You Should Get Into These Adult '90s Shows

I know one of the characteristics of millennials is the intense pride over being a '90s kid, but admit it: one of the big drag about being a '90s kid was, well, your parents probably banned you from watching any really great '90s TV series (considering that you were a literal child). Back then, in a laptop-less world (God, I hope you didn't have a laptop at age six), there was nothing you could do about it. But now, in the golden era of online streaming, you can finally watch all those great previously forbidden adult '90s shows. So what '90s shows did your parents watch that you should watch now? Well, where to begin?

There's a great wide world of television that needs to be explored, so it's hard to narrow down your options. Great news, though. I decided to comb my memory bank for all the fun shows I was not allowed to enjoy as a child. More than likely, you're in the same boat as me and also had to hide at the foot of your parents bed to get a glimpse of Fraiser (it was barely effective, right?).

But I don't want to keep you. Without further delay, here are 11 parent-beloved '90s shows for you to sink your grown-up teeth into.

1. The X-Files

It's an opportune time to catch up in light of the revival. This was my mom's favorite pick, and, as a baby Mary Grace, I would get freaked out by the theme song alone. However, it's so worth it for the perfection of Gillian Anderson and a young David Duchovny alone (plus: so much sexual tension among all those aliens).

2. Ally McBeal

It's really interesting to compare the 20something-year-old women of the '90s to the 20something-year-old women of 2010. Incidentally, even with her very adult job as a lawyer, Ally continually screws up her love life in a way that's practically Horvathian.

3. Married... With Children

Now, Married... With Children was something that I could very occasionally get a glimpse at as a child, but it took a decade-long sabbatical to really get into the series as an adult. There are few families as horrifyingly intriguing as the Bundys, and honestly? You'll never be able to watch Modern Family the same again.

4. Melrose Place

Gonna just quote Reality Bites' Lelaina Pierce on this one: "Melrose Place is a really good show."

5. Twin Peaks

Again, timely because we're a hop, skip, and a jump away from the reboot; plus, it's a worthwhile watch because it is a wonderful and strange masterpiece. Truth be told, I was in utero for most of the series' run, yet I have a sneaking suspicion my parents didn't want to expose me to David Lynch at a young age (art school took care of my Lynch exposure, as it should).

6. Sex And The City

So, I'm actually going to assume that you've seen Sex and the City. I would have a really hard time believing that you've tried to tackle the whole female experience without at least glimpsing at Sex and the City. Yet if you, for some sad reason, never checked out this cultural touchstone, um, get on that.

7. The Sopranos

OK, technically The Sopranos debuted in 1999, which barely qualifies it as a "'90s show." Still, as long as you have your parent's HBOgo password, you might as well check it out since I was unceremoniously forbidden to watch that show (no matter how much my dad loved it).

8. Party Of Five

You know, in case you were curious about Lacey Chabert's pre-Mean Girls body of work.

9. Murder, She Wrote

This one's probably closer to one of Grandma's "stories" vs. something your parents wouldn't let you watch. Still, what's better than seeing Angela Lansbury solve mysteries?

10. Will & Grace

I was never personally banned from watching Will & Grace, but I just want to take a moment to urge you to do so if you haven't... and know that, in spite of the title, it's totally the Jack and Karen show.

11. Roseanne

Let me tell you something, I only caught Roseanne episodes in fortunate passing as a child, but it has a raw blue-collar feel and a true riot grrrl spirit (which even culminates with some Bikini Kill in a 1995 episode).

Hopefully, this will make for a good jumping board, and you'll be set on '90s shows for the rest of the decade... or the rest of the week, depending on how fast you marathon watch.

Images: Fox; Giphy (11)