1990s sitcoms usually include friends and neighbors who feel like family. Some friendships are already in place when a series begins, and others form or bloom after the show is set in motion. From verbal irony to over-the-top physical comedy, sitcom best friends must have many different skills in their roles.
It's not easy to be a best friend, and these beloved characters show that friendship is a work in progress for kids and adults alike. Out of the many sitcoms from the '90s, which characters made the coolest best friends?
Al Borland (Home Improvement)
Even though Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) is the star of Home Improvement (1991-1999) and "Tool Time," Al Borland (Richard Karn) knows quite a lot about home improvement, too.
Al is Tim's flannel-wearing friend and sidekick on the "Tool Time" show. Al and Tim's friendship is full of typical sitcom gags meant to poke fun at one of the two characters, but the co-hosts also have their deeper moments when they're able to open up to one another.
Jazz (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)
One of the most iconic pals from the '90s is Jazz on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996). Played by DJ Jazzy Jeff, Jazz is Will Smith's best friend throughout the series. He is seen in the early days as Ashley Banks' drum teacher, too.
Jazz adds so much to the sitcom, and fans will always remember Uncle Phil and other family members literally throwing Jazz out of the house multiple times.
Annie Spadaro (Caroline In The City)
Caroline in the City (1995-1999) has a small core cast throughout its run. Caroline Duffy (Lea Thompson) journeys through the series in a New York City loft down the hall from her best friend, Annie Spadaro (Amy Pietz). Both women have artistic careers--Caroline is the cartoonist of her own comic strip, and Annie is a dancer with a steady gig in Cats.
Annie is not afraid to be herself, and she helps Caroline through relationships, break-ups, and difficult decisions. Annie is wise, funny, and everything that a sitcom best friend should be.
Shawn Hunter (Boy Meets World)
Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong) is one of the most mysterious best friends in sitcom history. He and Cory are closer than brothers and share a ton of life experiences together by the series' end. Boy Meets World (1993-2000) is a delicate balance of serious situations and comedic ones, and Shawn fits right into that combination.
He can be just as funny as the Matthews family, but Shawn has not had an easy life, and his past and present struggles come through in several episodes. No matter what he is dealing with, Shawn realizes that Cory is there for him, and Shawn cares deeply for Cory, too.
Six LeMeure (Blossom)
Blossom (1990-1995) propelled its young cast to stardom, including Mayim Bialik, who played Blossom, Joey Lawrence, who played Joey, and Jenna von Oÿ, who played Six LeMeure.
Six is Blossom's best friend on the sitcom, and she is known for her fashion and her habit of talking fast. As Blossom goes through her teen years without her mom in the house, Six is a valuable confidant and companion.
Kim Parker (Moesha, The Parkers)
Jenna von Oÿ went on to play Kim Parker's best friend on The Parkers (1999-2004), but Kim Parker, played by Countess Vaughn, also started out as a best friend on Moesha (1996-2001).
Moesha (Brandy Norwood) spends much of her time in high school with Kim and Niecy and later becomes Niecy's roommate. Kim is very outgoing and carries her own stories well; the character goes to college with her young mother in the spin-off.
Roz Doyle (Frasier)
Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin) is introduced in Frasier (1993-2004) as Frasier Crane's co-worker in the booth at radio station KACL. The two become very close and are good friends throughout the entire series.
Roz often spends time with Frasier and his family, and although they make inappropriate jokes about Roz's love life, the Cranes care about her and help her when she becomes pregnant and has her daughter, Alice. Roz has a thick skin, but she can also be a sensitive person and often manages to keep things light with the perfect one-liner.
Kenan & Kel (Kenan & Kel)
Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell definitely tie for their work as Kenan Rockmore and Kel Kimble on Kenan & Kel (1996-2000). After their success on All That, the stars got their own Nickelodeon sitcom.
Set in Chicago, the series is full of storylines that accentuate the leads' skills for physical comedy. Kenan tries to be cool and come up with schemes that will solve all his problems, but Kel is prone to ruin everything, like when he spills pizza and orange soda on Kenan's date's handmade sweater.
Maxine Johnson (Family Matters)
Some might think of Steve Urkel as everybody's best friend on Family Matters (1989-1998), but the Winslows are really unkind to him much of the time. Of all the friends who come and go on the series, Maxine Johnson (Cherie Johnson) is the best. She is Laura Winslow's (Kellie Shanygne Williams) closest friend from school and is seen hanging out at the Winslow home fairly often.
Maxine is beautiful inside and out; she and Laura help one another learn important lessons as they grow up. It's adorable that Maxine dates Eddie Winslow's best friend, Waldo Faldo.
Kimmy Gibbler (Full House)
Kimmy Gibbler is the best sitcom best friend of the 1990s. She is so much more than a neighbor to the Tanner family, even when they don't appreciate her. Kimmy is quick with her jokes, bold in her fashion statements, and committed to her friends. She would do pretty much anything for DJ and the Tanners.
Fans esteem Kimmy as a valued member of the family and appreciate the fact that Kimmy takes center stage on some important episodes.