The hit shows of the ’90s have largely held their relevancy to current-day audiences. Whether it be through reruns or reimaginings of ’90s-era intellectual properties, viewers continue to enjoy the sitcoms and dramas that first premiered decades prior. That the shows continue to hold up despite a significant gap in time is a testament to the talents of those behind the camera, and the casts who created legendary characters with their outstanding performances.
A perfect cast is a combination of luck, talent, and circumstance, where the actors involved establish a rapport that can’t be replicated or reverse-engineered. Some of the greatest casts of the ‘90s were hungry newcomers ready to make their mark, while others were experienced veterans who used their years of stage time to expertly tell a story. The following ‘90s TV casts are the best of the decade, ranked by their popularity upon the show’s premiere, their overall chemistry, and their ability to still make audiences laugh and cry.
10
‘Twin Peaks’ (1990–1991)
Television audiences had never experienced a cast of characters quite like the people who called Twin Peaks their home. After the body of teen homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) is discovered wrapped in plastic, the rural town of Twin Peaks receives help finding the killer in the form of FBI Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan). Cooper’s presence will be a blessing and a curse, because as he searches for the murderer, secrets about the quiet residents and Twin Peaks will reveal a shocking darkness surrounding them.
Compared to other shows on television at the same time, Twin Peaks had an extraordinarily large cast of characters, to the point of being overwhelming for viewers who were unaccustomed to keeping track of such a large volume. From the Log Lady to the staff that worked behind the counter at the Double R Diner, the often eccentric characters were essential to establishing the world of Twin Peaks while giving Agent Cooper a long list of suspects to sift through. Not all members of the cast received lengthy screentime, but collectively they left a memorable impression on viewers who are still fascinated with the logging town decades after it was introduced.
9
‘ER’ (1994–2009)
Medical dramas have long been a staple of television programming, but ER raised the bar for viewers’ expectations in both quality and authenticity. Set in a fictionalized version of Chicago’s Cook County General Hospital, ER followed the medical personnel who worked in the high-pressure environment of the busy emergency room. Through long hours and an endless line of patients, the doctors and nurses of Cook County would try to balance their personal lives with the demanding nature of their jobs.
ER became an integral piece of NBC’s lineup, drawing consistent ratings and critical acclaim for 15 seasons. Over that time, the medical drama would adapt to multiple arrivals and departures of key actors, but the show might not have lasted long enough to experience these changes without the talents of the original cast. ER gave George Clooney the final push needed before he left the series in 1999 for a film career, but the combined efforts from performers like Anthony Edwards as level-headed workaholic Dr. Mark Greene and Julianna Marguiles as the strong-willed and dedicated Nurse Carol Hathaway compelled viewers to tune in each week without fail.
8
‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ (1996–2005)
CBS found a much-needed hit with a long legacy in the brilliantly written and performed sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. The series starred Ray Romano as Ray Barrone, a sportswriter who lived with his wife Debra (Patricia Heaton) and two kids on Long Island. Much to Debra’s frustration, Ray’s intrusive parents, Frank (Peter Boyle) and Marie (Doris Roberts), lived across the street with police officer older brother Robert (Brad Garrett), allowing their uninvited visits to be regular and lengthy.
Each character was so well-defined, so expertly played, in Everybody Loves Raymond, that an episode could focus on the interactions of any two characters, and it was guaranteed to work. Everyone in the cast, from the deadpan Robert to the passive-aggressive mother Marie, was a professional scene-stealer, but they did so in a way that gave the other characters a wealth of opportunities to get an even bigger laugh. Nine seasons is usually the point when a sitcom begins to feel exhausted by itself, but the Barrone family never disappointed, thanks to their combined talent.
7
‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ (1990–1996)
One of the best sitcoms of the ’90s, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, saw Will Smith star as a fictional version of himself, leaving a dangerous situation in Philadelphia to live with family in the wealthy California neighborhood of Bel-Air. In terms of leads, it would be difficult to find someone more valuable in the ’90s than Smith. He was charisma personified, and it was evident to anyone watching that a movie career was a foregone conclusion, only determined by when he was ready to make the leap.
However, the cast surrounding Will in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air quickly became more than punchlines to be mocked. Carlton could be obnoxious, but he was also deeply loyal to his family with a lovable enthusiasm; likewise, Uncle Phil was stern, but he loved equally hard, and his respect, once earned, was an immeasurable source of pride for Will, a teen in desperate need of a father figure. Smith was a star in the making, but the entire cast working together was unforgettable.
6
‘Freaks and Geeks’ (1999–2000)
Featuring a wall-to-wall cast of future stars wasn’t enough to get the NBC dramedy Freaks and Geeks a second season. Set in 1980, Freaks and Geeks primarily followed two groups of students of William McKinley High School as they faced the perils of growing up in the town of Chippewa, Michigan. The “freaks” are content to smoke pot, ignoring their hidden potential, while the young “geeks” do their best to sidestep their own awkwardness for seemingly out-of-reach social acceptance.
One of the most underrated shows of the ’90s, Freaks and Geeks was a little slice of brilliance that NBC marooned on the desert island of Saturday nights. For the few who caught the excellent but short-lived series, they were the first to see up-and-comers like Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini, and Jason Segel get their big breaks. It’s an unbelievably deep and talented cast of young newcomers, and together they would capture the excitement, frustration, and heartbreak of teenage existence.
5
‘Sex and the City’ (1998–2004)
Sex and the City was an early-defining success for HBO, and credit must be largely paid to its recognizable cast of leading ladies. Sarah Jessica Parker started as Carrie Bradshaw, a popular newspaper columnist who wrote her observations about pursuing love and all its complications while living in New York City. Providing Carrie with support and endless new material were her best friends Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon).
While there were many fantastic characters the four women interacted with in their varied social circles, it was the core dynamic that made the show addictive for its fans. The starkly different personalities of the quartet and how they approached personal conflict became a personality test. Being labeled a Charlotte or a Miranda was a badge of honor worn, or a title refused, and the meanings were universally understood, even by people who didn’t watch the show. The cast’s significance to pop culture was undeniable, and they’ve remained relevant in theatrical sequels and the continuation series, And Just Like That…
4
‘Seinfeld’ (1989–1998)
A show can only be about nothing if the people on-screen are compelling enough to watch do nothing. The mega-popular sitcom Seinfeld followed stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld playing a fictionalized version of himself living and performing comedy in New York. Following him on adventures into trivial dissection were his friends Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George (Jason Alexander), and neighbor Kramer (Michael Richards).
A sitcom having a smaller cast of four means each character is required to carry a sizable portion of the show, and that wasn’t a problem for the talented Seinfeld cast. Each performer brought their own style of humor to Seinfeld, and, through natural chemistry and talent, those differences created great harmony. Extending further outside the core cast, the lineup of side characters, such as Newman (Wayne Knight) and David Puddy (Patrick Warburton), created a consistently funny, heightened version of New York City that viewers tuned in to enjoy.
3
‘Frasier’ (1993–2004)
Frasier, the spinoff of the sitcom classic Cheers, would see psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) move from Boston back to his home of Seattle, Washington. Leaning into his theatrical nature, Frasier takes a job hosting a psychiatric radio call-in show, but when his estranged father, Martin (John Mahoney), suffers an injury, the two become reluctant roommates. Frasier’s neurotic brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) offers financial aid, which allows Martin to have a live-in caregiver, Daphne (Jane Leeves).
Unlike other sitcoms that struggle to find their footing, Frasier premiered confidently as a sitcom that melded wit and family drama into a unique package. The writing was sharp and timeless, but the immediate chemistry of the cast, each operating in different comedic rhythms that complemented one another, made Frasier an immediate hit. Frasier’s cast would become fixtures on television as the show would become one of the longest-running sitcoms ever, lasting 11 seasons and earning 37 Primetime Emmys from an astounding 108 nominations.
2
‘The Simpsons’ (1989–)
With nearly 800 episodes produced, it’s hard to imagine what television looked like before The Simpsons became a cultural craze. A smash hit even while finding its footing, The Simpsons continued to refine its artistic design and comedic sensibilities to usher animation into ’90s prime-time television. Homer (Dan Castellaneta), Bart (Nancy Cartwright), Lisa (Yeardley Smith), and Marge (Julie Kavner) are iconic characters of ’90s television, but that only scratches the surface of The Simpsons’ success.
Over the years, the world of the show expanded past the living room of the Simpsons to make the city of Springfield and its endless cast of characters the secret stars of the show. Decades of being on the air have allowed each side character to receive the spotlight in episodes that provided depth and surprising pathos to seemingly surface-level misfits. Of course, none of this would be possible without a legendary team of voice actors such as Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer, who use their talents to create some of the most recognizable characters in all of pop culture.
1
‘Friends’ (1994–2004)
In the ’90s, there was Friends at the top, and then every other show fighting for second place. On paper, the story of six friends hanging out in New York was the basis for a conventional comedy, but the cast and their dynamic together made every joke land with force. An episode of Friends could have been about literally anything, but as long as the cast were on the soundstage together, the episode was an instant classic for fans.
The cast members of Friends were more than sitcom stars; they were celebrity royalty in the ’90s. Favorites would inevitably emerge from the cast, but all six were immediate superstars who had their choice of projects to work on when Friends wasn’t filming new episodes. The cast’s chemistry and youthful appeal would send each network, including NBC, to search for the next combination of unknowns to capture the hearts of viewers, but there has yet to be another cast or show with the same reach and enduring popularity as Friends.
