Do you ever miss the laughter of an audience filling the room from your television? Television is now focusing on realism and trusting their audiences to deduce which moments deserve which responses. Rarely, if ever, do audiences get overly staged performances recorded in front of a live audience. The family sitcom used to be a staple of network television. While there are still elements of it today, they are few and far between as sitcom has now moved to single-camera observational comedy.
Updated May 16, 2023: If you love 90s sitcoms, you’ll be happy to know that this list has been updated with additional content by Amira Abdel-Fadil.
The 1990s offered a lot of fun, silly escapist entertainment. Showcasing suburban life, the series had a cheerful optimism that now seems largely absent from modern television. For audiences nostalgic for a simpler time, for Friday nights at home watching laugh-out-loud comedies or tuning in early, here’s a list of the best family sitcoms from the 1990s.
13 Sabrina the teenage witch
In Sabrina the teenage witch, Melissa Joan Hart won the hearts of millions when she played the role of Sabrina Spellman, a teenage girl who discovers she is a witch at the age of sixteen. She and her cat, Salem, voiced by Nick Bakay, who used to be a witch but turned into a cat after trying to take over the world, team up in their new roles. The series is written more lightly than the original comic book series on which it is based, and has similarities to the enchanted series from the 1960s. The show ran for seven seasons from 1996 to 2003 and led to the recent adaptation titled Hair-raising adventures of Sabrinaa more faithful adaptation of the comic series.
12 Married with children
Married with children ran from 1987 to 1997. It tells the story of Al Bundy, a working-class father struggling financially as well as married to a greedy wife. In addition, he has two annoying children that he has to take care of. The series looks at the brokenness of certain core families from a humorous and daring approach that set it apart from other sitcoms at the time. It reflects reality and is impressive in the way it does. Married with children is timeless, with infinitely memorable characters. The show has collected 7 Primetime Emmys.
11 Sister, sister
On the occasion of the debut of twins Tia and Tamara Mowry, Sister, sister aired in 1994, a show about the sisterly love between twins and the unbreakable bond they share. The series depicts the life of the once-separated twins who are reunited as teenagers. The sitcom ran for six seasons and catapulted the careers of the Mowry twins, who went on to work on similar shows and movies about being twins, such as the hit tween movies. Vibrations on Disney Channel.
10 Kenan & Kel
Following on from Nickelodeon’s popular sketch comedy show All of thatKenan Thompson and costar Kel Mitchell went their separate ways as a comedy duo in their self-titled show Kenan & Kel. Thompson became a household name and later became part of the Saturday Night Live form. Kenan & Kel won “Favorite Show” at the 1998 Kids’ Choice Awards and ran for four seasons from 1996 to 2000. After the final season, it got a movie sequel, Two heads are better than none.
9 The babysitter
Starring fashion icon Fran Drescher, The babysitter aired in 1993 and concluded in 1999. Desperate for a job, Fran tries to sell cosmetics to Maxwell Sheffield, played by Charles Shaughnessy, a wealthy Broadway producer. He hires her as a nanny for his three children, and she quickly wins them over. Beloved for his jokes and pop culture references, memorable performances by Drescher and costar Daniel Davis, who plays the butler Niles, and all of Drescher’s unforgettable outfits, The babysitter continues to win the hearts of the public today. There have been talks about a reboot and discussions about who will reclaim the role of the Nanny.
8 Frasier
Frasier ran from 1993 to 2004 and tells the story of Dr. Frasier Crane, a versatile therapist who moves to Seattle from Boston to live with his father in a new chapter of his life. In Seattle he works as a radio psychiatrist, but his personal life is far from perfect as he has problems with his father, brother, friends and colleagues.
It is intelligently written with actors who deliver their lines perfectly, making you pay attention to every little detail. For many, it was a therapeutic sitcom that was very entertaining to watch. The show is one of the most Emmy-winning shows of all time. It has garnered 37 Primetime Emmys, most of them for the show’s comedic value. Fraiser returns with a revival on Paramount+.
7 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Loosely based on the life of Will Smith, the show’s protagonist, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, began Smith’s acting career. Smith is bullied at a Philadelphia playground and moves in with his aunt and uncle at their Bel-Air mansion. His street smarts collide with their upper-class life become the focus of the series. The show first aired in 1990 and finally ended in 1996. It also had a cast reunion in 2020 on HBO Max, and recently had a dramatic remake titled Belair premiered on Peacock in 2022.
6 Boy meets world
Boy meets world tells the story of high school seniors Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage, and best friend Shawn Hunter, played by Rider Strong, and their life lessons as they grow up together. The show covered many deep topics and was progressive for its time in television. It first aired in 1993 and ended in 2000. Loved for its characters and valuable life lessons, the show is still popular today. It recently got a sequel titled Girl meets world on Disney Channel which aired from 2014 to 2017.
5 Friends
Friends maybe wasn’t specifically a series about a family, but it was a series about how a group of friends can become family. Runs from 1994 to 2004, Friends is regarded as one of the greatest TV shows of all time, constantly fighting for its rank alongside Seinfeld. Known for its eclectic set designs, characters and romances, Friends still remains popular even with today’s younger generations. It has become a pop culture phenomenon and recently had a reunion special on May 27, 2021.
4 Family matters
One of the best sitcoms that premiered in the late 80s and lasted until 1997, Family matters remains one of the most influential sitcoms ever. It tells the story of the Winslows and their life in Chicago. Best known for his character Steve Urkel played by Jaleel White, an over the top nerd, he is also one of the most quotable and beloved characters in television history.
3 Full house
A show that never stops its reruns is Full house. Known and loved by most Americans, the show is one of the hottest family sitcoms ever produced. Bob Saget tells the story of the Tanner family after a widow Danny Tanner and asks his brother-in-law and best friend to help him raise his three daughters. Remembered for its classes for kids, teens and adults, the show has a good range of serious business and comedy. The show got a sequel titled Full house which ran from 2016 to 2020 on Netflix.
2 Roseanne
Premiered in 1988, Roseanne became a staple of television in the mid-90s. The series focused on The Conners, a working-class family from Landford, Illinois. Roseanne was a laugh-out-loud comedy that also wasn’t afraid to get serious and tackled real issues like domestic violence, alcoholism and child neglect. Roseanne and Dan Conner were the ultimate television parents, a wish every audience would want. Despite the last season, which has been largely ignored, Roseanne was a defining comedy of the 1990s.
Roseanne returned for a brief stint as a 2018 revival before being canceled due to star Roseanne Barr’s controversial tweet, but the series was retooled as The Connersthat has continued from Roseanne legacy of showing a modern working-class American family. Audiences have really embraced the return of this family as the series was recently renewed for a sixth season.
1 The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years may not be a sitcom, but it was a comedy and drama that ran from 1988 to 1993. It zooms in on the story of Kevin Arnold, a man in his mid-thirties who remembers his teenage years, when he was 12 years old through 17 year. The plot delves into his family life, his friends and his fondest memories.
The sitcom is real in its handling of the thoughts and feelings that come with growing up. It will make you nostalgic with its attention to the simplest moments of transitioning into adulthood as you sit back and remember what it was like to be a teenager through someone else’s eyes. The Wonder Years has been one of the most requested programs by fans on home video and was recently revived with a remake series airing on ABC.