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The 1990s are my favorite time in television to write about. There are some cable channels, but we aren’t overrun with original programming. It’s all watched on a TV when it airs, or in reruns. Now, as a consumer of TV, of course I prefer being able to watch what I want, when I want. Conceptually, though, there is something to the ‘90s-style of television consumption. There is some heft, more than the ‘70s or ‘80s, but not enough to be overwhelming. So let’s get to the TV landscape of 1993!
This was a huge year for TV shows ending. That is not an oversell. Cheers ended! The Wonder Years ended! Major Dad ended! OK, so Major Dad may not have been a significant show, but Doogie Howser, Designing Women, the cult hit The Ben Stiller Show, and Saved by the Bell all ended in 1993. Of course, the gang from Bayside didn’t stay away long.
The thing is, 1993 was also a massive year for new shows, which perhaps make sense. Some big shows went out, and they had to be replaced. Saved by the Bell immediately gave way to Saved by the Bell: The College Years. Cheers ended, but Frasier began, and to me, Frasier is the better show.
Beavis & Butt-head debuted on MTV. The X-Files debuted. Animaniacs debuted. The Adventures of Pete & Pete! Rocko’s Modern Life! The State! I’m not done, either. This was the year David Letterman left NBC for CBS, which means it is also the year that Conan O’Brien debuted as a late-night host. Oh, and for wrestling fans, this is the year the first episode of Monday Night RAW aired. Then, while it isn’t a new show, in 1993 Mike Nelson replaced Joel Hodgson as the host of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
I don’t know if I have ever covered a year of TV this significant. This is why I love writing about 1990s TV. There’s always something interesting happening. For every Cheers we lose, we gain a Frasier. A Letterman gives us a Conan. A Joel leads to a Mike.
