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Best of ’90s Television Comedies

The cast of “Roseanne” from Carsey-Werner Distribution.

Like we were saying before: People just love the ‘90s.

Want proof? This March Roseanne, a show that ended more than 20 years ago and epitomized the decade, came back to TV for its tenth season and absolutely killed it in the ratings. Similarly, last fall, Will & Grace was revived by NBC and has also been welcomed with enthusiastic ratings.

So what other ’90s comedy do you think needs a reboot? Have a look below and decide. We’re bringing you the next installment in our ’90s revisit with our picks for the best ’90s comedies.

Roseanne — Amazon Prime/TVLand

For a lot of people, myself included, Roseanne was a formative series. It wasn’t supposed to be. It was after all just a sitcom. And perhaps that’s why it worked so well: simply because you weren’t expecting it. More so than any other show in that era, Roseanne approached hot button topics in a relatable way, and of course we all couldn’t wait for their Halloween episode every year.

Ally McBeal — Hulu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYUavFaQwEw

Ally McBeal was a dramedy that dominated television for several years. Starring Calista Flockhart, Portia De Rossi, Jane Krakowski and Lucy Liu, this show expertly toed the line between courtroom drama, soap opera, and comedy. Everyone will always remember the dancing baby (that represented Ally’s ticking maternal clock) and the co-ed bathroom.

Friends — Netflix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHvzX2pl2ec

Part of the reason that Gilmore Girls was revived was that when it was released on Netflix it was such a big hit. Brand new audiences who had never seen the show were discovering it for the first time and loving it. The same can be said for Friends, except we haven’t heard much in the way about a revival. But who knows, keep marathoning those episodes and it could happen!

Sports Night — Episodes from $.99 cents and up.

Sports Night is a comedy about a sports show, its stars, producers, and staff. Penned by none other than Aaron Sorkin, the writing here is on point. Unfortunately, the show was short-lived. This comedy only lasted two (glorious!) seasons.

Seinfeld — Hulu

This list wouldn’t be complete without Seinfeld, a show that stars Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and paved the way for many multi-camera sitcoms that were not family-centric after Cheers.

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air — Episodes from $1.99 and up.

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air gave us all the gift of Will Smith. More importantly? It gave us The Carlton.

Mr. Show With Bob & David — Amazon Prime/HBO

This little-known and deeply cynical HBO sketch comedy has also enjoyed the gift of revival, thanks to Netflix’s W/ Bob & David. Starring Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, Mr. Show was a critical darling, but sadly largely ignored by audiences.

Frasier — Netflix/Hulu/CBS/Amazon Prime/CBS All Access

Kelsey Grammer reprised his Cheers character to bring us Frasier, a spin-off that lasted 11 long seasons.

Will & Grace — NBC/Hulu/DirectTV Now

Will & Grace were the title characters here, but were always competing for the limelight with Jack and Karen, played (respectively) by Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally. The strength of the show lies with its hilarious writing, the endlessly talented cast, and the lengths that they’re willing to go to for a laugh.

NewsRadio — Crackle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sznFrfaWWc

The quirky staff at an AM radio station populates the NewsRadio ensemble cast. Phil Hartman stars here in his last role, as Bill McNeal, co-anchor for WNYX.

Everybody Loves Raymond — Episodes from $1.99 and up.

Like Roseanne, Everybody Loves Raymond was a classic family sitcom. Ray Romano is the titular character, a regular guy who lives with his family in Long Island. (Romano has had a bit of a renaissance as of late, earning praise for his roles in Parenthood and The Big Sick.)

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