10 Sitcoms From The 1990s That Barely Anyone Remembers

The affection for many ’90s sitcoms persisted into the subsequent decades, but a few series have been neglected. Certain sitcoms like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Friends have become synonymous with the decade and the legacy of such shows has overshadowed some overlooked gems. While a few of the forgotten ’90s shows only lasted for a few episodes, others have multiple seasons to their names. Shows like NewsRadio and Grace Under Fire lasted for a few years, but aren’t widely discussed anymore.

Unfortunately, when airing on television networks, the possibility of a poor time slot led to many series getting canceled after receiving low ratings. Additionally, with as many sitcoms as there were in the ’90s, new TV shows in the genre needed more than likable characters to stand out and prove to audiences why their show was worthy among the best sitcoms concurrently on air. Regardless of a well-written script or star power in the cast, many ’90s sitcoms have slipped from the public’s memory.

10

Townies (1996)

20-something-year-old girls dream of a big city

Many sitcoms from the 90s ran into a similar problem. Even if the characters are likable and the storyline is well-written and entertaining, there isn’t always enough to differentiate the series from other popular sitcoms at the time — especially those that revolve around a group of friends. The 1996 sitcom Townies has a similar issue. It centers around three women in their 20s (Jenna Elfman, Lauren Graham, and Molly Ringwald) living in a small town. The sitcom has a cozy feeling and a decent amount of humor.

Ringwald had already been a well-known face after her association as a Brat Pack member, but Elfman and Graham were fairly new to the industry at the time. With fresh talent and a hopeful concept, Townies had the potential to grow into something bigger. However, its similarities to great sitcoms before it and an unfortunate time slot on ABC led to the series being canceled after 15 episodes, five of which never aired.

9

Grace Under Fire (1993-1998)

A mother works to provide her family with a better life

A behind-the-scenes controversy had a hand in the cancelation of the family sitcom Grace Under Fire. Starring comedian Brett Butler as the titular mother, Grace Under Fire saw the character starting a new life after leaving her ex-husband. The sitcom’s characters and tone drew many comparisons to Roseanne, but it still managed to last for five seasons. Butler was a strong lead and was well-supported by actors playing her family and colleagues.

Grace Under Fire was only canceled for reasons surrounding Butler’s behavior on set. As a result of the bad press and an inconsistent filming schedule, the series’ ratings declined drastically. Today, Grace Under Fire isn’t widely remembered. Instead, those who do recall the series’ name, are more likely to remember the real-life drama rather than the fictional life of Grace’s that was shaping up nice.

8

Two Guys And A Girl (1998-2001)

Three friends find their way through careers and relationships

Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place

Pete, Berg, and Sharon, three twenty-somethings, navigate the ups and downs of life, love, and career while sharing an apartment in Boston and working at Beacon Street Pizza. Pete, an architecture student, and Berg, a medical student, are best friends, while Sharon, their friend, deals with the corporate world. The series delves into their romantic entanglements, career challenges, and the humorous and heartfelt moments of their friendships.

Cast

Traylor Howard
, Ryan Reynolds
, Richard Ruccolo
, Suzanne Cryer
, Nathan Fillion
, Jillian Bach
, Jennifer Westfeldt
, Julius Carry

Release Date

March 10, 1998

Seasons

4

Known today as the title character of Deadpool, one of Ryan Reynold’s first major roles was in the sitcom Two Guys and a Girl. Titled Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place during its first two seasons, the sitcom revolved around the three characters (Ryan Reynolds, Richard Ruccolo, and Traylor Howard), as they form relationships during their college years. Two Guys and a Girl follows a formula established in many sitcoms with similar antics played out and contrasting traits in its lead characters (a mischievous friend (Reynolds) dragging his anxious friend into trouble (Ruccolo)).

However, the expected storylines are well-written, making the series feel fresh and entertaining. The humor in Two Guys and a Girl isn’t lazy and additional characters in later seasons help round out the show. One of the added characters in season 2 is Nathan Fillion as Johnny Donnelly, one of the actor’s earliest roles. Eventually, Two Guys and a Girl was canceled due to low ratings.

7

Sports Night (1998-2000)

The balance of pressure and excitement working at a network show

Sports Night

Cast

Josh Charles
, Peter Krause
, Felicity Huffman
, Joshua Malina
, Sabrina Lloyd
, Robert Guillaume

Release Date

September 22, 1998

Seasons

2

Aaron Sorkin is the writer and creator behind acclaimed dramas such as The West Wing and The Social Network, but in the late ’90s, he created his first TV show, a sitcom titled Sports Night. The comedy series follows a group of producers and anchors of the titular sports news program. Although there is plenty of humor in Sports Night, much of it is dry and there isn’t any absurd humor or one-liners that are typically associated with the genre.

Balancing the humor of Sports Night is a digestible amount of drama — neither element overpowers the other. Wanting to have an equal mix of the two genres, Sorkin originally asked that the series’ laugh track be removed, but ABC felt the show would work better with one. Though the laugh track was gone by season 2, it was clear there were two conflicting ideas about what the show was. As a result, Sports Night never accumulated a strong enough audience and Sorkin moved on to other projects that overshadowed the sitcom as the years went by.

6

NewsRadio (1995-1999)

The day-to-day lives of news radio reporters

NewsRadio (1995)

NewsRadio is a sitcom set in a fictional New York City AM news radio station, WNYX. Premiering in 1995, the series stars Dave Foley as the station’s news director and features a diverse cast including Phil Hartman, Stephen Root, and Maura Tierney. The show humorously explores the dynamics among the eclectic team of news anchors, producers, and office staff, blending workplace comedy with character-driven humor.

Cast

Dave Foley
, Maura Tierney
, Stephen Root
, Andy Dick
, Vicki Lewis

Release Date

March 21, 1995

Seasons

5

Just as many sitcoms do, NewsRadio follows the lives of a group of employees. The sitcom is centered around a news radio station in particular and has an impressive ensemble cast. The NewsRadio cast has gone on to have successful careers, but the ’90s series isn’t often brought up in general pop culture discussions. During its five seasons, NewsRadio implemented a great deal of physical and absurd humor.

The level of such comedy was dialed up, but never in a way that was displeasing. NewsRadio‘s earned laughter can be credited to the many comedians on the show, including Andy Dick and Phil Hartman. NewsRadio only began to decline in quality when Hartman’s death caused the actor to be replaced. Following the replacement of Hartman’s character, the original essence of NewsRadio went missing and the sitcom faded in popularity.

5

Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper (1992-1997)

A former basketball player inspires others as a coach

Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper

Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper is a sitcom starring Mark Curry as Mark Cooper, a former NBA player turned substitute teacher navigating life, friendships, and humorous situations in Oakland, California.

Cast

Mark Curry
, Holly Robinson Peete
, Sandra Quarterman
, Marquise Wilson
, Raven-Symone
, Omar Gooding
, Nell Carter
, dawnn lewis

Release Date

September 22, 1992

Seasons

5

Mark Curry starred in Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper as the titular character. Curry’s character has a few similarities to LL Cool J’s character in another ’90s sitcom. Both men are former athletes, a basketball player and a football player. However, Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper still felt like something new and aired successfully as part of ABC’s TGIF Friday night lineup.

After his basketball career came to an end, Mark Cooper began working as a teacher and basketball coach and started a relationship with his roommate Vanessa (Holly Robinson). Robinson, of 21 Jump Street fame, and Curry have compelling on-screen chemistry and their relationship is an endearing part of the show. Additionally, Raven-Symoné stars in the series in one of her earliest major TV roles. Raven-Symoné’s character is Nicole Lee, Mark’s younger cousin.

4

New Attitude (1990)

Two sisters open up a beauty salon

New Attitude aired on ABC but lasted for only six episodes, with two additional episodes that never aired. The series follows two sisters, Vicki (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Yvonne (Phyllis Yvonne Stickney), after they open up a beauty salon. New Attitude is based on Shelly Garrett’s play Beauty Shop and was strongly led by Ralph and Stickney. It’s difficult to know what New Attitude could have turned into, but the sisters’ contrasting personalities were entertaining to watch as they navigated their way out of comical scenarios.

New Attitude wasn’t a revolutionary sitcom, but its unfortunate cancelation has led many to forget about the show. Luckily, the stars from the short-lived ’90s sitcom have gone on to have successful careers. Throughout the ’90s, Stickney found success in films like Malcolm X and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and, in recent years, Ralph has become known for her award-winning role of Barbara Howard in Abbott Elementary.

3

The Single Guy (1995-1997)

The daily adventures of a single guy in New York City

Critics and audiences were split on the ’90s sitcom The Single Guy. Audiences regularly tuned in to early episodes of The Single Guy to see what Jonathan Eliot (Jonathan Silverman) was getting up to next. However, critics felt the show was too similar to popular sitcoms at the time, such as Friends and Seinfeld — two shows the public has a better time remembering than The Single Guy. Ratings eventually dropped and the sitcom was canceled after two seasons.

It’s difficult to ignore the similarities that critics pointed out when The Single Guy featured a café where Jonathan and his friends hung around, much like the one in Friends. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and David Schwimmer also acted as guest stars in the series, with the latter appearing as his character from Friends, Ross Geller. Still, Silverman was a charming lead, proving he had a knack for comedy and was fit to carry a sitcom like The Single Guy, had the show been able to continue.

2

My Brother And Me (1994-1995)

The shenanigans of two brothers

From Sister, Sister to Full House, sibling relationships play a big part in many sitcoms. However, a pair of siblings that are often forgotten are brothers Alfie and Dee-Dee Parker from My Brother and Me. Alfie and Dee-Dee are an underrated duo from Nickelodeon, and that’s because the sitcom only lasted for 13 episodes. My Brother and Me was centered around the Parker family’s everyday life, particularly following the brother duo and their friend Goo.

My Brother and Me was an important show for Nickelodeon as it was one of the first by the network to feature a predominately Black cast. Despite this, the series’ creators had opposing views on how the show would continue and My Brother and Me wound up getting canceled. Still, for audiences who caught My Brother and Me while it was on the air, the amusing performances from the young cast and the famous “Goo Punch“ song are likely the biggest takeaways from the series.

1

On The Air (1992)

A unique look at a ’50s TV network

On the Air (1992)

Cast

Ian Buchanan
, Nancye Ferguson
, Miguel Ferrer
, Gary Grossman
, Mel Johnson Jr.
, Marvin Kaplan
, David L. Lander
, Kim McGuire

Release Date

June 20, 1992

Seasons

1

Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, Twin Peaks is often regarded as one of the best TV shows. Shortly after Twin Peaks ended, the duo worked on another series — a sitcom called On the Air. The ’90s sitcom is set in the ’50s and follows the staff of a fictional TV network. Much like Twin Peaks, there was plenty of absurdism in On the Air.

The surrealism in each of Lynch’s projects isn’t for everyone, but Twin Peaks had an upper hand with its core mystery that invited audiences to regularly tune in. As a sitcom, On the Air needed laughs from its audience, but the series’ particular brand of humor didn’t connect with viewers and high ratings were never earned. Of the series’ seven filmed episodes, only three aired in the United States, and On the Air continues to be generally forgotten by audiences.