Advice

|29 Jul 2019|6 mins

Past Perfect: Eight '90s Classics we're watching again

These TV shows are gone but not forgotten.

Settle in for a nostalgia ride back to the 1990s – when TV was at its best and all was right with the world…

OK, so that’s not totally true. With Netflix, Stan and all the other streaming platforms pushing out new series by the week, TV might just be even better now. But there were undoubtedly some classics back in the day – inspiring for their subject matters, casts of characters and, of course, clothes.

Here, then, are eight we’ve been enjoying recently – with outfits to match.

@the90sflow

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Start whistling the theme in a crowded space and you’ll soon have everyone singing every word. From Will Smith’s gags to Carlton’s dancing – and the overlying message of America’s racial divide – the Fresh Prince rarely missed a beat. Now this is a story all about how my…

@btvsstyle

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The teen drama no one was afraid to admit they liked, Buffy was years ahead of its time, giving the heroic lead to a high-school girl who was forced to deal with all the pressures of teenage life and the responsibility of killing an endless stream of murderous vampires.

@absolutelyfabulousoutfits

Absolutely Fabulous

Following the trashy exploits of Eddie and Patsy as they sashayed from product launches to parties while trying to stay relevant, Ab Fab was a must-watch for its hilarious swipes at the London fashion world. And for the outfits, obviously.

@thexfilesfox

The X Files

From the creepy theme tune to Scully’s refusal to believe in anything slightly irrational even while aliens are literally kidnapping people in front of her eyes, The X Files was one of a kind. Mulder’s collection of big ties probably deserved a spin-off show of their own.

www.theguardian.com

My So Called Life

Where was Claire Danes before she played crazy but smart Carrie Mathison on Homeland? Playing crazy but smart Angela Chase on My So Called Life, a high-school drama that shone a light on issues often ignored, like drug use, homophobia and homelessness.

www.huckmag.com

Twin Peaks

Weird, wonderful and weird again, Twin Peaks has had a massive influence on just about every stellar HBO and Netflix series that’s come since, from the small-town spookiness of True Detective to the, well, small-town spookiness of Stranger Things.

www.eonline.com

Dark, engrossing, moving – and that was just George Clooney’s hair, long before it took a turn for the silver. Doctors Ross, Greene, Lewis, Carter and Benton were the steady hands dealing with daily trauma, while adding emotional depth that had you blubbing over the credits.

@heartbreak.high

Heartbreak High

Cool and edgy, Heartbreak High was the home-grown equivalent of My So Called Life, running for five years until 1999. Amazingly, it was a whole four series before possibly the show’s best-remembered characters appeared in the forms of Drazic and Anita.