10 Best Modern TV Shows Set In The 1990s

Summary

  • From family shenanigans to R-rated humor, TV shows set in the 1990s blend nostalgia with cultural relevance for both old and new audiences.
  • City on a Hill
    authentically showcases Boston’s crime scene of the ’90s, while
    Cruel Summer
    twists ’90s nostalgia with modern storytelling.
  • Everything Sucks!
    delivers a realistic portrayal of ’90s high school life, while
    Clarice
    dives deep into a ’90s crime drama with a female lead.



The sole purpose of rewatching some of the best TV shows of the 1990s is to bring the audience back to the nostalgia of the decade. However, there are some modern series set in the iconic era of grunge fashion, upbeat pop music and changing technology. While these shows are more contemporary, they focus on the social and historical issues that defined the time.

From nostalgic, family-centered shenanigans to R-rated comedies, they offer a combination of humor, drama, and detail that makes the ’90s return to life. The format of these shows provides a nice trip down memory lane, while still introducing the decade’s culture to a newer generation.

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10 City On A Hill (2017)

Recreating Boston In The ’90s

City on a Hill

City on a Hill

City on a Hill is a crime drama series set in 1990s Boston, exploring the city’s corrupt legal system and the unexpected alliance between Assistant District Attorney Decourcy Ward (Aldis Hodge) and a potentially compromised FBI veteran, Jackie Rohr (Kevin Bacon). They work together to take on a family of armored car robbers, leading to a broader inquiry into Boston’s pervasive criminal justice issues.

Cast
Kevin Bacon , Aldis Hodge , Jill Hennessy , Lauren E. Banks , Amanda Clayton , Blake Baumgartner , Matthew Del Negro , Mark O’Brien

Seasons
3

Release Date
June 16, 2019

Creator(s)
Chuck MacLean

Boston’s crime scene in the 1990s is explored vividly in City on a Hill. With its top-notch writing, directing, acting, and post-production, it quickly became one of the best Boston crime dramas. It thoroughly managed to attract viewers with its broader themes of corruption and crime.

The show was very firm at aiming to create an authentic ’90s feel, so much so that they involved Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, who grew up in Boston at that time, to consult about its depiction of the city. The chemistry between the main characters was very unique, with both of them coming from completely opposite backgrounds, but brought together to tackle Boston’s police problems in the ’90s. More so, it made its viewers understand what goes on behind criminal acts and react on a case-to-case basis.City on a Hill became a staple in the “Boston Crime” subgenre, making it a must-watch for fans of police dramas.


9 Cruel Summer (2021)

Filled With ’90s Teen Angst

From beginning to end, Cruel Summer kept its fans on the edge of their seats. With it being based in a small Texas town in 1993, it directly referenced major societal issues of the time. However, it is worth noting that the show spans three years (’93-’95), in which the producers were set on creating an immersive but evolving landscape. The show depicted the stumbling blocks of adolescence and tackled sensitive topics like grooming – which used to happen in different ways compared to nowadays.


Cruel Summer had constant twists, but it stayed consistent at recreating everything to imitate the look and feel of 1993. The interior design, the music, and fashion helped set the tone of the era, adding a nostalgic touch. With its unpredictable plot, it hooked viewers of all ages, not just teens. There are some unrealistic uses of technology that do detract from the authenticity, but despite these flaws, it is still a bingeworthy experience.

8 Everything Sucks! (2018)


Everything Sucks! likes to constantly remind the audience of its setting in the ’90s with its cultural references and dialogues. Its constant focus on face-to-face interactions contrasts with today’s digital ones, providing a sense of deep sentimentality to those who grew up in the era. The show makes it very easy to fall in love with the characters and their journeys, as they do provide a solid, realistic feel of teenage life in the ’90s.

The series captures the essence of growing up in that era and the trials of high school, awkwardness, relationships, and self-discovery. Many of its episodes faced more significant and common problems in the ’90s, like single-parent households and social hierarchies. The actors made the characters their own and made their stories feel genuine at all times. Sadly, its cancelation left many fans longing for more.

7 Clarice (2021)

A Modern Take On Crime Drama


Based on 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs, Clarice does a remarkable job at capturing the psychological thriller atmosphere that was so popular in ’90s cinema. The show managed to stand on its own by focusing on a female protagonist, as opposed to how male-dominated the police field actually was in the decade. Its exploration of darker themes made good reference to many genres of that time.

With its suspenseful storytelling, Clarice was able to provide a fresh perspective on the process of catching serial killers. The show was able to show a deep look at the political and social landscape of the time, setting the stage for a series of events that got better with each passing episode. Ultimately, the show’s commitment to navigate through the hardships of a career and personal life was what made it relatable and beloved by fans.


Mike-Myers-in-So-I-Married-an-Axe-Murderer-and-Andie-MacDowell-in-Multiplicity

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6 Yellowjackets (2021)

’90s Trauma With A Modern Twist

Yellowjackets became very notable from the start after receiving excellent reviews from both critics and audiences alike. Often compared to other shows that were actually released in the ’90s, like The X-Flies and Twin Peaks, it shared a similar feel while introducing fresh segments. As a dramatic thriller, it kept viewers guessing and eager for more.

Yellowjackets
drew inspiration from various pieces of media, from
The Shining
, to the Uruguayan Rugby Team’s 1972 plane accident.


Yellowjacket’s episodes exceeded everybody’s expectations with its many twists and turns, making it addicting for anyone watching. The blend of drama, mystery, comedy, and even action makes the episodes feel like a rollercoaster of emotions. The story focusing on a group of girls stranded in the wilderness helps add a coming-of-age feel to its scenes, making even the slowest episodes maintain their quality.

5 That ’90s Show

A Sequel That Honors The Original

Trying to capture the specific essence of 1995, That ’90s Show was released as a sequel to That ’70s Show. The new show is full of funny lines, and the return of many characters from That ’70s Show brought back the classic humor that audiences loved from the original. At times, it can feel more like a modern teen flick rather than a sitcom, but that’s what makes it garner fans of its own.


Compared to other entries, That ’90s Show felt like it was trying to appeal to a younger, Gen-Z audience, while also attempting to gain back its old viewers by being nostalgic. To some, the writing often felt unrealistic with the situations it put its characters in, but others argue that that’s part of the excitement of it being set in the 1990s. The show has a lot of potential, so the third part of season 2 can still give it a better chance at adding some depth.

4 Pose (2018)

Showcasing The Ballroom Culture Of The ’80s & ’90s

Pose FX TV Poster

Pose

Pose is an FX drama series that explores the deeper parts of ballroom culture in New York City at the end of the ’80s through the ’90s with an additional focus on the various problems affecting various communities that find families within each other as they build their own unique subcultures.

Cast
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez

Release Date
June 3, 2018

Seasons
3


When starting Pose, audiences were given a more detailed inside view of the different problems many communities had in the 1980s and 1990s. Being one of the best shows to stream on Paramount+, it features a dedicated cast of characters that tell how the world used to look for marginalized people. Pose excelled at showing the importance of family, either biological or chosen, and was not afraid to put the spotlight on how individuals can create their own support systems when traditional ones fail.

The hardships of many during the AIDS crisis are also a focus for many of its most impactful moments. While there are some areas where the show could’ve been more polished, Pose is a beautifully-crafted series that reflects the dedication of all the people involved in its production. Pose managed to address the tensions of society of the ’90s in an extremely realistic way, while also having the visual cinematic upgrades of later decades.


3 Young Sheldon (2017)

A ’90s Childhood Through a Genius’s Eyes

Television critics and fans of The Big Bang Theory were skeptical upon the announcement of Young Sheldon, a spin-off focusing on the childhood of Sheldon Cooper. Set in the early 1990s, Young Sheldon gave viewers a rare sight of clean family entertainment while also describing the difficulties of the time. The show did not shy away from including topics like marital strain, seeking independence, and financial struggles – all encapsulating the realities that people had to live in the ’90s.


Being a successor to one of the best sitcoms of all time is hard, but many fans feel like it has the potential to surpass it. Certain improvements, like ditching the laugh tracks, made the show even more funny. The casting for this show was perfect, with Sheldon and Missy tackling some interesting family dynamics. Each week, viewers anticipated clever dialogue and steady character development.

2 Derry Girls (2018)

The Troubles Of Teen Life In Northern Ireland During The 1990s


Using the Irish city of Derry as its main setting, Derry Girls has always been notable for its political and religious commentary. Brilliantly written, with a ton of funny, rapid-fire jokes, the show centers on the adventures of a group of four Irish girls and one English boy. Though Derry Girls is a fictional series, it was able to weave real-life occurrences of the 1990s, providing a different type of setting for the characters to develop in.

References to historical events like the Clintons visiting Ireland and the Northern Ireland peace processes are relevant to the episodes’ plots. To achieve a better sense of authenticity, the show’s producers went the extra mile and incorporated real footage of shows and news from the era into the background. Where Derry Girls really shines, however, is in its interesting selection of characters. Each has a very distinct personality, but together they felt relatable and serve as a good representation of teens from the decade.


1 Fresh Off The Boat (2015)

An Immigrant Experience In ’90s America

Fresh Off The Boat

Fresh off the Boat

Inspired by the autobiography of chef Eddie Huang, Fresh off the Boat stars Hudson Yang as Eddie, the oldest son of the Huang family, who moves with his parents and younger brothers to Orlando Florida in the mid-1990s to open a restaurant. The series chronicles the family’s lives and business ventures in the intervening years. Randall Park and Constance Wu also star. 

Release Date
February 4, 2015

Seasons
6

Cast
Randall Park , Constance Wu , Hudson Yang , Forrest Wheeler

Fresh Off the Boat is a show that takes full advantage of its 1990s setting. Based on Taiwanese-American experiences, the show has a bold approach to discussing race and stereotypes of the period. The characters are so relatable and likable, that they are able to balance comedy and cultural insights in a way that is enjoyable for everybody, whether they are Asian or not.

Set in the 1990s, the show followed an immigrant family adjusting to their new lives in Orlando. With its plots involving common problems of the era like discrimination and trying to achieve the American Dream, Fresh Off the Boat focuses on different challenges for the family. The premise had the potential to develop into something edgy, but it instead evolved into a well-crafted narrative. The series is also extremely meticulous when adding references to music, TV, and slang from the ’90s, making it feel genuine.


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