Entertainment
The Best '90s TV Dramas
List Rules
The greatest drama TV series that aired during the 1990s
The best ‘90s drama shows weighed heavily toward sci-fi premises, but gave equal time to angsty teen dramas and crime procedurals. In fact, we have the 1990s to thank for the exponential growth of the Law and Order franchise. Though some of the greatest TV dramas of the ‘90s might be comedy-drama hybrids rather than straight-up drama, the hour-long format allowed those shows to tackle more serious subjects than a sitcom.
Some of the ‘90s greatest dramas dominated what came to be known as water-cooler viewing, like The X-files, Twin Peaks, and The West Wing. Other shows didn’t quite dominate in the ratings, like Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and The Sopranos, yet they secured a spot in TV history as some of the best ever in the genre.
As the Internet grew in access and popularity, we saw some of the greatest ‘90s dramas draw from the new phenomenon. (Recall Ally McBeal’s use of the dancing baby meme.) Though DVR wasn’t introduced until 1999, VHS recording allowed for delayed viewing, necessitating the rise of the SPOILER ALERT.
Finally, we have to thank a few of the best ‘90s drama shows for launching the careers of Jessica Biel (7th Heaven), Claire Danes (My So-Called Life), and James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek), reviving the careers of James Spader (The Practice), Rob Lowe (The West Wing), and Robert Downey, Jr. (Ally McBeal). And, really, we have to thank Dick Wolf for filling the airwaves end to end with witty banter and weeping victims.Ranked by
- 1March 10, 1997
- Actors: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, James Marsters, Emma Caulfield
Buffy Summers battles evil in the suburbs. - 2September 24, 1993
- Actors: Ben Savage, William Daniels, Betsy Randle, Will Friedle, Rider Strong
A coming-of-age comedy follows Cory Matthews as he juggles school, friends and romance. - 3October 7, 1998
- Actors: Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, Holly Marie Combs, Shannen Doherty, Brian Krause
Three sisterly witches battle the supernatural. - 4September 10, 1993
- Actors: Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny, Mitch Pileggi, Robert Patrick, Annabeth Gish
FBI special agents probe cases involving phenomena that defy conventional explanations. - 5September 20, 1999
- Actors: Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Octavio Pisano
Capt. Benson and her NYPD squad fight for justice in cases ripped straight from the headlines. - 6September 19, 1994
- Actors: Anthony Edwards, George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, Sherry Stringfield, Noah Wyle
Doctors labor to save lives in the emergency room of a Chicago hospital. - 7October 4, 1990
- Actors: Ian Ziering, Jennie Garth, Brian Austin Green, Tori Spelling, Jason Priestley
Friends face triumphs and tragedies as young adults. - 8March 26, 1989
- Actors: Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell, Dennis Wolfberg, W. K. Stratton, Carolyn Seymour
A psychiatrist travels through time to alter people's futures for the better. - 9January 20, 1998
- Actors: James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Michelle Williams, Kerr Smith
Dawson Leery and his friends come of age. - 101990
- Actors: Chris Noth, Sam Waterson
Detectives and prosecutors pursue justice in the New York City streets and courtrooms. - 11August 25, 1994
- Actors: Bess Armstrong, Wilson Cruz, Claire Danes, Devon Gummersall, A.J. Langer
A teen finds new friends and trouble in high school. - 12October 5, 1999
- Actors: David Boreanaz, Alexis Denisof, J. August Richards, Amy Acker, Andy Hallett
A vampire with a conscience saves lost souls in Los Angeles. - 13September 22, 1989
- Actors: David Hasselhoff, Mitzi Kapture, David Chokachi, Kelly Packard, Michael Bergin
Lifeguards deal with life on and off the beach. - 14January 10, 1999
- Actors: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Dominic Chianese
Tony Soprano tries to be a good family man and run the New Jersey mob. - 15September 4, 1995
- Actors: Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor
Xena helps people free themselves against tyranny and injustice. - 16August 26, 1996
- Actors: Stephen Collins, Catherine Hicks, David Gallagher, Beverley Mitchell, Mackenzie Rosman
The Rev. Eric and Annie Camden raise seven children. - 17September 12, 1994
- Actors: Matthew Fox, Scott Wolf, Neve Campbell
Party of Five (Fox, 1994) is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman. After their parents' untimely death, five siblings (Matthew Fox, Scott Wolf, ...more - 18April 21, 1993
- Actors: Chuck Norris, Clarence Gilyard, Sheree J. Wilson, Noble Willingham, Nia Peeples
A Ranger uses his instincts and experience to solve crimes. - 19April 8, 1990
- Actors: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook, Richard Beymer
An FBI agent investigates murders in a Pacific Northwest town. - 20January 1, 1993
- Actors: Jane Seymour, Joe Lando, John Schneider, Chad Allen, Jessica Bowman
A female doctor in the 1880s fights for acceptance in Colorado. - 21September 8, 1997
- Actors: Calista Flockhart, Greg Germann, Jane Krakowski, Peter MacNicol, Portia de Rossi
A young attorney joins a prestigious law firm whose staff includes her ex-boyfriend. - 22July 8, 1992
- Actors: Grant Show, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Andrew Shue, Thomas Calabro, Josie Bissett
Eight adults live on their own for the first time in Los Angeles. - 23July 12, 1990
- Actors: Rob Morrow, Janine Turner, John Corbett, Cynthia Geary, John Cullum
A New Yorker adjusts to life in a rural town in Alaska. - 24September 21, 1994
- Actors: Roma Downey, Della Reese, John Dye, Valerie Bertinelli
Dispatched from heaven, a group of angels helps those in need. - 25September 21, 1993
- Actors: Dennis Franz, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gordon Clapp, Bill Brochtrup, Henry Simmons
New York City police officers deal with their professional and personal lives.
