and to think when a lot of these shows
first aired DVRs weren’t even a thing
hey guys i’m rebecca from watch mojo and
today we’re counting down our picks for
the top 20 TV show anniversaries in 2019
before we begin we publish new content
every day so be sure to subscribe to our
channel and ring the bell to get
notified about our latest videos that
means we’re taking a look at shows that
are celebrating very special birthdays
this year
in other words shows that had their us
premieres 10 20 or even 30 plus years
ago we are including currently running
shows as well as shows that have ended
alright let’s watch number 20 er 25
years old it is insane to think that er
ended a decade ago but what’s even more
surreal is that the two-hour pilot aired
to us yes fresh off the success of
Jurassic Park creator Michael Crichton
and producer Steven Spielberg reunited
for this medical drama initially
intended to be a feature film the series
launched several actors into mainstream
stardom most notably George Clooney as
dr. Doug Ross throughout its impressive
15-year run er accumulated a whopping
124 Emmy nominations with season to
winning the Outstanding Drama Series
award number 19 Baywatch 30 years old
believe it or not NBC pulled the plug on
when Baywatch made the move to
syndication however it exploded into a
television juggernaut that lasted
another decade and inspired numerous
spin-offs centering on beautiful
lifeguards who spend most of their time
running in slow motion on the beach the
premise was admittedly bare-bones but
that’s exactly what made Baywatch so
accessible and fun to watch the series
also jump-started the careers of David
Hasselhoff Pamela Anderson in wait is
that Jason Momoa number 18 Saved by the
Bell
30 years old a retooling of the comedy
good morning miss bliss Saved by the
Bell hit the scene in 1989 and became a
staple of 90s teen sitcoms from the
corny intro song to the over-the-top
fashion it is obvious that the show was
a product of the time however that is
precisely why we still get a kick out of
it today there you want Zach I’ve been
looking all over you turn out whether
zach was freezing his surroundings by
simply saying a timeout or jesse was
learning a very special lesson about
addiction this 30 year old series is so
retro it’s strangely timeless
[Music]
number 17 scooby-doo where are you 50
years old this hanna-barbera cartoon
initially ran for just 25 episodes with
another 16 airing in 1978 well gang it
looks like we’re up to our armor plates
in another mystery The Adventures of
Scooby and the gang were far from over
however as they’ve continued to solve
mysteries in numerous spin-off shows and
movies a new animated theatrical film is
even coming in 2020 the franchise hasn’t
strayed far from its roots over the past
50 years right down to the fact that
voice actor Frank Welker is still part
of the principal cast hey if something
isn’t broken though why fix it never
change scooby-doo your dog must have
scared her number 16 cops 30 years old
before Big Brother survivor and even the
real world a little show called cops
ignited our fascination with reality
due to the 1988 Writers Guild of America
strike Fox decided to take a chance on
an unscripted inexpensive series about
police officers he says I’m gonna shoot
you and that dog that’s off and leash
okay is that when you drew your weapon
and fired no I can have the weapon cops
not only became an unexpected hit but
the bad boys are still busting criminals
30 years later so when you think about
it a strike intended to support
television writers ironically helped
popularize a genre that doesn’t require
writers for Fox executives cops was
poetic justice number 15
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire 20 years
old this quiz show is still airing in
syndication but remember when it was an
unstoppable ratings powerhouse final
final answer this series was such a
phenomenon that ABC aired three episodes
weekly and by the end of the 1999-2000
television season millionaire had
claimed the three highest-rated spots
according to Nielsen Media Research hi
dad
and I really need your help but I just
wanted to let you know that I’m gonna
win the million dollars audience
interest inevitably declined once the
show started airing five episodes per
week for a period though sitting across
from Regis Philbin with the chance to
win a million dollars was basically the
American Dream number 14
shark tank ten years old if you want to
grab attention for a new product there’s
no better place to promote it than on
this reality series in the end you need
cash my friend I’m making you an offer
never disrespect the cash even if you
don’t make a deal simply getting your
feet wet in the shark tank and still
benefit your business just look at coach
X or CBS food both of which gain
traction
despite being rejected by the panel of
sharks I’ll be buying more into you
clear great guy than buying into the
business so I’m out
weather pitches are successful or not
shark tank has provided a unique
platform for entrepreneurs over the last
decade and is a staple of reality TV
number thirteen NCIS Los Angeles ten
years old in early 2009 NCIS released a
two-part episode that served as a
backdoor pilot for a spin-off special
agent G Callen would return the
following television season and NCIS Los
Angeles has been going strong ever since
well it’s police procedural format may
be familiar the well-defined characters
have kept us coming back over the past
decade its Maguire he’s not really dead
even in season 10 the series managed to
pack an emotional punch with the
long-awaited wedding between Kensi and
Deeks whatever the future holds for the
LA team we’re sure it’ll be legendary
number 12 Modern Family ten years old
Manny and Alex might have acted old for
their age when we first met them in 2009
but now they’re both full-fledged adults
we Dunphy’s clean up pretty well when we
want to don’t we are you kidding me they
aren’t the only ones who’ve grown over
the past 10 years
lily is now a preteen Luke is in college
and Haley is having babies of her own
are they smiling you’re pregnant yes
which makes Gloria a step
great-grandmother we’ve spent so much
time with the Pritchett Delgado Dunphy
Tucker clan that they practically feel
like family and we’ll be sad to say
goodbye once the eleventh and final
season wraps up let’s just get out of
here Oh No okay number eleven America’s
Funniest Home Videos 30 years old when
this comedy clip series first aired it
was supposed to be just a one-off
hour-long special whoa who’d have
thought that the special would amount to
a hit series that continues to bring the
chuckles today for that matter who knew
that one day Carlton banks would follow
in the footsteps of Danny Tanner as host
sometimes our writers come up with
clever titles for the video segments we
do what’s especially surprising about
America’s Funniest Home Videos is that
it’s surpassed the lifespan of VHS tapes
and still manages to attract solid
viewership even in a youtube era let
that camera roll number 10 lost 15 years
old in 2004 TV audiences generally
weren’t used to dramas with serialized
stories or high-concept ideas it quickly
became clear however that lost wasn’t
gonna be like anything we’d ever seen
before
[Music]
with its large ensemble complex lore and
overarching mystery it helped push the
television medium to a new frontier 15
years later audiences have mixed
feelings about the series on the whole
largely due to its divisive ending
without the success of lost though it’s
safe to say that ambitious TV shows
wouldn’t be nearly as widespread today
we have to go back number 9
Seinfeld 30 years old at a time when
sitcoms were mostly about marriage
family values in the work force Seinfeld
addressed issues like getting lost in a
parking garage and waiting at a Chinese
restaurant
Seinfeld no no no focusing on the most
mundane inconsequential and shallow
dilemmas the series was a slice of life
that anyone could find the humor in so
we can live in BC we tell them I got an
idea for a show about nothing exactly
they say what’s your show about I say
nothing there you go I think you may
have something here perhaps that’s why
Seinfeld has aged so well the world has
changed a lot throughout the past 30
years
but muffin tops are still delicious junk
mail is still a nuisance and shrinkage
still plagues men everywhere number
eight The Sopranos 20 years old we are
currently in a television Renaissance
and many would point to this series as
the trailblazer so you had coffee right
The Sopranos helped define contemporary
dramas with its cinematic production
values uncompromising writing and
morally ambiguous characters I’m
old-school I don’t believe in a
separation shitted and divorce
tony soprano is the anti hero archetype
acting as the patriarch of a nuclear
family and a mob family both of which
are equally chaotic forget about the way
that Tony Soprano makes his way in the
world that’s just to feed his children
it’s to Tony Soprano
the series marked the end of the
clean-cut 90s and the beginning of the
gritty 2000s assuring audiences into a
new era and setting the stage for the
next 20 years of television focus on the
good times
don’t be shy – number seven Futurama
20 years old this animated series
provided a reflection of modern times
through a futuristic lens looking back
20 years later though some of the show’s
advanced technology has actually come to
fruition including a telescope that can
smell distant odors and virtual reality
that focuses on tasks one could easily
perform in the real world wow I could
swear I was really playing virtual
skeeball only time will tell if we’ll be
making deliveries aboard spaceships by
the 30th century all we know for sure is
that the hilarious misadventures of the
Planet Express crew will endure like a
frozen pizza boy oh my gosh this is all
so sudden after 13 years number 6
Law & Order Special Victims Unit 20
years old the original Law & Order
inspired several spin-offs but none has
had the longevity of Special Victims
Unit just verbally harassed the wife of
a murder victim she lied to a police
officer of anything she’s guilty of
obstruction one of the many reasons SVU
stood out was its audacity to tackle sex
crimes on network television you did
this you sat there and you watched as a
man rape one of your children and then
murder the other you might as well kill
him yourself
it’s story lines regarding rape and
pedophilia are just as relevant today as
they were 20 years ago seeking out
people who were starved for anything
that would give them meaning in their
life
three Z marks Mariska Hargitay is
Primetime Emmy winning performances
Olivia Benson in particular has become a
beacon of empowerment with SVU set to
become the longest-running live-action
series ever in its 21st season
lieutenant Benson will continue to
inspire audiences number five SpongeBob
SquarePants
20 years old Stephen Hillenburg sadly
passed away due to ALS in 2018 just
under a year before his creations 20th
birthday at least we can take solace in
knowing that part of Helen Berg will
forever live on through spongebob and
while the series itself has never quite
reached the heights of its first three
seasons
spongebob himself has not lost his
universal appeal inspiring countless
memes a tony-winning Broadway musical
and three theatrical films one of which
is set for a 2020 release number for
friends 25 years old the premise for
this sitcom was nothing new revolving
around six single friends living in New
York this guy says hello I want to kill
myself
thanks to brilliant writing and a
perfectly in sync ensemble however
friends became one of its generations
defining sitcoms not to mention one of
the most rewatchable shows of the last
25 years
could I be one anymore whenever we’re in
need of a good laugh a rerun of friends
will do the trick no matter how many
times we’ve seen it the characters and
one-liners are just perennial now if
only we could get a reunion special
number three Family Guy 20 years old
Family Guy is not the show it was 20
years ago with various critics talking
about its declining quality as of late
hey hey hey hey stop it stop it
nevertheless the Griffin family has
secured their place in television
history for a variety of reasons
[Music]
that’s what my ex-wife said the show’s
irreverent cutaway gags detailed
parodies and fearless humor have shaped
the modern landscape for adult animation
most significant of all it’s
demonstrated the importance of fandom
it’s the ship that made the Kessel run
in less than 12 parsecs um isn’t a
parsec a unit of distance not time being
one of the first series to get revived
thanks to its cult following
Family Guy gave hope to every
prematurely canceled show number two The
Simpsons 30 years old like Family Guy
The Simpsons is another long-running
animated series that’s seen better days
but nobody can deny the impact it’s had
on audiences when the series made its
debut thirty years ago The Simpsons
presented a surprisingly relatable
portrait of a middle-class American
family that’s it you people have stood
in my way long enough I’m going to cone
college ironically a lot of live-action
TV families felt like caricatures by
comparison whereas most sitcoms
portrayed families as wholesome and
squeaky-clean
The Simpsons presented an original
message families are dysfunctional but
that doesn’t mean they can’t support one
another
in their own twisted way you tried your
best and you failed miserably
the lesson is never try number one
Sesame Street 50 years old every
generation has a show that they grew up
with
but Sesame Street is probably the only
sometimes the simplest life lessons are
also the most important we take Nursery
Rhymes
all right and the box of cookies please
Big Bird Cookie Monster and the other
residents of Sesame Street have been
imparting these lessons onto young minds
for 50 years for many Sesame Street not
only taught them how to count and spell
but also how to deal with concepts like
death and divorce
six-six
my favorite number is six furthermore
it’s demonstrated that the best way to
educate people is through creativity I
really wanted to like do an impression
of Cookie Monster and like ruin a box of
cookies but they wouldn’t let me make a
mess so whatever any way are any of your
favorite shows celebrating an
anniversary this year let us know in the
comments and be sure to like subscribe and check out these other videos
first aired DVRs weren’t even a thing
hey guys i’m rebecca from watch mojo and
today we’re counting down our picks for
the top 20 TV show anniversaries in 2019
before we begin we publish new content
every day so be sure to subscribe to our
channel and ring the bell to get
notified about our latest videos that
means we’re taking a look at shows that
are celebrating very special birthdays
this year
in other words shows that had their us
premieres 10 20 or even 30 plus years
ago we are including currently running
shows as well as shows that have ended
alright let’s watch number 20 er 25
years old it is insane to think that er
ended a decade ago but what’s even more
surreal is that the two-hour pilot aired
to us yes fresh off the success of
Jurassic Park creator Michael Crichton
and producer Steven Spielberg reunited
for this medical drama initially
intended to be a feature film the series
launched several actors into mainstream
stardom most notably George Clooney as
dr. Doug Ross throughout its impressive
15-year run er accumulated a whopping
124 Emmy nominations with season to
winning the Outstanding Drama Series
award number 19 Baywatch 30 years old
believe it or not NBC pulled the plug on
when Baywatch made the move to
syndication however it exploded into a
television juggernaut that lasted
another decade and inspired numerous
spin-offs centering on beautiful
lifeguards who spend most of their time
running in slow motion on the beach the
premise was admittedly bare-bones but
that’s exactly what made Baywatch so
accessible and fun to watch the series
also jump-started the careers of David
Hasselhoff Pamela Anderson in wait is
that Jason Momoa number 18 Saved by the
Bell
30 years old a retooling of the comedy
good morning miss bliss Saved by the
Bell hit the scene in 1989 and became a
staple of 90s teen sitcoms from the
corny intro song to the over-the-top
fashion it is obvious that the show was
a product of the time however that is
precisely why we still get a kick out of
it today there you want Zach I’ve been
looking all over you turn out whether
zach was freezing his surroundings by
simply saying a timeout or jesse was
learning a very special lesson about
addiction this 30 year old series is so
retro it’s strangely timeless
[Music]
number 17 scooby-doo where are you 50
years old this hanna-barbera cartoon
initially ran for just 25 episodes with
another 16 airing in 1978 well gang it
looks like we’re up to our armor plates
in another mystery The Adventures of
Scooby and the gang were far from over
however as they’ve continued to solve
mysteries in numerous spin-off shows and
movies a new animated theatrical film is
even coming in 2020 the franchise hasn’t
strayed far from its roots over the past
50 years right down to the fact that
voice actor Frank Welker is still part
of the principal cast hey if something
isn’t broken though why fix it never
change scooby-doo your dog must have
scared her number 16 cops 30 years old
before Big Brother survivor and even the
real world a little show called cops
ignited our fascination with reality
due to the 1988 Writers Guild of America
strike Fox decided to take a chance on
an unscripted inexpensive series about
police officers he says I’m gonna shoot
you and that dog that’s off and leash
okay is that when you drew your weapon
and fired no I can have the weapon cops
not only became an unexpected hit but
the bad boys are still busting criminals
30 years later so when you think about
it a strike intended to support
television writers ironically helped
popularize a genre that doesn’t require
writers for Fox executives cops was
poetic justice number 15
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire 20 years
old this quiz show is still airing in
syndication but remember when it was an
unstoppable ratings powerhouse final
final answer this series was such a
phenomenon that ABC aired three episodes
weekly and by the end of the 1999-2000
television season millionaire had
claimed the three highest-rated spots
according to Nielsen Media Research hi
dad
and I really need your help but I just
wanted to let you know that I’m gonna
win the million dollars audience
interest inevitably declined once the
show started airing five episodes per
week for a period though sitting across
from Regis Philbin with the chance to
win a million dollars was basically the
American Dream number 14
shark tank ten years old if you want to
grab attention for a new product there’s
no better place to promote it than on
this reality series in the end you need
cash my friend I’m making you an offer
never disrespect the cash even if you
don’t make a deal simply getting your
feet wet in the shark tank and still
benefit your business just look at coach
X or CBS food both of which gain
traction
despite being rejected by the panel of
sharks I’ll be buying more into you
clear great guy than buying into the
business so I’m out
weather pitches are successful or not
shark tank has provided a unique
platform for entrepreneurs over the last
decade and is a staple of reality TV
number thirteen NCIS Los Angeles ten
years old in early 2009 NCIS released a
two-part episode that served as a
backdoor pilot for a spin-off special
agent G Callen would return the
following television season and NCIS Los
Angeles has been going strong ever since
well it’s police procedural format may
be familiar the well-defined characters
have kept us coming back over the past
decade its Maguire he’s not really dead
even in season 10 the series managed to
pack an emotional punch with the
long-awaited wedding between Kensi and
Deeks whatever the future holds for the
LA team we’re sure it’ll be legendary
number 12 Modern Family ten years old
Manny and Alex might have acted old for
their age when we first met them in 2009
but now they’re both full-fledged adults
we Dunphy’s clean up pretty well when we
want to don’t we are you kidding me they
aren’t the only ones who’ve grown over
the past 10 years
lily is now a preteen Luke is in college
and Haley is having babies of her own
are they smiling you’re pregnant yes
which makes Gloria a step
great-grandmother we’ve spent so much
time with the Pritchett Delgado Dunphy
Tucker clan that they practically feel
like family and we’ll be sad to say
goodbye once the eleventh and final
season wraps up let’s just get out of
here Oh No okay number eleven America’s
Funniest Home Videos 30 years old when
this comedy clip series first aired it
was supposed to be just a one-off
hour-long special whoa who’d have
thought that the special would amount to
a hit series that continues to bring the
chuckles today for that matter who knew
that one day Carlton banks would follow
in the footsteps of Danny Tanner as host
sometimes our writers come up with
clever titles for the video segments we
do what’s especially surprising about
America’s Funniest Home Videos is that
it’s surpassed the lifespan of VHS tapes
and still manages to attract solid
viewership even in a youtube era let
that camera roll number 10 lost 15 years
old in 2004 TV audiences generally
weren’t used to dramas with serialized
stories or high-concept ideas it quickly
became clear however that lost wasn’t
gonna be like anything we’d ever seen
before
[Music]
with its large ensemble complex lore and
overarching mystery it helped push the
television medium to a new frontier 15
years later audiences have mixed
feelings about the series on the whole
largely due to its divisive ending
without the success of lost though it’s
safe to say that ambitious TV shows
wouldn’t be nearly as widespread today
we have to go back number 9
Seinfeld 30 years old at a time when
sitcoms were mostly about marriage
family values in the work force Seinfeld
addressed issues like getting lost in a
parking garage and waiting at a Chinese
restaurant
Seinfeld no no no focusing on the most
mundane inconsequential and shallow
dilemmas the series was a slice of life
that anyone could find the humor in so
we can live in BC we tell them I got an
idea for a show about nothing exactly
they say what’s your show about I say
nothing there you go I think you may
have something here perhaps that’s why
Seinfeld has aged so well the world has
changed a lot throughout the past 30
years
but muffin tops are still delicious junk
mail is still a nuisance and shrinkage
still plagues men everywhere number
eight The Sopranos 20 years old we are
currently in a television Renaissance
and many would point to this series as
the trailblazer so you had coffee right
The Sopranos helped define contemporary
dramas with its cinematic production
values uncompromising writing and
morally ambiguous characters I’m
old-school I don’t believe in a
separation shitted and divorce
tony soprano is the anti hero archetype
acting as the patriarch of a nuclear
family and a mob family both of which
are equally chaotic forget about the way
that Tony Soprano makes his way in the
world that’s just to feed his children
it’s to Tony Soprano
the series marked the end of the
clean-cut 90s and the beginning of the
gritty 2000s assuring audiences into a
new era and setting the stage for the
next 20 years of television focus on the
good times
don’t be shy – number seven Futurama
20 years old this animated series
provided a reflection of modern times
through a futuristic lens looking back
20 years later though some of the show’s
advanced technology has actually come to
fruition including a telescope that can
smell distant odors and virtual reality
that focuses on tasks one could easily
perform in the real world wow I could
swear I was really playing virtual
skeeball only time will tell if we’ll be
making deliveries aboard spaceships by
the 30th century all we know for sure is
that the hilarious misadventures of the
Planet Express crew will endure like a
frozen pizza boy oh my gosh this is all
so sudden after 13 years number 6
Law & Order Special Victims Unit 20
years old the original Law & Order
inspired several spin-offs but none has
had the longevity of Special Victims
Unit just verbally harassed the wife of
a murder victim she lied to a police
officer of anything she’s guilty of
obstruction one of the many reasons SVU
stood out was its audacity to tackle sex
crimes on network television you did
this you sat there and you watched as a
man rape one of your children and then
murder the other you might as well kill
him yourself
it’s story lines regarding rape and
pedophilia are just as relevant today as
they were 20 years ago seeking out
people who were starved for anything
that would give them meaning in their
life
three Z marks Mariska Hargitay is
Primetime Emmy winning performances
Olivia Benson in particular has become a
beacon of empowerment with SVU set to
become the longest-running live-action
series ever in its 21st season
lieutenant Benson will continue to
inspire audiences number five SpongeBob
SquarePants
20 years old Stephen Hillenburg sadly
passed away due to ALS in 2018 just
under a year before his creations 20th
birthday at least we can take solace in
knowing that part of Helen Berg will
forever live on through spongebob and
while the series itself has never quite
reached the heights of its first three
seasons
spongebob himself has not lost his
universal appeal inspiring countless
memes a tony-winning Broadway musical
and three theatrical films one of which
is set for a 2020 release number for
friends 25 years old the premise for
this sitcom was nothing new revolving
around six single friends living in New
York this guy says hello I want to kill
myself
thanks to brilliant writing and a
perfectly in sync ensemble however
friends became one of its generations
defining sitcoms not to mention one of
the most rewatchable shows of the last
25 years
could I be one anymore whenever we’re in
need of a good laugh a rerun of friends
will do the trick no matter how many
times we’ve seen it the characters and
one-liners are just perennial now if
only we could get a reunion special
number three Family Guy 20 years old
Family Guy is not the show it was 20
years ago with various critics talking
about its declining quality as of late
hey hey hey hey stop it stop it
nevertheless the Griffin family has
secured their place in television
history for a variety of reasons
[Music]
that’s what my ex-wife said the show’s
irreverent cutaway gags detailed
parodies and fearless humor have shaped
the modern landscape for adult animation
most significant of all it’s
demonstrated the importance of fandom
it’s the ship that made the Kessel run
in less than 12 parsecs um isn’t a
parsec a unit of distance not time being
one of the first series to get revived
thanks to its cult following
Family Guy gave hope to every
prematurely canceled show number two The
Simpsons 30 years old like Family Guy
The Simpsons is another long-running
animated series that’s seen better days
but nobody can deny the impact it’s had
on audiences when the series made its
debut thirty years ago The Simpsons
presented a surprisingly relatable
portrait of a middle-class American
family that’s it you people have stood
in my way long enough I’m going to cone
college ironically a lot of live-action
TV families felt like caricatures by
comparison whereas most sitcoms
portrayed families as wholesome and
squeaky-clean
The Simpsons presented an original
message families are dysfunctional but
that doesn’t mean they can’t support one
another
in their own twisted way you tried your
best and you failed miserably
the lesson is never try number one
Sesame Street 50 years old every
generation has a show that they grew up
with
but Sesame Street is probably the only
sometimes the simplest life lessons are
also the most important we take Nursery
Rhymes
all right and the box of cookies please
Big Bird Cookie Monster and the other
residents of Sesame Street have been
imparting these lessons onto young minds
for 50 years for many Sesame Street not
only taught them how to count and spell
but also how to deal with concepts like
death and divorce
six-six
my favorite number is six furthermore
it’s demonstrated that the best way to
educate people is through creativity I
really wanted to like do an impression
of Cookie Monster and like ruin a box of
cookies but they wouldn’t let me make a
mess so whatever any way are any of your
favorite shows celebrating an
anniversary this year let us know in the
comments and be sure to like subscribe and check out these other videos
Please follow and like us: