12 Shows Grown-Up '90s Kids Will Love

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but, if a stranger on the internet can’t tell you, who will? The fact of the matter is that you are not a ‘90s kid. You live and breathe in the mid-2010s, where you can do everything off a phone and stream TV shows off your laptop, but what’s more than that is you are (probably) not a literal child anymore. You, my friend, are a ‘90s adult. So maybe it’s time to start acting like it by taking a pause on your Hey Arnold! reruns (as good as it is) and tuning into the '90s shows on Netflix you couldn’t appreciate back when you literally were a ‘90s kids.

That’s right, I’m talking about ‘90s shows for grown-ups that you may have missed the first time around. Maybe it’s because you were too young to truly process the jokes in a certain sitcom, or maybe you weren’t going to digest a political drama at the age of 8. Either way, I think you’re finally ready to take ‘90s marathon watching to the next level, and I know just the place(s) to start.

Scroll down and peruse some classic ‘90s shows that you should take a second look at in your old age.

1. The X-Files

There's a lot to appreciate and consume now that you're old enough to not be terrified of the theme song. Like, once you get past that, crazy supernatural happenings and sexual tension abound.

2. Buffy The Vampire Slayer

A perfect show on all fronts, and that whole High-School-Is-A-Literal Hell thing still resonates long after you've graduated. But definitely check in on how delightedly dated those first three seasons are. "If the apocalypse comes, beep me."

3. Charmed

You love witches. They're so on trend right now. So just marathon watch this lesser Buffy in lieu of watching The Craft for the sixth time.

4. Ally McBeal

If you feel a little unstable juggling part-time gigs and having unsatisfactory Tinder dates, don't worry. Rail thin lawyer Ally McBeal is still more a disaster than you, professionally and romantically.

5. That '70s Show

A show about the '70s doesn't seem very '90s, but it's definitely worth a second look now that you're a little bit older and can understand all the veiled (read: VERY OBVIOUS AND AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE SHOW) drug use. OK, seriously, I must have been a sheltered tween, because I did not understand they were in a constant smoke circle until I bought the complete series on DVD when I was 22.

6. 3rd Rock From The Sun

You know, if you want to take your crush on Joseph Gordon-Levitt to a creepy level, there's this.

7. The West Wing

Because you finished Newsroom during a slow work week on HBOGo, and now need a larger Aaron Sorkin fix.

8. Xena: Warrior Princess

Come for the badassery of Lucy Lawless, stay for the lesbian undertones.

9. Roseanne

You can't get all of Roseanne on Netflix, but you should definitely still check in on hilarious antics of the decidedly blue collar Conner family... and be amused by the surprisingly progressive tone the show takes thanks to star Roseanne Barr's input.

10. Twin Peaks

A damn fine show... at least for the first season and a half. But, hell, commit to the entire thing if you've never taken a trip down this Lynchian rabbit hole. That way, you'll be all caught up by the time of the Showtime revival.

11. Fraiser

Honestly, I feel so sophisticated even suggesting this, so imagine how sophisticated you'll feel when you tune into the show your parents used to passively enjoy with their late night tea?

12. Friends

JK, you've already watched Friends through four times through; you don't need to go for a fifth. And if you haven't, what are you waiting for?

Go forth and enjoy adulthood, my former '90s kids. Childhood was a blast, but these beloved shows can make adulthood even better.

Images: ABC; Giphy (12)