10 Great '90s Sitcom Valentine's Day Episodes | ScreenRant
Unlike Thanksgiving and Christmas, Valentine's Day falls more in line with lighter, more obviously "pop" and commercial in concept, holidays like St. Patrick's Day and Halloween. Even so, the romantic themed holiday is both universally appreciated and loathed by many.
Problematic for some as it may be, the sugary core of the day pairs well with the intended fluff and distractions that come with a 30-minute sitcom episode. The 1990s were a noted highlight decade in the history of the American sitcom, and doing a great spin on the Valentine's Day episode led to some shows producing some of their finest work.
10 Family Matters - "My Broken-Hearted Valentine" (1992)
Before the show completely took a turn for the ridiculous by including clones and antics that are beyond cartoonish, Family Matters was a sweet and goofy little lovable way to pass the time. The ABC-produced sitcom is most often associated with Steve Urkel, the obnoxious helium-voiced neighbor, who became the show's breakout star in Season 3, which features this episode.
Unusual for the series, this installment deals with dark and real issues like sexual harassment and ignoring advice from friends. Poignant and well-balanced, this was an excellent early-run episode.
9 Boy Meets World - "First Girlfriends' Club" (1998)
Boy Meets World took viewers from middle school all the way to college as it chronicled the charming and "normal" everyday antics of Ben Savage's Cory Matthews, his family and friends as they all try to navigate their interpersonal problems and comedic situations. "First Girlfriends' Club" aired as part of the show's fifth season as a Valentine's Day special.
The episode centers around Corey trying to get out of hot water with on-off girlfriend Topanga after she finds potentially incriminating evidence of cheating. That plot paired with a B-plot that involves a comedic abduction make it one of the show's best blends of comedy and teen drama.
8 The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air - "Stop Will! In The Name Of Love" (1994)
One of the few episodes when Will becomes downright obnoxious, this season four episode of the beloved show focused on a series of really bad dates. The first date is a double date between Will and his lady friend alongside Ashley and her prospective beau, which soon dissolves into a frustrating example of Will overcompensating in his role as chaperone, leading the date to end prematurely.
This disaster coincides with a Valentine's dinner between Phil and Vivian. The real jewel of the episode is the climax where Ashley belts out "R.E.S.P.E.C.T." to everyone's amazement. Almost matches that still-killer theme song.
7 Mad About You - "Love Among The Tiles" (1993)
During the '90s, Mad About You had its own corner of acclaim and ratings success. However, the series has not remained in the cultural mindscape like contemporary hits Seinfeld, Friends, or Frasier. Still, the show sired some truly funny and well-written sitcom episodes, perhaps most notably the season one episode "Love Among the Tiles".
The fan-favorite installment is a bottle episode that features the two leads, played by Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser, as they try to get out of a locked bathroom on Valentine's Day. Funny, witty, and resistant to age, this is the perfect episode for series newcomers.
6 Friends - "The One With The Candy Hearts" (1995)
No list about '90s sitcoms would complete without an entry from Friends, for better or worse. A cultural landmark the likes of which are rarely seen, the show continues to generate massive interest through streaming. Though the show began to indulge in melodrama in later seasons, the early run is full of silly and endearing moments.
For example, "The One With the Candy Hearts" was the show's first of several Valentine's Day episodes, though it is the strongest and funniest. While Rachel, Phoebe and Monica spend the holiday burning artifacts from old boyfriends, Ross re-enters the dating pool to awkward effect. One of the best episodes from the inaugural season.
5 South Park - "Tom's Rhinoplasty" (1998)
One of the first season's most ridiculous entries, "Tom's Rhinoplasty" is a whirlwind of nonsense from Trey Parker and Matt Stones' animated sitcom. The title derives from the absurd plot of Mr. Garrison's nose job, which results in him resembling Baywatch-star David Hasselhoff.
While he is under the knife and recovering, the kids in Mr. Garrison's class all become infatuated with the substitute teacher taking his place. Very very stupid in the best ways that only South Park can pull off, or would even attempt to in some cases, this is a brilliant early showing for the now long-running show.
4 That 70s Show - "First Date" (1999)
A landmark episode of the popular sitcom, which continues to enjoy large amounts of success and cultural awareness, "First Date" explores the romantic evening of the title as enjoyed by Donna and Eric.
The episode, which actually did air on Valentine's Day, gave viewers the first real insight into how the series' core romantic relationship would function throughout the show's overall run. Additionally, Jackie and Kelso have a fun subplot that ends in a comedically steamy way. The show's ability to balance some genuinely sweet moments with laugh-out-loud antics is on full display in this one.
3 Cheers - "Sam Time Next Year" (1991)
Though Cheers hit the peak of its quality and popularity in the '80s, the early part of the '90s still gave the world some good installments of the legendary series.
While Sam's storyline, which follows his slapstick attempts to hide a back injury before his annual Valentine's Day date, is funny and has its moments, it is the storyline featuring Dr. Frasier Crane and his wife Lilith as they bring their two separate socially-awkward therapy groups to Cheers in an attempt to relieve them of their social fears.
2 The Simpsons - "I Love Lisa" (1993)
Brilliant, heartbreaking, and a comedic knockout. The Simpsons has produced quite a few Valentine's Day centered episodes throughout their mammoth run. Although it is "I Love Lisa" that remains the majority favorite and one the show's most successful blend of melancholy and goofy.
In the episode, Lisa takes pity on Ralph when he is lonely on Valentine's Day, only for it to result in an unrequited crush, and Ralph's humiliation. The episode deftly explores the nature of romantic rejection and the ability to channel those raw emotions into successful art. It's a genius piece of sitcom television and one of the show's highlights.
1 Frasier - "Three Valentines" (1999)
Sometimes, there is a piece of comedic acting that transcends the screenplay to become a physical feat. Such is the case of David Hyde Pierce's performance in the season six episode of Frasier. The episode's title stems from its structure of splitting the runtime into three separate vignettes.
While Martin and Frasier's thirds both produce the laughs, it is the third centered on Niles that leads the episode to the stratosphere. Featuring no dialogue whatsoever, the five-minute sequence is pitch-perfect and one of the most impressive slices of physical comedy in any sitcom ever.
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