Besides ‘Friends’ What Were the Most Important TV Debuts of 1994?
1994 was a big year for pop culture. Cinephiles enjoyed newly released films like Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, and The Shawshank Redemption. And music listeners snapped up copies of best-selling albums from artists like TLC, Oasis, and Weezer.
The year was also a huge one for television, as some of the most memorable characters and most enduring shows in small screen history were first introduced in 1994.
Here’s a look at the 10 most important television series that made their debut thirty years ago — and still have a lasting impact today.
Friends
While it didn’t start out particularly strong (it was the 8th most watched show of the 1994-1995 season, tied with Murder, She Wrote), the series about the lives of six friends living in New York City would go on to become one of the most popular programs of the 1990s and early 2000s, making stars of its cast members and even influencing haircut trends (remember “The Rachel”?). When the season finale aired on May 6, 2004, it was watched by 52.5 million viewers.
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ER
The medical drama was a TV staple long before ER premiered. But this Michael Crichton-created series changed the genre forever. Whether you understood the medical jargon or not (and most viewers didn’t), you couldn’t help but be captivated by the action at Cook County General.
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Chicago Hope
Debuting the same year as ER — and for a short time, airing in the same time slot — Chicago Hope was another hit medical drama by another prolific writer, David E. Kelley. Praised for its storytelling, the series won a Golden Globe and seven Emmy Awards. This was an extra-impressive feat considering Kelley was simultaneously producing Picket Fences, Ally McBeal, and The Practice at various times during Chicago Hope’s run.
My So-Called Life
Even though it only aired for 19 episodes, this teen drama set in a fictional suburb of Pittsburgh was universally praised for its realistic depiction of adolescence. It would earn a then-15-year-old Claire Danes a Golden Globe for her performance as Angela Chase, and lead to a surge in teen programming.
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Ellen
This ABC series was originally titled These Friends of Mine, but was changed to avoid confusion with fellow 1994 sitcom Friends. While Ellen, like Friends, was a “hangout comedy,” it is most remembered as one of the first U.S. series to feature a main character coming out as gay. Star Ellen DeGeneres came out in real life soon after.
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Sister, Sister
This sitcom starred Tia and Tamera Mowery as identical twin sisters separated at birth, who reunite as teens. The series — which frequently featured the twins breaking the fourth wall — was an important part of ABC’s popular TGIF comedy lineup.
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Party of Five
This San Francisco-set family drama focused on the five Salinger siblings, a “party of five” who had to come together to cope with the loss of their parents, after they were killed by a drunk driver. The series dealt with serious subject matter and launched the careers of its young stars: Matthew Fox, Lacey Chabert, Scott Wolf, Neve Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
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The Magic School Bus
Based on the book series of the same name, The Magic School Bus cleverly blended education with entertainment. And it had some impressive talents behind the screen: the animated show’s theme song is sung by Little Richard, and Lily Tomlin won an Emmy for voicing eccentric teacher Mrs. Frizzle.
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All That
A Nickelodeon series full of comedy sketches and musical guests, All That was essentially Saturday Night Live for kids. The show was so popular, it would make household names of Nick Cannon, Amanda Bynes and Kenan Thompson, each of whom got their own spin-off series.
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The Critic
Created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who had previously worked as showrunners and writers on The Simpsons, the series focused on the life of New York City-based film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by Jon Lovitz. Frequently parodying the entertainment industry, it was the only TV series that Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert ever reviewed. The series has a cult following and is widely considered (by critics, ironically) to be ahead of its time.
