Best TV Shows of 1998
The 40 most popular TV shows that premiered in 1998, most watched first, with a vote floor so obscure titles do not crowd out the ones people remember.
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40 titles · updated 3rd October 2026
1.Charmed(1998)
8.2ComedyDramaMystery
Three sisters (Prue, Piper and Phoebe) reunite and unlock their powers to become the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good witches of all time, whose prophesied destiny is to protect innocent lives from evil beings such as demons and warlocks. Each sister possesses unique magical powers that grow and evolve, while…
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2.Will & Grace(1998)
6.9Comedy
Will Truman and Grace Adler are best friends living in New York, and when Grace's engagement falls apart, she moves in with Will. Together, along with their friends, they go through the trials of dating, sex, relationships and their careers, butting heads at times but ultimately supporting one another while…
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3.The King of Queens(1998)
7.2Comedy
Life’s good for deliveryman Doug Heffernan, until his newly widowed father-in-law, Arthur, moves in with him and his wife Carrie. Doug is no longer the king of his domain, and instead of having a big screen television in his recently renovated basement, he now has a crazy old man.
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4.That '70s Show(1998)
7.9ComedyFamilyDrama
Crank up the 8-track and flash back to a time when platform shoes and puka shells were all the rage in this hilarious retro-sitcom. For Eric, Kelso, Jackie, Hyde, Donna and Fez, a group of high school teens who spend most of their time hanging out in Eric’s basement, life in the ‘70s isn’t always so groovy. But…
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5.Sex and the City(1998)
7.3DramaComedy
Based on the bestselling book by Candace Bushnell, Sex and the City tells the story of four best friends, all single and in their late thirties, as they pursue their careers and talk about their sex lives, all while trying to survive the New York social scene.
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6.The Powerpuff Girls(1998)
7.5Action & AdventureAnimationComedy
A series about Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, three kindergarten-aged girls with superpowers, as well as their "father", the brainy scientist Professor Utonium, who all live in the fictional city of Townsville, USA. The girls are frequently called upon by the town's childlike and naive mayor to help fight nearby…
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7.V.I.P.(1998)
5.3Action & AdventureComedyCrime
While attending a Hollywood premiere with a famous action star, a crazed fan pulls a gun—but her movie hunk turns into a coward, and it's Vallery who becomes the hero. Suddenly, she's thrown into a world of action and danger as owner of a Hollywood protection agency, Vallery Irons Protection (V.I.P.), taking risks to…
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8.Hercules(1998)
6.8ComedyKidsAnimation
Follow Herc's many labors during the years he spent training on how to be a hero under the tutelage of satyr Phil. Many of the Olympian Gods and Goddesses pay visit to the young hero-to-be and help or hinder him in his new adventures.
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9.The Wild Thornberrys(1998)
7.0AnimationComedyAction & Adventure
Travel the world with the Thornberrys and come face-to-face with blue sheep in Nepal, emus in Australia, marmots in Pakistan, flash floods in Siberia, Egyptian burial chambers, a runaway hot air balloon, a rock slide on the Karakoram Highway and more!
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10.First Wave(1998)
7.2Action & AdventureSci-Fi & Fantasy
Framed for murder and on the run, a former thief struggles to expose the vanguard of an alien invasion with the help of a conspiracy theorist and newly discovered prophecies of Nostradamus.
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11.CatDog(1998)
7.1AnimationComedyKids
The life and times of a cat and a dog with a unique twist: they're connected, literally. They share one body with a Dog's head at one end and Cat's head on the other. Adding to their dilemma is Cat's annoyance with Dog, mainly caused by Dog's stupidity and Cat's up-tight personality. Characters: Cat - Cat is the…
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12.Becker(1998)
7.2Comedy
Becker is a dedicated, outspoken and talented doctor with a gruff exterior. While he tends to offend those who try to get close to him, he is extremely dedicated to his medical practice in the Bronx, N.Y., where he always goes the extra mile to help those in need. But Dr. John Becker looks at the world around him and…
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13.Martial Law(1998)
7.1Action & AdventureComedyCrime
Sammo Law spins, kicks, and chops his way through crime as a one-man police force in Los Angeles. He's a tough law enforcer who comes to the U.S. in search of a former friend and protegée — and gets drafted as part of the LAPD.
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14.Two Guys and a Girl(1998)
7.2Comedy
Welcome to Beacon Street Pizza, the perfect workplace and hangout for aimless wise-guy Berg, neurotic Pete and campus beauty Sharon. Pete and Berg are roommates and students at a local Boston university, while Sharon struggles with her work and relationships. Together, these three best friends try to navigate life…
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15.From the Earth to the Moon(1998)
8.1Action & AdventureDrama
The story of the United States' space program, from its beginnings in 1961 to the final moon mission in 1972.
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16.Seven Days(1998)
6.9Sci-Fi & FantasyDrama
"Ever wish you could live your last week all over again? Well, my name's Frank B. Parker, and I do it all the time. I work for a secret government project experimenting in time travel. When things really get screwed up, I'm the guinea pig they send back to take care of it. The catch is, I can only go back 7 days."
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17.Rolie Polie Olie(1998)
6.7KidsAnimationSci-Fi & Fantasy
Rolie Polie Olie was a children's television series produced by Nelvana, distributed by Disney, and created by William Joyce, Maggie Swanson, and Anne Wood. The show centers on a little roly pollie who is composed of several spheres and other three-dimensional geometric shapes. The show was one of the earliest series…
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18.Sports Night(1998)
7.3ComedyDrama
The offbeat cast and crew of a sports news show deal with professional, personal, and ethical challenges while functioning in a pressure-cooker work environment.
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19.Godzilla: The Series(1998)
8.0AnimationAction & AdventureKids
Picking up where the blockbuster motion picture left off, Godzilla: The Series is a fast-paced animated adventure series that pits humanity against a new generation of giant monsters.
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20.The Crow: Stairway to Heaven(1998)
6.5Action & AdventureSci-Fi & FantasyDrama
The Crow: Stairway to Heaven was a 1998 Canadian television series created by Bryce Zabel spun off from the The Crow film series starring Mark Dacascos in the lead role as Eric Draven, reprising the role originally played by Brandon Lee in the 1994 film The Crow.
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21.Young Hercules(1998)
5.8Action & AdventureSci-Fi & Fantasy
The adventures of the ancient hero in his youth.
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22.Hornblower(1998)
7.8DramaWar & PoliticsAction & Adventure
Set during the 18th century Napoleonic Wars, Horatio Hornblower, a young and shy midshipman, rises through the ranks to become an admiral.
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23.Mortal Kombat: Conquest(1998)
7.1Action & AdventureSci-Fi & Fantasy
Kung Lao has triumphed in the Mortal Kombat tournament, defeating Shang Tsung and saving Earth Realm. Now, he must train a new generation of warriors for the next tournament. Meanwhile, an exiled Shang Tsung attempts to thwart Lao's efforts with the aid of supernatural warriors such as Scorpion and Sub-Zero.
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24.Cold Feet(1998)
7.8ComedyDrama
Follow the lives and loves of a group of thirtysomethings in a heart-warming comic drama as they try to find true love - or at least keep their relationships on track. In this wry and funny look at a generation which is as confused as it is liberated by the choices it faces, will the chill in their feet put out the…
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25.Silver Surfer(1998)
7.4AnimationAction & AdventureSci-Fi & Fantasy
The adventures of the cosmic wanderer as he seeks his lost home after rebelling from his master.
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26.Celebrity Deathmatch(1998)
7.5ComedyAnimation
Celebrity Deathmatch is a claymation television show that depicts celebrities against each other in a wrestling ring, almost always ending in the loser's gruesome death. It was known for its excessive amount of blood used in every match and exaggerated physical injuries. The series was created by Eric Fogel; with the…
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27.The Worst Witch(1998)
7.8ComedyDramaFamily
Mildred Hubble is a young witch attending Cackles Academy. She's called the "Worst Witch" because she's always caught getting into trouble.
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28.Pinky, Elmyra & The Brain(1998)
6.5FamilyAnimationComedy
The popular animated characters Pinky and the Brain continue to concoct schemes to rule the world while hiding out in the suburbs where they live with Elmyra, a hyperactive tot of Tiny Toon Adventures fame.
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29.dinnerladies(1998)
7.5Comedy
Dinnerladies is a BBC sitcom written by and starring Victoria Wood that chronicles the antics of a group of workers in a canteen in the north of England. Bren tries to maintain a semblance of order in amongst the chaos, while dealing with the canteen supervisor, slightly sex-obsessed cancer sufferer Tony. Dolly and…
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30.Merlin(1998)
7.0Sci-Fi & FantasyAction & AdventureFamily
The legendary wizard Merlin sets out to raise young Arthur as true and noble, hoping to bring peace and harmony to the land, but reckons without scheming Queen Mab's interference and her influence on Morgan Le Fey.
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31.The Royle Family(1998)
7.6Comedy
The Royle Family is a British sitcom created by Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash, and produced by Granada Television for BBC Two (series 1) and BBC One (series 2 and 3). It centres on the lives of a television-fixated Manchester family, the Royles, comprising lazy patriarch Jim, his hard-working wife Barbara, their…
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32.Creature(1998)
4.8Sci-Fi & Fantasy
An amphibious shark-like monster attacks an abandoned secret military base and the people who live on the island.
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33.The New Addams Family(1998)
7.2ComedyFamilySci-Fi & Fantasy
The spooky-ooky-kooky family lives happily together in their macabre gothic mansion much to the chagrin and confusion of outsiders and neighbors.
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34.The Temptations(1998)
8.0DramaDocumentary
Biography of the singers who formed the hit Motown musical act, The Temptations.
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35.The Life of Birds(1998)
8.2Documentary
In the documentary series produced by the BBC, The Life of Birds, Sir David Attenborough unveils a new investigation into the behaviour of birds, perfectly adapted animals that conquer the air. This ten-part series reveals the secret of the birds' great success, their remarkable strategies for finding food, their…
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36.Moby Dick(1998)
5.9DramaAction & Adventure
The sole survivor of a lost whaling ship relates the tale of his captain's self-destructive obsession to hunt the white whale, Moby Dick.
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37.Big Train(1998)
7.3Comedy
Twisted and original sketch show from the minds of Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews, starring Simon Pegg, Kevin Eldon and Mark Heap.
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38.Ultraviolet(1998)
7.2DramaSci-Fi & Fantasy
With the growing threat of viral epidemic and the possibility of worldwide environmental catastrophe, humanity has an unprecedented ability to destroy itself, and vampires need to take control of their threatened food source. CIB is a clandestine, elite government unit that hunts vampires, referred to as 'Code Fives'…
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39.Scooby-Doo! Behind the Scenes(1998)
9.9AnimationComedyFamily
Mystery Inc. details bits of "behind the scenes" trivia about their work and personal lives. A series of eight shorts that aired on Cartoon Network during commercial breaks in the 25 Hours of Doo marathon on October 24, 1998.
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40.Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends(1998)
8.0Documentary
Louis Theroux which delves into the weirder fringes of American society.
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