How NBC's 'Must See TV' risk takers of the '90s are still launching groundbreaking TV
LOS ANGELES - Twenty-five years before Peak TV, there was "Must See TV."
The three words served as the marketing tagline for NBC's lineup of prime-time hits during the 1990s, when the country was still talking on mobile flip phones and the proliferation of cable channels was the biggest threat to the mighty broadcast networks. If you wanted to binge on a TV series, you had to buy a DVD box set.
NBC typically reached 75 million viewers on Thursday nights during much of the 1990s, more than ABC, CBS and Fox combined, with hit shows such as "Friends," "Seinfeld," "Mad About You," "Frasier," "Will & Grace" and "ER." The network also racked up the most Emmy wins and nominations during the decade while generating annual profits in the range of $500 million.
More than two decades on, Must See TV still matters, and not just as a nostalgia kick.
The traditional TV landscape where NBC once ruled has been disrupted by the rise of prestige shows on premium cable and online streaming services. All the broadcast networks are scrambling to hold onto their diminishing audiences and cultural relevance. But the demand for the people who developed the arsenal of NBC's high-quality hits of the 1990s - many of which have sustained their popularity thanks to online streaming - has remained. Must See TV veterans have helped shape some of the most groundbreaking
