Childhood in the 90s meant a lot of time spent in front of the TV screen. If any generation knew how to do screen time right, it was us.
With all those Saturday mornings and late afternoons watching our favorite shows, there are almost too many great series to choose from. But if any of the shows from our 90s childhood were to be rebooted, these are the ones we'd rush home to watch today as an adult.
Clarissa Explains It All
We were pretty pumped to hear that this unforgettable tween show was getting a reboot in 2018 and then equally bummed to learn the reboot was canceled in 2022. Revisiting Clarissa Explains It All is what our millennial hearts are longing for these days.
Imagine seeing Clarissa take on her later adult years, navigating what it's like to have teens much like the one she once was. The comfort and nostalgia of seeing Melissa Joan Hart speak directly to the audience through the screen would be unmatched. She would know exactly how we should handle our ongoing struggles with the return of low-rise jeans.
Need to Know
We'd also love to see Melissa Joan Hart reprise her role as the famous teen witch, Sabrina. We can't imagine how she might be handling life as a mom with magical powers.
Home Improvement
Home Improvement was the sitcom our parents felt safe watching with us in the room and the one that we actually thought was somewhat funny. Plus, something usually blew up in every single episode and that was always fun.
While we love seeing Tim Allen return to his role as Santa, it might be so fun for our millennial hearts to see him portray Tim Taylor again. With three boys going in different directions in their adult lives, we'd love to see how the Tool Man is handling being a grandparent or an advisor to his sons.
We're guessing Tool Time would no longer be a part of the series, but we could see Tim figuring out his way with a YouTube channel dedicated to anything that involves power tools. Maybe we could even see him become a wise and friendly neighbor to the young family man next door. With the actor who played Tim's own wise neighbor Wilson (Earl Hindman) passing in 2003, it would be a sweet tribute to the character.
Kenan & Kel
We've been fortunate enough to see Kenan and Kel reunite to bring us laughs on Saturday Night Live, but we need the real deal. After more than 20 years of exploring other comedic avenues, we can't imagine the hilarity these two would bring us today.
With the same fourth-wall-breaking approach as the original, seeing Kenan and Kel navigate their adult life would sure make us feel a little less lost in this whole adulting gig. With all the SNL connections made through the years, the funny guest stars would be unbeatable as well.
We would, of course, need some sort of reference to the pair's famous Good Burger sketch somewhere in every episode.
Hey Arnold!
Hey Arnold! was a cartoon unlike any other kids' show on TV in the 90s. Arnold lived in a boarding house with his grandparents and faced deep and complicated issues compared to most fourth-grade boys.
A reboot of this series would be much more than nostalgic. With a diverse cast of animated characters and the thought-provoking plot lines the series was known for, a Hey Arnold! reboot would still make a statement today.
We might love to see the whole cast of school-aged kids grown up and dealing with real-life issues as adults. It would also be so satisfying to see Arnold finally have closure about the loss of his parents and, of course, realize Helga's undying love for him.
Dragon Tales
How badly did you want to escape to Dragon Land during a particularly rough day of being a kid? What if we could see Max and Emmy do exactly that in a reboot of Dragon Tales?
Dragon Tales was the adventure every kid dreamed of as the main characters were able to escape to a magical land of dragons virtually any time they wanted to.
We'd love to see Max and Emmy still using the dragon scale as adults to help them figure out the lessons and obstacles they encounter along the way. Though some new and interesting dragon characters would be welcome, we'd also need to see regular visits from the original group of dragon friends that made the show so special.
Anything Mary Kate & Ashley
We've missed the famous twins since their final big screen appearance together in New York Minute. With as many shows and TV specials under their belts as there are movies, we just know there's something in there worth reviving.
From Two of a Kind to So Little Time, we would love to see where some of their characters are more than 20 years later. We expect nothing less than typical twin trouble, dreamy love interests, and unforgettable fashion moments. The truth is, if Mary Kate and Ashley are involved, we're binging every second.
Fast Fact
Even though the twins' first major TV show, Full House, was given a reboot in 2016, we never got to see the two return as their shared character Michelle Tanner.
The Wild Thornberrys
The Wild Thornberrys gave us everything our young hearts needed in the late 90s. A dynamic family with real issues set on a wildlife landscape and a main character whose best friend was a monkey who could talk. Oh, and she could talk to animals. Every member of the family was beloved for their quirks and five seasons of the show just weren't enough.
We'd love to see the show revived with Eliza, the animal-whispering lead, on her own grand adventures in the wild. We imagine she would be heavily involved in some sort of wildlife conservation career and that Darwin would still be by her side through it all.
Kim Possible
We need to see Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable as a married couple — that's the main reason we're hoping for a Kim Possible reboot. Not to mention the gadgets that Wade could invent today!
Kim captured our hearts as the cool, fashionable teen with a super spy gig on the side. We loved watching her friendship development with her sidekick Ron as she bested bad guys and battled with the high school mean girls.
We'd love to see Kim navigating a career while maintaining her spy status these days. With classic villains like Shego and Dr. Drakken still making regular appearances, it's a show we'd binge in a heartbeat.
Recess
This was the show that made us feel seen and understood as kids. Saturday mornings with Recess made our actual recess hours at school a bit more bearable.
There are a few ways we could see Recess getting a modern-day reboot. Though it would be so satisfying to see TJ and the gang all grown up and swapping recess hour for their lunch hour, it might be somewhat sad to the kids we once knew become the very adults they despised.
Instead, it might be more interesting to see a whole new crew of kids carrying on the traditions our old friends started at Third Street Elementary School. We could have fun cameos of the original cast popping in as parents, school employees, or career day speakers. But overall, we'd get to see how the structure of the old show gets remade for the 2020s and makes the kids of today feel as represented as we felt watching this show on the floor of our living rooms.
This Is the 90s Revival We Want
Actually, it's not a want. It's a need. Our childhoods were built on the shows we obsessed over and it's probably why we spend so much time streaming nostalgic shows today. Maybe some updated versions of our most beloved series would help us show everyone else why we haven't let any of them go, even two or three decades later.
