One Ridiculously Unrealistic Thing About 32 '90s TV Shows

The 1990s gave us all-time great sitcoms like Home Improvement and Friends, iconic crime dramas like Law & Order and Oz, and so many other legendary shows considered “must-see TV” by millions of people week in and week out. And while those shows gave us unforgettable characters, side-splitting and shocking moments, and jokes that are still being told decades later, they also had some outrageously nonsensical or head-scratching moments.

That said, here’s one ridiculously unrealistic thing about 32 ‘90s TV shows…

There's No Way Danny Tanner Could Afford That House (Full House)

There’s so much ridiculousness going on with Full House, but one question that remains just as baffling now as it did decades ago is “How did Danny Tanner afford a historic house in the heart of San Francisco?” The math just doesn’t work when you have a local news anchor and a pair of part-time jingle writers paying the mortgage and other expenses for an ever-growing household.

Mr. Feeny Teaches The Main Characters Through Multiple Grades And Several Schools (Boy Meets World)

There’s nothing wrong with Mr. Feeny on Boy Meets World; in fact, William Daniels’ take on the beloved teacher and neighbor was one of the show’s greatest strengths. However, this educator stays with Corey Matthews and his friends through middle school, high school, and college. The guy was either teaching above his level or dumbing it down early in his career to spend more time with those kiddos.

Steve Urkel Cloned Himself (Family Matters)

Let’s face it, Steve Urkel was a mess on Family Matters. This guy built outrageous machines, destroyed the Winslow house countless times, and went to space, but the most unrealistic thing he ever did was clone himself. Not only does human cloning not exist, but his clone, Stefan Urquelle, was just too cool (and not in a good way).

There's No Way Tim Taylor Could Survive All Those 'Tool Time' Mishaps (Home Improvement)

You’ve heard of cats having nine lives, but what about TV show hosts from Detroit? How many do they have? Well, Tim “The Toolman” Taylor must have had at least 50 on Home Improvement because he survived being crushed, electrocuted, burnt, you name it.

The Midnight Society (A Group Of Kids) Is Able To Meet In The Middle Of The Night (Are You Afraid Of The Dark?)

The various stories told during Are You Afraid of the Dark? were intense and fantastical and terrifying at times, but that’s not the unrealistic part. Instead, what’s up with “The Midnight Society,” the group of kids and teenagers who would sneak out of their houses in the middle of the night to tell scary stories in the woods? Where are the parents?

Monica's Apartment (Friends)

Sure, it is later revealed there was a loophole that allowed Monica to have a cheap apartment in Manhattan throughout Friends, but this whole rent-control aspect is so unrealistic.

That Time Scully Had An Alien Baby (The X-Files)

The X-Files was one wild show where anything and everything could happen. But what about when Scully got pregnant with the help of aliens? Yeah, this is a show that doesn’t live within the constraints of reality, but this is a stretch.

The Gang's Extracurricular Activities Go Unnoticed By Red Forman (That '70s Show)

Red Forman is a no-nonsense and tough-as-nails father who doesn’t seem like a guy who would like to be tricked, lied to, or misled… especially in his own home. Are you honestly saying he didn’t know what Eric and his friends were up to down in the basement? Really?

Jack McCoy's Success Rate (Law & Order)

Law & Order is one of the great crime/legal dramas in the history of TV, but the one thing that’s always been baffling (especially during the show’s glory days) is Jack McCoy’s success rate in the courtroom. This guy is constantly collecting wins in high-profile cases, so much so that it seems too good to be true.

The ER Doctors Are Jacks Of All Trades (ER)

ER will forever be remembered as one of the most popular medical dramas to ever grace the small screen, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t have its problems. The biggest of those has to be the fact that some of the doctors were jacks of all trades. Sure, they are in the emergency room at a trauma center, but they were all like five doctors in one at various points throughout the series.

The Way The Teenagers Talk About Politics, Cinema, And Poetry (Dawson's Creek)

Have you gone back and watched Dawson’s Creek? What’s up with the cast of teenagers shooting out dialogue that sounds like it was an AI-generated version of a first-year English major’s diary? They talk about politics, cinema, poetry, and music like they’re adults, not sappy teenagers living in a fictional Massachusetts town.

The Dancing Baby (Ally McBeal)

The CGI dancing baby from Ally McBeal became one of the biggest memes of the ‘90s when the popular legal drama series introduced the uncanny youngster. Though the baby can be seen as the manifestation of Ally’s inner turmoil, the thing looked so bad, so random, and so out of place.

Dr. Mark Sloan's Uncanny Ability To Solve Crimes (Diagnosis: Murder)

There were so many oddball crime shows in the ‘90s in the wake of Murder She Wrote. One of the most absurd has to be Diagnosis: Murder, which saw Dick Van Dyke play a doctor that – you guessed it – helped solve homicide cases. But here’s the thing: he was better at it than the detectives who do this every day of the week.

Angel Grove Constantly Being Destroyed And Rebuilt (Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers)

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, one of the best kids shows for those who grew up in the ‘90s, was absolutely bonkers looking back. But you know what’s crazier than teenagers turning into masked fighters to take on a witch from the Moon? Well, it has to be the fact that Angel Grove gets destroyed and rebuilt like nobody’s business each episode, and no one seems to notice.

Zack Morris Being Able To Graduate Despite Never Being In Class (Saved By The Bell)

Zack Morris, pretty much the king of Bayside High, did everything he could at school to not going to class, and he was mostly the class clown when he was in class. But somehow, someway, he was able to graduate with his friends and go on to college. Maybe, he should have been held back; we at least wouldn’t have had to sit through Saved by the Bell: The College Years.

Warden Leo Glynn Not Being Canned Or Sent To Prison Himself (Oz)

Anyone who’s watched a single episode of Oz knows that the prison at the center of the landmark HBO series wasn’t the best place to be. Despite riots, inmates sneaking in guns, inmates trapping people behind walls, and all sorts of madness, Oswald Pentitentiary Warden Leo Glynn kept his job. Make that make sense.

Can We Talk About The Serial Killers And Supernatural Phenomena (Picket Fences)

Remember Picket Fences, the CBS drama series about life in a seemingly quiet small town filled with serial killers, supernatural phenomena, and a variety of other strange and distressing occurrences? This show had it all, except for maybe a realistic view of the world. Pure madness.

Ranger Cordell Walker Is Seemingly Bulletproof (Walker, Texas Ranger)

Insert Chuck Norris joke here. Seriously, his titular character from Walker, Texas Ranger was pretty much the bulletproof cowboy. Between the dodging bullets, scores of roundhouse kicks, and other heroics, it seems like it’s all too good to be true.

Bike Cops Do What Normal Officers Can't (Pacific Blue)

Pacific Blue, a show that was often the lead-in for Monday Night Raw on Monday nights, followed bicycle cops as they went about their days. But here’s the thing, they often pulled off feats (and bike stunts) that normal cops couldn’t match.

The Lifeguards Do Way More Than Save People At The Beach (Baywatch)

The last time we checked, lifeguards watched over the beaches for drowning swimmers, shark attacks, and missing kids. But if you watch Baywatch, you’ll see them do that plus defeat terrorists, help out in wrestling matches, and run on the beach in slow-motion. Not very realistic, right?

No One Thinks Angels Interfering In Everyday Life Is Odd (Touched By An Angel)

Everybody’s grandma’s favorite show, Touched by an Angel, followed a group of three heavenly visitors who helped people back on Earth make incredible decisions that mostly saw them take a more righteous path. But the fact that angels could interfere in people’s lives and not cause a stir (or end with a trip to the mental ward) is hard to believe.

Will Gets Into Princeton After Solving A Rubik's Cube (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

Though he ended up not going to the Ivy League institution, the fact that Will received an offer to attend Princeton in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is just wild. But you know what’s crazier? It wasn’t the “Fresh Prince’s" charisma that impressed his interviewer, but instead his skill with a… Rubik’s Cube.

All Kinds Of '90s Tech And Luxuries In The Age Of The Dinosaur (Dinosaurs)

Okay, Dinosaurs was a meta deconstruction of the sitcom format with a family of dinos in place of the standard nuclear family. But, the thing that has always been so wild is the fact that the Sinclair family has all kinds of modern tech – TVs, radios, construction equipment, you name it, and it’s there.

Dylan's Dad Dying In A Car Bomb Explosion (Beverly Hills, 90210)

What started as a show about uber-rich kids living in one of the most exclusive zip codes in the world turned into a wild exploration of pretty much every TV genre by the time it was all said and done. One of the most insane plotlines in Beverly Hills, 90210 was the one involving Dylan’s dad being blown up in a car bomb explosion, which would lead to the character played by the late Luke Perry trying to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Unaccompanied Minors Going On With Their Lives (Party Of Five)

Though the eldest of the five Salinger siblings in Party of Five was technically an adult, Charlie wasn’t that responsible, leaving his younger (and underage) brothers and sisters to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

The School/Band Balance Is Not Sustainable (California Dreams)

Do you remember the ‘90s teen comedy California Dreams? No? Well, imagine Saved by the Bell, but the main characters also have to balance school with being in a successful rock band. Somehow, they’re able to balance both worlds while not getting too stressed out or falling behind. Anyone who has been in a band before knows this is a dream.

How Is Al Bundy's Family Not In Serious Debt? (Married... With Children)

Before Married… with Children jumped the shark, it gave TV viewers some of the funniest (and most uncomfortable) moments. But one thing that has always been baffling is the fact that Al Bundy was able to have a decent-sized house, raise two kids, and have a shopaholic wife by working at a shoe store. How did they not go into debt?

How Did The Family Afford That Disney Trip? (Step By Step)

Despite being one of the greatest TGIF comedies, Step by Step was a show with a lot of problems. Not to harp too much on finances, but how did that massive family afford to go on an all-inclusive trip to Disney? How many people was that again?

How Many Moral Dilemmas Can One Family Face And Overcome? (7th Heaven)

The Camden family had one moral dilemma after another over the course of 7th Heaven’s 11-season run, so much so that it got exhausting by the time the show ended in 2007. At times, it felt like this family had a black cloud hanging over them or was placed under some kind of curse.

The Origins Of Alex Mack's Powers (The Secret World Of Alex Mack)

The Secret World of Alex Mack was a massive ‘90s Nickelodeon show about a young girl who gains some wild powers after coming in contact with a mysterious substance. How does she come in contact, exactly? Well, she is nearly hit by a truck containing the stuff in a company town owned by her father’s employer. What year is this again?

The Whole ‘High School On A Demonic Portal' Aspect Of The Show (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Everyone loves Buffy the Vampire Slayer here, so no judging. One thing that’s always been so funny about the show is the fact that Sunnydale High School was built over the Hellmouth, a literal portal to a demon realm. Why not just close the school down?

Kel's Constant Destruction Has No Consequences (Kenan & Kel)

Following the success of All That, Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell got their own show: Kenan & Kel. It’s impossible to count how many times Kel’s character caused massive amounts of damage to houses, stores, restaurants, and schools, facing little to no consequences.