Recently, '90s television has returned to us in the form of Nickelodeon's The Splat , a nightly block of '90s programming from the channel's archives. Yet while the decade's TV shows are certainly beloved, Nick isn't the only network to have spawned unforgettable series. There are lots of non-Nickelodeon '90s TV shows you loved, too — from Saved by the Bell and Full House to Friends and Tiny Toon Adventures. It's hard to top all the crazy awesome shows from the decade, which is why Girl Meets World exists on the Disney Channel and sequel series of The X-Files, Gilmore Girls, and Full House (named Fuller House) have reportedly been ordered. We simply can't get enough of the '90s.
I loved Nickeldeon as much as anyone and actually told my parents we couldn't leave on vacation to Disney World until I saw the end of a Hey Dude two-part episode. (We went anyway. Harumph!) Doug, Salute Your Shorts, Clarissa Explains It All — those shows were my jam, but the '90s had so much more to offer if you changed the channel. It's hard to believe that once upon a time, Dawson's Creek and Gilmore Girls were just shows on TV, no big deal. Today, they're upheld as classics, exist as memes and GIFs, and stream on Netflix (or elsewhere) as comfort food for the soul. TV in 2015 is pretty rad, too — TGIT, anyone? — but there's a sweet simplicity in '90s TV that's impossible not to yearn for. Perhaps we all want to relive our youth — or just Zack and Kelly's prom.
In any case, here are the best non-Nickelodeon '90s shows you and I loved (in no particular order).
Saved By The Bell
Saturday mornings were never as entertaining as when SBTB ruled the AM with Zack, Kelly, Screech, Slater, Lisa, and Jessie.
Boy Meets World
Before there was ABC's TGIT Thursdays, viewers tuned in on Fridays for the TGIF lineup, which was anchored by Cory Matthews meeting the world, his true love Topanga, and lots of adventures in growing up.
Full House
This ABC sitcom was the '90s introduction to a new kind of family — one you can make for yourself. Danny Tanner recruited his brother-in-law Jesse and friend Joey to help care for his three daughters after the death of his wife. Hilarity — and lots of love — ensued.
Melrose Place
Once this Beverly Hills 90210 spin-off fully embraced its sexy soapiness, it was unstoppable.
Animaniacs
Who didn't love coming home from school to catch an episode of this wacky toon?
Dawson's Creek
The pre-CW WB drama gave us love triangles, lots of feels, and great vocabularies.
Gilmore Girls
Mothers and daughters were never closer than Rory Gilmore and Lorelai Gilmore, and New England never looked more quaint and quirky than Stars Hallow.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
The series that showed us that being a teenager is rough — especially when you're tasked to battle vampires and, you know, save the world. A lot.
Friends
The NBC sitcom that really defined the phrase "I'll Be There For You" — as the title of the series theme song for a show that made us laugh for 10 years.
Beverly Hills, 90210
The Fox drama that made us all California dreamers, lovers, and supporters of Donna Martin graduating.
Ghostwriter
WORD! I mean, this show made PBS so cool, along with writing in a neat handwriting and wearing a pen around your neck.
Tiny Toon Adventures
These tiny, toony, and looney cartoons made Looney Tunes cool for a whole new generation.
See? Nickelodeon wasn't the only place to get quality TV back in the '90s.
Image: The WB
