Best TV Shows of 1990
The 30 most popular TV shows that premiered in 1990, most watched first, with a vote floor so obscure titles do not crowd out the ones people remember.
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30 titles · updated 15th October 2026
1.Law & Order(1990)
7.3CrimeDrama
In cases ripped from the headlines, police investigate serious and often deadly crimes, weighing the evidence and questioning the suspects until someone is taken into custody. The district attorney's office then builds a case to convict the perpetrator by proving the person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Working…
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2.Beverly Hills, 90210(1990)
7.3Drama
Follow the lives of a group of teenagers living in the upscale, star-studded community of Beverly Hills, California and attending the fictitious West Beverly Hills High School and, subsequently, the fictitious California University after graduation.
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3.Twin Peaks(1990)
8.3DramaMystery
The body of Laura Palmer is washed up on a beach near the small Washington state town of Twin Peaks. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate her strange demise only to uncover a web of mystery that ultimately leads him deep into the heart of the surrounding woodland and his very own soul.
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4.Tom & Jerry Kids Show(1990)
6.4KidsAnimationComedy
Tom and Jerry in their childhood days, playing cat-and-mouse games even then.
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5.Wings(1990)
6.9ComedyDrama
Brothers Brian and Joe Hackett attempt to run an airline on the New England island of Nantucket while surrounded by their various wacky friends and employees.
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6.Northern Exposure(1990)
7.8ComedyDramaSci-Fi & Fantasy
After receiving a scholarship from the state, a recent Columbia University medical school graduate is required to set up his practice in an eccentric Alaskan town.
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7.TaleSpin(1990)
7.4FamilyAnimationKids
Baloo the Bear stars in an adventurous comedy of love and conflict with his friend Kit Cloudkicker. Rebecca Cunningham and her daughter Molly purchase Baloo's failing company and Baloo must fly transport runs to clear his debt while dodging Don Karnage and his sky pirates.
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8.Mr. Bean(1990)
8.0Comedy
Mr Bean turns simple everyday tasks into chaotic situations and will leave you in stitches as he creates havoc wherever he goes.
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9.The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air(1990)
7.9ComedyFamily
Will, a street-smart teenager, moves from the tough streets of West Philly to posh Bel-Air to live with his Uncle Philip, Aunt Vivian, his cousins — spoiled Hilary, preppy Carlton and young Ashley — and their sophisticated British butler, Geoffrey. Though Will’s antics and upbringing contrast greatly with the…
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10.Blossom(1990)
6.2DramaComedyFamily
Blossom Russo is a highly intelligent and spunky teenager. The youngest of three, she lives with her divorced musician father, Nick, eldest brother and recovering substance abuser Anthony, and decidedly not-so-bright middle brother Joey. Along for the ride is Blossom's ditzy best friend, Six, who sometimes shows…
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11.Dream On(1990)
6.9Comedy
The family life, romantic life, and career of Martin Tupper, a divorced New York City book editor. The show distinctively interjected clips from older black and white television series to punctuate Tupper's feelings or thoughts.
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12.Keeping Up Appearances(1990)
7.7Comedy
A snobbish housewife is determined to climb the social ladder, in spite of her family's working class connections and the constant chagrin of her long suffering husband.
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13.Tiny Toon Adventures(1990)
7.8AnimationComedyFamily
Follow the adventures of a group of young cartoon characters who attend the Acme Looniversity to become the next generation of characters from the Looney Tunes series.
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14.Captain Planet and the Planeteers(1990)
6.9AnimationAction & AdventureSci-Fi & Fantasy
Eco-villains beware: Captain Planet is here to save the day! With the guidance of Gaia, five Planeteers - representing Earth, Fire, Water, Wind and Heart - come together to defend our planet from environmental destruction. With their powers combined, the team becomes the solution to pollution!
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15.Jeeves and Wooster(1990)
8.1Comedy
Jeeves and Wooster is a British comedy-drama series adapted by Clive Exton from P.G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves" stories. It aired on the ITV network from 1990 to 1993, starring Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster, a young gentleman with a "distinctive blend of airy nonchalance and refined gormlessness", and Stephen Fry as…
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16.In Living Color(1990)
7.6Comedy
Created by stars Keenen Ivory Wayans and Damon Wayans, this Emmy-winning sketch series offers cutting-edge satire and features a host of talent, including Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier and Tommy Davidson.
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17.It(1990)
6.9MysterySci-Fi & FantasyDrama
In 1960, seven outcast kids known as "The Losers' Club" fight against an ancient shape-shifting alien who poses as a child-killing clown, while also dealing with bullies and abusive parents. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the creature once and for all when it returns to their hometown.
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18.Road to Avonlea(1990)
8.1DramaFamily
In the fictional small town of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, in the early 20th century, 10-year-old Montreal heiress Sara Stanley is sent by her wealthy father to live with her two maiden aunts, Hetty and Olivia King, to be near her late mother's side of the family.
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19.Bobby's World(1990)
6.9KidsAnimationFamily
Bobby Generic lives in a typical suburban neighborhood and uses his overactive imagination to discover a world of daring adventure, incredible wonder and lots of laughs — all in pint-sized perspective.
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20.The Flash(1990)
7.4Action & AdventureSci-Fi & Fantasy
When a bolt of lightning crashes through a police crime lab, a mix of electrically charged substances bathes chemist Barry Allen, transforming him into the fastest man alive--The Flash.
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21.Drop the Dead Donkey(1990)
7.0Comedy
A sitcom set in the offices of "GlobeLink News" after its acquisition by media mogul Sir Roysten Merchant. Led by editor George Dent, the staff of GlobeLink battle to maintain the company as a serious news organization against Sir Roysten's right-hand man, Gus Hedges, who wants to make the show more sensationalist…
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22.Parker Lewis Can't Lose(1990)
7.4Comedy
Parker Lewis is a teenager who apparently can't lose. He's cool, cute, popular, hip – and seems to get away with anything. That's not to say he's got no problems. His two primary nemeses are school principal Grace Musso, whose goal is getting Parker expelled; and his little sister Shelly, whose sole purpose seems to…
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23.Zorro(1990)
7.1Action & AdventureDrama
Zorro, also known as The New Zorro, New World Zorro, and Zorro 1990, is an American action-adventure drama series featuring Duncan Regehr as the character of Zorro. Regehr portrayed the fearless Latino hero and fencer on The Family Channel from 1990 to 1993. The series was shot entirely in Madrid, Spain and produced…
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24.The Civil War(1990)
7.9DocumentaryWar & Politics
A documentary on the American Civil War narrated by Ken Burns, covering the secession of the Confederacy to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
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25.The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3(1990)
7.6FamilyAnimationKids
The Mario Bros., Princess Toadstool, and Toad protect the Mushroom Kingdom against the evil forces of Bowser and his seven Koopa Kids.
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26.One Foot in the Grave(1990)
7.7Comedy
One Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series. The series features the exploits of Victor Meldrew and his long-suffering wife, Margaret. The programmes invariably deal with Meldrew's battle against the problems he creates for himself. Living in a typical household in an unnamed English suburb, Victor takes…
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27.Rab C. Nesbitt(1990)
7.0Comedy
BBC comedy series about Rab C. Nesbitt, a drunken, string-vested layabout who lives with his long-suffering wife Mary and his two sons in the working class area of Govan in Glasgow. When he's not getting drunk with his pals that include the devious, womanising Jamesie Cotter, he's offering his philosophical outlook…
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28.House of Cards(1990)
8.1War & PoliticsComedyDrama
Frustrated at a new moderate Conservative government and deprived of a promotion to a senior position, chief whip Francis Urquhart prepares a meticulous plot to bring down the Prime Minister then to take his place.
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29.Art Attack(1990)
6.9Kids
Art Attack is a British children's television series revolving around art. The original series was one of CITV's longest running programmes, running from 1990 to 2007, and was presented throughout by Neil Buchanan. The new series launched on Disney Junior on 6 June 2011 and was presented by Jassa Ahluwalia. Each show…
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30.The Phantom of the Opera(1990)
7.6MysteryDrama
Comte Philippe de Chagny discovers Christine Daaé's singing talent at a county fair and sends her to his friend Gérard Carrière, director of the Parisian opera. However, just when she arrives, Carrière is dismissed. His successor, the arrogant Alain Choleti, refuses to allow a woman of low birth perform in his opera,…
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