Super-Ambitious Failed '90s Shows That Were Light Years Ahead Of Their Time

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The '90s weren’t just flannel shirts, boy bands, and Seinfeld. Some of the most daring shows in television history premiered during this decade, and although they were short-lived, make no mistake: They were years ahead of their time.

From dystopian sci-fi to serious cartoons to hyper-realistic depictions of the teenage experience, the '90s were actually a pretty great time for TV. This list aims to rank and revisit some of the most underrated '90s shows, both campy and high-quality, that still deserve our attention.

3: Eerie Indiana

Marshall Teller (Omri Katz, who also played Max in Hocus Pocus) moves to a Midwestern town that just so happens to be "the center of weirdness for the entire planet.” Aided by his best friend Simon (Justin Shenkarow), the two investigate the supernatural mysteries that frequently occur around town.

Air Dates: September 15, 1991 - April 12, 1992 (19 episodes)

Why It Didn't Catch On: The sci-fi/horror craze just hadn't caught on yet. Audiences weren't ready for a primetime show about a town that had its own werewolf, creepy Tupperware that keeps things fresh forever, and zombies who wore pajamas. (Even cult classic Twin Peaks, which debuted in 1990, was canceled after two seasons.) Plus, a few of the characters were children who came from broken homes, and adults were the bad guys. Had the show aired just a few years later, when we reached Buffy and X-Files territory, Eerie, Indiana, might have gotten a few more seasons. The show did gain enough popularity for a 1998 spin-off series (Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension), but that, too, only lasted a season.

Why It Could Work Today: Eerie, Indiana, walked so Stranger Things could run. They share the same basic premise: kids solving mysteries while riding around on bikes in a small town in Indiana that just so happens to be a hot bed for strange activity. Plus, Eerie has a Twilight Zone-like quality, with each episode being its own individual adventure - and The Twilight Zone just got its own reboot. There's a big market for the weird and for the unexplainable, especially in a town where everything seems normal on the surface.