8 Sitcoms From The 90s, Rebooted As Modern-Day Cable Dramas

1. “Fresh”

Tormented by the violence he witnessed in West Philadelphia, PTSD-plagued teen William “Will” Smith flees his hometown after he is nearly killed, hiding out with wealthy relatives in Los Angeles’s Bel-Air neighborhood. But in this edgy new crime procedural, Will discovers that Los Angeles’s corridors of power are just as dangerous as the streets he left behind. Can Will thwart the sinister machinations of rageaholic lawyer Phil and cruel aspiring politician Carlton, all while working to unmask the Esperanto-speaking serial killer known only as “La Lerta Kato,” and solve the mystery of Aunt Vivian’s death?

2. “Everywhere You Look”

Single father and recovering addict Danny Tanner—along with his narcissistic ex-con brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and violently delusional friend “Uncle” Joey–attempts to raise three daughters in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District in the late 1980s, while grappling with his obsessive-compulsive disorder. But how long can Danny stay clean? How long can Jesse stay on the right side of the law? How long can Joey stay on his meds? And how long can the Tanner girls resist the lure of easy money offered by notorious madam and next-door-neighbor Kimmy Gibbler?

3. “Married…”

Alan and Margaret “Peg” Bundy are a married couple who fell out of love long ago, but must stay together for financial reasons. Al becomes lost in desperate daydreams of his misspent youth, leading him to the shady, violent underworld of vigilante men’s rights groups. Peg seeks escape in soap operas and fashion, neglecting the couple’s two lonely, desperate children. From producer Alan Ball, comes a visionary drama about the slow dissolution of a marriage, the end of hope, and the death of the American dream. Also, sometimes their dog can talk.

4. “The Strangers”

Troubled, alcoholic Eastern European refugee Balki Bartokomous has a terrible secret: he was once a KGB agent, known as “the Murder Wolf,” who ruthlessly slaughtered political dissidents. On the eve of the USSR’s collapse, Balki flees his homeland for the unknown waters of America, posing as a mentally disturbed folk dancer from a non-existent Soviet republic. But after moving to Chicago with his only American contact—failed drug dealer and small-time thug Larry Appleton—Balki finds that even though he’s finished with the USSR, the USSR is not yet finished with him. Political intrigue, psychological double-crossing, and tasteful nudity inform this dark historical drama, which teaches us that there is nothing quite so dangerous as being close to another human being.

5. “Urquelle”

Chicago police officer Carl Winslow put dangerous, sexy crime boss Stefan Urquelle behind bars fifteen years ago. But a daring prison escape leaves Urquelle on the loose, and the Winslow family under violent siege by one of Urquelle’s henchmen–the lethal and extremely irritating Steve Urkel. As the Winslow’s await the arrival of Urquelle, and Steve begins a savage courtship of the family’s oldest daughter, Carl must unravel the city’s tangled web of police corruption, and discover the connection between Steven and Stefan before it is too late.

6. “Big D”

Wealthy scholar and ladies man Dr. Douglas “Doogie” Howser has it all—a prestigious career at age 16, cars, money, women, cars, real estate, medical-grade cocaine, cars. But this troubled genius has a secret—he’s actually been dead for eleven years. How long can he lead this double life? And how long can he keep the truth from both of his girlfriends—the sexy-yet-vulnerable Lydia and the troubled, sexy ghost of Joan of Arc? This dynamic new dramedy from the producers of “Dead Like Me” asks the question, “What is life, anyway?” And also, “Is it technically cheating if you’ve been dead the whole time?”

7. “Boy Meats World”

Every year, dozens of adolescents go missing from John Adams High, a school in suburban Philadelphia. Where do they go? And why is the surrounding town so frozen with fear that no one dares even mention the disappearances? This new anthology series–from the producers who brought you Showtime’s “Masters of Horror”– has the answers, but you’re probably not going to like hearing them. Premiere episode features Mr. Turner, Stuart Minkus, Shawn’s sister, and 83 gallons of potassium hydroxide. TV-MA.

8. “Seinfeld”

Friends Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer are junkies in Manhattan’s Alphabet City, in this actual, literal show about nothing.