The Most Iconic TV Show Premieres of Each Year in the 90s

The Most Iconic Show Premieres of Each Year in the 90s

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down the most monumental and groundbreaking first episodes of television shows for each year between 1990 and 1999.

1990: “Twin Peaks”
“Northwest Passage”

Although it was never a conventional murder mystery, “Northwest Passage” seems almost low-key when you consider all that came after it. The episode introduces the death of a high schooler named Laura Palmer, an FBI agent with a passion for coffee, and the people who make up the small but creepy town of Twin Peaks, Washington. Nothing is ever as it seems in “Twin Peaks” — the town or the show. In the present day, it would be right at home among the trends of metaverses and quirky antiheroes. In 1990, the melodramatic and eccentric whodunit was a disorienting yet welcome experience for viewers who were used to the zippy punchlines of sitcoms and the straightforward drama of primetime soaps.

1991: “Home Improvement”
“Pilot”

Does everybody know what time it is? It’s Tool Time, of course. Prior to his hit series, Tim Allen was a stand-up comic with some experience as a performer. Acting, however, was not his forte. His self-described limited range meant he would only take roles that were a perfect fit. Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor proved to be a great role for his confident fatherly persona. Establishing the show’s most consistent conflict between Tim and his on-screen wife, the September 1991 premiere finds the Tool Man ruining the family’s dishwasher. “Home Improvement” didn’t reinvent the wheel and wasn’t a critical darling, but it lasted eight seasons and often appeared in the top ten programs of the year.

1992: “The Real World”
“This is the True Story…”

Before MTV’s cultural juggernaut premiered in May 1992, people were probably asking themselves “Who would watch that?” The answer turned out to be at least enough people to help launch the reality TV craze in America. The premise of “The Real World” may seem quaint now, but the idea of watching seven young people live in the same apartment in New York City would turn out to be revolutionary. The cast members had very vulnerable and open conversations about controversial topics in ways that writers on many scripted shows could only hint at. Despite its perceived classlessness, “The Real World” helped spawn a new genre, and made an impact that stretches far beyond its own 33 seasons.

1993: “Frasier”
“The Good Son”

Though “The X-Files” was a cult favorite following its 1993 premiere, “Frasier” drew in the big ratings. After several seasons on the beloved series “Cheers,” psychiatrist and radio personality Dr. Frasier Crane returned to his hometown of Seattle. Setting up the hilariously turbulent relationship between Frasier and his ornery father, Martin, the pilot’s plot is pretty standard sitcom stuff. It’s the performances that really set it apart, with Kelsey Grammer leading a standout cast. The ensemble and the show’s characteristic humor, a mix of highfalutin references and vulgar one-liners, would carry it for its original eleven-season run.

1994: “Friends”
“The Pilot”

“ER” probably had the most explosive and successful debut in 1994, but the one with a bunch of twenty-somethings talking about their personal lives was clearly built to last. Almost 22 million viewers tuned in to watch Monica, Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe deal with the hilarious trials and tribulations of adult life in the 1990s. The premiere perfectly sets up the friendships and storylines that would carry the show for the next decade. Critics weren’t universally charmed by it, but the continued success of “Friends” in syndication and streaming speaks for itself.

1995: “Mad TV”
“Episode #1.1”

By the 1990s, it was common for sketch variety shows to debut and then quickly fizzle out. “In Living Color” had already aired its fifth and final season, and “Saturday Night Live” was two decades into a legendary run. So, let’s just say the odds were not in “Mad TV’s” favor when it made its debut in October 1995. The show’s pilot featured a skit of its cast being wrangled by producers from a number of comedically desperate or lowbrow situations. What immediately set it apart from “SNL” was the diverse cast. Its first episode starred Debra Wilson, Orlando Jones, and Phil LaMarr, introduced recurring characters like the Vancome Lady, and featured celebrity impersonations of Ice Cube and Ice-T.

1996: “Everybody Loves Raymond”
“Pilot”

At first glance, it’s another sitcom about a husband who loves but also kinda hates his wife for expecting him to do simple things around the house like be a parent. But one of the things that sets “Everybody Loves Raymond” apart is its supporting cast. Ray Barone’s eccentric brother and parents, played by Brad Garrett, Doris Roberts, and Peter Boyle, provide a lot of the comedy and a lot of the conflict between Ray and his wife, Debra. Without the strong introduction of these peculiar but lovable characters in the premiere episode, the television series wouldn’t be half as entertaining.

1997: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
“Welcome to the Hellmouth”

“Buffy” is one of the quintessential ‘90s shows. Since it’s basically a TV show based on a movie that didn’t make much of an impact, it took guts, pizazz, and a little polish to save Joss Whedon’s vampire-slaying high schooler from B movie obscurity. The fact that The WB even took a chance on it is a testament to the intriguing premise. In the premiere, Buffy Summers begins her story as a newcomer to Sunnydale High, where she befriends the teenage companions who will join her on her quests. Mirroring how the rest of the series would play out, the premiere introduced a monster while planting seeds for larger storylines. Reviews were positive and the show would grow into a cult phenomenon.

1998: “Sex and the City”
“Sex and the City”

Partly based on a newspaper column by writer Candace Bushnell, this show about life and love in the Big Apple became a phenomenon that remained viable for decades. It all started in the first episode, when Carrie Bradshaw and her friends decide to start treating physical encounters and romantic relationships the way men do. From the jump, the show makes clear their dilemma. “Sex and the City” is not just about a group of singles trying to find men. It’s about successful, career-minded women who want to have a partner without compromising themselves. The show spoke to millions of viewers who would forever identify themselves as either a Carrie, a Samantha, a Miranda, or a Charlotte.

1999: “The Sopranos”
“The Sopranos”

It starts off like a bad joke. Did you hear the one about the mafia boss who walked into a psychiatrist’s office? By the end of the first episode of what many critics call the best show ever, no one was laughing. We’ve been taken so many places by the end of this great hour of TV that Tony Soprano has become like a reluctant close friend. We meet him as a father and a leader. The complications of modern life introduce new ideas of what organized crime and masculinity will look like in the next century — and we can’t stop watching.

Did your favorite ‘90s show make the list? Let us know in the comments.