elaine Benes, and Cosmo Kramer, it became a cultural phenomenon.
Seinfeld has left a lasting impact on TV, with shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia carrying the torch for dark humour and selfish sitcom characters ever since.
Available to watch on Netflix.
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