1990s Books, Films And TV: The Decade Guide

Britpop on the telly, the rise of the British film comedy, and the decade Harry Potter started.

Below: the books worth reading from the 1990s, then the films and television year by year from 1990 to 1999.

Useful for a themed night, a reading list, a reminiscence session or working out what someone grew up with.

Years covered in the 1990s

• 1990 - Thatcher resigned, Gazza cried, and the country spent a fortnight thinking England might actually win it. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1990
• 1991 - Bryan Adams would not get off the top of the chart, the Soviet Union ceased to exist, and Freddie Mercury died. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1991
• 1992 - Black Wednesday, a general election nobody predicted correctly, and the Premier League arrived. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1992
• 1993 - Mr Blobby was Christmas number one, which is somehow not the strangest thing about the year. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1993
• 1994 - The Lottery started, the Channel Tunnel opened, and Wet Wet Wet would not leave the number one spot. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1994
• 1995 - Blur against Oasis on the Six O'Clock News, and Toy Story changed films for good. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1995
• 1996 - Football came home, nearly, and the Spice Girls arrived and took the entire decade with them. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1996
• 1997 - A landslide in May, a death in August, and the best-selling single in British history. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1997
• 1998 - The Good Friday Agreement, a World Cup sending off nobody forgave, and Furby. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1998
• 1999 - An eclipse over Cornwall, a millennium everybody was quietly worried about, and boy bands everywhere. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1999
• That is every 1990s year we have written up so far: 1990 to 1999.

Books of the 1990s

• J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997), Chamber of Secrets (1998) and Prisoner of Azkaban (1999).
• Philip Pullman, Northern Lights (1995) and The Subtle Knife (1997).
• Nick Hornby, Fever Pitch (1992) and High Fidelity (1995).
• Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary (1996).
• Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting (1993).
• Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, The Gruffalo (1999).
• Louis Sachar, Holes (1998).
• Sebastian Faulks, Birdsong (1993).
• Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Good Omens (1990).

Film and television, year by year

• 1990 - Ghost, Home Alone and Pretty Woman were the films of the year.
• 1991 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day and The Silence of the Lambs were the films of the year.
• 1992 - Wayne's World, Basic Instinct and Reservoir Dogs were the films people talked about.
• 1993 - Jurassic Park and Schindler's List were both released - the same director, in the same year.
• 1994 - Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Lion King, Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump all came out in the same year.
• 1995 - Toy Story was released - the first fully computer-animated feature film.
• 1996 - Trainspotting was released in February and became the British film of the decade.
• 1997 - The Full Monty was the British film of the year and one of the most successful ever made here.
• 1998 - Titanic dominated cinemas and the Oscars.
• 1999 - The Matrix, Star Wars: Episode I, Notting Hill and The Sixth Sense were the films of the year.

More from the screen

• 1990 - Twin Peaks arrived on British television and baffled everybody in the most enjoyable way.
• 1991 - Noel's House Party began on BBC One, with Mr Blobby arriving the following year.
• 1992 - Absolutely Fabulous began on BBC Two.
• 1993 - Live & Kicking replaced Going Live! on Saturday mornings.
• 1994 - Byker Grove's paintball episode, in which PJ was blinded, was the children's television moment of the decade.
• 1995 - Braveheart, Se7en and GoldenEye were the other films of the year.
• 1996 - Independence Day, Fargo and The English Patient were the other films of the year.
• 1997 - Titanic was released at the end of the year and dominated 1998.
• 1998 - Saving Private Ryan and The Truman Show were the other films of the year.
• 1999 - The Royle Family was in its second series on BBC Two.

How to use this

• Themed night: one film from the decade, the matching party playlist, and a quiz round from the trivia page.
• Reading list: pick one book from the decade someone was born in and one from the decade they turned eighteen.
• Reminiscence session: read the television lines out and let people finish the theme tunes.
• Anyone born in 1990 turns 50 in 2040, 60 in 2050 and 70 in 2060.

Shop cards

How to write it so it lands

• Pair one film and one playlist from the same decade for an easy themed night.
• For a card, name the book or programme they grew up with rather than the decade.
• Charity shops are still the cheapest place to find the older titles on this list.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1990
• Look back to 1991
• Look back to 1992
• Look back to 1993
• Look back to 1994
• Look back to 1995
• Look back to 1996
• Look back to 1997
• Look back to 1998
• Look back to 1999
• 1990s history: events, politics and culture
• 1990s calendar: year by year
• 1990s music: songs, genres and trends
• 1990s films and directors
• 1990s books: novels and authors
• 1990s art: artists and styles
• 1990s fashion: styles, designers and trends
• 1990s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
• 1990s travel: destinations and holidays
• 1990s technology: gadgets and computers
• 1990s shopping guide: what to buy
• 1990s games: board, card and video
• 1990s trivia: fun facts
• 1990s quiz: questions and answers
• 1990s party playlist
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• Retro gift guide: the 1990s
• The decade before: the 1980s
• The decade after: the 2000s
• All decade guides in one place
• Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
• Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
• Decade history by era
• Decade calendars: every year from 1920
• Decade music: songs, genres and trends
• Decade films: best movies and directors
• Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends
• Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
• Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays
• Decade technology: gadgets and computers
• Decade shopping guides
• Decade games: board, card and video games by era
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade quizzes: questions and answers by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade quiz: test your memory
• Shop art prints and posters
• Shop greetings cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Shop funny cards
• Milestone birthday cards
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• 90s kids' TV shows
• 90s quiz questions
• Toys of the 80s and 90s
• Video shops and late fees
• Saturday morning TV
• Phones before mobiles
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Guess the year quiz
• Care home reminiscence quiz
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Sympathy and bereavement cards
• Sympathy cards guide
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What are the best books of the 1990s?

The list above names real titles published between 1990 and 1999, with their years - a mix of the novels that defined the decade and the children's books that have stayed in print since.

What films and TV shows were popular in the 1990s?

The year-by-year list above gives the screen highlights for each year of the decade. For the full picture of any single year, open that year's page.

Where do these come from?

The film and television lines use the same checked facts as our year pages. The book lists are our own picks - real titles with real publication years, nothing invented.

Do you sell books or films?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. This page is free to read and free to copy.