It's throwback Thursday, y'all — meaning TV Time is counting down the most-watched '90s shows (as tracked by TV Time's users around the globe). The parameters are simple — they're the most-tracked shows by the TV Time community that premiered in the 1990s.
And if you're wondering why The Simpsons is not on there, considering it's probably the biggest (and longest-running) '90s series — it's because it actually premiered in December of 1989! Close, but no cigar.
Check out the 30 most-watched '90s shows below:
30. Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000, NBC)
One of the greatest one-season series of all time follows misfit high-schoolers in 1980 Michigan and starred James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, Busy Philipps, John Francis Daley, and more of your faves.
29. Sailor Moon (1992-1997, Cartoon Network)
Usagi Tsukino, a middle school student, becomes the titular character and defends the Earth with her fellow Sailor Soldiers.
28. Party of Five (1994-2000, Fox)
Five siblings must take care of each other when their parents are killed by a drunk driver.
27. Young Hearts (1995-present, Globo TV International)
This Brazilian teen series is still going strong — think of it as a South American Degrassi.
26. Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1996-2003, ABC/UPN)
Not to be confused with Netflix's creepy Kiernan Shipka series, the original show starred Melissa Joan Hart as the titular character living with her two wacky aunts and their talking cat, Salem.
25. Cowboy Bebop (1998-2001, Adult Swim)
The Bebop crew is just trying to make a buck. This motley lot of intergalactic loners teams up to track down fugitives and turn them in for cold hard cash. Spike is a hero whose cool façade hides a dark and deadly past. The pilot Jet is a bruiser of a brute who can’t wait to collect the next bounty. Faye Valentine is a femme fatale prone to breaking hearts and separating fools from their money. Along for the ride are the brilliant, but weird, hacker Ed and a super-genius Welsh Corgi named Ein (via Crunchyroll).
24. The Challenge (1998-present, MTV)
Yes, the Real World-Road Rules challenge is still as popular as ever, even if the original shows aren't really around anymore.
23. Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007, Sci Fi Channel)
A group of elite military agents use alien Stargate portals that take them to other planets in search of technology that will help them defeat the Goa'uld.
22. The Nanny (1993-1999, CBS)
To this day, you probably still can't see the words "Mr. Sheffield" without hearing them in Fran Drescher's voice in your head.
21. Dawson's Creek (1998-2003, The WB)
The well-spoken teens in Capeside, Massachusetts introduced one of TV's best love triangles (Joey, we're not sure how you chose between Dawson and Pacey either).
20. ER (1994-2009, NBC)
Yes, George Clooney played a hot pediatrician. But come on, Doug Ross was only on the show for five seasons — and it ran for ten more!
19. The Sopranos (1999-2007, HBO)
Mob boss Tony Soprano runs his waste management business in New Jersey.
18. Futurama (1999-2003, Fox)
While delivering pizza on New Year's Eve 1999, Philip J. Fry is accidentally cryogenically frozen and thawed out a thousand years in the future.
17. Twin Peaks (1990-1991, ABC)
Who killed Laura Palmer? FBI Agent Dale Cooper is gonna find out (plus have some damn fine coffee).
16. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003, The WB)
The Chosen One, a.k.a. teenager Buffy Summers, slays vampires. It's all there in the title.
15. Cardcaptor Sakura (1998-2000, NIS America)
Ten-year-old Sakura lives a pretty normal life with her older brother, Toya, and widowed father, Fujitaka. Or she did, until the day she returned home from school to discover a glowing book in her father’s study. After opening the book and releasing the cards within, Sakura is tasked with collecting each of these magical cards, while trying to live the life of a normal fourth grader. In the monumental task of collecting all the cards, Sakura must rely on her friends and family, and decide what she finds most important in life (via Crunchyroll).
14. Charmed (1998-2006, The WB)
The Power of Three discover they're witches — and then fight evil in their hometown of San Francisco.
13. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air (1990-1996, NBC)
In West Philadelphia, born and raised... come on, you know the rest!
12. SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-present, Nickelodeon)
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? (Hint: He's the one in the title.)
11. Sex and the City (1998-2004, HBO)
Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha live fabulous New York City lives and experience the dating scene in the titular city.
10. South Park (1997-present, Comedy Central)
Oh my god, they killed Kenny! And they continue to do so weekly in this long-running animated sitcom about four Colorado fourth-graders.
9. Will & Grace (1998-present, NBC)
BFFs Will and Grace (and their BFFs Jack and Karen) returned to TV in 2017 in a continuation of the NBC sitcom, which originally lasted eight seasons.
8. Detective Conan/Case Closed (1996-present, TMS Entertainment)
The son of a world famous mystery writer, Shinichi Kudo, has achieved his own notoriety by assisting the local police as a student detective. He has always been able to solve the most difficult of criminal cases using his wits and power of reason (via Crunchyroll).
7. The X-Files (1993-2018, Fox)
The truth is out there, and Mulder and Scully are still searching for it.
6. Law & Order: SVU (1999-present, NBC)
In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.
5. Pokemon (1997-present, TV Tokyo)
Gotta catch 'em all!
4. Family Guy (1999-present, Fox)
Animated sitcom about a working-class family with sometimes-crude humor and plenty of pop culture references — no, the other one.
3. That 70's Show (1998-2006, Fox)
The story of a group of teens hangin' out down the street, doing the same old thing they did last week (smoke in Eric Foreman's basement, listen to records — typical '70s teenage stuff).
2. One Piece (1999-present, Toei Animation)
Monkey. D. Luffy refuses to let anyone or anything stand in the way of his quest to become the king of all pirates. With a course charted for the treacherous waters of the Grand Line and beyond, this is one captain who'll never give up until he's claimed the greatest treasure on Earth: the Legendary One Piece! (via Crunchyroll)
1. Friends (1994-2004, NBC)
Six twentysomething friends + two giant apartments + one coffee shop in New York City = one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time.
Did you favorite '90s shows make the cut? Let us know your top picks in the comments below!
