I would say that westerns were most popular in the 50/60s.

Police/detective shows were most popular in the 70s.

And night-time soap opera dramas and tv mini-series were most popular in the 80s.

What genre was most popular in the 90s?

Crap.

I would say that westerns were most popular in the 50/60s.

Police/detective shows were most popular in the 70s.

And night-time soap opera dramas and tv mini-series were most popular in the 80s.

What genre was most popular in the 90s?

Sitcoms about groups of friends, rather than traditional family members.

Police/lawyer/hospital dramas.

Crap.
Pretty much, but there was some decent shows from that era. I much prefer the 80s though.

I would say that westerns were most popular in the 50/60s.

Police/detective shows were most popular in the 70s.

And night-time soap opera dramas and tv mini-series were most popular in the 80s.

What genre was most popular in the 90s?

The 1980s had just as many police and detective shows as the 1970s.

I'd say the 1990s were most known for non-family sitcoms.

We sometimes forget how much of an impact The Simpsons, NYPD Blue and ER had on the TV landscape, perhaps because all three shows have/had long runs and may have overstayed their welcome. But they were cultural juggernauts in their glory days.

Similarly The Larry Sanders Show on HBO paved the way for the prestige cable (and later streaming) television that followed, with The Sopranos premiering at the end of the ’90s.

It was definitely a unique decade, with cable gaining more of a foothold in our homes and starting to siphon the critical acclaim that once belonged to the networks. It was also arguably the last decade of appointment/watercooler television. (By the middle of the aughts, many of us were time shifting, streaming and watching on-demand programming.)

The ’90s are definitely a hard decade to define when it comes to television. With an ever expanding menu of channels and programming, there were a lot of different genres that were popular.

Drama?

Law and Order premiered in 1990 and was hit. Homicide: Life on the Street and NYPD Blue were good enough. You had medical dramas like Chicago Hope and ER. And you can't forget the teen dramas like Melrose Place, Dawson's Creek, or Beverly Hills 90210

Observational sitcoms like Seinfeld and raunchy shows like Married With Children.

I say Sitcoms because it own that decade

- more stand-up comedians getting their own sitcoms
- more sitcoms featuring young group of friends hanging at coffee shops or offices
- more skit comedy sitcoms
- more multi-cam sitcoms not pumped with a laugh track
- more dramas featuring high schoolers and/or college students
- more urban sitcoms with minorities
- more family oriented sitcoms

double post

We sometimes forget how much of an impact The Simpsons, NYPD Blue and ER had on the TV landscape, perhaps because all three shows have/had long runs and may have overstayed their welcome. But they were cultural juggernauts in their glory days.

Similarly The Larry Sanders Show on HBO paved the way for the prestige cable (and later streaming) television that followed, with The Sopranos premiering at the end of the ’90s.

It was definitely a unique decade, with cable gaining more of a foothold in our homes and starting to siphon the critical acclaim that once belonged to the networks. It was also arguably the last decade of appointment/watercooler television. (By the middle of the aughts, many of us were time shifting, streaming and watching on-demand programming.)

The ’90s are definitely a hard decade to define when it comes to television. With an ever expanding menu of channels and programming, there were a lot of different genres that were popular.

that is a lie lmao 2000s were just as much appointment television

TRL (for Teens in the 2000s( yes it was)
The Sopranos
Malcolm in The Middle
That 70s Show
The OC
The Wire (Premiered June 2002 )

The Sopranos and The Wire were HBO shows and therefore had somewhat of a limited audience to begin with. The 90s were the last decade to feature appointment tv on the big 4 networks (think of ER, Friends, and Seinfeld). Sure, the Friends finale ended in 2004 and so did Frasier, but that was about the last of appointment tv on network television.

Gross out shows like Ren and Stimpy South Park and Beavis and Butthead.

The Sopranos and The Wire were HBO shows and therefore had somewhat of a limited audience to begin with. The 90s were the last decade to feature appointment tv on the big 4 networks (think of ER, Friends, and Seinfeld). Sure, the Friends finale ended in 2004 and so did Frasier, but that was about the last of appointment tv on network television.

Survivor says hello and American Idol from the early 2000s, even WWF Smackdown on UPN, Fear Factor,
All things that were appointment television in the 2000s on Network TV

The 2000s in general were a more cable decade, networks like MTV, E!, Vh1 were all in their reality phase.

I remember nearly every actor/actress having his/her own talk show during the day.

I also remember non stop round the clock coverage of the OJ Simpson case/trial.

More edgier programs and sleazy talk shows.

Smart sitcoms. It was the last decade in which a bunch of shows, led by Seinfeld, actually made an effort to be good.

More than a genre to me!

Teen shows: Beverly Hills, Melrose Place, Sweet Valley High, Dawson's Creek, Buffy, Charmed, Sabrina the Teenage Girl had their run or started back then.
Kids, especially High School kids, had a lot of choice.

Sitcoms: the last classic family sitcoms, the earlier disfunctional families, and a new wave that gave the genre new lifeblood.

It was also a decade with more serious dramas with grittier tones than the audience were previously used to, for example in cop shows such as NYPD Blue and Homicide: Life on the Street (that inherited a lot from Hill Street Blues and Cagny and Lacey), ER, The X-Files
I also think that it was the pinnacle of the legal dramas: L.A. Law, Ally McBeal, Judging Amy (stretchin a bit here, but considering other shows from the decade after I think it better belong to the 90s).

If I have to pick a common thread, or a trend throughout television during this decade, I'd say that there was more attention throughout social themes that people goes through everyday life.
But that was done with interest and the right heart, without smearing the audience.
Also, there were so many different shows and new ideas: television back then was a wonderful laboratory, with quality shows for every taste.

My favorite decade, no doubt :)

Survivor says hello and American Idol from the early 2000s, even WWF Smackdown on UPN, Fear Factor,
All things that were appointment television in the 2000s on Network TV
That is not at all a good thing. Survivor and American Idol being such huge hits forever weakened broadcast networks' programming and ushered in a permanent over-dependence on reality shows with some of those shows having 3 or more hours every week. Even 2 decades later the total garbage called Smackdown being on FOX's schedule year round gave them less room to renew a fantastic drama like Prodigal Son, there would have been space for a PS renewal if not for that trash. Smackdown garbage is also partially responsible for Reba which still had good ratings not getting a 7th season, gave the CW a full night less of room for shows as well.

The 1990’s was the last decade of the pre-internet era, and one of the last decades where the three networks will have dominance on media and broadcast entertainment.

Where one has to come home at a certain day and time to watch their show or miss it, or having to buy a VCR to record the show (VCR’s are completely obsolete now). I can watch an episode now at my convenience. Personally because of technology, I don’t watch TV, I watch my portable device (which is my IPhone).

Pretty much for decent shows and less animations and effects. I remember watching Samantha the witch and Oh, I miss it much!

The Fox network which launched in the mid 80s emerged as a major rival to the big 3 in the 90s as it aired edgier programming and major sporting events, specifically NFL football.

The rise of adult animation.