1990s TV Shows: One-Sentence Summary Quiz

Answer: Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

Running for four seasons between 1993 and 1997, "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" was based upon the DC comics and the earlier series of films featuring Christopher Reeve. It starred Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher. The majority of the series focused on Clark Kent/Superman's relationship with Lois Lane.

Interestingly, the series portrayed Clark Kent as the character's true personality while the personality of Superman was just a cover identity, rather than in the original comics and films which portrayed the Superman personality as the character's real one and the Clark Kent personality as a cover.

Answer: Party of Five

The "Party of Five" refers to five siblings, Bailey, Charlie, Julia, Claudia, and Owen, whose parents die in a car accident. The show focuses on their loss and how they grow up without their parents. It starred Scott Wolf, Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, and Lacey Chabert.

Although the show had low ratings initially when it began in 1994, viewings picked up later until the show ended in 1999. A one-season spinoff was also made in 1999, "Time of Your Life" starring Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Answer: Northern Exposure

"Northern Exposure" ran for six seasons between 1990 and 1995. It starred Rob Morrow as Joel Fleischman, a young doctor from New York City who is placed as a general practitioner in a northern Alaskan town. The series focused on the scrapes he got into as an out-of-towner, as well as the experiences of the other townspeople.

The series also starred Barry Corbin, Janine Turner, John Cullum, Darren E. Burrows, and John Corbett.

Answer: Picket Fences

"Picket Fences" centered around Sheriff Jimmy Brock and his job of dealing with crime in the small town of Rome, Wisconsin. Starring Tom Skerritt as Brock, as well as Kathy Baker, Costas Mandylor, and Lauren Holly, among others, the series ran for four seasons between 1992 and 1996.

"Picket Fences" was also adapted into the series "Kehta Hai Dil" in India, which ran from 2002 to 2005.

Answer: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" was the third live-action Star Trek TV series spawned by the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. First airing in 1993, the show ran for seven seasons before its closing in 1999. It starred Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton, among others.

Set in the future, the series focused on Captain Benjamin Sisko, who is put in charge of the space station Deep Space Nine, located near a wormhole. He deals with problems between species and deals with his own grief over the death of his wife.

Answer: Murder, She Wrote

"Murder, She Wrote" starred the talented Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher, an English teacher-turned mystery author. Living in her small town of Cabot Cove, Maine, she managed to solve many murder mysteries that the local authorities were unable to, and later she took her talents to New York City, living there part-time.

The series ran for twelve seasons between 1984 and 1996, and following the series' end, four television films were made between 1997 and 2003. A book series also followed suit.

Answer: In the Heat of the Night

"In the Heat of the Night" was based upon the 1965 book of the same name by John Ball, as well as on the 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. The television series was set a few years after the events in the book and film: Virgil Tibbs, an African American police detective, is hired by the town of Sparta, Mississippi, to investigate crime with the local police station, headed by Bill Gillespie.

Starring Carroll O'Connor and Howard Rollins, the series ran for seven seasons between 1988 and 1995, and then spawned four TV movies between 1994 and 1995, and were considered the 8th season of the show.

Answer: American Gothic

Created by the entertainer Shaun Cassidy, "American Gothic" ran for only one season between 1995 and 1996 before being cancelled. A horror and thriller show, it has since garnered a cult following.

The show is about Sheriff Lucas Buck, a seemingly charming man who is actually demonic. Throughout the series he tries to tempt his biological son Caleb to join him in his evil ways, but the boy manages to resist him.

Answer: Star Trek: Voyager

The USS Voyager is a Federation Starfleet ship which, after leaving the Deep Space Nine space station, is transported by an enemy alien force to an area of space known as the Delta Quadrant, more than 70,000 light years away from Earth and unexplored by humans. Captained by Kathryn Janeway, the Voyager undertakes a seventy-year trip back to Earth while encountering adventures along the way.

Broadcast alongside "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", "Voyager" starred Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, and Jennifer Lien, among others. It ran for seven seasons between 1995 to 2001.

Answer: Doogie Howser, M.D.

Doogie Howser was in many ways an average doctor...except that he was only 16! Having survived several medical issues as a child, he became a doctor at age 14, thanks in part to a photographic memory and a genius IQ. Played by Neal Patrick Harris, a typical episode saw Doogie navigating both medical issues and problems with growing up.

"Doogie Howser, M.D." lasted for four seasons, broadcast between 1989 and 1993.