Anniversaries aren’t just for weddings and relationships. They can be for television, too! Known as the silver anniversary, the 25th anniversary is a pretty monumental milestone. And along with iconic games like Super Mario, there are lots of TV shows celebrating their 25th anniversary this year.
In the cases of TV series that are celebrating their silver anniversaries in 2021, it isn't necessarily that they have been on the air for 25 years. Rather, it's that a quarter-century has passed since these shows first graced the small screen.
It's a great reason to reminisce about the types of shows that were hitting the airwaves back in 1996, recalling the humor, drama, and unique concepts they brought. And while most of these shows are now off the air, many are still offered in syndication, can be streamed, and might even be ripe for a reboot.
The Steve Harvey Show (1996-2002)
While Steve Harvey remains a familiar face on television, this series does not. A sitcom, it aired for six seasons on The WB and starred the comedian and actor as a 1970s funk legend now working as a music teacher and vice-principal at a local high school in Chicago. Due to budget cuts, however, he also had to pick up teaching drama and art, to hilarious results. Cedric the Entertainer also starred as a coach at the high school and Steve's best friend.
Interestingly, the series wasn't canceled due to low ratings, but because Harvey wanted to pursue other projects. He went on to host the game show Family Feud and the Miss Universe Pageant, and host his own daytime talk show, among many other hosting and acting projects.
Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000)
For three seasons, this superhero animated series delighted kids, and adults, with its stories centered around the DC Comics character Superman. As the first of many follow-up series to Batman: The Animated Series, it was praised just as highly.
A comic book adaptation complemented the series, releasing 68 issues through the same timeframe.
Judge Judy (1996-present)
The only show on the list to still be on the air, Judge Judy's 25th season, airing in 2021, will be its last. Becoming one of the highest-paid daytime television stars, Judge Judy Sheindlin entertained fans every day with her stern style as she listened to real-life small claims court disputes and made her rulings.
The arbitration-based reality court show has inspired plenty of others like it and has earned three Emmy Awards and consistently high ratings through the years.
The Crocodile Hunter (1996-2007)
Lasting five seasons, this series was cut short tragically due to the death of its star, Steve Irwin. The host and star was wild, animated, and entertaining with his unconventional approach, deep passion for wildlife, and fun commentary and hilarious sayings.
Irwin, a zookeeper, wildlife expert, environmentalist, and conservationist as well as a TV personality, died in 2006 after he was pierced in the chest by a stingray while filming a segment. His daughter Bindi continues his work along with his wife Terri.
7th Heaven (1996-2007)
The popular series that put actors like Jessica Biel, Haylie Duff, and Jeremy London on the map, this family drama centered around a Protestant minister, his wife, and their seven children, all of whom were named after core people in the bible.
Considered to be among the best family-friendly shows on television, it is a great series to watch with teenagers, teaching them about morality and respect and discussing some tough but important topics, from peer pressure to premarital sex.
Spin City (1996-2002)
It's tough to believe that it has been 25 years since this sitcom first aired. It lasted six seasons, the first four of which starred Michael J. Fox as the Deputy Mayor of New York. However, after the symptoms of his Parkinson's disease left Fox unable to continue, Charlie Sheen, who was best known as being a movie actor, took over.
Presenting a fictional version of the New York City local government, the focus was, as the title implies, on the ways the mayor would often have to "spin" situations, especially when dealing with the chaos that was common in the city.
3rd Rock From the Sun (1996-2001)
Before he was a bona fide movie star, a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt starred in this sitcom with acting legends, including John Lithgow, Jane Curtin, and Kristen Johnston. Extraterrestrials travel to Earth to observe how humans act as part of a research expedition. While they learn all about human behavior, they begin to get comfortable in their fake human lives.
3rd Rock From the Sun, which aired for six seasons (and many fans wished would have gone on longer) was, not surprisingly, ranked among the best sitcoms of the '90s.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996-2003)
The series is just one of many based on the Archie Comics Universe to have been on the air, most recently joined by The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Riverdale. But before those 21st Century interpretations, there was this much lighter-hearted sitcom about Sabrina Spellman, a high school girl who, when she turns 16, realizes she has magical powers.
From there, she navigates life as an average teenager hiding a secret and learning how to use her powers (and not misuse them) while living with her 600-year-old aunts and, of course, that magical talking cat Salem.
Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005)
Widely considered to be one of the funniest sitcoms ever on television, Ray Romano starred as a sportswriter living with his wife and kids in Everybody Loves Raymond. But the hilarity comes with his parents, namely his over-bearing and intrusive traditional Italian mother, who live across the street and pop in whenever they want.
The comedy lies in how Ray's mother Marie babies her grown son, clearly favors him over his oddball older brother, and constantly makes passive-aggressive insults towards Ray's frustrated housewife Debra, about everything from her cooking to the way she cares for her husband. There are many times when Ray's parents cross a line but it also gave the show heart and realism since many people could relate to Debra's plight.
Moesha (1996-2001)
Brandy Norwood made the switch from R&B singer to actor as the title character in this sitcom, starring as a high school student living in Las Angeles. Becoming one of UPN's most successful projects, Moesha lived an upper-middle-class life, raised by her widowed father and his new wife, the school's vice-principal.
Like many other series centered around high schoolers, it focused on serious issues, from the death of a parent to teen pregnancy, drug use, and race relations. Last summer, Norwood teased the possibility of a reboot.