The 1990s was a golden era for animated TV shows. These satirical comedies defined a generation but still hold valuable lessons and laughs for modern audiences.
Fans of animated comedy today know Peter Griffin, but he is easily outclassed by his fellow animated dad, Hank Hill. Hank is the main character in King of the Hill, a comedy by Mike Judge about a family in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas.
Hank sells propane and propane accessories while his wife, Peggy, is a substitute teacher at the local school. The antics of their son, Bobby, are a highlight, like in Season 2 Episode 6, “Husky Bobby,” where Bobby becomes a plus-sized model for kids. Also present is Luanne Platter, their niece, who lives with the Hills due to family troubles.
The show satirizes small-town America without talking down on the people within it. Arlen has a vibrant cast of supporting characters like Hank’s friends: Dale Gribble, a conspiracy theorist and exterminator; the somewhat incomprehensible Boomhauer, and the lonely Bill Dauterive, a divorced Army barber.
This revered ’90s classic is rumored for a 2025 revival on Hulu.
The Warner Brothers name may still be relevant today – not as exactly as one might expect, but through the adventures of siblings Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner. In The Animaniacs, the trio gets into wacky adventures filled with pop culture references.
Those stories are occasionally broken up by Pinky and the Brain, two mice. One of them is a genius, and the other is insane. The pair attempts to take over the world in each episode.
In season 1 episode 2, “Yakko’s World/Cookies For Einstein/Win Big,” Yakko sings a song that is still often clipped today, a song about all the countries in the world. Meanwhile, Pinky and Brain attempt to win money to fund their inventions on a game show.
The Animaniacs were brought back for a rival in 2020 on Hulu, running for three more seasons.
Beavis and Butthead, also created by Mike Judge, is a decisive staple of the ’90s era. The iconic duo are dumb slackers who love rock music.
The show satirizes society through the lens of the two teens. In episode 31 of the fourth season, “The Great Cornholio,” after frantically eating a large amount of food at their friend Stewart’s house, Beavis turns into Cornholio, exemplified by the way he wears his shirt.
Beavis and Butthead is the TV show that spun off the show Daria. Beavis and Butthead now have had two reboots: one in 2011 for MTV and an ongoing one for Paramount Plus that started in 2022.
