You know one of the best things about TV shows back then? There wasn’t as much choice. Back in the day, you didn’t have hundreds of new shows thrust on you every month, with too many to choose from. None of the three-hour scrolling sessions you have to do nowadays before you finally go back to the first show you saw.
You also had the waiting-in-anticipation period. This was the part when you had to actually wait a week for the next episode. Can you believe it? But during that time you got to chat with your mates about what had happened and your theories about how the next episode would go. Face-to-face chats, rather than the ones you do staring at your phone. You counted the days till the next episode, and it was all part of the experience.
And the shows back then seemed more experimental. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but the shows that did generally kicked ass.
Let’s revisit some of the kick-ass ones, and where you can stream them today, without that 7-day interruption between each episode.
The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air 1990-1996
Before he became an awards-show bitch-slapper, a young Will Smith was strutting his stuff in this popular show. He played a cocky, smartass teenager who had been sent to live with his snooty relatives in Bel Air. Well, you know the annoying song. Like a young Dennis Waterman, he starred in the show, wrote the theme tune, sang the theme tune, etc.
The show ran for 148 episodes and mixed great humour with an exploration of class differences and even some moments that properly tugged at the viewer’s heartstrings.
Go on, you know the word. “Now, this is a story all about how…”
Where to stream: Apple TV, Amazon, HBO Max, Hulu, Paramount+
Twin Peaks 1990-1991
And the winner of the “What Exactly The Fuck Is Going On Award” goes to….
But that was part of the appeal. To be fair, you needed at least a week (and a fair amount of dope) in between each episode to even get a grip on what was happening half the time. David Lynch has always worked in mysterious ways, and despite Twin Peaks being full of some of the strangest characters you’d ever come across, you kind of felt you’d still like to live there.
It was part horror, part soap opera, part murder mystery. Who killed Laura Palmer? Well if you follow the clues you might just work it out. But probably not. Even though the ratings weren’t high enough to warrant a third season, it gathered a cult following and was a series that was talked about for decades after.
Where to stream: Hulu, Paramount+
The Sopranos 1999-2007
For some, TV reached its peak when this show landed. James Gandolfini was the perfect casting for mobster Tony Soprano as he tried to juggle his day job with his family, in a similar way to Walter White in Breaking Bad. The latter show coincidentally hit our screens the year after The Sopranos final episode was shown.
It’s another of those shows that you can’t stop talking about and, because there seemed to be something in there for everyone. it appealed fo a wide demographic.
Audience demand meant that a feature film was made in 2021. The Many Saints of Newark starred the late James Gandolfini's son Michael as Tony Soprano and was a prequel to the series.
If you’re late to the party, don’t panic. There are still plenty of ways to watch it.
Where to stream: HBO Max
Buffy The Vampire Slayer 1997-2003
Yeah, we know why you watched this one. Sarah Michelle Gellar was awesome as the killer of the Nosferatu. Despite the fact that this was one of the most popular shows of its time, it had a serious lack of recognition at the awards ceremonies. Perhaps it was too high-brow for some with its feminist undertones and hidden messages.
One thing’s for sure. If there was something stiff rising from the dead, you’d want Sarah Michelle Gellar by your side.
Where to stream: Disney+, Amazon, Apple TV, Hulu, Paramount+
The X-Files 1993-2018
“I want to believe”, said the poster on Fox Mulder’s office wall. Dana Scully thought it was all bullshit of course. You kind of knew how frustrated you were going to get at the end of each episode as Mulder tried to convince Scully of the existence of little green men and ghosts. But you always knew she’d be sneezing at the wrong time, in the ladies, or polishing her shoulder pads when the spaceships landed. “Inconclusive” was always her inevitable summary at the end of each episode. But you still went along for the ride each week.
The show ran for ten seasons from 1993 and was brought back again in 2016 for a surprise bonus season. You want to believe it’ll return again.
The Simpsons 1989 to present
The family from hell eventually warmed our hearts enough for us to crave them more. Now in its 36th season, our former cover stars continue to grace our screens without actually getting any older. Some say they probably should have stopped after the first ten seasons, but the popularity is still there. Perhaps it’s evolving in the wrong direction for some?
The die-hard fans still watch in their millions, and use quotes from the series as part of their daily life. Don’t believe me? Say “Steamed hams” to a Simpsons fan and watch their reaction.
Where to stream: Channel-4, Disney+
South Park 1997 to present
If you liked your jokes a lot more risky than those on The Simpsons, you drove right past Springfield and headed to Colorado where four college kids would satisfy your need for profanity and dark humour. Here, they explored everyday life to the extreme and didn’t hold back, right from the start.
An animated series born in the 90s seemed to stay the distance and the fact that it’s still going after all this time and seems to be more popular than ever is tantamount to that. It’s now the third longest-running cartoon series of all time.
If you’re easily offended, or even slightly offended by dark jokes, keep on driving.
Where to stream it today: Paramount+, Amazon, NOW, Apple TV, HBO Max
Sex And The City 1998-2004
“So, it’s a show about three hookers and their mom?”, asked Brian Griffin on Family Guy, after watching the show for the first time. Not quite, The adventures of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte were followed by millions of fans around the world. Even blokes who sat through the episodes with their partners ended up with their eyes wide open, gripped by the antics, and dirty talk. “Oh, so women like sex too?”, they gasped in disbelief.
This is another series that doesn’t seem to know just when to stop, but you’ve got to give the public what it wants, or at least the fans, anyhow. The dating scene hasn’t got any easier in recent years, as confirmed in their comeback series And Just Like That. But, hey, age is just a number.
Where to stream: Now, Apple TV, HBO Max
Friends 1994-2004
One that simply can’t be left out of any list is what many describe as the best sitcom ever. Before this show, no one had heard of the main cast, but they immediately became part of our lives. Perhaps one of the cleverest things about the show was the fact that all six of the main characters had very differend personalities, meaning that viewers could relate to a particular one.
Yeah, most blokes wanted to be Chandler, but my mates would probably label me as a “Ross”, or maybe “Phoebe”. It’s been syndicated all over the worlds and there’s barely a streaming platform where it doesn’t appear, and it seems to be gaining new fans all the time.
It’s one of those shows where you watch it for the first time wondering what all the fuss is about and they suddenly the penny drops. Clever scripts, and brilliant acting.
Where to stream: Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV, HBO Max
Frasier 1993-2004
Those who weren’t old enough to remember Cheers still got into this spin-off show about psychiatrist Frasier Crane, played by the brilliant Kelsey Grammer. His off-beat advice on his radio show was one of the highlights every week and you felt that an hour on the couch listening to Frasier's advice would have been enough to sort out your screwed up life. David Hyde Pierce played his younger brother Niles and the pair were one of the classic comedy double acts, bouncing brilliant lines and insults off each other.
Even Eddie the dog got into the action. “Don't you dare gloat, you miserable little biscuit whore” was one of the lines that still lives rent free in my head and comes out from time to time when the moment is right. And sometimes at the most inappropriate moments. “Oh Dear God, Niles!”
Where to stream: Channel 4, Apple TV, Amazon, Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+
