Forgotten TV Shows From The ’90s
Published on August 18, 2017. Updated March 31, 2020The ‘90s were filled with some unforgettable shows like Full House, Family Matters, Boy Meets World, and Home Improvement, but not all of the shows from the ‘90s are as memorable. We have a list of shows – some of them good and some of them bad – from the ‘90s that have long since been forgotten.
8. California Dreams
California Dreams lasted for five seasons from 1992 to 1996 and centered around a group of friends who were trying to make it big as musicians. In spite of the show’s longevity, it was not well received by critics and was given an F grade by Entertainment Weekly and was accused of being nothing more than “a Saved by the Bell clone set in an upscale beach town” by the Los Angeles Times. Unlike Saved the Bell, which has become iconic, California Dreams has now completely faded from people’s memories.
Source: NBC7. Step by Step
Step by Step was a clone of The Brady Bunch. It starred Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Somers as two single parents with three kids each, who get married and merge their families together. The show ran for seven seasons (six seasons on ABC and the one on CBS), but unlike shows like Full House, Boy Meets World and Family Matters, Step by Step is not nearly as memorable.
Everett Collection6. Two of a Kind
Two of a Kind starred Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and it was supposed to be their big TV comeback; however, it only ended up airing for one season from 1998 to 1999 on ABC before it was suddenly canceled. Because of this, Two of a Kind isn’t as memorable as some of the twins’ other television work, like Full House, which was on air for a significantly longer period of time.
Source: ABC5. Grace Under Fire
Grace Under Fire was one of the highest-rated new comedies of the 1993-1994 season; however, despite it lasting for five seasons, the show became notorious for the issues it had with its star, Brett Butler, whose erratic behavior and addiction to painkillers derailed the once-promising series. The show was unceremoniously canceled in 1998 during its short fifth season after ratings continued to fall and now the show is barely remembered, not even for all of the drama that was happening on set.
(c)Carsey-Werner Company/courtesy Everett Collection4. Ellen
Ellen was incredibly popular during its first four seasons; however, after Ellen Degeneres’ character came out on the show, ABC began cutting back on promoting the show, which led to it being canceled during its fifth season due to falling ratings. We’re all familiar with Ellen’s super popular talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, but most people forget that she initially rose to fame thanks to this primetime sitcom.
(c)Touchstone Television/courtesy Everett Collection3. The Secret World of Alex Mack
The Secret World of Alex Mack is one of the longer-running series in Nickelodeon’s history and it was only canceled because the star of the show, Larisa Oleynik, wasn’t interested in doing a fifth season and wanted to finish high school instead. While it was on the air from 1994 to 1998, the show was popular, but it’s been almost two decades since the show went off the air and it has been long since forgotten as a result.
Source: Nickelodeon2. Teen Angel
Teen Angel only lasted one season on ABC. During the 1997-1998 season, it was part of ABC’s TGIF Friday lineup and starred Corbin Allred as a high school student who’s recently deceased friend (played by Mike Damus) returns to earth as his guardian angel. The show tried to capitalize on the success of the series Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but at the time that it aired, TGIF had already begun to decline, so it was canceled after only 17 episodes.
Source: ABC1. Sweet Valley High
The comedy-drama series Sweet Valley High followed twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield and their friends and lasted for four seasons from September 1994 to October 1997. The show was initially popular; however, during its fourth season when it was moved to UPN, it was canceled due to low ratings. Despite some new books, Sweet Valley Confidential and The Sweet Life, having been released in 2011, the show is definitely not considered one of the more memorable series to come out of the ‘90s.
Source: UPN