As someone who has tried to make it the 90s again through either magic or science, the idea of a 90s docuseries celebrating the decade is right up my alley. Though, as ready as I was to jump aboard the latest nostalgia train out of the present day, a series chronicling the 90s is pretty well worn territory. How many different ways can you show talking heads of personalities of the era while discussing a Furby or the O.J. Simpson trial?
As expected, if anybody could figure that out, it’s the minds at National Geographic. Their new series, Rewind the 90s, is exactly the train ride I wanted. Unlike other 90s series, that might blow past pop-culture scenery like Pogs or Ren and Stimpy with the conductors saying “see that? Remember those?” This train ride features special conversations with those there and responsible for what you’re watching, with a strong focus on the actual culture of the pop-culture.
Other series episodes might be broken up by year, or by music, movies, toys, et al. Rewind The 90s takes a decidedly different approach and jumps around the decade based on certain cultural topics. Major pop culture phenoms like Titanic or Beanie Babies make up one episode, while another highlights the decade’s paranoia as society approached the new millennium with the experimental Biosphere 2, the power of cloning, and of course, Y2K. Come to think of it, I might still have some canned goods from that last one.
While much of the usual 90s fare is addressed at some point in the series, Rewind The 90s looks at those major milestones from a different and refreshing perspective. For instance, at some point in every 90s nostalgia series, Seinfeld is bound to come up with interviewees sharing their fondness for “The Contest” or yelling “No Soup For You!” into the camera. Nat Geo flips that a bit and definitely talks about Seinfeld, but puts the focus squarely on Julia Louis Dreyfuss’ Elaine – celebrating the groundbreaking nature of her character breaking the typical mold of a female lead in a sitcom at that time.
And that’s, quite frankly, what this series does best. It shows the groundbreaking nature of many favorites from 1990-99 and shows how they changed the world even today. Without saying it outright, it’s very much “That thing you like in 2023? That’s because of this.” Whether it be something as simple as “look at how this cell phone evolved” or far more serious matters like the spread of misinformation or the lack of diversity and representation of Black and LGBTQIA+ communities. The doc series also gives more historical context to major 90s events. An example shown is the history of a reporter who acquired their own helicopter and listened to a police scanner led to the popularity of high-speed chase coverage in Southern California, which all led to the notorious Ford Bronco O.J. Simpson chase.
Rewind the 90s even kicks it above other series that celebrate all things 90s. Where those shows might have a b-list celeb or modern blogger holding a Furby and saying “yeah I remember these!” Nat Geo gives us personalities of the era, including AJ Mclean from the Backstreet Boys, Julia Stiles from Ten Things I Hate About You, MTV VJ Amanda Lewis, and so many more sharing the topics they know best. For something like the Furby, you’ll get a very brief and humorous intro before content featuring designers and software engineers who are versed in the toy and what it was capable (or not capable) of.
While some will be quick to point out that we don’t NEED another 90s retrospective series, I’d say “as if” and say we need more. Especially if they are like Rewind the 90s which makes the already known new again, with fresh perspectives and a humorous yet serious look at the last decade of the 20th Century. 7 out of 10.
REWIND THE '90s, a 10 episode docu-series, premieres Monday, July 31 at 9/8c on National Geographic with back-to-back episodes, followed by a new episode each week.