My Top Thirteen 1998

1. The Mavericks - Dance The Night Away 5-1998
2. The Corrs - Dreams 5-1998
3. The Beautiful South - Perfect 10 9-1998
4. Aerosmith - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing 9-1998
5. Cher - Believe 10-1998
6. LeAnn Rimes - How Do I Live 3-1998
7. Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply 2-1998
8. Bryan Adams ft. Melanie C - When You're Gone 12-1998
9. Cornershop - Brimful Of Asha 2-1998
10. Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On 2-1998
11. The Spice Girls - Stop 3-1998
12. U2 - Sweetest Thing 11-1998
13. Robbie Williams - Let Me Entertain You 3-1998

And the ones that got away:
All Saints - Bootie Call 9-1998
The Backstreet Boys - All I Have To Give 2-1998
Baddiel & Skinner and The Lightning Seeds - Three Lions '98 6-1998
B*Witched - C'est La Vie 6-1998
Boyzone - No Matter What 8-1998
Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston - When You Believe 12-1998
The Corrs - What Can I Do 9-1998
Culture Club - I Just Wanna Be Loved 11-1998
Destiny's Child - No No No 4-1998
Des'ree - Life 6-1998
Eagle-Eye Cherry – Save Tonight 7-1998
Five - Got The Feelin' 6-1998
Wyclef Jean - Gone Till November 5-1998
Madonna - Frozen 2-1998
Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next 8-1998
The Spice Girls - Viva Forever 7-1998
Steps - Heartbeat / Tragedy 11-1998
Stereophonics - The Bartender And The Thief 11-1998
Robbie Williams - Millennium 10-1998

My Top 13 Adverts

1. Guinness Classic ads 1998/9

Unforgettable TV adverts of the highest quality from Guinness, filled with stunning imagery, a pulsating soundtrack and a haunting voiceover.
1998 - Swim Black - An aging local sports hero’s annual swimming race against the ‘clock’ of a pint of Guinness being poured perfectly at his brother’s bar. He worries he won't make it one year, but his brother starts the clock a little later each year.
1999 - Surfer - A group of surfers, wait for the perfect wave. As it arrives, the crashing 'white horses' turn into actual horses. One by one, a surfer 'crashes out', leaving only one, who manages to conquer the wave. The others join him as they celebrate on the shore.

2. Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Drumming Gorilla 2007

It shouldn't work, it has nothing to do with chocolate bars, but watching a gorilla drumming to Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight. What’s not to like?
This advert was named as the nations all-time favourite at one point in time, and was created in a bid to bring fun and excitement back to the Cadburys organisation in 2007. Surprisingly the advert almost didn’t make it onto TV screens, but when it did it was 90 seconds long, didn’t involve any humans, and there were no Dairy Milk bars in sight. The advert holds the audience’s attention as for the first minute there is no backing track, and it shows a slow pan of the gorilla getting ready to perform. Ironically despite the lack of branding and mention of Cadburys, the advert is still very clearly for the chocolate giant, as the gorilla is placed in front of a purple backdrop. The directors of the advert wanted to showcase exactly how eating Cadburys Dairy Milk makes you feel, and the audience resonated with this as it became one of the companies largest and most successful campaigns.

3. Smash Martians 1973

A family of Martian robots would watch humans laboriously preparing mashed potato the traditional way on TV. The robots would then mock what they saw by chortling as they heard how the "Earth people peeled their own potatoes with their metal knives, boiled them for twenty of their minutes, then smashed them all to bits" – instead of using Smash instant mash. The catchphrase 'For Mash Get Smash' is still an iconic advertising slogan in the UK. From 1973 to 1992, viewers were treated to a delightful parade of TV commercials that showcased the aliens’ attempts to understand Earth’s obsession with traditional mashed potatoes. The series cleverly combined comedy and culinary appeal, turning what could have been a mundane product into a pop culture phenomenon. What made the campaign so enduring was its ability to connect with the Best of British nostalgia, capturing the essence of a bygone era. The whimsical aliens became unlikely cultural ambassadors, creating a sense of shared joy and laughter across living rooms throughout the nation.

4. Cinzano Collins & Rossiter 1978

Cinzano created an unlikely partnership between the glamorous Joan Collins and Rising Damp star Leonard Rossiter in this series of adverts. Viewers saw the couple on board an aircraft, on holiday, at a fancy dress party, at a ski lodge, entertaining Japanese businessmen – and in each scenario, a pretentious, accident-prone Rossiter accidentally douses his prudish wife Melissa (Collins) in Cinzano. Although the viewer always knew what was coming, the ads were perfectly timed and skilfully written, and the not-quite slapstick mocked the drink commercials of other brands aimed at a younger generation. Several accounts suggest the two co-stars’ relationship offstage led to the brilliant chemistry, and all credit due to Joan Collins’ wry delivery of the punchline after yet another soaking.

5. Renault Clio Papa and Nicole 1991-98

Renault Clio Advert set in Historic French town featuring Nicole who tries to sneak away from her dozing Papa to meet her boyfriend. She drives around narrow streets showing how easy it is to manoeuvre the car. He follows her in another Clio, then drives past them in a clinch to meet his petite amour. It ends with her returning to find him apparently still dozing, both sporting secret smiles. The majority of the dialogue in all the ads consists of two words: "Papa" and "Nicole," with meaningful intonations, and the final caption: A certain flair. Background music adapted Robert Palmers' Johnny and Mary.

6. Hovis The Bike Ride 1974

So simple, but so iconic. Voted Britain’s most favourite advert of all time, this ad for Hovis Bread was one of five directed by acclaimed film director Ridley Scott and has since been digitally remastered. It features a boy ushing a bicycle laden with bread up a picturesque English cobbled street. A voice-over, presumably of the boy at a later age, nostalgically describes the trip as he struggles up the steep hill to deliver bread, set to Dvorak’s stirring music. Many people think it’s set in Yorkshire, but it was actually filmed in Dorset and this scene of Gold Hill put Shaftesbury on the map – a memorial to Hovis now stands at the top of the hill.

7. Cadbury Milk Tray Man in Black 1974

It was one of the most popular and longest-running TV adverts of all time, where a man dressed in black overcame impossible odds to deliver a box of delicious Cadbury’s Milk Tray chocolates to his lady love. The mysterious hero appeared in over 20 adverts between 1968 and 2003. Over the years, we saw him jump on a moving passenger train, leap from a helicopter and swim through shark-infested waters. Why? “All because the lady loves Milk Tray”, of course. And the final scene always sowed said lady picking up his distinctive calling card while the camera panned in on the box of chocolates. The ads were inspired by the James Bond films, which had become smash hits at the cinema in the 1960s. The music, The Night Rider, was written by Cliff Adams, who also wrote the music for Fry's Turkish Delight advertisements.

8. British Telecom Beattie – Maureen Lipman 1988
Maureen Lipman created a TV advert legend as Beattie in this classic BT advert, and her Jewish granny character went on to star in 32 TV commercials and contribute the word "ology" to the English language.. Having been told by her grandson Anthony that he has failed most of his exams - only passing pottery and sociology, Beattie cries: "He gets an ology and he says he's failed... you get an ology you're a scientist..."

9. Wall's Cornetto Just One Cornetto 1980

The best-remembered advert (by Lintas) is from 1981, in which a curly-haired man sat in a gondola sings a revised version of the late 19th century Italian opera song "O Sole Mio" to a lady passing him in another gondola, before snatching her Cornetto from her. The lyrics to the song have been altered to "Just one Cornetto, give it to me. Delicious ice cream, of Italy. Creamy vanilla and chocolate dream, give me Cornetto, from Walls ice cream." The song ignores the fact that Cornetto is actually made in the United Kingdom, although its roots lie in Italy, as you will discover. However, the advert does display "Made outside Italy by Walls" at the end. In another similar advert first shown in 1982, a gondolier reaches up towards a bridge and grabs a Cornetto from a young lady. As he passes through to the other side of the bridge, she snatches it from his hand with a smile on her face.

10. Nescafé Gold Blend Couple 1987-93

Nescafé tried something different with this campaign, where they actually created a serial drama. Anthony Head and Sharon Maughan starred as Tony and Sharon, a couple who begin a slow-burning romance over a cup of coffee. The ads were in a serial format, with each ending with a cliffhanger. The commercials were extremely popular, and as time went on, the appearance of a new instalment gained considerable media attention. They are one of the most famous examples of serialised advertising. The ads had a notable effect on sales, increasing them over 50% in the UK alone. They have been heralded as a premier example of positioning, creating an atmosphere of sophistication, while remaining relatable.

11. R Whites Secret Lemonade Drinker 1973

The adverts featured actor Julian Chagrin in pyjamas creeping downstairs and shushing the dog. He raids the fridge for R. Whites Lemonade, impersonating a slightly crazy Elvis as he uses the bottle as a mic, only to be caught by his wife, played by Harriet Philpin. Ross McManus wrote and sang the advert's song, with his son Declan McManus (aka Elvis Costello) providing the backing vocals. There was also a version of the commercial in 1985 featuring John Otway as the secret lemonade drinker in a phone box. In the 90s, various celebrities replaced his wife in the commercials including comedians Ronnie Corbett and Frankie Howerd, actor Nicholas Parsons, tennis player John McEnroe and footballers turned pundits Ian St John and Jimmy Greaves.

12. Babycham Patrick Mower 1970s

In the 60s the iconic image of a baby deer was turned into a cartoon; it became a party deer, bringing a bit of pizzazz to the dullest of social gatherings. Fast forward to the 1970s, and the TV ads had turned up the glamour element. Raffish leading man (and future Emmerdale star) Patrick Mower is on his yacht somewhere in the Med, blonde companion on his arm, living the life of the international playboy. He pours a Babycham and says: "You don't need a cherry with it but here's one thing you DO need". He turns and passes the glass to a pretty girl. Music: Babycham's got sparkle Babycham's got life!
Further references to the ultimate in cool lifestyles (‘Hey, I’d love a Babycham!’) in the 1980s. A man in a bar asks for a Babycham, and it goes very quiet and everyone looks on in horror. A cool, tough-looking black guy: Hey, I’ll have a Babycham!” Then everybody wants one

13. Boddingtons Cream of Manchester 1997

The brand's creaminess was emphasised through items such as face cream, ice cream, sun cream and whipped cream. Originally a set of print advertisements, the campaign was extended to television in 1992. The television advertisements featured beautiful women with unlikely Mancunian accents (particularly Melanie Sykes) and "achieved the seemingly impossible task of making bitter glamorous". The most famous television advertisement featured a glamorous couple on-board gondolas on Manchester's River Irwell, in a parody of a well-known "just one Cornetto" ice cream advertisement. According to the Manchester Evening News, "it told the world something about the reinvention of the murky old city, that its once-filthy waterway could almost pass for Venice."

1990s Adverts

"Good to the last drop." "Breakfast of champions." Some slogans last forever, others don't last a year. According to one source, a slogan is one part elegant phrasing, two parts brand positioning, and a glaze of virtue and idealism. Oh, and don't forget a pinch of good luck.
A slogan is the public face of what the marketing profession knows as a brand "positioning." They want audiences to perceive not only a product, but also a higher purpose.
In no particular order, here are some of the ear-worms which infiltrated our lives in the 90s, hoping to persuade us to buy.

Red Bull Gives You Wings (1992)
Ronseal - It does exactly what it says on the tin (1994)
The future's bright, the future's Orange (1997)
Marmite – Love it or Hate it (1996)
Electricity Boards – Creature comforts (1990)
Boddingtons – The Cream of Manchester (1991)
You know when you've been Tangoed (1991)
Pepsi & Spice Girls - Generation Next (1998)
Gameboy - Have You Had Your Fun Today? (1991)
America Online - You’ve Got Mail (1995)
Rice Krispies - Snap, Crackle, Pop (1994)
Do not underestimate the power of PlayStation (1999)
And a special mention for the Diet Coke Break ads (1994)
With a couple of slogans: Just for the taste of it/Do what you want.

And a stack with unknown year of origin:
Pringles - Once You Pop, You Can’t Stop
Budweiser - Wassup?
Domestos - kills all known germs – dead!
Tesco - Every little helps
That's why mums go to Iceland
KFC - Finger-lickin' good!
John Lewis - Never knowingly undersold
A finger of Fudge is just enough to give a kid a treat

And some older ones
British Airways – Every year, the world's favourite airline brings 24 million people, together (1989)

If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen (1987)
Milk Marketing Board – Milk's gotta lotta bottle
Irn Bru – Made in Scotland from girders
Domestos kills 99% of all household germs
Stella Artois – Reassuringly Expensive (1982-2007)
British Rail – This is the age of the train (1980)
Carlsberg – Probably the best lager in the world (1973)
Hovis – Boy on a bike (1973) – one of Britain's most loved adverts
Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet (1966)
Go to work on an egg 50s/60s

Certain firms have a whole bunch of iconic ads:

Coca Cola
1969 – It's the Real Thing
1971 – I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke
1976 – Coke adds life
1979 – Have a Coke and a smile
1980 – Coke is it!
1986 – Catch the Wave
1988 – You Can't Beat the Feeling
1990 – Can't Beat The Real Thing
1993 – Always Coca-Cola
1995 – Always and Only Coca-Cola
1995 – Holidays are coming!
1998 – Born to be red (US)
1998 – Coca-Cola always the real thing! (UK)
1999 – Coca-Cola. Enjoy


Cadbury’s

Milk Tray – He likes them, she likes them – 1950s
Give her Cadbury’s Milk Tray – it’s a little sign of love – 1960s
Happiness for two – 1960s
And all because the lady loves Milk Tray – 1968
Flake – Sixpence worth of heaven – 1959
Only the crumbliest, flakiest, chocolate tastes like chocolate never tasted before 1960-1999
Roses – When you get Roses, you’ve got yourself a man – 60s
Smash – For mash get smash – robots – 1973-1992
Caramel Bunny – Take it easy – 80s
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate - A Glass and A Half Full of Joy
Coronation Street sponsorship – 1996-2002
Crème Egg – how do you eat yours? 1997
Dairy Milk – Drumming Gorilla advert – In the air tonight – 2007

Guinness

Guinness is good for you (1932)
Guinness for strength - girder (1934)
My Goodness, My Guinness- ostrich (1935)
Lovely day for a Guinness - toucan ad (1955)
Good things come to those who wait (1996)
1998 - Swim Black - An aging local sports hero’s annual swimming race against the ‘clock’ of a pint of Guinness being poured perfectly at his brother’s bar. He worries he won't make it one year, but his brother starts the clock a little later each year.
1999 - Surfer - A group of surfers, wait for the perfect wave. As it arrives, the crashing 'white horses' turn into actual horses. One by one, a surfer 'crashes out', leaving only one, who manages to conquer the wave. The others join him as they celebrate on the shore.

On a similar theme, here are some movie tag lines:
Jumanji (95)– Are you game?
12 Monkeys (95) – The Future is History
The Matrix (99) – Reality is a thing of the past
Apollo 13 (95) – Houston, We Have a Problem
The Truman Show' (98) – On the Air, Unaware
Quiz Show (94) – Fifty Million People Watched, But No One Saw a Thing
Jurassic Park (93) – An Adventure 65 Million Years in the Making
Saving Private Ryan (98) – The Mission Is a Man
Pulp Fiction (94) – You won't know the facts until you've seen the fiction
The Shawshank Redemption (94) – Fear Can Hold You Prisoner. Hope Can Set You Free
True Lies (94) – When he said I do, he never said what he did
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (91) – This time he’s back – for good
Fight Club (99) – Mischief. Mayhem. Soap.
Silence of the Lambs (91) – To enter the mind of a killer, she must challenge the mind of a madman
Good Will Hunting (97) – Some people can never believe in themselves, until someone believes in them
Notting Hill (99) – Can the most famous film star in the world fall for just an ordinary guy?
10 Things I Hate About You (99) – How do I Loathe thee? Let me count the ways
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (91) – For the good of all men, and the love of one woman, he fought to uphold justice by breaking the law
Strictly Ballroom (92) – There’s something in the air. It might be love – but it isn’t
Pretty Woman (90) – She walked off the street, into his life and stole his heart
As Good as it Gets (97) – A comedy from the heart that goes for the throat
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (92) – Another Christmas in the trenches
Toy Story (95) – The toys are back in town
The Sixth Sense (99) – Now you believe in ghosts
And the cheekiest:
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (99) – If You See Only One Movie This Summer, see Star Wars. But If You See Two Movies This Summer, See Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

Quotes (many more memorable than the tag lines)
The Shawshank Redemption (94) – Get Busy Living, Or Get Busy Dying
True Lies (94) - Fear is not an option
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (91) – Hasta La Vista Baby
Fight Club (99) - The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club
Silence of the Lambs (91) – A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti
Good Will Hunting (97) – How do you like them apples?
Notting Hill (99) - I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her
10 Things I Hate About You (99) – No drinking, no drugs, no kissing, no tattoos, no piercings, *no* ritual animal slaughters of any kind. Oh, God, I'm giving them ideas
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (91) – I have a brother?
Strictly Ballroom (92) – A life lived in fear is a life half lived
Pretty Woman (90) – Did I mention my leg is forty-four inches from hip to toe; so, basically, we are talking about eighty-eight inches of therapy wrapped around you for the bargain price of three thousand dollars
As Good as it Gets (97) – You make me want to be a better man
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (92)– Keep the Change, Ya Filthy Animal
Toy Story (95) – To infinity and beyond
The Sixth Sense (99) – I see dead people

My 1997 Top Thirteen

1. The Foo Fighters - Everlong 8-1997
2. No Doubt - Don't Speak 2-1997
3. Texas - Black Eyed Boy 8-1997
4. Natalie Imbruglia - Torn 11-1997
5. The Spice Girls - Spice Up Your Life 10-1997
6. Eternal - I Wanna Be The Only One 5-1997
7. Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli - Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro) 5-1997
8. Mary J. Blige - Everything 8-1997
9. All Saints - Never Ever 11-1997
10. Will Smith - Men In Black 8-1997
11. Steps - 5-6-7-8 11-1997
12. Barbra Streisand & Bryan Adams - I Finally Found Someone 2-1997
13. Various Artists - Perfect Day 11-1997


Bubbling under:
Alisha's Attic - Air We Breathe 7-1997
The Backstreet Boys - Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) 1-1997
Gary Barlow - Open Road 11-1997
The Bee Gees - Still Waters (Run Deep) 11-1997
Mary J. Blige - Everything 8-1997
Michael Bolton - The best Of Love / Go To The Distance 11-1997
Jon Bon Jovi - Janie, Don't Take Your Love To Town 11-1997
Mariah Carey - Honey 8-1997
Shery Crow - Tomorrow Never Dies 12-1997
Damage - Wonderful Tonight 5-1997
Celine Dion - The Reason 12-1997
Dodgy - Found You 3-1997
Gabrielle - Walk On By 1-1997
Hanson - Mmm Bop 6-1997
Inxs - Elegantly Wasted 3-1997
Michael Jackson - Blood On The Dance Floor 4-1997
Katrina And The Waves - Love Shine A Light 5-1997
R. Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly 3-1997
The Lighthouse Family - Raincloud 10-1997
Ricky Martin - (Un, Dos, Tres) Maria 9-1997
George Michael - You Have Been Loved EP UK 9-1997
Dannii Minogue - All I Wanna Do 8-1997
Kylie Minogue - Did It Again 11-1997
Savage Garden - I Want You 6-1997
The Stereophonics - Traffic 11-1997
Supergrass - Late In The Day 10-1997
Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony 6-1997
Robbie Williams - Angels 12-1997


The ones people expect:
Aqua - Barbie Girl 10-1997
Blur - Song 2 4-1997
Chumbawamba - Tubthumping 8-1997
Oasis - Stand By Me 9-1997
The Pet Shop Boys - Somewhere 6-1997
Pulp - Help The Aged 11-1997
The Red Hot Chili Peppers - Love Rollercoaster 6-1997
U2 - If God Will Send His Angels 12-1997

My Top 13 90s TV Shows

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (97-03)

Buffy – a hot teen – leads a bunch of misfits – the scooby gang – who battle supernatural forces while dealing with the pressure of high school (and then college). Joss Whedon’s smart, funny series led to a spin-off (Angel). Buffy is a Slayer, one in a long line of young women chosen for a specific mission: to seek out and destroy vampires, demons and other forces of darkness. Unlike her predecessors, Buffy establishes a group of supportive friends who aids her in her battles with evil, including Willow, Xander and Cordelia. Her battles with evil are frequent, since Sunnydale, where Buffy and friends live, sits atop a gateway to the realm of the demons.
Joss Whedon’s smart, funny series had me hooked from the start and I bought the last four series and binge regularly. For me, there's no contest in the Spike vs Angel debate.

2. Frasier (93-04)

A contender for best sitcom of all-time, this series saw Frasier Crane (played by Kelsey Grammer) vacate his Cheers Boston bar stool in favor of a Seattle radio station. At the Primetime Emmys, Frasier emerged with five wins in the Outstanding Comedy Series category, more than any other series in the '90s. Dr. Frasier Crane, a successful Boston therapist, moves to Seattle to get a new start on life; using his a radio talk show to relay his wit and wisdom to others, but at times he struggles with his own problems with his salt-of-the-earth father, his pretentious brother and his friends and co-workers.
This one gets second place because when we're in the caravan, we watch two or three epidodes every morning with a coffee and croissant to start the day.

3. Charmed (98-06)

Three Halliwell sisters discover they're descendants of a line of good female witches and are destined to fight against the forces of evil. Each has a special ability (stopping time, moving objects, seeing the future), and they can also combine their abilities into the "Power of Three" to fight demons, warlocks, and other evils. Their unique magical powers grow and evolve while they attempt to maintain normal lives in modern-day San Francisco. Keeping their supernatural identities separate and secret from their ordinary lives often becomes a challenge, with the exposure of magic having far-reaching consequences on their various relationships.
One of the few series I own the entire boxset on DVD. At 179 episodes, it takes a while to binge the lot.

4. Babylon 5 (94-98)

Creator J. Michael Straczynski's ambitious and complex futuristic space opera charts five years in the lives of those aboard the titular 5-mile-long space station, where personal drama plays out against a tense political backdrop of looming war between bitter enemies the Centauri and the Narn. Starting with a straight-to-TV movie in 1993, "Babylon 5" carried on officially as a series from 1994 to 1998. Creator, showrunner, and future controversial "Spider-Man" writer J. Michael Straczynski mapped out his entire vision for what became the five-season story before he sold a studio or network on the concept. This was a highly unique approach, especially considering that long-term serialized TV drama was not as common as it is today.
This was the very first complete boxset I ever bought and it’s a substantial package. Comparisons between this and Star Trek’s DS9 are inevitable, but for me, Bab 5 did it better and I still have fond memories of the cracking feud between G’Kar and Londo. But my stand-out character was Garibaldi – anyone else get hints of Bruce Wilis’ John McClane?

5. The Vicar of Dibley (94-20)

The 100-something vicar of the small English village of Dibley has passed on. A new vicar has been requested for a replacement. What they get is Geraldine Granger, a non-traditional, chocolate loving, rock n' roll playing vicar. That is not what gets the citizens of Dibley in a uproar though. It's because she is a woman. Still, that doesn't stop Geraldine from proving her worthiness to the village. After time, the villagers (with the exception of influential David Horton) accept Geraldine as The Vicar of Dibley.
There's something warm, funny and very English about this series - I loved the gentle, wry humour. Memorable episodes include the one where she has several Christmas dinners - those Brussel sprouts! And the ones where Richard Armitage plays her love interest.

6. Absolutely Fabulous (92-12)

Brilliant in its uncensored bad behaviour and satirical humour, this series features Edina and Patsy, two hard-drinking, drug-taking, completely and outrageously selfish middle-aged women. Their cruel humour focuses on the hypocrisy of today's society, much to the chagrin of Edina's more moral and conservative daughter, Saffron. Perhaps the Baby Boomer's narcissism has panned out as a net negative for humanity, but at least the Boomers will always have "Absolutely Fabulous" to make their self-involvement and inability to move on from the 1960s look harmless and charming. Patsy and Edina – played by Joanna Lumley and show creator Jennifer Saunders — are influential members of the London fashion and media industries. However, they mostly drink too much and get themselves into predicaments. Edina continually disappoints her already traumatized daughter Saffron — a studious Gen Xer futilely hoping for a quiet life of intellectual rigor and emotional substance to contrast her mother's vacuous ignorance and frequent shouting.
The female answer to Men Behaving Badly - Saunders and Lumley are phenomenal - what's not to like?

7. Cracker (92-06)

This mystery series features the adventures of a psychologist employed by the police to aid them in profiling and questioning suspects. "Fitz" (Robbie Coltrane), an avowed drunkard and gambler, has an uncanny knack for boring directly into the hearts and minds of his subjects, many of whom might actually be saner than he is. The whole thing reeks class: the cast are uniformly superb, Jimmy Mc Govern's writing is by times disturbing and violent, by times deeply compassionate, and the overall tone of the piece is dark and moody, but with just enough acerbic humour to lighten the weight. Robert Carlyle's Albie in "To Be Somebody" is one of the standout characters of the entire series – the portrayal of a supposedly mindless football hooligan still haunts me to this day. And it’s fun that both Robbie Coltrane and his sidekick Geraldine Somerville turned up in the Harry Potter franchise as Harry’s mentor & mother.

8. Ballykissangel (96-01)

English priest Peter Clifford cheerfully leaves his inner city parish when assigned as Catholic chaplain to Ballykissangel, a desolate part of curate MacAnally's huge Irish country parish. Peter flippantly claimed a mountain-bike is made for such country but gets scolded you can't work here without a car, as an old man living on a lonely peak actually needs last rites. Clifford's atheist landlady Assumpta Fitzgerald asks his 'lay' marriage advice. Her locally dominant rich father, Brian Quigley, insists on installing a state-of-the-art Italian 'modern comforts' confessional chair, complete with fax, and source of various problems.
Another one of those warm, sunny (when it wasn’t raining) sitcoms I followed avidly after one of my good friends told me about the series her brother had written. Stephen Tompkinson played the priest superbly and there was real chemistry (on and off screen between him and Dervla Kirwan. The series also saw an early role for Colin Farrel as a bit of a bad lad (with the heart of gold).

9. The X Files (93-18)

Once upon a time, the world was not quite as obsessed with conspiracy theories, and grownups behaved more like sceptical FBI agent Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson) rather than her UFO-chasing partner, Fox Mulder (played by David Duchovny). In one of the longest-running science fiction series in network TV history, FBI special agents investigate unexplained, mind-bending cases with potentially paranormal attributes known as "X-Files." Though the government is convinced that the outlandish reports are false, for most of the series, the pair stop at nothing to prove that "the truth is out there." Series creator Chris Carter also serves as executive producer of the thrilling pop-culture phenomenon. This assignment brings them into contact with UFOs, deep state conspirators, human-parasite hybrids, ghosts, Satanic cults, and a plethora of other abnormalities.
In my late teens, I became fascinated with strange phenomena such as spontaneous combustion, and couldn’t believe it when the first few episodes of this series tapped right into this stuff. Another one I wouldn’t miss.

10. Soldier, Soldier (91-97)

Drama following the life of the officers and men of the King's Own Fusiliers regiment, during their home lives, training exercises and battles. Whether it was the charisma of Robson Green and Jerome Flynn (who both went on to have stellar careers) as the irrepressible Tucker and Garvey, or the realistic storylines, this one was a winner. I must confess my memories are probably entangled with those of Ultimate Force, which add the advantage of more modern production values and several of the hard hitting storylines stay with me. So I resorted to reading a bunch of reviews for the show and a number of them from people who walked the walk praise it for its attention to detail and portrayal of the life of British soldiers and their families.

11. Star Trek: Voyager (95-01)

Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is seventy-five years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home. Kathryn Janeway is the captain of the starship Voyager, which must travel across an unexplored region of the galaxy to find its way back home. On its way, the crew encounters different species they must deal with, but find that all their adventures only make them long for home. Filled with awesome characters like Seven of Nine and the Holographic Doctor, this series won me over completely with too many highlights to mention.

12. Friends (94-04)

Despite its advancing age, TV's most-watched show of 2001-2002 (and 2002's Emmy winner for Outstanding Comedy Series) is still snappy. As the theme song says, Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Joey, and Phoebe will always be there for us. Three young men and three young women -- of the BFF kind -- live in the same apartment complex and face life and love in New York. They're not above sticking their noses into one another's business and swapping romantic partners, which always leads to the kind of hilarity average people will never experience -- especially during breakups. Ross has liked Rachel since high school, but even now that they've outgrown their awkwardness and happen to live in the same city, the matter of will they or won't they remains in question throughout much of the series. Meanwhile, Chandler's sarcasm, Joey's traditional version of meat-headed buffoonery, and Phoebe's modern version of meat-headed buffoonery cause frequent dilemmas and misunderstandings.

13. Stars in their Eyes (90-03)

Musical talent show in which amateur lookalikes and soundalikes impersonate their favourite singing stars. Of all the reality/singing shows, this was my favourite - mostly because it never took itself seriously. And nine times out of ten, you would never have guessed which celebrity people would turn into. When the mist cleared, with the voice-over "Tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be ..." the transformation was always stunning.

Bubbling under
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (93-99)

In the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, the Federation space station Deep Space Nine guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the galaxy. Commander Benjamin Sisko is in charge of a diverse crew including the irrepressible Quark, his nemesis the relentless Odo, the fiery Kira and the serene Dax – the nth reincarnation of an old soul. Sisko and the crew must fight off rival alien species who want control of Deep Space Nine because of its strategic position close to a wormhole, which allows speedy travel to the far reaches of space.

Xena Warrior Process (95-01)

Xena is a reformed warrior princess who travels around fighting evil. Gabrielle -- bard and friend -- keeps her company and grows from a simple farm girl into an Amazon warrior and Xena's soulmate and comrade-in-arms during the series; her initial naïveté helps to balance Xena and assists her in recognizing and pursuing the greater good. Lucy Lawless plays redemption-seeking ex-baddie Xena, who wanders the Earth seeking wrongs to right. Always at her side is trainee warrior Gabrielle, portrayed by Renee O'Connor. 

Quantum Leap (89-93)

Former scientist Sam Beckett finds himself trapped in time due to an experiment gone awry, leaping into the body of a different person each week. Al Calavicci, at first known only as The Observer, is Sam's holographic adviser -- he provides Sam with some details about his new identity and gives him guidance on how to help the people affected by his presence. But with little memory to help guide him, our hero is forced to bluff his way through many a wacky situation.

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (93-97)

Pretty much every decade has its own live-action version of Superman and Lois Lane, and the '90s got Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher. The four seasons of "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" that aired on ABC from 1993 to 1997 have been described as "The Most '90s Show Ever" by Syfy. While we don't totally vouch for that idea, we can immediately see where it has some merit — especially with regards to Superman and his colleagues.

3rd Rock from the Sun (96-01)

John Lithgow won a boat-load of Primetime Emmys (six, to be precise) for heading the cast of this quirky 1996-2001 favourite about space aliens that land in Ohio, and try to pass for a suburban American family. The high commander of an alien expedition lands on Earth -- what he considers to be the least-important planet -- in human form as Dick Solomon. Along for the ride are his alien compatriots Harry, Sally and Tommy -- who is the eldest of the group but is now angrily trapped in a teen's body.

1990s TV Shows

1990
Mr Bean (90-95), Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie (90-94),
Cluedo (90-93), The Crystal Maze (90-93), Drop the Dead Donkey (90-98), Harry Enfield and Chums (90-98), Have I got News for You (90-), House of Cards (90), Keeping up appearances (90-95),
One Foot in the Grave (90-01), Perfect Scoundrels (90-92), Stars in their Eyes (90-03), The Upper Hand (90-96), Waiting for God (90-94), You’ve Been Framed (90-)
From USA: Dream On (90-96), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (90-96), Home Improvement (91-99)

1991
2point4 Children (91-99), Bottom (91-95), The Brittas Empire (91-97), Chimera (91-92), The Darling Buds of May (91-93), Great Expectations (91), Murder Most Horrid (91-99), Prime Suspect (91-06), Soldier, Soldier (91-97)
From USA: Home Improvement (91-99)

1992
Absolutely Fabulous (92-12), As Time Goes By (92-05), Gladiators (90-), Heartbeat (92-10), Later … with Jools Holland (92-), Love Hurts (92-94), Men Behaving Badly (92-14), Pole to Pole (92-), A Touch of Frost (92-10)
From USA: Mad about you (92-19)

1993
Chef! (92-96), Cracker (92-06), The Detectives (93-97), Goodnight Sweetheart (93-16), Jools' Annual Hootenanny (93-), Peak Practice (93-02), Sharpe (93-08), Wycliffe (93-98), A Year in Provence (93)
From USA: Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman (83-98), The X Files (93-18), Frasier (93-04), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (93-99), The Nanny (93-97), Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (93-97)

1994
Crocodile Shoes (94), The Fast Show (94-97), Pie in the Sky (94-97), Ready, Steady, Cook (92-10), Room 101 (94-07), The Vicar of Dibley (94-20)
From USA: Friends (94-04), The Stand (miniseries) (94), Space Precinct (94-95)

1995
Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook (94-00), Dangerfield (95-99), Pride & Prejudice (95), Father Ted (95-98),The Governor (95-96), Hollyoaks, (95-), Kavanagh QV (95-01), Out of the Blue (95-96), Pride & Prejudice (95), The Thin Blue Line (95-96), They Think it’s All Over (95-06)
From USA: Star Trek: Voyager (95-01)

1996
Ballykissangel (96-01), Changing Rooms (96-04), Dalziel and Pascoe (96-07), Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (96-98), Never Mind the Buzzcocks (96-), Silent Witness (96-), TFI Friday (96-00)
From USA: Everybody Loves Raymond (96-05), 3rd Rock from the Sun (96-01)

1997
Cold Feet (97-03), Jonathan Creek (97-16), Full Circle with Michael Palin (97), The Grand (97-98), Ground Force (97-05), The Lakes (97-99), Teletubbies (97-01), Touching Evil (97-99), An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (97-01), The Vanishing Man (97-98)
From USA: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (97-03)

1988
The Ben Elton Show (98), Hornblower (98-03), The Royle Family (98-12), Dinnerladies (98-00), Robot Wars (98-04), So Graham Norton (98-02), This Morning with Richard Not Judy (98-99), Time Team Extra (98), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (98-)
From USA: Charmed (98-06), Will & Grace (98-20)

1999
Bob the Builder (99-11), Grand Designs (99-), Holby City (99-22), The League of Gentlemen (99-17), Loose Women (99-), Naked Chef (99-01), Queer as Folk (99-00), Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll (99), Smack the Pony (99-03), Walking with Dinosaurs (99)
From USA: Angel (99-04)

My Top Thirteen 1996

1. The Manic Street Preachers - A Design For Life 04-1996
2. Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive 05-1996
3. Donna Summer - State Of Independence 03-1996
4. The Spice Girls - Wannabe 07-1996
5. Queen - Too Much Love Will Kill You 03-1996
6. The Beautiful South - Rotterdam 10-1996
7. Alanis Morissette - Ironic 04-1996
8. Sheryl Crow - Everyday Is A Winding Road 11-1996
9. Celine Dion - It's All Coming Back To Me Now 09-1996
10. Babybird - You're Gorgeous 10-1996
11. Toni Braxton - Un-Break My Heart 10-1996
12. Robson & Jerome - What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted 11-1996
13. Bryan Adams - The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You 05-1996

And the bubbling unders:

Peter Andre Ft. Bubbler Ranx - Mysterious Girl 05-1996
The Backstreet Boys - I'll Never Break Your Heart 11-1996
The Beautiful South - Don't Marry Her 12-1996
Bon Jovi - These Days 03-1996
Boyzone - Coming Home Now 03-1996
Mariah Carey - Open Arms 02-1996
Belinda Carlisle - In Too Deep 07-1996
Crowded House - Instinct 06-1996
Celine Dion - All By Myself 12-1996
The Divine Comedy - Something For The Week 06-1996
East 17 feat. Gabrielle - If You Ever 10-1996
Eternal - Someday 08-1996
Everything But The Girl - Wrong 06-1996
Gina G - Ooh Aah...Just A Little Bit 03-1996
Whitney Houston - Step By Step 12-1996
Michael Jackson - Earth Song 02-1996
Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity 08-1996
Jamiroquai - Cosmic Girl 12-1996
Lighthouse Family - Lifted 02-1996
The Lightning Seeds - Ready Or Not 03-1996
Louise - In Walked Love 06-1996
Madonna - Don't Cry For Me Argentina 12-1996
Meatloaf - Not A Dry Eye In The House 01-1996
George Michael - Jesus To A Child 01-1996
George Michael - Fastlove 04-1996
911 - Don't Make Me Wait 11-1996
Ocean Colour Scene - You've Got It Bad 03-1996
The Pet Shop Boys - Se A Vida È (That's The Way Life Is) 08-1996
REM - Bittersweet Me 10-1996
The Spice Girls - 2 Become 1 12-1996
Supergrass - Going Out 02-1996
Take That - How Deep Is Your Love 03-1996
Tina Turner - On Silent Wings 06-1996
Luther Vandross - Your Secret Love 10-1996

And these are the ones people expect to see:
Baddiel / Skinner / Lightning Seed - Three Lions 05-1996
Blur - Charmless Man 05-1996
Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger 02-1996 |
Maxi Priest Featuring Shaggy - That Girl 06-1996
Prodigy - Breathe 11-1996 |
Pulp - Something Changed 03-1996
Shed Seven - Going For Gold 03-1996
Super Furry Animals - Something 4 The Weekend 07-1996