The 40 most popular 1990s action & adventure TV shows, ranked. Click any show for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


C.I.D.
1998
country: India
A team of dedicated men and women in the Crime Investigation Department will risk everything to solve Mumbai's toughest, most complicated crimes.


JAG
1995
country: United States
Harmon "Harm" Rabb Jr. is a former pilot turned lawyer working for the military's JAG (Judge Advocate General) division, the elite legal wing of officers that prosecutes and defends those accused of military-related crimes. He works closely with Lt. Col. Sarah Mackenzie, and together they do what needs to be done to find the truth.


Pokémon
1997
country: Japan
Join Ash accompanied by his partner Pikachu, as he travels through many regions, meets new friends and faces new challenges on his quest to become a Pokémon Master.


Stargate SG-1
1997
country: United States
The story of Stargate SG-1 begins about a year after the events of the feature film, when the United States government learns that an ancient alien device called the Stargate can access a network of such devices on a multitude of planets. SG-1 is an elite Air Force special operations team, one of more than two dozen teams from Earth who explore the galaxy and defend against alien threats such as the Goa'uld, Replicators, and the Ori.


Star Trek: Voyager
1995
country: United States
Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is 75 years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home.


Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
1993
country: United States
At Deep Space Nine, a space station located next to a wormhole in the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, Commander Sisko and crew welcome alien visitors, root out evildoers and solve all types of unexpected problems that come their way.


Ninja Boy Rantaro
1993
country: Japan
Rantarō, Shinbei and Kirimaru are ninja apprentices in the Ninja Gakuen, where first grade ones are called "Nintamas". They must learn everything a ninja must know, but as for our heroes, money, food or playing are more interesting. The series show the everyday adventures of our heroes.


One Piece
1999
country: Japan
Years ago, the fearsome Pirate King, Gol D. Roger was executed leaving a huge pile of treasure and the famous "One Piece" behind. Whoever claims the "One Piece" will be named the new King of the Pirates. Monkey D. Luffy, a boy who consumed a "Devil Fruit," decides to follow in the footsteps of his idol, the pirate Shanks, and find the One Piece. It helps, of course, that his body has the properties of rubber and that he's surrounded by a bevy of skilled fighters and thieves to help him along the way. Luffy will do anything to get the One Piece and become King of the Pirates!


Yu Yu Hakusho
1992
country: Japan
After dying to save a boy, delinquent tough guy Yusuke Urameshi is granted another chance at life by redeeming himself as a "Spirit Detective."


WWE Heat
1998
country: United States
Feel the heat of the Attitude Era as WWE Superstars such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock compete in exclusive matches.


Babylon 5
1994
country: United States
Babylon 5 is a five-mile long space station located in neutral space. Built by the Earth Alliance in the 2250s, its goal is to maintain peace among the various alien races by providing a sanctuary where grievances and negotiations can be worked out among duly appointed ambassadors. A council made up of representatives from the five major space-faring civilizations - the Earth Alliance, Minbari Federation, Centauri Republic, Narn Regime, and Vorlon Empire - work with the League of Non-Aligned Worlds to keep interstellar relations under control. Aside from its diplomatic function, Babylon 5 also serves as a military post for Earth and a port of call for travelers, traders, businessmen, criminals, and Rangers.


Initial D
1998
country: Japan
Takumi’s job as a tofu delivery boy has turned him into one of the most formidable drivers around. Behind the wheel of his Eight-Six, he’s one with the road—and his life shifts into high gear when the underground street racing world takes notice. Drivers from across the region are lining up for a shot at the new guy. Takumi’s not just focused on winning—he’s out to prove he’s the best.


The Powerpuff Girls
1998
country: United States
A series about Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, three kindergarten-aged girls with superpowers, as well as their "father", the brainy scientist Professor Utonium, who all live in the fictional city of Townsville, USA. The girls are frequently called upon by the town's childlike and naive mayor to help fight nearby criminals using their powers.


V.I.P.
1998
country: United States
While attending a Hollywood premiere with a famous action star, a crazed fan pulls a gun—but her movie hunk turns into a coward, and it's Vallery who becomes the hero. Suddenly, she's thrown into a world of action and danger as owner of a Hollywood protection agency, Vallery Irons Protection (V.I.P.), taking risks to protect others at a price few are willing to pay.


Alarm for Cobra 11: The Motorway Police
1996
country: Germany
A long-running German television series about a two-man team of highway police, originally set in Berlin and later in North Rhine-Westphalia.


Batman: The Animated Series
1992
country: United States
Vowing to avenge the murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne devotes his life to wiping out crime in Gotham City as the masked vigilante "Batman".


Xena: Warrior Princess
1995
country: United States
Xena is an infamous warrior on a quest to seek redemption for her past sins against the innocent. Accompanied by her comrade-in-arms Gabrielle, the campy couple use their formidable fighting skills to help those who are unable to defend themselves.


Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993
country: United States
A much more lavish version of the popular Superman television series which had first aired forty years earlier, Lois & Clark focused more on the Man of Steel's early adult years in Metropolis. With the unknowing help of Lois Lane, Clark Kent created Superman there in Metropolis after finding work at the world-famous Daily Planet newspaper, where he meets fellow reporter Lois Lane.


Batman Beyond
1999
country: United States
As new villains overrun Gotham City of the future, the aging Bruce Wayne hangs up the cape of the once invincible Batman. But when troubled teenager Terry McGinnis stumbles upon the Dark Knight's secret, a new alliance is forged. And a triumphant new Batman is born.


Sailor Moon
1992
country: Japan
One day, Usagi Tsukino, clumsy 2nd-year middle school student, stumbles upon a talking cat named Luna. Luna tells her that she is destined to be Sailor Moon, "champion of love and justice", and she must search for the fabled Moon Princess. Usagi finds friends that turn out to be destined senshi as well, and together they fight to save the world from the certain doom brought upon by the Dark Kingdom.


Relic Hunter
1999
country: Canada
Sydney Fox is a professor and globe-trotting "relic hunter" who looks for ancient artifacts to return to museums and/or the descendants of the original owner. She is aided by her linguistic assistant Nigel and occasionally by her somewhat air-headed secretary Claudia. She often ends up battling rival hunters seeking out artifacts for the money.


Nash Bridges
1996
country: United States
Fun-loving San Francisco Police Department investigator Nash Bridges is part of the elite Special Investigations Unit. He tackles crime using his keen sense of humor and charm. Joe Dominguez comes out of retirement to become Bridges' wisecracking yet more rule-abiding partner.


Küstenwache
1997
country: Germany
Küstenwache is a German television series that tells the fictionalized adventures of a unit of Federal Coast Guard officers off the German coast of the Baltic Sea.


Highlander: The Series
1992
country: United States
Duncan MacLeod cannot die -- he is a 400-year-old immortal, who has seen his share of humanity's history. Still, he risks his life in battle against other immortals and tries to save people from harm.


Spider-Man
1994
country: United States
Bitten by a neogenetic spider, Peter Parker develops spider-like superpowers. He uses these to fight crime while trying to balance it with the struggles of his personal life.


Renegade
1992
country: United States
Framed for murder, Detective Reno Raines becomes a fugitive bounty hunter who fights crime while trying to clear his name. His troubles began after he testified about police corruption, leading Lt. Donald Dixon to set him up.


Superman: The Animated Series
1996
country: United States
Superman, an incredibly powerful alien from the planet Krypton, defends Metropolis from supercriminals. Superman hides his identity behind the glasses of Clark Kent; a mild-mannered reporter for the newspaper the Daily Planet. At the Daily Planet Superman works with fellow reporter Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen.


Farscape
1999
country: Australia
A freak accident during an experimental space mission catapults Astronaut John Crichton across a thousand galaxies to an alien battlefield.


KochiKame
1996
country: Japan
Ryotsu Kankichi, or Ryo-san for short, is an unconventional cop working at the local police station who loves money. Together with famous celebrities like Nakagawa and Reiko, his strict boss Police Chief Ohara, and other wildly unique characters, he gets everyone caught up in all sorts of hijinks!


The Peppercorns
1999
country: Germany
Die Pfefferkörner is a German television series produced by Der Kinderkanal. The peppercorns are five friends from Hamburg: Jana Holstein Coutre, Natasha "Tascha" Jaonzäns, Philip "Fiete" Overbeck, Cem Gülec and Vivien "Vivi" Overbeck, Fiete's eight year old sister. After school, the young detectives meet at a high level of a spice warehouse of the company Overbeck & Associates, which belongs to Fiete and Vivi's parents in the first part, but is later given to Fiete and Vivi to look after. Here, in the historic warehouse district, the five friends have their headquarters. With smarts, combined delivery and support of the Internet, they find their cases here. The detectives convict polluters, animal dealers and drug smugglers. They also help each other with personal problems they encounter. Cem has lost his parents in a car accident and sometimes feels sad and lonely. Jana lives with her divorcee mother, a lawyer who is rarely at home. Natasha comes from Latvia. Her parents initially have very strict rules in terms of her education, that make Natasha unhappy. Fiete has problems showing his feelings and hides them behind grumpiness and hostility towards girls, until he falls in love with Natasha. Vivi is suffering from her role of the youngest member of the group. She believes that she must constantly struggle for recognition.


The Wild Thornberrys
1998
country: United States
Travel the world with the Thornberrys and come face-to-face with blue sheep in Nepal, emus in Australia, marmots in Pakistan, flash floods in Siberia, Egyptian burial chambers, a runaway hot air balloon, a rock slide on the Karakoram Highway and more!


X-Men
1992
country: United States
The X-Men are an elite team of mutants, genetically gifted human beings with superpowers, sworn to fight for mutant rights against hostile Government agencies, whilst at the same time protecting mankind from mutant supremacist Magneto who seeks to destroy the human race in return for the atrocities committed against mutant kind.


Digimon: Digital Monsters
1999
country: Japan
While at summer camp, seven kids come across seven Digivices and are transported to a strange digital world. In this new world they make friends with creatures that call themselves Digimon who were born to defend their world from various evil forces.


Sliders
1995
country: United States
In his basement in San Francisco, boy-genius Quinn Mallory unlocks the doorway to an infinite number of Earths. During a test run, Quinn invites co-worker Wade Welles and his teacher Professor Maximillian Arturo to see his new invention. But an increase in power and an early departure leave all three, plus a washed-up soul singer named Rembrandt "Crying Man" Brown, lost in a parallel world. Now they must "slide" from world to world, not only adapting to their changing surroundings, but also trying to get back to their world. Will they ever make it home?


Hunter x Hunter
1999
country: Japan
Gon Freecss discovers that the father he had always been told was dead was actually alive the whole time. Ging is a famous Hunter: an individual who has proven themself an elite member of humanity. Gon becomes determined to follow in his father's footsteps, pass the rigorous Hunter Examination.


The Lost World
1999
country: Australia
Early 20th-century adventurers find themselves fighting for survival after their hot-air balloon crashes into a remote part of the Amazon, stranding them on a prehistoric plateau.


Earth: Final Conflict
1997
country: Canada
Years ago, the Taelons came to Earth, offering friendship and technology to humanity. But there are those who believe the Taelons have more sinister motives.


Ninku
1995
country: Japan
The story in Ninku is about an odd-looking 12-year-old named Fūsuke (Fūsuke of the wind) who is a powerful warrior from the Ninku school of martial arts, a style that mixes ninjutsu and karate. It is explained that before the present time in the story that those who could use Ninku were targeted by an evil empire and the Ninku corps were formed to combat the menace. The names of the corps were taken from the twelve Chinese zodiac animals (Eto) and each captain of the corps was called the zodiac animal Ninku master (Etonin). When the war was over, the Ninku were defeated and almost all of them were killed since they were useless and were also dangerous for the rulers. At the beginning of the story, three years later, Fūsuke, the young former captain of the 1st Ninku corps and controller of the wind and Hiroyuki, his flatulent penguin, start searching for the other Ninku captains...


Cowboy Bebop
1998
country: Japan
In 2071, roughly fifty years after an accident with a hyperspace gateway made the Earth almost uninhabitable, humanity has colonized most of the rocky planets and moons of the Solar System. Amid a rising crime rate, the Inter Solar System Police (ISSP) set up a legalized contract system, in which registered bounty hunters, also referred to as "Cowboys", chase criminals and bring them in alive in return for a reward.


Gargoyles
1994
country: United States
In Scotland, 994 A.D. Goliath and his clan of gargoyles defend a medieval castle. In present day, David Xanatos buys the castle and moves it to New York City. When the castle is attacked the gargoyles are awakened from a 1000 year curse.
1990s television was the last era of true mass audiences, when a network sitcom or a season finale could be a shared national event.
Action and adventure television has to sustain across seasons what a film delivers in two hours, so the best of it builds serialized stakes around the set pieces. Streaming budgets have narrowed the gap with film considerably.