That ‘90s Show is making ‘90s kids misty-eyed, reminiscing about That ‘70s Show, the series for which it serves as a sequel. Meanwhile, the Netflix sitcom has attracted a whole new generation of viewers eager to see what happens when 15-year-old Leia spends the summer with her grandparents at her father’s childhood home in her parents’ hometown.
There’s something exciting about the ‘90s that makes it a popular decade to depict on TV. It’s a decade when trends that shaped culture today began to emerge, from pagers and cell phones to iconic musicians and songs, TV shows, and fashion. And That ‘90s Show isn’t the only series to capture the retro time period beautifully.
1 ‘That ‘90s Show’ (2023 - )
That ‘90s Show takes fans into the life of Leia, the daughter of Eric and Donna from That ‘70s Show during a summer with her grandparents, Red and Kitty Forman. She meets new friends with whom she spends time in the iconic Forman basement, except now, it’s two decades later. There are a few cameos from some of the funniest characters from That ‘70s Show, now in their late 30s.
The ‘90s references are plentiful, including raves, grunge fashion (like when Nate takes a liking to Red’s old plaid shirt), Beverly Hills, 90210, and even video rental stores, where the young Jay Kelso works. One of the most defining ‘90s scenes, however, is when Kitty and Red get their first computer and Ozzie tries to help them connect to the Internet, screeching dial-up sound and all.
2 ‘The Goldbergs’ (2013 - ) & ‘Schooled’ (2019 - 2020)
Every episode of The Goldbergs begins with, “it was 1980-something,” but it’s clear that, now in its 10th season, the show has long since progressed into the 1990s. Many of the references made, clothing, and other trends are clearly from that decade. Case in point is an episode that references Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, which was released in 1989, just before the beginning of the new decade.
The Goldbergs did produce a special ‘90s-themed episode during season 5, which was meant to serve as an introduction to the spin-off Schooled, which honed in on the ‘90s. Schooled, however, only lasted two seasons before being canceled.
3 ‘Young Sheldon’ (2017 - )
The wildly popular prequel series to The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon provides a glimpse into the early life of Sheldon Cooper and his family in Texas. Precocious, intelligent and often arrogant, Sheldon was very much the same, even during his pivotal coming-of-age years.
The story begins in the late ‘80s but shifts to the ‘90s with plenty of references to the time, like mentions of Radio Shack, Sheldon’s first computer, Georgie’s love for Who’s The Boss?, and Missy’s penchant for magazines like Sassy.
4 ‘Pose’ (2018 - 2021)
The second season of Pose begins in the ‘90s. Set in New York during the LGBTQ subculture within the city’s ballroom scene, dancers and models compete in the underground circuit for trophies and recognition, all while supporting one another through trials and tribulations of that era, like HIV and AIDS. It’s one of many LGBTQ+ shows that feature tight-knit friend groups.
Season 2 picks up exactly in 1990 with a dance style true to the decade: voguing. Meanwhile, season three starts in 1993 when mayor Rudy Giuliani is fighting to stop sex workers in the city. The show integrates other real-life events, such as the O.J. Simpson case, as well.
5 ‘Fresh Off The Boat’ (2015 - 2020)
Louis and Constance Huang are raising their three kids in '90s-era Florida, where the Taiwanese Americans own and run a steakhouse in town. The story is loosely based on the real-life childhood of now-famous chef and food personality Eddie Huang.
Along with showing trends of that time, Fresh Off the Boat has been praised for being the first U.S. network TV sitcom to feature an Asian American family as the main characters. Delivered in a similar style to shows like The Goldbergs, Fresh off the Boat provides a fresh depiction of a time before kids were distracted by the Internet and social media.
6 ‘Derry Girls’ (2018 - 2022)
Set in Northern Ireland during the ‘90s, Derry Girls has been praised for its realistic depictions of events and mindsets of that time, as well as its ‘90s-centric soundtrack full of top tunes from the decade. Inspired by the experiences of the show’s creator Lisa McGee, the British teen sitcom is about five teenagers and their coming-of-age stories while attending a Catholic high school.
Some of the pertinent ‘90s events covered throughout the show’s three seasons include the 1994 IRA ceasefire announcement, U.S. President Bill Clinton’s 1995 visit to Ireland, and the Good Friday referendum of 1998. The total ‘90s look and feel is propped up by real-life footage from various events along with music from acts like Ace of Base, Cypress Hill and the Cranberries.
7 ‘Everything Sucks!’ (2018)
Fans were gutted when Everything Sucks!, one of the best coming-of-age shows on Netflix, was canceled after just a single season. Another throwback series, the comedy-drama followed a group of teenagers in high school during a pivotal coming-of-age time in their life. Set in the mid-'90s, the characters deal with challenges that still exist today, including mental health and sexuality. But in a very ‘90s way.
From the AV Club at school to VHS tapes, the ‘90s fashion, racy magazines hidden in the garage, and Blockbuster, the ‘90s references are extensive.
8 ‘City On A Hill’ (2019 - 2022)
Based on a story written by Ben Affleck, Kevin Bacon stars in City on a Hill as John “Jackie” Rohr, a retired FBI agent who works with the assistant district attorney on a case that could change the criminal justice system in a lasting way. But Jackie was a corrupt agent, as many at the time were.
Set in 1990s Boston, indeed during that time, the city was plagued with violence, racism, and police corruption. The references on the show are mostly fitting to Boston at the time but City on a Hill itself has a very ‘90s look and feel.
9 ‘Clarice’ (2021)
The Silence of the Lambs was one of the biggest movies of the ‘90s, and one of many interpretations of the Hannibal Lecter character. So it’s no surprise that the crime drama Clarice is set in that same era. Indeed, the story is also based on that 1991 movie as well as the novel by Thomas Harris.
Clarice Starling is an FBI agent who, after having dealt with the trauma involving serial killer Buffalo Bill and imprisoned killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, has been placed on administrative leave. She gets pulled back in, however, when the mother of the killer’s only surviving victim enlists Clarice to help join her vigilante team, hunting murderers, serial killers, and sexual predators. As a continuation of the movie, the timeline sticks with the original which means the fashion, the setting, and the technology are all from that decade.
10 ‘Yellowjackets’ (2021 - )
Flipping back and forth between the present day and the ‘90s, Yellowjackets is a thriller drama that centers around a group of women who get stuck on a remote island for 19 months following a car crash. Left to fend for themselves, the women continue to grapple with what happened to them during that almost two-year period, keeping much of the details close to their chests.
When old truths begin to resurface, however, the now adult women come back together to explore how to move forward and deal with traumas they have been hiding for so long.