I Heart the 90s.

The 90s were beautiful. Let's admit it.

And I love YouTube for letting me reconnect with all of my favorite shows from the 90s.

Here are some of them (listed in chronological order, because ranking them would be too hard):

1. The Cosby Show, 1984-1992

Mrs. Huxtable reminds me of my mom, only black.

Why I love it: Cliff's sweaters; little baby Raven Simone; the fact that Bill Cosby makes weird faces and does weird things with his hands, just like people do in real life.

Gems:

"The Birth (Parts 1 & 2)" - Grandmothers should obviously be called "Mother: the Sequel."

"The Shirt Story" - I need a Gordon Gartrelle.

2. Saved by the Bell, 1989-1993

Good thing for reruns, or I'd have never known the genius of this show.

Why I love it: handsome prankster Zack Morris; love triangles; getting into and getting out of fun 90s high school shenanigans; Casey Kasem guest starring; the theme song.

Gems:

"Slater's Friend" - Oh Artie boy, the bugs, the bugs are buzzing. . .

"Rockumentary" - Worth it just for the sequins, Zack's earring, and the song "Friends Forever."

3. Boy Meets World, 1993-2000

A 90s classic. I feel like I grew up with these guys.

Why I love it: set in PHILADELPHIA; "Ta-co!"; Frankie & Joey; the fact that everyone's personality completely changed over the course of the show and no one cared.

Gems:

"My Best Friend's Girl" - Cory & Topanga start dating! But along the way, awkwardness ensues.

"Shallow Boy" - He's a loser freak. . . Eric offends Corinna, the happiest girl in the world.

"B & B's B 'N B" - Cory & Shawn turn Feeny's house into a bed & breakfast.

"Chick Like Me" - Shawn dresses up like a girl and names himself Veronica Wasboyski.

"Cult Fiction" - Shawn joins a. . . well, it's not a cult. They just hug a lot.

"And Then There Was Shawn" - Welcome to John Adams High, where you are gonna die!

"Angela's Men" - Eric lying in wait in the couch cushions. That is all.

4. Sister, Sister, 1994-1999

Never knew how much I missed ya.

Why I love it: their outfits; the guest stars; the way they'd whine and say "Ti-aaaaa! Ta-miiiiir-aaaa!" Actually, Tia & Tamera were kinda lame. The gold was in the Lisa + Ray interactions.

Gems:

"For the People" - Ray, now sporting a pretty sweet beard, runs for office.

"Before There Was Hip Hip. . ." - Flashback episodes are the best, even if their jazz references are a bit sketch.

Basically any time Lisa talks.

5. Pinky and the Brain, 1995-2001

Animaniacs = after school TV with my siblings in the 90s.

Why I love it: Pinky's Cockney accent; the unabashed 90s pop culture references; the theme song; the oh-so-familiar and anticlimactic format. I mean, how come they never actually get to take over the world?

Gems:

Completely summed up in the following video:

6. Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, 1996-2003

Hate Sabrina, love the show.

Why I love it: Harvey Kinkle; all the fun rules of magic (which had NO continuity whatsoever throughout the show); the historical anachronisms; Salem's wit; Sabrina's lazy eye.

Gems:

"Pancake Madness" - Turns out all Spellmans are addicted to pancakes. Yeah, that's normal.

"Sabrina and the Pirates" - Sabrina gets a fake ID & her magic becomes fake, while Hilda and Zelda try to tame some unruly pirates that they found in their attic.

7. Hey Arnold!, 1996-2004

Move it, Football Head!

Why I love it: the array of side characters; Arnold's voice; the emotionally deep subject matter; Gerald's urban legends; everything about Helga G. Patacki.

Gems:

"Preteen Scream" - I saw your face, and wow! That's the meaning of eternity.

"Principal Simmons" - Principal Wertz sings "I Will Prevail" at a karaoke bar.

"Polishing Rhonda" - Big Patty makes my heart swell.

8. Arthur, 1996-Present

This show will never end.

Why I love it: the guest stars; the show's "self-referential humor" and "discernible, complex continuity" (wikipedia); Elwood City pop culture (e.g. Bionic Bunny, Mary Moo Cow, Henry Skreever).

Gems:

"Arthur's Almost Live Not Real Music Festival" - 'Cause I was Jekyll Jekyll Hyde Jekyll Hyde Hyde Jekyll, Jekyll Jekyll Hyde Jekyll Hyde

"Binky Rules" & "Meet Binky" - Holographic European bands sing the catchiest songs.

"World Girls" - Muffy collects World Girl dolls--like American Girl dolls, but more cultured!

"Prove It!" - D.W. creates her own explanations for scientific phenomena.

9. Recess, 1997-2001

I'm slightly in love with TJ Detweiler.

Why I love it: the world building; the nostalgic and idealized view of childhood; the fact that when I'm watching it, I can often anticipate the next line; the pop culture references.

Gems:

"Lord of the Nerds" - Gondor Primulon, JT!

"The Story of Whomps" - I wrote a whole linguistics paper about this episode. So it must be good.

If this blog post didn't provide you with at least 10 extra minutes of procrastination, it's your own fault.

Stay tuned for the follow-up:

my favorite TV from the early 2000s.