I Personally Think These 10 ’90s Sitcoms Are Almost as Good as ‘Frasier’
Sometimes, a spin-off transforms into its own entity and establishes a legacy separate from its parent show. After 11 seasons and enough awards to fill every corner of a luxury mansion, Frasier fits that category. Despite competition from the heaviest-hitting dramas, NBC‘s offbeat, intellectually-minded sitcom maintained its status as the most Emmy-winning scripted series of all time before HBO’s Game of Thrones broke its record in 2016. One wouldn’t necessarily expect such prestige from a series following Cheers‘ Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) as he moves from Boston back to his Seattle hometown. The uptight radio psychiatrist’s fresh start includes contending with his equally stubborn family, spontaneous outbursts from his eccentric coworkers, multiple midlife crises, and whatever other outrageous circumstances the writers’ room tosses (salad and scrambled eggs) his way.
Unassuming at first glance, Frasier‘s “elevated” humor never takes itself too seriously. Few characters are safe from being skewered and humbled, especially not the shamelessly elitist, pretentious protagonist and his even more neurotic brother, Niles (David Hyde Pierce). Few series are also as consistently excellent as Frasier‘s zany lunacy, a mood delightfully uplifted by its spectacular supporting cast — one of the strongest ensembles in sitcom history, to lay another accolade at the Crane family’s feet. Frasier‘s cerebral misadventures briefly resumed through Paramount+’s two-season revival of the same name, but unlike the original, that continuation couldn’t quite measure up. The following sitcoms from the ’90s also fall short of matching wits with Frasier‘s steep reputation, but between their style, impact, and charm, Frasier‘s TV neighbors are still well worth your time.
10
‘Boy Meets World’ (1993–2000)
Created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly
The only series on this list designed for youthful audiences, Disney’s Boy Meets World was part of ABC’s sorely-missed “Thank God It’s Friday” lineup. For a certain generation, just hearing the title invites fond nostalgia, and Boy Meets World mostly holds up under adult inspection. For seven seasons, middle child and resident troublemaker Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) grows up, shifting from middle school to high school to college and married life, evolving into a responsible and hardworking individual along the way.
Much of that maturity occurs thanks to Mr. Feeny (William Daniels), the iconic school principal, consistently dispensing advice to his wayward students who, despite their errors in judgment, are trying their best to adjust to adult expectations. Boy Meets World tackles difficult, yet relevant topics like teen pregnancy, interracial relationships, child abuse and absent parents, alcoholism, bullying, racism, sexism, cults, and peer pressure — all through a cheeky and accessible lens that never talks down to young teens.
9
‘Mad About You’ (1992–2019)
Created by Paul Reiser and Danny Jacobson
Newlyweds Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt) tackle the “final frontier” of their thoroughly average life, which is both a compliment and a comedy goldmine. The pair juggle relatable challenges, like affording rent for their Manhattan apartment, making time for themselves in between their jobs, hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the in-laws, slipping on a bar of soap in the shower, and eventually, escorting their daughter to her first day of school.
Charming, wholesome, and warm, Mad About You scored the coveted and prestigious Peabody Award during its eight-season run, as well as 12 Emmy Awards. The series is a cozy, playful watch that hinges upon Hunt and Reiser’s winning chemistry. Paul and Jamie truly adore one another despite the ups-and-downs involved in their happily ever-after — a rare sincerity in a sitcom structure frequently dependent on spiteful couples and dysfunctional families. And who could forget Murray the dog, the true star?
8
‘Friends’ (1994–2004)
Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman
I know — how could I rank Friends this low? A worldwide phenomenon with catchphrases, locations, and haircuts that defined our cultural lexicon like almost no other sitcom? If Frasier is the zenith on our judgment yardstick, then Frasier and Friends‘ tones and goals are entirely different beasts. Additionally, Friends does have poorly aged qualities to the point of seeming out of touch with reality, especially for six white, unmarried friends living in New York City.
Nevertheless, the cast’s lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry might never be replicated — and when Friends‘ zany rhythm is in fine form, it produces ingenious comedy gold (the Thanksgiving football games, the income disparity at dinner, “PIVOT!”). Like the smartest sitcoms preceding it, the series plays up the characters’ quirks and flaws for humor as well as legitimate conflict, and their friendship conquers all obstacles. Dated oversights aside, Friends captures a moment in time with sincere insight and infinitely rewatchable authenticity.
7
‘3rd Rock from the Sun’ (1996–2001)
Created by Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner
Sitcom meets sci-fi in 3rd Rock from the Sun, which boasts an endearing concept reminiscent of 1963’s My Favorite Martian or 1978’s Mork & Mindy, just with a modern, ironic slant. Charged with a research mission where their subjects are human beings, a quartet of Martians land in Ohio and pretend to be human themselves while spying on their terrestrial neighbors. Commander Dick Solomon (John Lithgow) has it easy posing as a physics professor, but the rest of his crew — Sally (Kristen Johnston), Tommy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and Harry (French Stewart) — have a tougher time adapting to gender and age expectations, let alone what perplexing habits pass as “normal” human behavior.
As the aliens gather information, 3rd Rock from the Sun expertly skewers our history and characteristics, especially through anthropology professor Mary Albright (Jane Curtin). For every obvious joke it cracks, 3rd Rock embraces the wild freedom its absurd concept allows. The series has many Emmys under its belt as a testament to that creative strength, especially for Lithgow, who won Outstanding Lead Actor, Comedy Series every year during the show’s run. Perhaps the ultimate fish-out-of-water sitcom, 3rd Rock stands out among its peers and stands the pernicious test of time.
6
‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ (1996–2005)
Created by Philip Rosenthal
They may be fictional, but the Barone family of suburban Long Island are instantly recognizable. Sportswriter Ray (Ray Romano) loves his family, but he’s still sarcastic, spineless, and lazy. His wife, Debra (Patricia Heaton), has reached her limit of being an exhausted housewife who does everything for little in return. Then, there’s Ray’s kindhearted brother Robert (Brad Garrett) and their parents: nosy, doting, and interfering mother Marie (Doris Roberts), and Frank (Peter Boyle), their caustic father, real estate agent, and war veteran.
A true throwback sitcom in format and focus, Everybody Loves Raymond models its day-in-the-life set-up after star Romano’s family and life experiences. That tether of flawed characters and their equally dysfunctional dynamics, the kind one might find down the street or in one’s own household, produces an even cleverer, belly-laughing result — and an acclaimed reputation. The Barones’ unresolved issues powered this comedy for nine seasons and almost 70 Emmy nominations, but underneath all the commotion and arguing, they dearly love one another.
5
‘Murphy Brown’ (1988–2018)
Created by Diane English
Following the groundbreaking achievements set by efforts like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Murphy Brown descends with the force of a hurricane. The titular protagonist (Candice Bergen), a renowned news anchor, journalist, and one-woman wrecking ball where glass ceilings are concerned, ticks all the boxes assigned to “unlikable” female characters: unapologetic, acerbic, career-driven, contentious, over 40, and when the series starts, fresh out of a rehabilitation clinic for alcoholism. She’s fought for every ounce of the power and prestige her name commands, and she won’t relinquish it for anything — least of all, a man’s comfort.
Featuring cameos from real-life reporters and an unsubtle, meta-like zest for preserving journalistic integrity, Murphy Brown was as pointedly topical and fiercely razor-sharp as its heroine, the latter played to the tilt of perfection by Bergen (and to the tune of five Emmy trophies). The series was also as revolutionary as it was controversial. A product of second wave feminism, both Murphy’s decision to become a single mother and her breast cancer diagnosis were breakthrough moments, propelling the series into zeitgeist status.
- Release Date
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1988 – 2017
- Network
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CBS
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Candice Bergen
Donald Klein
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Joe Regalbuto
Woman in Hospital
4
‘Seinfeld’ (1989–1998)
Created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld
The world-famous show about nothing, where entire episodes revolve around the ethics of double-dipping chips or elaborate, failed attempts to secure an unreserved table at a Chinese restaurant. Like Everybody Loves Raymond, but beating it to the punch by several years, Seinfeld is partially inspired by awkward and preposterous stories from co-creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David‘s lives.
As such, Seinfeld routinely feels like a stand-up routine in narrative form. For nine seasons, the best quartet in sitcom history — Jerry, George (Jason Alexander), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Kramer (Michael Richards) — spin their wheels through absurdist, inexplicable, and whimsical concepts. The intentional nonsense is immaculate, and that seemingly simple yet tradition-breaking secret sauce is precisely why Seinfeld remains hysterically relatable. The characters act overdramatically to match, purposefully demonstrating zero character growth — “not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
3
‘Martin’ (1992–1997)
Created by John Bowman, Martin Lawrence, and Topper Carew
In tandem with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Family Matters, Martin revolutionized the ’90s sitcom. Beyond launching star and co-creator Martin Lawrence‘s career, it offers something different; Family Matters and The Jeffersons are focused on Black families, while Martin shifts demographics to follow the concerns, misfortunes, and baby-catching shenanigans of a young Black couple and their closest friends: protagonist Martin Payne (Lawrence), his future wife Gina Waters (Tisha Campbell), Cole Brown (Carl Anthony Payne II), Tommy Strawn (Thomas Mikal Ford), and Pam James (Tichina Arnold).
As a local radio DJ based in Detroit, Michigan, both Martin the character and Lawrence the actor are ideally positioned to uplift Black musicians. Martin places Black culture at its forefront in unprecedented ways for a primetime television lineup, forging a place for celebration in between the superb physical comedy and visual gags. A ratings smash for Fox and a societal force of nature, Martin also spawned catchphrases as ubiquitous as “talk to the hand” and “whazzup,” and won multiple NAACP Image Awards.
2
‘Living Single’ (1993–1998)
Created by Yvette Denise Lee
Five 20-something friends reside within the same Brooklyn brownstone. All are single, and most are successful professionals. Magazine editor Khadijah James (Queen Latifah) rules her entrepreneur space. Her cousin, roommate, and receptionist, Synclaire James (Kim Coles), wants to become an actress. Khadijah’s long-time bestie and a boutique buyer, Regina Hunter (Kim Fields), visits Khadijah’s apartment enough to count as a third roommate who doesn’t contribute to the rent. And let’s not forget their neighbors, Kyle Barker (T.C. Carson) and Overton Wakefield Jones (John Henton), the former a member of the brownstone’s maintenance crew, and the latter a snarky stockbrocker.
A coincidental precursor and direct counterpart to Friends, Living Single is Friends‘ more grounded and inclusive alternative. Like Martin, Living Single‘s five triumphant seasons fill a sitcom void by championing Black excellence. It outperformed Martin ratings-wise and was a NAACP Image Awards winner twice over. None of this is surprising — the five-person ensemble, full of wit and warmth, tackles subjects like the hunt for true love, the realities of marriage, artificial insemination, and even something as idiosyncratic as Synclaire’s love for Troll dolls. Living Single deserves to exist in the same popularity spheres as Friends.
1
‘NewsRadio’ (1995–1999)
Created by Paul Simms
After five seasons of shifting time slots, syndication helped buoy the criminally underrated NewsRadio into an underground cult classic. Out of every series on this list, its daring, acidic, and irreverent humor best matches Frasier‘s unconventional banter — plus, there’s the radio aspect. Born in the Midwest, addicted to coffee, and fond of artistic hobbies, news director Dave Nelson (Dave Foley) struggles to adjust to life in the Big Apple as well as his responsibilities at WNYX, the AM news radio station. To be fair, the station’s eclectic employees — played by Stephen Root, Andy Dick, Maura Tierney, Khandi Alexander, Vicki Lewis, and Phil Hartman in his last role before his tragic death — don’t make Dave’s integration easier.
NewsRadio breaks the workplace comedy mold by relying on surrealist satire. Elaborate daydreams, fantasy sequences, and highbrow, tongue-twisting wisecracks have become the stuff of legend; you’re not likely to forget “super karate monkey death cars,” for example. An ensemble show to its core, relentlessly quirky, and unafraid to thumb its nose at NBC executives, NewsRadio is almost too clever for its own good. Mad About You‘s sneaky crossovers with Friends and Seinfeld might form an unofficial Sitcom TV-matic Universe, but if NewsRadio met Frasier, the results would be perfectly, neurotically compatible.
