A Show You Forgot—Until Now?
A genius who could become anyone, working in secret while being hunted—The Pretender had everything, and for our money, it may just be the best TV show from the 90s no one talks about anymore. Do you agree? Or do any of these 25 other great shows take the top spot in your mind?
"The Pretender" (1996–2000)
Might as well start with our number one pick: Michael T. Weiss stars as Jarod, a child prodigy turned human chameleon who can convincingly step into almost any role imaginable. Doctor? Pilot? Lawyer? Sure—why not. The hook was great, but what really sold it was the cat-and-mouse chase with The Centre. It felt big, smart, and just mysterious enough to keep you hooked—which it did for four seasons. Now… for the rest of the conversation.
Screenshot from The Pretender, NBC (1996–2000)
"Early Edition" (1996–2000)
Kyle Chandler (long before Friday Night Lights) plays a guy who gets tomorrow’s newspaper today. Every episode turns into a race to stop whatever headline is about to happen. It sounds simple, but it was weirdly addictive—and also one of those shows where you immediately think, “Yeah… I would 100% mess this up.”
Screenshot from Early Edition, CBS (1996–2000)
"Chicago Hope" (1994–2000)
Mandy Patinkin and Adam Arkin lead this medical drama that went head-to-head with ER—and for a while, it was just as respected. It leaned a little more character-driven and a little less chaotic, but it absolutely had its moments. The wild part? For a show that big at the time, it’s almost completely missing from the conversation now.
Screenshot from Chicago Hope, CBS (1994–2000)
"The Drew Carey Show" (1995–2004)
Drew Carey plays an everyman dealing with work, friends, and increasingly ridiculous situations. It was a huge part of ABC’s lineup and got surprisingly experimental—musical numbers, live episodes, all of it. And yet, it doesn’t come up nearly as much as other sitcoms from that era.
Screenshot from The Drew Carey Show, ABC (1995–2004)
"The Commish" (1991–1996)
Remember when The Shield premiered and everyone was like, “Hey, that’s the guy from The Commish”? Well, this is the show. Michael Chiklis plays a police commissioner balancing crime, politics, and family life. It’s always fun seeing an actor known for intense roles in something much more grounded and low-key—or vice versa, depending on when you came to this series.
Screenshot from The Commish, ABC (1991–1996)
"SeaQuest DSV" (1993–1996)
Roy Scheider—yes, Chief Brody from Jaws—leads this underwater sci-fi series that somehow includes global politics, advanced tech, and a talking dolphin named Darwin. And speaking of Jaws, Steven Spielberg was an executive producer on this thing. Spielberg’s involvement tells you how ambitious it was supposed to be. The 90s really said “why not all of it?”—and honestly, you have to respect that.
Screenshot from SeaQuest DSV, NBC (1993–1996)
"Mad About You" (1992–1999)
Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt play a married couple navigating everyday life in New York—and somehow make the small stuff feel incredibly watchable. It was a big deal in the 90s, won multiple Emmys, and sat right in the middle of NBC’s powerhouse lineup. And yet, it rarely comes up now when people talk about classic sitcoms from that era.
Screenshot from Mad About You, NBC (1992–1999)
"NewsRadio" (1995–1999)
Dave Foley leads a workplace comedy set in a New York radio station—but the real draw was the cast. Phil Hartman alone is worth the price of admission, and then you add Maura Tierney and a very early Joe Rogan into the mix. It’s fast, weird, and occasionally chaotic—in a way that feels way closer to 30 Rock than most shows from its time.
Screenshot from NewsRadio, NBC (1995–1999)
"Sliders" (1995–2000)
Jerry O’Connell—long before he became the ultimate “hey, it’s that guy”—leads a group jumping between parallel universes. The concept is so good it’s honestly surprising it hasn’t been rebooted about ten times by now.
Screenshot from Sliders, FOX / Syfy (1995–2000)
"Spin City" (1996–2002)
Michael J. Fox running a dysfunctional New York mayor’s office is exactly as entertaining as it sounds. Quick dialogue, great cast chemistry, and Fox just carrying the whole thing effortlessly. And when Fox stepped away, Charlie Sheen came in and took over—one of those rare handoffs that actually worked (and also a reminder that this was pre–Two and a Half Men Sheen, which feels like a completely different era).
Screenshot from Spin City, ABC (1996–2002)
"Northern Exposure" (1990–1995)
Rob Morrow plays a New York doctor sent to a tiny Alaskan town where nothing—and no one—works the way he expects. The show had this calm, slightly surreal vibe, like Twin Peaks if it swapped out the murder mystery for philosophy and quirky town meetings. Not a lot “happens”—but you still don’t want to miss any of it.
Screenshot from Northern Exposure, CBS (1990–1995)
"Profiler" (1996–2000)
Ally Walker stars as Dr. Sam Waters, a forensic psychologist who can get inside the minds of killers—which is exactly as unsettling as it sounds. Robert Davi plays her intense boss, and the show didn’t hold back. This was basically Criminal Minds before Criminal Minds—just with a little more 90s edge.
Screenshot from Profiler, NBC (1996–2000)
"Due South" (1994–1999)
Paul Gross plays an extremely polite Canadian Mountie working with a Chicago detective who is… not that. The contrast is the entire joke, and it never really gets old. Also yes, there’s a deaf wolf—and no, the show doesn’t feel the need to explain it normally.
Screenshot from Due South, CTV / CBS / TNT (1994–1999)
"Picket Fences" (1992–1996)
Created by David E. Kelley, this show mixed small-town life with some genuinely strange storylines. One episode feels grounded, the next feels like it wandered in from The Twilight Zone. And somehow, it all works.
Screenshot from Picket Fences, CBS (1992–1996)
"Dark Skies" (1996–1997)
Eric Close and Megan Ward lead this conspiracy-heavy drama about aliens secretly shaping world history. It leans hard into the idea that everything you thought you knew might be wrong—basically The X-Files with even more “wait… what?” energy.
Screenshot from Dark Skies, NBC (1996–1997)
"Space: Above and Beyond" (1995–1996)
A military sci-fi drama about humans fighting aliens—but played completely straight. No winking, no jokes—just war, in space. Think Band of Brothers… if it suddenly turned into a full-on alien invasion. It had a serious tone, strong characters, and the kind of fanbase that still talks about it like it was canceled yesterday—and honestly, they’re not wrong.
Screenshot from Space: Above and Beyond, FOX (1995–1996)
"Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" (1993–1998)
Jane Seymour stars as a doctor building a life in the Old West—and somehow turns that premise into one of the biggest shows of the decade. This thing was massive—six seasons, huge ratings, and a fanbase that never missed an episode. And yet, when people talk about 90s TV today, it’s weirdly not one of the first shows that comes up.
Screenshot from Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, CBS (1993–1998)
"Herman’s Head" (1991–1994)
William Ragsdale plays Herman, but the real story happens inside his head, where his emotions are played by actors like Hank Azaria and Yeardley Smith. Basically Inside Out before Pixar made it cool.
Screenshot from Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, CBS (1993–1998)
"Get a Life" (1990–1992)
Chris Elliott plays a 30-year-old paperboy still living at home—and somehow that’s just the starting point. The show was bizarre, uncomfortable, and completely ahead of its time. It feels like something that would’ve crushed on Adult Swim years later.
Screenshot from Get a Life, FOX (1990–1992)
"VR.5" (1995)
Lori Singer stars as a woman who can enter a virtual world using experimental tech. This was the 90s trying to figure out virtual reality before most people even had dial-up internet. Ambitious, slightly confusing, but memorable.
Screenshot from VR.5, FOX (1995)
"Silk Stalkings" (1991–1999)
Rob Estes and Mitzi Kapture star in this glossy Palm Beach crime drama that leaned a little more stylish—and a little more late-night—than most shows like it. If you stumbled onto this while flipping channels, you probably kept watching longer than you meant to.
Screenshot from Silk Stalkings, USA Network (1991–1999)
"Renegade" (1992–1997)
Lorenzo Lamas as a wrongly accused cop turned bounty hunter riding across America on a motorcycle. If you just pictured leather jackets, explosions, and dramatic slow-motion shots—you’re remembering it exactly right.
Screenshot from Renegade, USA Network / First-run Syndication (1992–1997)
"China Beach" (1988–1991)
Dana Delany leads this Vietnam War drama focused on nurses and support staff. Emotional, grounded, and more human than most war stories on TV at the time. It stuck with people—even if it doesn’t get talked about much now.
Screenshot from China Beach, ABC (1988–1991)
"Grace Under Fire" (1993–1998)
Brett Butler stars as a single mom trying to rebuild her life after a tough marriage—balancing work, kids, and everything in between. For a stretch in the mid-90s, this show was huge—like top-of-the-ratings huge. And then… it just kind of disappeared from the conversation.
Screenshot from Grace Under Fire, ABC (1993–1998)
"Cybill" (1995–1998)
Cybill Shepherd plays a struggling actress navigating Hollywood, aging in the industry, and a very complicated personal life. It was sharp, self-aware, and had Christine Baranski absolutely stealing every scene she was in. The show won awards—and now mostly lives in that “oh right, that existed” part of your brain.
Screenshot from Cybill, CBS (1995–1998)
"Murphy Brown" (1988–1998)
Candice Bergen’s sharp, no-nonsense journalist helped define 90s television. The show was huge—awards, ratings, cultural impact—and yet somehow it doesn’t come up nearly as often as you’d expect today.
Screenshot from Murphy Brown, CBS (1988–1998)
So…Did We Get This One Right?
The 90s didn’t just give us a handful of great shows—it gave us a ton. And a surprising number have quietly faded from the spotlight. So…did we get it right with The Pretender—or is your pick somewhere else on this list?
Screenshot from The Drew Carey Show, ABC (1995–2004)
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