7 TV Shows That Would Make Every Malaysian Nostalgic About The 90s
Before the boom of the ever buzzing Internet, we Malaysians had to settle for our humble local channels and back then, they used to play the most amazing TV shows!
1. Phua Chu Kang Pte. Ltd.
If there was one thing we Malaysians liked about Singapore in the midst of our love- hate relationship, it had to be Phua Chu Kang.
Despite the fact that PCK only premiered in the late '90s, 1997 to be exact, Phua Chu Kang’s ‘Ah Beng’ fashion sense that included his yellow boots and disturbingly large facial mole teamed with his Singlish accent took over the sitcom scene in Malaysia.
His equally quirky family was an excellent addition to the sitcom. Kang Kang’s popular catchphrase, “Don’t play play” (pronounced by him as pray pray) is still a favourite insertion in most conversations we have.
2. Friends
This was the show everybody you knew watched and liked.
Friends relied heavily on the personalities of the characters bouncing off one another with airheaded Joey, self-absorbed Rachel, emotionally stunted Ross, bossy Monica, overtly sensitive Chandler and dreamy Phoebe going about their daily lives; and the combination was hilarious.
Its simple, laid back storyline was relatable to the masses turning it into a pop culture phenomenon. Remember the days of the Rachel hairstyle?
3. The Nanny
Admit it, her iconic nasal voice was music to most of our ears back in the '90s.
Hitting the television industry with a whiff of witty remarks and dry English humour, The Nanny was a breath of fresh air compared to all the somewhat similar themed TV shows.
The show entails the hilarious 'misadventures' of Fran Fine, or better known as Ms. Fine, a cosmetics girl from Queens ending up as a nanny to the sophisticated, Broadway producer, Mr. Maxwell Sheffield's boisterous brood; Maggie, Brighton and Grace.
Many of us would remember Niles the butler's British humour and the hoity-toity, attention-seeking C.C Babcock, Maxwell's business partner.
The Nanny ran for a total of six, amazing seasons, earning the prestigious Rose d'Or and Emmy Award.
4. The X-Files
Our otherwise, boring school nights, were thrilling thanks to this TV show. Remember this 'alien' theme song?
The 90s was the decade that enlightened the Malaysian masses on the possibility of extra-terrestrial life. Thanks to the American entertainment industry's obsession with life beyond earth, we were introduced to everything 'alien' through The X-Files.
The show features two FBI agents, Mulder and Scully dealing with dark, unsolved, seemingly supernatural cases, as their beliefs collide over it.
For most Malaysians, The X- Files was our weekly horror fix that kept us on the edge of our couches with its nail- biting mysterious storyline.
5. Kopitiam
Two things would pop into our minds when we hear the word Kopitiam; the first would definitely be our old kedai kopis, and the next would be this amazing local sitcom.
The show was set in a kopitiam owned by Marie with an assortment of comical characters dropping by; including the uptight Singaporean lawyer Susan, hairstylist Steven, aspiring actor Joe and of course, the retirees Uncle Kong and Uncle Chan.
One of the most well remembered Malaysian sitcoms; Kopitiam was an excellent rendition of the Malaysian culture. Think: people from all walks of life, meeting in a kopitiam on a regular basis, talking about politics (more like chiding the idiocy of local politicians) and daily happenings with a good old cup of coffee and roti bakar (toast). How more Malaysian can it get lah?
6. ER
This was the mother of all medical dramas.
Before the boom of current, shiny picture perfect medical dramas, there was ER, with doctors that actually looked like doctors and had the life of ordinary medical staff.
Running for a total of 15 seasons, the show’s most prominent time was in the 90s with Dr. Mark Green, head nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies before her shot to stardom in The Good Wife) and of course, the original “McDreamy”, Dr.Doug Ross played by George Clooney.
ER has won a total of 23 Emmy Awards, received 124 Emmy nominations (the most nominated television drama to date) and we’re sure it got most of us wishing we could be doctors.
7. Mr. Bean
Never have an odd man with zero social skills made anyone laugh as much as Mr Bean did.
He hardly says anything throughout the show, gets into trouble most of the time and ends up finding what some might say are creative solutions to his daily problems; exploding a dynamite stick for an instant paint job.
Local channels have the habit of repeating the show every other year and surprisingly, most of us still enjoy watching it.
