Summary
- Problematic TV shows from the 1990s highlight the lack of diversity in Hollywood and perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
- Couples with problematic dynamics push boundaries with uncomfortable courtship and illegal age gaps.
- Addressing bigger issues like racism, sexism, and homophobia requires the right approach to avoid reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
Certain TV shows from the 1990s were beloved while airing, and remain relevant, but their tone and stories are problematic today. Frequently, these problems stem from the lack of diversity in Hollywood, which has only recently begun to be rectified by giving a broader range of artists a platform to use their voices. When the people in the writer's room, on set, and behind the camera come from the same background, this can lead to jokes at the expense of individuals who weren't consulted on whether something would be offensive and reinforce stereotypes.
Even if the problematic aspects of these television series weren't created with the express intent to harm viewers, this doesn't change their impact, or the way they land today.
Even if the problematic aspects of these television series weren't created with the express intent to harm viewers, this doesn't change their impact, or the way they land today. TV show couples that are problematic push the boundaries even further with uncomfortable courtship and illegal age gaps. Sometimes, the plots with the most problems were attempts to tackle bigger issues like racism, sexism, homophobia, and many more. These topics shouldn't be shied away from, especially today, but there's a right and wrong way to approach these discussions.
10 TV Shows That Are Essential To Understanding The 1990s
Some television series completely encapsulate the decade in which they are made; these are the essential shows for understanding the 1990s.
8 Married...With Children (1987–1997)
Though the tone was meant to be satirical, it often missed the mark.
Almost all sitcoms since their inception have been in conversation with the very earliest examples on the air in the 1950s. In the post-war era, U.S. sitcoms attempted to reinforce "family values," and represent an idealized version of the nuclear family where the husband worked, the mother took care of the home, and the two children were perfect. It wasn't long before people pushed back on this false and restrictive image, and Married... With Children is part of the legacy of these shows.
Instead of showing the audience what the perfect family looked like, the series created the worst one imaginable. Al (Ed O'Neill) and Peggy (Katey Sagal) have a horrible marriage that borders on being verbally abusive throughout the show. Both of them and their two children are ridiculous caricatures of their familial roles and treat each other with contempt. However, it was enormously popular and pushed back against censorship throughout its run as audiences objected to some adult storylines. Unlike other '90s sitcoms, it hasn't had a large second life on streaming.
Married... With Children
- Release Date
- 1987 - 1997-00-00
- Network
- FOX
- Showrunner
- Ron Leavitt
Cast
Ed O'Neill
Katey Sagal
WHERE TO WATCH
This long-running sitcom follows the Chicago-based lives of hard-luck shoe salesman Al Bundy; his lazy wife Peggy; their ditzy daughter Kelly; and their smart-aleck son Bud.
- Directors
- Ron Leavitt
- Seasons
- 11
7 Home Improvement (1991–1999)
This was the TV series that launched Tim Allen to stardom.
The legacy of the Home Improvement show has faded and grown darker with time, and most younger audiences aren't familiar with the show the way they are with other offerings from the '90s. Part of this is because of the offensive jokes and terrible central relationship between Tim (Tim Allen) and Jill (Patricia Richardson). Jill ends up as the butt of Tim's jokes and is left to do the brunt of the work caring for their three sons. Additionally, the "Tool Time" segment of each episode featured young women who were blatantly objectified by the characters and series.
Additionally, there was significant controversy when the show ended because it reportedly was canceled when Richardson demanded equal pay with Allen, and Disney refused.
Additionally, there was significant controversy when the show ended because it reportedly was canceled when Richardson demanded equal pay with Allen, and Disney refused. The gender pay gap is still an enormous issue, not just in film and television, but in almost every field, especially for women of color. Outside the behind-the-scenes issues, Home Improvement rarely tried to break out of its straight white mold or grapple with the gender dynamics happening on and off the screen.
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Home Improvement
- Release Date
- 1991 - 1999-00-00
- Network
- ABC
- Showrunner
- Tim Allen
Cast
Tim AllenTim Taylor
Patricia RichardsonJill Taylor
WHERE TO WATCH
Home Improvement is a television sitcom that follows the life of Tim Taylor, a handyman and TV show host. Set in 1991, the show explores Tim's experiences raising three sons with his ive co-host, assertive wife, and enigmatic neighbor.
- Directors
- Peter Bonerz, Andrew Tsao, Andy Cadiff, Albert Alarr, Patricia Richardson, Richard Compton
- Seasons
- 8
6 Friends (1994–2004)
As one of the most enduring sitcoms, Friends made a surprising number of missteps.
Of all the shows from the 1990s, Friends has stood the test of time and is almost as well-loved today as it was when it was airing. Most of the actors on the show went on to have great careers, and streaming services are constantly fighting to house the series. However, it's impossible to love something without being able to critique it, and even a casual watcher can see that there are inherent issues with the show. All of the main cast is white, and people of color were only ever introduced as minor side characters or love interests.
Though there is a prominent lesbian character, Ross' (David Schwimmer) ex-wife, she and her wife are made fun of many times on the show. Additionally, one of Chandler's (Matthew Perry) parents is a trans woman, but she is invariably misgendered and treated terribly by the characters. Homophobia is often what first comes to mind when discussing Friends, but racism, flippant attitudes toward violence, and outlandish body-shaming should be ed as well. While it’s difficult to watch the most offensive episodes, they’re demonstrative of larger tone issues that run through the show.
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Friends is the popular sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, released back in 1994 and ran for ten seasons. The show follows a group of six twentysomethings through their lives in New York City and their time spent between their two apartments and their local coffee shop. The show features the group navigating tricky relationships with one another and comical misadventures.
- Directors
- David Crane, Marta Kauffman
- Seasons
- 10
5 That '70s Show (1998–2006)
Although it pushed boundaries, That '70s Show was rarely perfect.
That '70s Show allowed its male teenage characters to behave terribly to the women in their lives, and make many sexist remarks about them.
As season 2 draws closer, it's clear that the spinoff is dedicated to fixing some of the biggest issues with That '70s Show. Premiering in 1998 and taking place in the 1970s, the series followed the trend of nostalgia about the period twenty years before, a cyclical recurrence in the media and pop culture. This meant that marijuana and drug use were a significant part of the show and something the series got flack for. However, it isn't that teen drug use that's uncomfortable to witness when looking back on the show.
The character, Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), is a foreign exchange student who's treated as a stereotype. The other character's behavior toward him, and the fact that his real name was never revealed are brief examples of the show's racism. That '70s Show allowed its male teenage characters to behave terribly to the women in their lives, and make many sexist remarks about them. This is pushed back on by the strong lead female characters, but these women also face objectification. Additionally, the gay character Buddy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), is played for laughs and made fun of.
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That '70s Show
- Release Date
- 1998 - 2006-00-00
- Network
- FOX
- Showrunner
- Gregg Mettler
Cast
Topher Grace
Laura Prepon
WHERE TO WATCH
That ‘70s Show was one of Fox’s most popular sitcoms upon its release in 1998. Starring Topher Grace (Eric Forman), Laura Prepon (Donna Pinciotti), Mila Kunis (Jackie Burkhart), Danny Masterson (Steven Hyde), Wilmer Valderrama (Fez), and Ashton Kutcher (Michael Kelso), That ‘70s Show revolves around the teens’ mishaps as they grow up in Point Place Wisconsin in the 1970s.
- Directors
- David Trainer, Terry Hughes
- Seasons
- 8
4 Dawson's Creek (1998–2003)
Dawson's problematic treatment of women and Jen's characterization have not aged well.
Dawson's Creek was a cultural phenomenon and many of the most iconic memes of the internet generation were created from moments on the show. Starring James Van Der Beek as the titular character, Dawson, many of the plots revolved around what a "nice guy" Dawson thought he was, only to say something incredibly sexist to Jen (Michelle Williams), Joey (Katie Holmes), or the other female characters on the show. Jen faced particular hardship on the show as her attempts to find herself were labeled as sexual promiscuity, and she was condemned for it.
One of its biggest early missteps was having Pacey (Joshua Jackson) have a relationship with his teacher in high school, but this storyline was quickly squashed. On the positive end of the spectrum, Jack (Kerr Smith) was an openly gay character on the show, and though his plotlines weren't handled perfectly, it wasn't all bad. While Dawson's Creek attempted to tackle the biggest struggles facing teens in the '90s, the way the series goes about it is alienating to young audiences today.
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Dawson's Creek
- Release Date
- 1998-00-00 - 2003-00-00
- Network
- The WB
- Directors
- Greg Berlanti
Cast
James Van Der Beek
Katie Holmes
WHERE TO WATCH
In the small town of Capeside, Massachusetts, fifteen-year-old Dawson Leery and his friends — tomboy Joey, class clown Pacey, and many more — experience the highs and lows of teenage life and coming of age.
- Seasons
- 6
3 Ally McBeal (1997–2002)
Ally's workplace relationships and dynamics are unprofessional, unbelievable, and undeniably sexist.
Women are never afforded the same praise or opportunities, with nuanced female characters painted as awful and irredeemable.
Having female main characters that are complex and at times unlikeable is an essential part of television, and media in general. Men are frequently allowed to be anti-heroes and are praised for their amazing performances capturing truly despicable characters. Women are never afforded the same praise or opportunities, with nuanced female characters painted as awful and irredeemable. In Ally McBeal, Ally (Calista Flockhart) is never written to be three-dimensional. She is only ever characterized as part of a romantic entanglement instead of a fully developed character.
Watch Ally McBeal on Disney+.
The way the writers and creators engage with Ally constantly puts her in competition with other women and in a position to put them down or for them to insult her. Additionally, Ally and the other characters make sexist, homophobic, and racist comments frequently throughout the series. As time has gone on, Ally McBeal’s legacy has become mixed. However, it's difficult to ignore that a character like Ally wouldn't be written or expected by contemporary audiences.
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Ally McBeal
- Release Date
- 1997 - 2002-00-00
- Network
- FOX
- Showrunner
- David E. Kelley
- Directors
- David E. Kelley
- Writers
- David E. Kelley
Cast
Greg Germann
WHERE TO WATCH
The legal comedy drama Ally McBeal is a series that ran from 1997 to 2002, following the personal and professional life of a young lawyer named Ally McBeal (Calista Flockhart) as she navigates the ups and downs of her relationships and career at a Boston law firm. Greg Germann, Jane Krakowski, Lucy Liu, and Robert Downey Jr. appear in ing roles.
- Seasons
- 5
2 Sex And The City (1998–2004)
While Sex and the City is a blueprint for TV shows about New York, it reveled in its offensive moments.
Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw is one of the most iconic TV characters of all time, and the worst things Carrie did on Sex and the City only strengthened the audience’s love-hate relationship with her. Each of the four central women in Sex and the City had their issues, and were unapologetically themselves, even if they owed others an apology. They were all rich, white, and incredibly privileged to the point that Sex and the City became a fantasy rather than a real exploration of life in the late '90s and early 2000s.
The recent reboot, And Just Like That..., has been trying to make up for the lack of diversity by including people of color in the main cast, centering on LGBTQ+ relationships, and focusing on love during life's second act. Unfortunately, these attempts to walk back the glaring issues of Sex and the City did nothing to give the reboot an edge. Offensive jokes and comments aren't what made Sex and the City special, they're what make it hard to watch today. However, And Just Like That... refuses to make its characters flawed, which was part of their charm.
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Sex and the City
- Release Date
- 1998 - 2004-00-00
- Network
- HBO Max
- Showrunner
- Darren Star
Cast
Kim Cattrall
Cynthia Nixon
WHERE TO WATCH
Sex in the City follows Carrie Bradshaw, a New York writer who finds inspiration for her column from the genuine, emotional, and often humorous exploits of life in the city. ed by best friends Miranda Hobbes, Charlotte York, and Samantha Jones, Sex and the City follows the ups and downs of the characters' romantic relationships, being single, sex, and friendship as 30-something women.
- Seasons
- 6
1 Everybody Loves Raymond (1996–2005)
Debra is essentially a single mother as Ray does little to protect her from his overbearing family.
When watching Everybody Loves Raymond today, it's easy to hate Raymond (Ray Romano) as he embodies everything wrong with the American ideal of masculinity. He expects his wife, Debra (Patricia Heaton), to raise their three children alone and rarely helps with any housework. This is compounded by the fact that Ray's mother constantly berates and antagonizes Debra, creating an unhealthy relationship between the two that feeds on stereotypes about mothers-in-law and pits the two lead female characters against each other.
Additionally, there is virtually no diversity within and outside the white main cast, and contemporary social issues are all but forgotten.
Ray is hardly the only man who cares little for his wife, as his father exhibits the same behavior, and they gang up on Ray's older brother, Robbie (Brad Garrett). While these issues might not seem as glaring on the surface, they're representative of a culture that disregards and subjugates women. Shows like Everybody Loves Raymond communicate to audiences that this treatment is okay and should be encouraged. Additionally, there is virtually no diversity within and outside the white main cast, and contemporary social issues are all but forgotten.
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Everybody Loves Raymond
- Release Date
- 1996 - 2005-00-00
- Network
- CBS
- Showrunner
- Phil Rosenthal
Cast
Ray Barone
Patricia HeatonDebra Barone
WHERE TO WATCH
Everybody Loves Raymond follows the dysfunctional Barone family, an Italian-American family living in Long Island, New York.
- Seasons
- 9
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