10 Forgotten '90s Shows That Have Aged Like Milk
Plenty of TV shows came and went in the 1990s, and while there are some hidden gems worth returning to, there's plenty still that you don't need to feel obligated to check back on. It's shocking to go back in the decades and see all the shows that aired, sometimes for multiple seasons, that you just plain forgot about.
There's only so much time in the week to devote to TV; you can't watch it all. It makes you wonder what current classics you're missing if there's so much that snuck past you decades ago. As these '90s shows prove, however, not every series that comes out is worth giving time to, especially with three decades or more of hindsight.
Baby Talk (1991-1992)
You may have heard of the Look Who's Talking series of movies, but chances are you've forgotten about the pseudo-spinoff TV series that premiered on ABC in 1991. Baby Talk takes the babies speaking-as-adults joke, already a bit uninspired, and stretches it out over two seasons.
The series follows single mother Maggie Campbell (Julia Duffy in season 1, and Mary Page Keller in season 2), who is looking for a husband and father for her son, Mickey (voiced by Tony Danza), who vocalizes his thoughts to the world. It's goofy and cheesy, and not too funny, but it is interesting seeing George Clooney in a pre-ER TV show.
Baywatch Nights (1995-1997)
The original Baywatch was a popular '90s series, even if it wasn't the most acclaimed, but Baywatch Nights doesn't even have the popularity aspect down. Perhaps it's because, instead of being a spinoff set in the twilight hours with typical Baywatch storylines, it's a sci-fi mystery drama more in the vein of The X-Files.
The first season of the series is a typical, beach-based crime drama, starring Baywatch's Gregory Alan Williams again as Sgt. Garner Ellerbee. In Nights, Garner quits the police force and forms a private detective agency. Even before the pivot to paranormal crimes in season 2, Baywatch Nights had none of the fun of the original series, and didn't replace it with compelling crime scenarios.
Breaking The Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed (1997)
Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed does exactly what it says in the title. The short-lived series consisted of a silent, masked magician introducing famous magic tricks from other TV shows, Las Vegas performances, or even street magic shows, and revealing the hidden tricks behind each.
The series was narrated by Mitch Pileggi, who would often make abrasive jokes, either about the audience's intelligence, the trick itself, or more oddly, the female assistants present in each trick. There was an overly sexual bent to much of the commentary, and looking back, it makes for a weird, even gross tone.
Capitol Critters (1992-1996)
In the wake of The Simpsons' success, several networks tried their hands at the adult animated series. One of the more ill-advised attempts was Capitol Critters, produced by Hanna-Barbera for ABC. The one-season series, which aired 13 episodes between 1992 and 1996, followed the anthropomorphic pests living in the walls and basement of the White House.
Rats, mice, and cockroaches voiced by the likes of Neil Patrick Harris, Bobcat Goldthwait, and Frank Welker got involved in daily adventures that often reflected real-world political issues of the '90s. It was an overwritten series from the start, and the political satire feels trite and unfunny all these years later.
Cop Rock (1990)
Cop Rock creators Steven Bochco and William M. Finkelstein worked together previously on standouts in the cop drama genre with shows like L.A. Law, Hill Street Blues, and NYPD Blue. Their 1990 series was a low point in their partnership, and it fittingly only lasted one season and 11 episodes.
Cop Rock is a police procedural, but it's also a musical, with choreography and musical breakouts interrupting the procedural elements constantly. It was hokey in 1990, and in the 2020s it almost feels like a parody show. It may sound like an interesting combination, but the competing elements don't gel at all.
Family Dog (1993)
Family Dog is another 1990s adult animated series that didn't pan out. Oscar-winning director Brad Bird helmed this CBS series based on an episode of the 1987 anthology series, Amazing Stories. Danny Elfman composed the score, and Tim Burton and Steven Spielberg were both executive producers.
Despite this high pedigree of creatives, Family Dog was a failure. The series is told from the point of view of Jonah (Brad Bird), a Bull Terrier and the Binsford family dog. The jokes stem from the Binsfords' mistreatment of Jonah, which borders on sadistic at some points and completely takes the wind out of whatever comedy there is.
Homeboys In Outer Space (1996-1997)
The science-fiction comedy mashup, Homeboys in Outer Space stars Flex Alexander and Darryl Bell as Ty Walker and Morris Clay, respectively, two astronauts in the 23rd century. Ty and Morris fly around the universe in a car-shaped ship called "Space Hoopty", a cross between a lowrider and a semi truck. It's piloted by a female computer under the name Loquatia (Rhona Bennett).
It's unclear exactly what audience Homeboys in Outer Space is for, and its mash-up of genres, and often unfortunate jokes and racial profiling, makes for an uncomfortable and boring watch. With some tweaking, it could have been a smart satire of many genres, but it ends up missing the mark in every direction.
Over The Top (1997)
Tim Curry and Annie Potts co-star in Over the Top, an ABC sitcom about a self-involved former soap-opera actor, Simon Ferguson (Curry), who moves into an NYC hotel run by his ex-wife, Hadley (Potts), from 20 years earlier. Steve Carell co-stars as Yorgo Galfanikos, a hyperactive Greek chef.
It's worth checking out clips from the show just to watch Carell going all in on his character, but the rest of the series has aged very poorly. The series only lasted for 12 episodes, and only three ever aired on network TV. It wasn't charming enough as a romance, smart enough as a satire of the industry, nor funny enough as a comedy.
Uncle Buck (1990-1991)
There were a few '90s shows based on popular movies, but few of them are worth returning to, and Uncle Buck may be the worst of the bunch. Based on the 1989 film of the same name, Uncle Buck stars Kevin Meaney as the titular Buck Russell, stepping in for John Candy, who would sadly pass away only five years after the Uncle Buck movie.
The series takes a dark turn, with the parents from the film being killed off in the pilot, necessitating Uncle Buck to be the three Russell children's full-time guardian. Uncle Buck still deals in all the slap-stick goofy humor of the film, though to much less success, and the grim conceit of the show is hard to overlook on rewatch.
The Norm Show (1999-2001)
The late Norm Macdonald is one of the comic greats, a staple of Saturday Night Live, late-night television, and plenty of classic comedies where even his brief appearances are often the best parts. That doesn't mean he couldn't put out something less than from time to time, however.
After season 1, The Norm Show was shortened to Norm.
His sitcom, The Norm Show, is in a long line of comedian-centric comedies that don't work well. Norm is doing what he does best, but that sarcastic, slow reveal, anti-joke style doesn't work as well in a fictional television show as it does on Conan O'Brien's couch. The chemistry between the cast is the real struggle, and the series was canceled after three seasons.