We all know that feeling when you remember just a snippet of an intro song or the specific outfit a character wore, but it’s not quite enough to bring the entirety of the show back into your memory. There are so many good but forgotten ‘90s TV shows that have that effect on me, like the concept of the 10-second tidy from The Big Comfy Couch or a vague memory of a rabbit on roller skates, courtesy of Adventures in Wonderland. It’s always so fun to hear what your friends were obsessed with watching as kids and which ‘90s movies they still rewatch often. The best, though, is when they mention a show you’ve completely forgotten about but thought was the best show ever back in your day, and it all comes rushing back.
Sometimes, it’s easy to convince yourself a movie you thought you saw was just a fever dream (The Pagemaster, anyone?). And hey, when you’re a kid who hasn’t fully developed the memory part of your brain yet and you’re just parked in front of the TV Saturday morning enjoying your cereal, you’re not purposefully cementing those scenes into your brain. So, here comes the fun part: Which of these forgotten ‘90s shows did you love?
Adventures in Wonderland
This series ran from 1992 to 1995, and the reruns continued on the Disney Channel through 1998. So, I never got to enjoy them all in order, but boy, do I remember the puppets, costumes, and dance moves from this aggressively ‘90s take on the Lewis Carroll novel.
Stream it on Disney+.
Out of the Box
This theme song comes rushing back into my head anytime someone describes something as “out of the box.” This show ran from 1998 into the early 2000s — back when Disney Junior was called Playhouse Disney — and always came on either right before or after Rolie Polie Olie.
Stream it on Disney+.
Zoboomafoo
Zoboomafoo sideways lemur lept so The Wild Kratts of today could run. I give Chris and Martin Kratt full credit for making me totally obsessed with animals as a kid, and chances are you also had a soft spot for this PBS Kids show back in the day.
Stream it on Prime Video (premium subscription).
California Dreams
This bop of a theme song?! It brings you right back. This teen sitcom ran from 1992 to 1996 and was based on a premise I think we all sort of wished would come true in our lives — a group of siblings and friends come together to form a band.
Rent or purchase it on Amazon Prime.
Bug Juice
Bug juice wasn’t just a fun drink to beg your parents for at every gas station you stopped in to. No, it was also an MTV Real World-like show, but starring a bunch of 9- to 12-year-olds at summer camp. I doubt very seriously this show would be OKed today, but it’s definitely a product of its time.
Stream it on Disney+.
7th Heaven
The crush I had on Barry Watson could not be contained in my child-sized body. I used to watch this with my mom and older sister and feel so grown up. This show was on the air for 11 years in total, and the episodes got more and more soap opera-like with time, but we have Jessica Biel now so… worth it.
Stream it on Paramount+.
Wild & Crazy Kids
Can we bring back kids’ shows with low-budget hijinks and charismatic child hosts? Please? Your kids’ favorite YouTubers may try to do goofy stunts like this, but let’s be real, it will never have the same je ne sais quoi.
Stream it on Paramount+ or find old episodes on YouTube.
PB&J Otter
Bluey and Bingo’s dynamic reminds me so much of the siblings in this Disney Channel classic, TBH. I still sing the “Use Your Noodle” song in my head whenever I’m really rubbing my brain cells together trying to think of something. It was just feel-good kids’ TV at its finest, and it really made me want to live on a houseboat.
Stream it on Disney+.
Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper
All I ever wanted was a teacher as cool as Mr. Cooper. A former NBA player turned teacher sounds like a funny enough sitcom, but Mark Curry was so heartwarming in this role and really made kids feel like they could be heard by at least some of the adults in the room. There are also some really great cameos of other ‘90s sitcom stars, and it feels like you’re being immersed in the coziest world.
Stream it on Max or PlutoTV.
The Secret World Of Alex Mack
I mean, being drenched in some volatile chemical doesn’t sound great, but didn’t we all want the powers of Alex Mack? Being a teenage girl is tough, and having secret powers — and a desire to fix the corrupt chemical plant in your hometown — would be a great distraction from puberty.
Rent or purchase it on Prime Video.
Ghostwriter
My siblings and I were so obsessed with Ghostwriter. It was one of those PBS shows meant to teach us critical thinking and help with our literacy, but it didn’t feel like an educational show — it was just the right amount of spooky and fun. To this day, I would love to have my own Ghostwriter who could help me figure out all my problems.
Stream episodes on YouTube.
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Girl power came in many ways for me in the ‘90s, but Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman might have been my favorite. She was an absolute badass, taking constant misogyny hits on the chin with grace and being the kind of person who would help everyone, even when they deserved not one bit of her knowledge.
Stream it on Amazon Prime and PlutoTV.
The Big Comfy Couch
This show was my everything as a ‘90s kid. I had stuffed animals of every character — even the dust bunnies — and they all went everywhere with me. I participated in the stretches and 10-second tidies, the whole bit. The show aired in 1992 and apparently ran all the way until 2006 (what?!). It’s just… a time capsule back into what ‘90s TV looked like.
Stream it on Tubi or PlutoTV.
Gullah Gullah Island
This show was one of my favorites when I was little! I loved seeing Binyah Binyah’s big yellow self on my screen, though I never really knew what he was. It all just felt like sunshine on TV — colorful, musical, and full of love. I had no clue at the time that it was teaching me about Gullah culture; I just knew I wanted to live on that island forever.
Stream it on Paramount+
Jay Jay The Jet Plane
It was nightmare fuel then, and it’s nightmare fuel now. It first aired on TLC and later moved to PBS Kids, where the forever-plagued-by-a-sinus-infection voice of Snuffy, Jay Jay’s best friend, haunted me for years to come. I wouldn’t say this was my favorite show, but I know I watched a lot of it — probably waiting for Zoboomafoo to come on — and it’s deep in the recesses of my brain forever now.
Stream it on Amazon Prime (premium subscription).
Quigley’s Village
I am the only person I know who remembers watching this show, probably because it’s the overtly Christian version of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood no one ever asked for. Each episode focused on a principle, such as responsibility or cooperation, and would end with the host, Mr. Quigley, and some of the animal characters reciting a prayer and asking for God’s forgiveness or guidance. It was definitely not in everyone’s house, but man, did I rewatch my VHS of it constantly.
Stream episodes on YouTube.
Now, how to get my child as into PB&J Otter as he is Paw Patrol…
