Older People Are Sharing The "Forgotten" TV Shows From Their Childhoods, And I'm Adding Like Half Of These To My To-Watch List Immediately
Recently, I rounded up some forgotten '90s TV shows, and there were some hidden gems in there! In the comments, BuzzFeed Community members of all ages shared obscure series from their childhoods.
Here are 50 of their top responses:
1."Thirtysomething. Huge hit in the late '80s/early '90s. Literally so forgotten it isn't even streaming anywhere. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's about young boomers who have huge houses, kids, and high-paying jobs, and yet do nothing but complain about middle age and how they have to sell out to succeed. I doubt a single person could relate to it today. It was also kinda sexist. The women who were well-adjusted were the stay-at-home moms, and the independent working women had all the psychological issues."
Bob D'Amico / ©ABC / courtesy Everett Collection—colleend9
AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_10pokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_20pokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe2."Black Hole High (or if you were in the States, like me, it was Strange Days at Blake Holsey High). It was about a group of science-loving kids at a Canadian boarding school with a wormhole under their school, and they have to figure out what the local evil guy (and dad of one of the kids) wants with it. It has a surprisingly complex myth arc for a children's show, and a good twist near the end. I loved that show. It's streaming on a few different platforms in the US, including Prime."
Fireworks Entertainment / Courtesy: Everett Collection—lobster_lemon_lime
3."It appears that no one remembers Girlfriends. I always wanted to get Converse because of Persia White's character."
©Paramount Television/Courtesy Everett Collection—alice_follows_the_white_rabbit
AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_11lokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_21lokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe4."Bosom Buddies had Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari. I can't recall why, but the aforementioned actors disguised themselves as women." [Note: The two male leads disguised themselves so they could live in an affordable female-only apartment building.]
ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images—pissedoffprofessor
5."What I Like About You. Most people forget that Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth were on a sitcom together for four seasons on The WB."
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection—smellyunicorn211
6."There was a show on Disney Channel called The Jersey, and it was a sports show. I think it transported the wearer into the body of a pro athlete, like they were playing in the Super Bowl."
©Disney Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection—ashlucky5
AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_12tokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_22tokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe7."Small Wonder was a comedy science fiction about a robotics engineer and his family. He secretly builds a robot that looks like a human girl, and they disguise her as their adopted daughter, Vicki."
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection—grouchytoaster7815
8."The Young Riders. I was madly in love with every single one of those boys at 11 years old. Actually, when I was a kid, I was a huge Civil War nerd (I still am, but not to the extent I was then), and that show's time frame, being right before the Civil War, made me even more interested in it. I still see that baby face every time I see Josh Brolin in anything. He and Stephen Baldwin were my favorites."
ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images—scorp599211
AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_13pokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_23pokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe9."How about Fifteen (aka Hillside in Canada)? Nickelodeon's version of 90210. Damn near a Canadian copy."
©Nickelodeon/Courtesy Everett Collection—rebekahj6
"There was also a show on Nickelodeon called Fifteen that I still think I might have dreamed because no one remembers it."
©Nickelodeon/Courtesy Everett Collection—vividavocado85
10."A Mary-Kate and Ashley forgotten gem — So Little Time!"
Untitled Series Incorp. / Courtesy: Everett Collection—emilyv11
11."I have something really obscure for you guys. There was this TV show in the '90s about a guy who was a journalist, and then he gets fired but decides to reapply to the same newspaper, but now dressed up as a woman. It lasted for a season. The name of the TV show was Ask Harriet."
©Columbia Tristar/Courtesy Everett CollectionAdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_159okr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_259okr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe —kpride895
12."Dark Shadows had a brief reboot in 1991, which was good but unintentionally funny for various scenes, like when one female lead named Victoria was transported back in time. She ended up being suspected as a witch because of the tags in her clothing, which had symbols for stuff like dry clean only or iron on low."
NBC / Via youtube.com—henrylovedog
13."There's the Beverly Hills, 90210 spinoff show The Heights. Most people recall the song ('How Do You Talk To An Angel') but not the actual show."
©Aaron Spelling Prods/Courtesy Everett Collection—henrylovedog
14."A sci-fi show with Lori Singer — VR.5. It's about a telephone lineworker who can enter a type of virtual reality, where she can interact with other people."
Fox / Via youtube.com—radpotato92
AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_16lokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_26lokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe15."One show I've never seen on these lists is Sisters. It was a great series with an amazing cast!"
NBC / NBCUniversal via Getty Images—happypumpkin137
16."There was a New Kids on the Block cartoon (they had a random dog sidekick instead of a more believable roadie)."
©DIC Enterprises/Courtesy Everett Collection—justjen0178
17."No one I know seems to remember the show Wake, Rattle, and Roll. The theme song is my morning alarm. 😬"
Hanna-Barbera Productions / Four Point Entertainment / Via youtube.com—tcfranco
18."Kidd Video, anyone? '80s cartoon where a live-action band got transported into a cartoon universe called the Flipside. Popular songs of the day were played throughout the episodes, and the band would have one of their own music videos towards the end. I freakin' loved it."
NBC / Via youtube.comAdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_185okr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_285okr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe —laughingclown4451
19."Way back in 1990, Carol Burnett came out with a series — Carol & Company. It was a great concept. This was a sitcom. Every week, Carol Burnett and the cast would play different characters in different cities. The people and places in the current week's episode were not the same people and places in last week's episode."
NBC courtesy Everett Collection—cutepenguin77
20."Can't Hurry Love. I was only 6 when it was on the air, but I definitely remember it. It was kind of a Friends-type of show, but MUCH better. Mariska Hargitay? Yes, please!!!"
Richard Cartwright /© CBS / Courtesy Everett Collection—peacefulpotato62
21."Our Hero. It's about a girl who was trying to be a blogger before YouTube, LOL. She was making a hand-drawn magazine about her day-to-day life. Loved it."
CBC / Via youtube.com—liraelkl
AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_19hokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_29hokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe22."As a tween, I remember the show Herman's Head. It definitely inspired the recent movie Inside Out, but it was tongue-in-cheek, raunchy, and hilarious!"
©Touchstone Television/Courtesy Everett Collection—clevertable50
23."Ok, Sports Night. I might literally be the only person who remembers. Imagine if Aaron Sorkin wrote about a fictional ESPN (he did)."
©Touchstone Television/Courtesy Everett Collection—silkytortoise5038
24."One of my favorite shows no one remembers is The Odyssey. It's about a boy who falls into a coma, but he ends up in a fantasy world in his mind and tries to get back. Ryan Reynolds is the antagonist. I loved this show very much, but people don't remember it."
CBC Television / Via youtube.com—liraelkl
AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_1apokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_2apokr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe25."Ghostbusters the cartoon (The Real Ghostbusters). I'd fake sick to stay home and watch it."
ABC courtesy Everett Collection—progamer795
26."Dark Skies starring Eric Close, Megan Ward, and J. T. Walsh. 'History as we know it is a lie.'"
©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection—dizzytrash587
27."This one is from the '80s. USA Network had an all-night variety show. It was called Night Flight. Nobody remembers that."
USA Network / Via youtube.com—grouchylight4345
28."I always come to these looking to see if anyone else remembers Seven Days — a show about a CIA agent who goes back in time seven days to prevent bad things from happening."
CBS Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images—sparklylion861
29."Does ANYONE remember What-a-Mess? I just had to Google to make sure it wasn't some weird false memory I'd created, LOL."
© Central Independent Televison / courtesy Everett Collection—emilyv11
30."100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd, where he gets turned into a dog and has to do 100 good deeds before getting turned back..."
Lynch Entertainment / Courtesy: Everett Collection—larisadavis
31."Dangerous Women was 🔥. Casper Van Dien was in it."
© Reg Grundy Productions / courtesy Everett Collection—odddog14
32."Strange Empire. It was a Canadian show full of cool female leads set in the plains, I think, circa the passing of the 'Indian Act' in 1876. It seemed like there were some really interesting storylines emerging about Indigenous people and women before it got cancelled."
©Lifetime Television/Courtesy Everett Collection—deadpanship144
33."My Secret Identity! Starring a young Jerry O'Connell."
©Music Corp. of America/Courtesy Everett Collection—jim9219771
34."I badly miss Doctor Doctor! It's not streaming anywhere either, and it doesn't appear to have ever gotten a home video release, so unless you taped it when it was on, you can't watch it at all now. 😠"
©CBS / Courtesy Everett Collection—toothlessfeline
35."Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, which was a Dan Aykroyd show. They changed much of the cast after Season 1, and Matt Frewer became the star, with Michael Moriarty."
Alliance Atlantis Communications / Atlantis Films courtesy Everett Collection—dizzytrash587
36."How about Battle Creek with Dean Winters ('Mayhem' in insurance commercials)? Great show that was canceled too soon."
©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection—silkytree253
37."Now, who else watched Andy Richter Controls the Universe?"
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection—oddrocket298
38."Spyder Games was one I feel like NO ONE talks about that was on MTV."
Eric Lee/©MTV Networks/Courtesy Everett Collection—cherielovee
39."Popular! Whenever I bring it up, no one else has any clue what I'm talking about. It had an amazing cast — Leslie Bibb, Carly Pope, Sara Rue, and Leslie Grossman!"
Richard Cartwright / ©The WB / courtesy Everett Collection—denaet
40."I'm a fan of the forgotten cartoon Cybersix, based on the Argentinian comic about an android who fights crime at night in black leather and disguises herself as a male high school teacher during the day. Only lasted one season."
Ocean Group / Courtesy: Everett Collection—five_star
41."I loved a show called Second Noah. I think it got two seasons, and I've never met anyone other than my sister who watched it."
Longfeather Entertainment / Courtesy: Everett Collection—vividavocado85
42."Roar, with a young Heath Ledger and Vera Farmiga. It was an Aussie show that was broadcast in the US. It only aired for one season. I was obsessed and had the hugest crush on Heath. It's set in fifth-century Ireland and the conflict between the Celts and the invading Romans with fantasy elements. It was cheesy but fun, and not as ridiculous as Hercules with Kevin Sorbo."
Fox / Getty Images—amandac4b39f8d18
43."Does anyone remember a show called Homefront? Set right after WWII ended, and the boys were coming home. Only two seasons, but it was so good!"
Jerry Fitzgerald / ©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection—jwilliams5041311
44."Does anyone remember Alien Nation? It was based on the movie, but way better. Unfortunately, it only lasted one season and ended on a cliffhanger."
© 20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection—smileydragon76
45."Punky Brewster the cartoon (It's Punky Brewster). Used to air on Saturday mornings. No one ever remembers that show."
©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection—casualmug964
46."Anyone out there remember The World of David the Gnome?! My husband and I have talked about it a hundred times, but I swear we're the only people who seem to have seen it."
©Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection—fionaelkins82
47."Headbangers Ball on MTV, hosted by Riki Rachtman, was tight!!"
MTV / Via youtube.com—elsag1
48."This reminds me of a show called The Tribe from New Zealand. It was about a bunch of teenagers in a post-apocalyptic world following a plague that killed off all adults."
Channel 5 / Via youtube.com—pbbt
49."I miss Talk Soup but with John Henson, which led me to love all those VH1 commentary shows in the early 2000s like the I Love the '70s and Best Week Ever. I miss my pop culture snark shows."
©E! Network/Courtesy Everett Collection—lilpeas35
50.And finally: "There was an Australian show that aired in Canada called The Girl From Tomorrow about a teen girl who travels back in time. She has this headband thing called a Transducer that allows her to control things. I'm not Australian, so if that show is still remembered there, Aussies, LMK."
Nine Network / Via youtube.com—five_star
Are there any super weird "forgotten" shows you remember from decades ago? Tell us all about them in the comments or in the anonymous comments box below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length/clarity.
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