I
love lists. As this decade comes to close, I was going to continue listing my
favourite twenty shows from the last ten years. However, I thought I would go
back even further and list my favourites from the 90’s, then repost my slightly
updated 00’s and conclude with the 10’s. The criteria is that the show needs to
have more than two seasons (sustainability is important) and should be plot
driven (no Last Week Tonight). Here’s
the list. Enjoy the nostalgia.
Creators: David
Crane, Marta Kauffman
Seasons: 10
Episodes: 236 Years: 1994-2004
Best Season: 5
The
chemistry between these six characters are incredible. The fun storylines and
relationships make you want to be friends with these people. Thankfully, it
won’t be rebooted.
Standout Episode: The One Where Everyone Finds
Out (S05E14)
Chandler and Monica hiding their
relationship was fantastic but Phoebe playing sexual chicken with Chandler to
make his admit was the ultimate payoff.
Creators: Larry
David, Jerry Seinfeld
Seasons: 9
Episodes: 173 Years: 1989-1998
Best Season: 7
The
finale did a great job of showing just how despicable these four characters were. Luckily they were also funny so we liked them anyway. An
amazing feat for a show about ‘nothing’.
Standout Episode: The Contest (S04E11)
Gotta hand it to an episode where they
talk about masturbation without every mentioning the word. Master of their
domain indeed.
Creators: James
L Brooks, Matt Groening, Sam Simon
Seasons: 31
Episodes: 671 Years: 1989-Present
Best Season: 4
Admittedly,
it is not as strong as it used to be but it’s still loaded with irreverent
humour that is surprisingly relevant. I’ve seen every episode and still enjoy
it. It still makes me laugh.
Standout Episode: Lisa the Vegetarian (S07E15)
One of the most quotable
episodes for me, this episode ran during the golden years of the series. You
don’t make friends with salad.
Creators: James
Burrows, Glen Charles, Les Charles
Seasons: 11
Episodes: 271 Years: 1982-1993
Best Season: 10
A
practically perfect workplace comedy. With an amazing cast of regulars, the bar
hijinks were fun and the lines were incredibly clever. Love the theme song.
Standout Episode: An Old Fashioned Wedding (S10E25-26)
The entire cast gets a chance to shine
as the gang tries to get Woody and Kelly married before they give into their
sexual urgings.
Creator: Joss
Whedon
Seasons: 7
Episodes: 145 Years: 1997-2003
Best Season: 3
Don’t
let the name (or crappy film) fool you, this was one of the best shows ever
produced with scripts that were full of action, humour, emotion and social
commentary. By season two I was completely hooked.
Standout Episode: Once More, With Feeling (S06E07)
Whedon penned a beautiful musical that
not only got his characters to express their emotions but also advance the plot
significantly. Not just a quirky episode.
Creators: Danny
Jacobson, Paul Reiser
Seasons: 7
Episodes: 162 Years: 1992-1999
Best Season: 5
A
wonderful portrayal of married life. Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt play so well
off each other that I was seriously depressed when they had their story arc of
almost splitting up at the end of season four.
Standout Episode: The Grant (S05E02)
Mel Brooks as Uncle Phil steals the show
as his eccentric self, but Jamie trying to stay off coffee is also well played.
Creator: Kevin
Williamson
Seasons: 6
Episodes: 128 Years: 1998-2003
Best Season: 3
This
coming-of-age soap opera was a guilty pleasure that got me through a hard time
despite being older than the demographic. I easily got suckered into the lives
of these ultra-articulate teenagers.
Standout Episode: The Longest Day (S03E20)
Joey and Pacey’s hidden relationship is
revealed in the Roshomon way of replaying the day from different points of
view.
Creators: David
Angell, Peter Casey, David Lee
Seasons: 11
Episodes: 263 Years: 1993-2004
Best Season: 5
The
sophisticated spin-off of Cheers made
great use of high-brow humour and silly misunderstandings. The addition of a
more ‘Frasier’ Frasier in the form of Niles was a masterstroke.
Standout Episode: The Matchmaker (S02E03)
One of their first brilliant scripts
that involve people mistaking each other’s intentions to hilarious results.
Fraiser sets up Daphne.
Creator: Steve
Levitan
Seasons: 7
Episodes: 149 Years: 1997-2003
Best Season: 3
Taking
the Seinfeld model of selfish
characters, the one-liner put downs in this show were quick and fun. A great
use of the sarcastic comedy of SNL’s
David Spade.
Standout Episode: Funny Girl (S03E04)
An elaborate prank unfolds after Maya
pulls a trick on Elliot. It’s great to see people work hard to screw with each
other.
Creator: Paul
Simms
Seasons: 5
Episodes: 97 Years: 1995-1999
Best Season: 3
It’s
sad that this hard-working sitcom didn’t get the same respect as NBC’s other
shows. Phil Hartman and David Foley led a very fun cast through a number of
office hijinks. Andy Dick is a bit much though.
Standout Episode: The Trainer (S03E11)
Bill tries to get out of a gym
membership but can’t shake Ben Stiller’s pitch, while the rest of the office
finds out Dave is Canadian.
Creator: Chris
Carter
Seasons: 11
Episodes: 217 Years: 1993-2018
Best Season: 6
The
mythology of the show got a little confusing but the stand-alone episodes were
at times horrific, clever and fun (especially Breaking Bad’s Vince Gilligan and Darin Morgan episodes).
Standout Episode: Hollywood A.D. (S07E19)
This fun episode, written and directed
by David Duchovny, features a screenwriter following the agents and a
cameo from Garry Shandling.
Creator: Reinhold
Weege
Seasons: 9
Episodes: 193 Years: 1984-1992
Best Season: 4
The
highlight of each episode was the outrageous court cases that went before Judge
Harry Stone. When they left the courtroom, it was a mixed bag. John Larroquette
could always bring the funny though.
Standout Episode: Still Another Day in the Life
(S07E22)
The best episodes featured a non-stop
string of hilarious court cases. This one included: cheerleaders, coyotes,
librarians, opera singers and mimes.
Creator: Michael
Crichton
Seasons: 15
Episodes: 331 Years: 1994-2009
Best Season: 4
I
was a little late to the game on this show and I’ll admit to have not seeing
every episode of this hospital soap opera, but it still has a large number of
amazing episodes.
Standout Episode: All in the Family (S06E14)
Carter and Lucy have been brutally
stabbed by a crazy patient, the ER tries to save their lives. An intense forty
minutes of drama.
Creators: Mark
Brazill, Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner
Seasons: 8
Episodes: 200 Years: 1998-2006
Best Season: 3
Not
a huge fan of the era but the comedy was timeless. These teenagers worked so
well together. Also loved the smoking circle and the dream sequences. Too bad
Eric left for the last season of the show.
Standout Episode: Eric’s Panties (S03E06)
Donna gets suspicious when she finds
panties in Eric’s car. The dream sequence of Eric playing in a large pile of
panties is fun stuff.
Creators: David
Angell, Peter Casey, David Lee
Seasons: 8
Episodes: 172 Years: 1990-1997
Best Season: 7
Not
the strongest of NBC’s Must See TV, but they held their own with some fun
storylines. Also fun to see Steven Weber and Tony Shalhoub do comedy before
they got all dramatic.
Standout Episode: Burnin’ Down the House (S07E01-02)
Brian & Casey accidentally burn down
Joe and Helen’s house while having sex. Their guilt and the couple’s response
is priceless.
Creators: Gary
David Goldberg, Bill Lawrence
Seasons: 6
Episodes: 145 Years: 1996-2002
Best Season: 3
Michael
J Fox and political comedy go hand in hand. Throw in a fun supporting cast and
some New York hijinks and you’ve got an entertaining show. Season 1 is pretty rough though.
Standout Episode: Gone with the Wind (S03E03)
Mike has to keep his relationship with
Heidi Klum a secret as James mourns the death of his family cow. Great physical
comedy.
Creator: Philip
Rosenthal
Seasons: 9
Episodes: 210 Years: 1996-2005
Best Season: 5
What
made this family sitcom work was the simple and incredibly relatable
storylines. The inter-generational relationships had something for everyone.
Holy crap!
Standout Episode: Baggage (S07E22)
So much humour is mined from a stand-off
between Ray and Debra as to who should bring the suitcase upstairs after a
trip.
Creators: Dennis
Klein, Garry Shandling
Seasons: 6
Episodes: 89 Years: 1992-1998
Best Season: 4
Shandling
has always been adept at meta humour and nails it again with this send-up of a
late night talk show. Great cast. So much neuroses. No flipping.
Standout Episode: Flip (S06E11)
For the series finale of the show, Larry
gets an all-star line-up to say goodbye including Jim Carrey and David
Duchovny. It’s a fitting end.
Creator: Neal
Marlens
Seasons: 7
Episodes: 167 Years: 1985-1992
Best Season: 4
More
of an eighties show than nineties, it got some fresh blood when an unknown
Leonardo DiCaprio joined the Seaver clan as Luke. This one remains one of my
favourite family sitcoms from my youth.
Standout Episode: The Triangle & Return of
the Triangle (S05E14-15)
Mike falls for his leading lady, Kate,
but needs to deal with her boyfriend first. I’ll admit I had a crush on Chelsea
Noble.
Creator: Lee
David Zlotoff
Seasons: 7
Episodes: 139 Years: 1985-1992
Best Season: 5
Loved
watching MacGyver get out of sticky situations with a paperclip and a stick of
gum. Also loved his nemesis Murdoc. Looking back the show was cheesy but I
loved it back then. (Not watching the reboot.)
Standout Episode: The Widowmaker (S03E08)
MacGyver is trapped on the side of a
mountain with Murdoc chasing after him. Lots of stuff with ropes. Being afraid
of heights, I found this one intense.
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