Growing up in the 90s was really something, wasn’t it? I remember coming home from school each day to mom cooking a delicious meal, followed by hours of binging some of the best family-friendly shows one could imagine.
That 90s level family friendliness has kind of faded away from TV shows now, but you can still enjoy a touch of it by catching some of the most popular shows online. With fast and accessible options like 5G Home Internet service, you can make this experience seamless and relive the golden era of television through streaming.
Now, to help you do that, let me recommend some shows that I loved, and you just might too.
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
- Where to Watch: Hulu, Disney+, YouTube, Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV.
Will Smith launched his career bringing a ton of laughs, emotions, and great music through this show. In case you haven’t seen it, Will Smith plays Will, a young teenager who gets in a fight in his neighborhood and is then sent off by his mom to live with his uncle in Bel Air.
From there begins a hilarious clash of differences, where Will finds himself in all sorts of trouble, sometimes with his uncle, his cousins, and even their butler, Geoffrey (in my opinion, the most sarcastic character on the show).
Regardless of these differences, Will learns valuable lessons about family, life, and reality.
What I loved was that, beyond all hilarity, the show also shed light on important social issues such as racism, gun violence, absent parents, and overcoming cultural differences for the greater good.
Martin
- Where to Watch: BET Plus, Peacock, Netflix, Philo, Hulu, fuboTV, Sling TV, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, YouTube, Fandango at Home, and Apple TV.
Will Smith wasn’t the only bad boy spreading laughs in the 90s. His future Bad Boys co-star, Martin Lawrence, also had a sitcom, and like Smith, Lawrence also played a character with the same name as him.
I sometimes feel like this one doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, since many people I talk to haven’t heard of it, but it’s a treasure chest of Martin Lawrence’s trademark – sassy and fast-paced comedy.
The show is about the daily life and hilarious situations that Martin, a DJ and radio show host, faces. These include situations with both his girlfriend and their group of friends. Despite all these challenges, their love for one another always emerges strong, accurately portraying life in the black community.
The show also gives you a glimpse of another one of Martin Lawrence’s specialties, playing various characters (don’t tell me you haven’t seen Big Momma’s House!).
In addition to the main character, Martin plays characters such as a nosy neighbor named Sheneneh Jenkins, the gold-toothed player Jerome, the elderly Mama Payne, the snot-nosed child Roscoe, and Otis the security guard.
Full House
- Where to Watch: Hulu, Apple TV, and Netflix
This one relates to me at a very personal level, and it often made me very emotional, considering how relatable it was for me.
The show is about Danny, a widowed father of 3 young girls, who has to balance each part of his life to make sure their needs are met. To help with that, he asks his brother-in-law, Jesse, and best friend, Joey, to move in and help raise the girls.
From there begins a journey of heartfelt emotions and many laughs, where we see both the girls and their caretakers support each other through thick and thin, create long-lasting memories, and grow older together.
Throughout this journey, the values of unity, love, and family are blended with the challenges of daily life.
Most people fail to notice it, but the show subtly also sheds light on an important social issue, the act of drunk driving, as Danny’s wife loses her life after a drunk driver collides with her.
Seinfeld
- Where to Watch: Netflix
They say life is the biggest inspiration to create unique stories, and no one took that more seriously than Jerry Seinfeld. Another show named after its main character, Seinfeld was a show about nothing, it simply took you on a journey exploring the hilarious occurrences of everyday life that we often overlook.
It centered around a comedian named Seinfeld and his group of friends as they try to navigate life in New York City, and we all know how hilarious that can get. The show explored how the group deals with social norms and hilarious mishaps, often reaching to no specific life lesson or conclusion, simply offering a glimpse into unique perspectives.
This focus on daily life and no groundbreaking conclusion was what set the show apart from other 90s shows and propelled its popularity. I mean, it did go on for nine seasons!
90s Shows – Ahead of Their Time
Even though the 90s are long gone, each of the above-mentioned shows that beautiful era brought to us continues to entertain and educate audiences on a wide range of topics that are still relevant today. By catching them on the streaming platforms I’ve shared with each, you can go back in time to the golden era of TV shows, anywhere and anytime you like.
