Growing up in the ‘90s came with a specific kind of magic. My memories from my childhood have a soft, fuzzy, sepia-toned quality to them — almost like I’m watching an old TV show. And that makes sense, considering so many of our days back then were shaped by little rituals (that we didn’t even realize were rituals at the time) involving the TV: the smell of dinner simmering as Mad About You played in the background, or your parents making a big bowl of popcorn as they settled onto your old blue floral sofa to watch Seinfeld.
Moms and ‘90s magic go hand in hand, and because she watched these shows religiously, they became part of the fabric of our memories. Maybe that’s why today, at a time when the world feels decidedly less magical, we find ourselves craving that same soft, fuzzy feeling we’d get whenever we heard those familiar theme songs or the background rhythm of laugh tracks.
Happily, most of the shows your mom loved in the ‘90s are right at your fingertips thanks to streaming. So, here’s the ultimate nostalgic binge list… a tribute to the shows that raised us.
Mad About You (1992 – 1999)
My mom and stepdad’s love story will forever be linked to Paul and Jamie Buchman for me, because it’s the sitcom I remember them watching together every week. Mad About You gave us the prototype for millennial couples: neurotic, charming, and a little messy but with a lot of heart.
Where to Stream: Hulu, The Roku Channel
Night Court (1984 – 1992)
The eccentric cast of characters in this courtroom comedy is reason enough to give it a watch. And while the jokes went straight over my head back in the day, I have a feeling they’d really land now. It’s a quirky sitcom with late-night energy.
Where to Stream: Prime Video
Living Single (1993 – 1998)
Living Single walked so Friends could run. Your mom knew it, and now the internet knows it too — although it still isn’t talked about nearly enough! The cast was incredible, and the theme song is still a banger.
Where to Stream: Hulu
The King of Queens (1998 – 2007)
My mom still loves this show, which, to be honest, was basically just Doug (Kevin James) and Carrie (Leah Remini) bickering over absolutely nothing for, like, 22 minutes straight. Still, it was funny and endearing and felt so very late-’90s-early-aughts.
Where to Stream: Peacock
Just Shoot Me! (1997 – 2003)
Oh, to go back in time to the diva that was Nina Van Horn! Catching little snippets of this workplace sitcom may very well have kicked off my lifelong dream of working at a magazine and also my fandom for Wendie Malick. Plus, this was just peak David Spade.
Where to Stream: Pluto, The Roku Channel, Hulu
Designing Women (1986 – 1993)
Every episode of this series was practically a masterclass in the Southern art of eviscerating someone in speech, but doing it in a way that they can’t tell is a compliment or insult. Our moms lived for Julia Sugarbaker’s monologues, but truly, this cast — Dixie Carter! Jean Smart! Delta Burke! Annie Potts! Meshach Taylor! — was top-tier.
Where to Stream: Hulu
Everybody Loves Raymond (1996 – 2005)
Watching Everybody Loves Raymond as an adult just hits different. Between Ray’s cluelessness (hello, weaponized incompetence) and Debra’s exhausted annoyance (girl, we feel you!), it has a way of making moms feel seen. And don’t even get me started on the MIL that was Marie Barone.
Where to Stream: Peacock, Paramount+
The Nanny (1993 – 1999)
Listen, we didn’t truly appreciate Fran Fine back in the day for the fashion icon she was. But between her wardrobe, accent, and chaotic energy, she deserved all the fanfare. Let’s give her her flowers now, shall we?
Where to Stream: The Roku Channel, Peacock, Prime Video
Martin (1992 – 1997)
Anytime I hear the name Martin, the theme song for this series automatically starts playing in my head. I can’t help it — I watched it so much by proxy growing up. And while Martin could be kind of a helpless man-child, Gina was the perfect foil: a strong, sassy, confident woman who wouldn’t let him get away with much.
Where to Stream: BET+, Peacock, Netflix
Wings (1990 – 1997)
Talk about cozy sitcom perfection! Set in a tiny airport in a small, coastal northeastern town, Wings made you feel like you knew everyone you were watching. Honestly, so many of my adolescent older-man crushes spawned here: Tim Daly, Steven Weber, Thomas Haden Church, and Tony Shalhoub? Yes, please.
Where to Stream: Pluto TV, Paramount+
Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper (1992 – 1997)
Starring Mark Curry and Holly Robinson, Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper was the kind of sitcom Mom didn’t have to turn off when we walked into the room or worry we might see or hear something too “grown-up.” It was just good, wholesome, family-friendly fun in a show about an NBA-player-turned-teacher.
Where to Stream: Pluto TV
Dharma & Greg (1997 – 2002)
I’m definitely adding this to my list to actually watch all the way through, because I only have the vaguest sense of what it was about: a free-spirited yoga-loving Dharma odd-coupling it up with straight-laced, buttoned-up lawyer Greg.
Where to Stream: Hulu
ER (1994 – 2009)
Ah, the medi-drama that kicked off our collective obsession with medi-dramas. This was pretty much your mom’s Super Bowl — it was must-see, “everyone shhh,” girl crush and guy crush galore TV.
Where to Stream: Hulu, HBO Max
The Drew Carey Show (1995 – 2004)
Say it with me: “Cleveland rocks! Cleveland rocks!” Well, admittedly, I didn’t really know where Cleveland even was prior to this sitcom, but it really put it on the map for me. There were lots of laughs in this workplace comedy, which tracks considering Carey was its heart.
Where to Stream: Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel
Seinfeld (1989 – 1998)
I blame this series for my unrealistic perception of how often I would be meeting my friends at diners as an adult. Nevertheless, I have the fondest memories of it being on in the background, and we still shout “No soup for you!” on a regular basis.
Where to Stream: Netflix
The Bold & The Beautiful (1987 – present)
Shhhh, Mom’s stories are on! Technically, this was a tradition started by my grandma and passed down to my mom. But you were not to interrupt either of them while Ridge was onscreen.
Where to Stream: Pluto TV, Tubi, Paramount+
Northern Exposure (1990 – 1995)
Before “quirky comfort shows” became mainstream, this was hers. A cozy escape into small-town weirdness. Our collective love for John Corbett started here, right?
Where to Stream: Prime Video
Married With Children (1987 – 1997)
This was trash TV at its finest. Peg’s outfits, Al’s griping, Kelly and Bud’s scheming and bickering — all classic. The series was our introduction to favorites like Katey Sagal, Ed O’Neill, Christina Applegate, and Ted McGinley, and that’s something to be grateful for.
Where to Stream: Pluto TV, The Roku Channel
Unsolved Mysteries (1987 – 1999)
Is this where our obsession with true crime started? Quite possibly. It’s the reason your mom double-checked the locks every night, although she’d still never miss an episode. There’s a reboot now, too, so you can stream both versions.
Where to Stream: Netflix (reboot); Pluto TV, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Prime Video (classic)
Coach (1989 – 1997)
Long before we fell in love with Craig T. Nelson as patriarch Zeek Braverman on Parenthood, our moms were falling in love with him as Coach Hayden Fox — a man with a short fuse but big heart and lots of lovable, always-in-over-his-head dad energy.
Where to Stream: The Roku Channel, Prime Video
Major Dad (1989 – 1993)
What happens when a conservative, by-the-book Marine falls for and marries a liberal journalist? It all played out in the most wholesome, most ‘90s way on this series.
Where to Stream: Tubi
My Two Dads (1987 – 1990)
This only got three seasons, reinforcing my suspicion that it was criminally underrated. The premise? Two men, Michael and Joey (Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan, respectively), become the unlikely parents of teenager Nicole after the death of her mother. It was a little absurd but super sweet, and the cast was wildly endearing. (I had the biggest crush on Evigan!)
Where to Stream: Tubi, The Roku Channel
Home Improvement (1991 – 1999)
Maturing is realizing that Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor was, in fact, a tool, and our moms totally watched for the angel that is Patricia Richardson as endlessly patient — but also brilliantly smartass — matriarch Jill.
Where to Stream: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix
Sister, Sister (1994 – 1999)
Moms undoubtedly loved that this TGIF classic was wholesome and funny while still dealing with some very real-life stuff like co-parenting issues. And they also surely believed Lisa Landry deserved her own spinoff.
Where to Stream: Pluto TV, Paramount+
Friends (1994 – 2004)
I mean, no explanation needed, right? It defined an era, and your mom was one of the millions on that couch every Thursday night. She may even have gotten “The Rachel.”
Where to Stream: HBO Max
Frasier (1993 – 2004)
The main thing I remember about this show from growing up is the theme song mentioned tossed salad and scrambled eggs. Now, I appreciate it for being a “smart comedy,” and of course for the Niles and Daphne subplot.
Where to Stream: The Roku Channel, Hulu, Paramount+
Cheers (1982 – 1993)
I still vividly remember seeing scenes of this dimly lit Boston bar on our TV. Mom tuned in for Sam and Diane’s chemistry, Carla’s razor-sharp snark, and Norm’s ritual entrance. I imagine that, for her, it felt like slipping into a familiar booth at the end of a long day.
Where to Stream: Pluto TV, Hulu, Paramount+
Family Matters (1989 – 1998)
Who didn’t love the Winslows? This was peak TGIF comfort viewing, and something moms could watch with the kids. Sure, she probably got tired of you parroting Steve Urkel’s “Did I do that?” catchphrase, but still.
Where to Stream: Hulu
Caroline in the City (1995 – 1999)
If your mom loved cozy rom-com vibes in sitcom form, Caroline in the City was her mid-week escape. Caroline Duffy — a NYC cartoonist with chronically complicated love interests — delivered a perfect blend of humor and heart.
Where to Stream: Paramount+
Cybill (1995 – 1998)
Looking back now, this show was way ahead of its time. A woman navigating middle age, societal double standards, and single motherhood in a way that was both funny and unapologetic? Hell yes.
Where to Stream: Fubo
Dinosaurs (1991 – 1994)
If ever there was a fever-dream show of the ‘90s, this was it: a series about the Sinclair family of anthropomorphic dinosaurs. But honestly, it was just as brilliant as it was bizarre thanks to surprisingly sharp jokes about parenting, work, and modern life. See also: “Not the mama!”
Where to Stream: Disney+
