With each generation sitcoms seem to take on a life of their own. Decade to decade, sitcoms follow common trends. Sitcoms of the ’90s portrayed a lot of day-to-day scenarios, offering us a glimpse at ourselves in the characters we came to love.
The following sitcoms represent, in my opinion, the best sitcoms of the ’90s.
Seinfeld, 1990 – 1998
Seinfeld is easily the most popular sitcom of the ’90s. It may be one of the few sitcoms to make it big with no real plot or direction. The entire series was based on Jerry Seinfeld’s comic observations of his own life and the lives of his close friends.
Seinfeld played himself, a stand-up comic, but it wasn’t his humor alone which made the show. The idiosyncratic chemistry among the cast members gave Seinfeld its quirky edge.
Seinfeld; Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a gregarious book editor who always had some dramas going on; Kramer (Michael Richards), a gangly, awkward character who knew no boundaries; and George (Jason Alexander), Jerry’s best friend and the whiniest character on T.V., negotiated daily life in New York City.
Amidst the lives of his friends Seinfeld’s quick wit and humor shined. Audiences found much humor in Seinfeld’s audacity to say the things we long to say as we face every day absurdity.
Seinfeld was so popular that on December 26, 1997, when Jerry Seinfeld announced the final production in spring of 1998 it was front page news. The most popular ’90s sitcom remains one of the most watched comedies in syndication.
If Seinfeld were to ever return to television Jerry should move into an upscale complex in New York City. To keep viewers in the era of reality T.V. interested, Seinfeld’s neighbors would have to be heavy hitters. I’d recommend Rosie O’Donnell, Donald Trump, and Simon Cowell. I’d like to see Seinfeld handle that group!
Friends 1994-2004
Running a close second to Seinfeld, Friends was also one of the most popular sitcoms of the ’90s. For a decade Rachel (Jennifer Anniston), Monica (Courteney Cox Arquette), Phoebe (Lisa Fudrow), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Chandler (Matthew Perry), and Ross (David Schwimmer) gave us a glimpse of young adult life in New York. Relationships drove the sitcom, with themes of love, life, sex, dating, and careers all playing a part.
Characters on Friends were family, to each other and to their viewers. Evolving relationships, loveable characters, and good comedy kept viewers tuned in.
Young adults related to the characters and stories on Friends, as it provided a humorous catharsis for the stressful life of young adults pursuing careers, relationships, and figuring out their future.
Friends still airs in syndication and, like Seinfeld, is among the most watched sitcoms of ’90s shows now in syndication. It should have never left the air, although after ten successful years they ended on a high note.
Speaking of “note,” if Friends ever returns to the air they should cast the stars of High School Musical, but no singing!
The Simpsons, 1989 –
Still on the air, The Simpsons is the longest running animated sitcom in television history; as such it has to be among the top sitcoms of the ’90s.
Homer, Marge, Lisa, Maggie, and Bart pull off exploits and antics each week which dramatized sitcoms can’t accomplish. The Simpsons take mundane life to the extreme, and can do so without harming anyone, as cartoon characters are quite resilient.
The show is enhanced by a cast of regulars including the villainous George Montgomery Burns, the most despised man in Springfield. Marge’s sisters, Selma and Patty Bouvier bring twisted humor and bizarre insight. Ned Flanders is the Simpson’s ultra-religious next door neighbors, too dense, or innocent to realize he is a thorn in the Homer Simpson’s side. Todd and Ned are often the victims of Bart’s deviant deeds.
The Simpsons can still be seen on FOX, Sundays at 8/7 central.
I never watched this show until a few months ago when I watched a season’s DVD. What I believed about The Simpsons proved to be wrong. The show is a radical departure from anything I had seen before, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be. In fact, it was quite funny. As new generations discover The Simpsons, and grown men still enjoy imitating Homer, The Simpsons will remain a hit.
Roseanne, 1988-1997
Another reality based sitcom of the ’90s was Roseanne. Roseanne revolved around the daily commotion of Roseanne’s television family. Known for brash stand-up comedy, Roseanne brought the same manner to the sitcom.
Roseanne played the mother of the Conner family, a typical, working class family. Dan (John Goodman) was a loving father and husband, often befuddled by the bedlam of life. The kids, DJ (Michael Fishman), Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and Becky (Alicia Goranson), kept life lively and challenging.
Roseanne didn’t paint a picture of the perfect family life; instead the Conner family faced hard issues head on. Roseanne was often brassy, but common sense and love always won out over moral platitudes.
Roseanne also continues to run in syndication.
Personally, I’d like to see a politician try to play the role of a father or mother in a middle class family, trying to make ends meet. Perhaps the plot would be an eye opening experience for a silver-spooned showman or woman.
Coach 1989-1997
Little more could appeal to men of the ’90s than Hayden Fox (Craig T. Nelson), a university coach who found the meaning of life in football. Coach portrayed the conflict between a man’s true love, football, and his family. It was clear that Hayden loved his family and friends, but his jock attitude always seemed to get in the way.
Christine (Shelley Fabares), Hayden’s wife, was strung out between love for her husband and aggravation at his jock mentality. Assistant Coach Luther Van Dam (Jerry Van Dyke) didn’t help matters by speaking and seeking football at every turn. He plays the stereotypical role of a dumb jock.
This sitcom addressed the battle of the sexes and the age old adage, “You can’t live with them, and you can’t live without them.” Love and understanding were tools of negotiation and resolution.
Let’s see Coach again, only cast Christopher Rich, Brock from Reba, as an all sports fan and all-sport high school coach. Put Clay Aiken on his teams. Let Joy Behar, of The View, play Coach’s wife, but give her a high-power, high paying job. Watch the sparks fly.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 1990-1996
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air appealed to a young, but faithful audience. This sitcom was a boost to young Will Smith’s rise to stardom. Will Smith, whose character was also named Will Smith, is a kid whose mother sends him from a bad neighborhood to affluential Bel-Air. Will moved in with his Uncle Philip and his family, which included Aunt Vivian (Janet Hubert-Whitten seasons I-III and Daphne Maxwell Reed seasons IV-VI) and cousins Ashley (Tatyana M. Ali), Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro), and Hilary (Karyn Parsons). Geoffrey (Joseph Marcel) was the family’s butler with little patience for Will’s laidback style and manners.
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was driven by the conflict of Will’s practical street smarts with the cultured, often snobbish customs of Bel-Air. Will and Carlton were opposites, a smart move by writers, which accentuated the differences in the boys.
While the sitcom pointed out differences between rich and poor, it also illustrated the benefit of diverse viewpoints. It showed that, regardless of background, the human condition is common to us all.
I don’t think anyone else could pull this off the way Will Smith did.
Frasier, 1993-2004
Dr. Frasier Crane was introduced to America as a character on a hit sitcom of the 80’s, Cheers. Frasier was a spin-off that took place when Frasier (Kelsey Grammer), a Boston psychiatrist relocated to Seattle to become a radio psychiatrist. His father moved in with him following an injury and retirement from the police force. Martin (John Mahoney), effectively spoiled Frasier’s snobbish lifestyle in his upscale apartment. Martin’s personal health care assistant, Daphne (Jane Levees), who fancied herself quasi-psychic, shared the apartment with Frasier and Martin.
Frasier, already a pompous neurotic, also had to contend with his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce), who was an equally pompous and neurotic psychiatrist who was obsessed with Daphne.
Eddie, the Jack Russel Terrier, may have been the sanest character in the bunch.
Bizarre situations on and off the air combined with Kelsey Grammer’s ability to deliver dry wit created a comedy that quickly won over Cheers fans. If there has ever been a perfect fit for a role in a sitcom, Kelsey Grammer’s role as Frasier was it.
Frasier should simply be put back on the air.
Home Improvement 1991-1998
Few households in the ’90s didn’t know the name and reputation of Tim Allen, in his role as Tim Taylor in Home Improvement. Tim Taylor was the star of a local television program “Tool Time” in which his misadventure often ended in disaster. Co-host of “Tool Time,” Al (Richard Karn) played the straight man and constantly cleaned up behind Tim.
Tim tried to balance local celebrity with raising a family. Jill (Patricia Richardson), Tim’s wife, is busy balancing her relationship with Tim, three kids, and graduate school. Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), Mark (Taran Noah Smith), and Randall (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) are the Taylor’s three bright kids who love to instigate practical jokes.
A notable trademark of the show was neighbor and Taylor family counselor, Wilson. Wilson spoke to the Taylor’s across a privacy fence. His face was never seen throughout Home Improvement’s 8 year run.
The only way I would watch a new Home Improvement would be a reality show in which unskilled workers must assist Ty Pennington in building a house in seven days.
Murphy Brown 1988-1998
Murphy Brown was among the most controversial sitcoms of the ’90s. Murphy, played by Candice Bergen, is a tough-as-nails female television journalist competing in a male dominated world. She is stubborn and hot-tempered, but also clever and resourceful.
The story revolves around the Murphy’s hard-nosed battles as a staunch liberal, her decision to become a single mother, and her struggles balancing motherhood, career, and finances.
Murphy Brown became a hot topic as she challenged the social mores and conservative values that dominated the 80’s.
Hillary Clinton is the new Murphy Brown.
Married with Children
The sitcom that pushed the boundaries of acceptable television and helped build fledgling FOX network is Married with Children. Married with Children took the prevalent reality sitcom them of the ’90s and took it to the limit.
The Bundy’s became America’s favorite dysfunctional family. The Bundy’s were a middle class family with more issues than answers. The sitcom followed the story of Al (Ed O’Neill) who was a loser living in the glory of his past, and Peg ( Katey Sagal) who was a notoriously lazy housewife and mother. Their constant struggle is to keep their twenty year marriage intact despite the reality that their home is dysfunction junction.
Their children Kelly (Christina Applegate) and Bud Bundy (David Faustino) can’t get past petty sibling rivalry. Add to that Kelly’s dim wit and Bud’s disability with women and you have a formula for constant turmoil. Kelly hasn’t the wit to fight her way out of a wet paper bag. Bud fancies himself a womanizer, but can’t get anything right when it comes to women.
The popularity of Married with Children led to the use of the term “Bundy’s” to describe dysfunctional families and behavior.
Married with Children was one of the top sitcoms of the ’90s, but in my opinion we are better off without it. I’d rather watch Everybody Loves Raymond to see a dysfunctional family that has a little tenderness about it.
Besides, when I let the laundry fall behind my husband calls me Mrs. Bundix. (He means Bundy, but doesn’t know it.) I just laugh and so does he. Hmm, maybe we should do Married with Children, the story of a pastor, two teenage boys, and an unpredictable, unconventional pastor’s wife.
Sources:
Coach at imbd.com
Frasier at imbd.com
Fresh Prince, Warner Bros website
Friends’ official website
Home Improvement at tv.com
Married with Children at tv.com
Married with Children official website
Roseanne at imbd.com
Seinfeld at imbd.com
Seinfeld official website
The Simpsons
