The 11 Best Daytime Talk Shows Of The ’90s, Ranked (According To IMDb)

The 1990s was a huge decade for daytime talk shows and it introduced the world to some of the biggest hosts in the business. IMDb ranks the best here.

Split image of Oprah and Rosie O'Donnell from their shows.

The '90s was a decade that brought some of the most entertaining daytime talk shows, from the outlandish like The Jerry Springer Show to tabloid talk shows like Geraldo. The shows ran the gamut and included some big names in the business who went on to accomplish tremendous fame beyond the hosting circuit, along with others who wound down their on-screen time once the decade was over.

Like other daytime shows, IMDb ratings are not exactly generous when it comes to daytime talk shows. Nonetheless, there are a few that stand out as being the best of that decade.

11 The Jenny Jones Show (1991 - 2003) – 4.0

Jenny Jones in a red suit standing in front of her audience.

Back in the '90s, the name Jenny Jones was synonymous with the words "daytime talk show." The tabloid talk show was produced by Quincy Jones and aired for an impressive 12 seasons, from 1991 through to 2003.

Over time, the show shifted from a serious talk show to tabloid in nature, focusing on more and more unusual subjects over the years, from misbehaving teenagers being sent to boot camp and people confronting their childhood bullies to makeovers and more. The show was also a launchpad for the careers of many musicians, like Usher, Ludacris, and Nelly.

10 The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1996 - 2002) – 4.0

Rosie O'Donnell talking to the audience on her talk show.

Before she was a co-host of The View and after catching Hollywood's attention through reality competition series Star Search in the '80s, O'Donnell had her own talk show. Airing for six seasons, the show covered a variety of topics, from Broadway and families to charities and more.

Each episode saw O'Donnell interview a different guest and interact with her audience. Each also often included short Broadway performances. The show had popular recurring segments, like Kids Are Punny, where jokes sent in by kids were read aloud.

9 The Montel Williams Show (1991 - 2008) – 4.0

Montel Williams speaking passionately on his talk show.

Airing for an impressive 17 seasons and 4,325 episodes, The Montel Williams Show was very much the same as others during the decade, focusing on tabloid topics. But Williams geared things toward a more inspirational angle rather than the controversial.

Some of the common stories explored included things like reuniting lost loves and family members, mothers who gave up their babies for adoption, women who fought and survived sexual assault, and more. Williams also often discussed multiple sclerosis, a disease he himself has.

8 The Maury Povich Show (1991 - ) – 4.1

Maury Povich holding a piece of paper reading something with a guest sitting across from him on The Maury Povich Show.

Eventually changed to just Maury, the tabloid talk show is one of only a few that is still going strong to this day, having been renewed through the 2021-2022 season. Throughout its 30 seasons to date, the show has invited guests and experts to talk about a wide variety of topics, from teenage pregnancy and paternity to obesity, bullying, phobias, and more. Paternity disputes, in particular, have become a mainstay on the show, with people citing the famous phrase "You are NOT the father," often spoken when Povich opens the envelope revealing DNA results.

While the show has not been without its share of criticism, often for exploiting serious issues for entertainment value, it's precisely the salacious, guilty pleasure nature of the series that fans love so much.

7 The Sally Jessy Raphael Show (1983 - 2002) – 4.4

A close-up of Sally Jessy Raphael on her show.

The tabloid talk show started in the early '80s and ran right through to the early '00s. Eventually changed to just Sally, after the show had acquired recognition and a loyal group of viewers, it was one of the first daytime talk shows to feature a female host and audience participation.

Host Sally Jessy Raphael and her signature oversized glasses discussed a wide range of topics touching on everything from extreme religious beliefs to teen pregnancies, along with lighter topics, like hypnotism and funny gags. While the tabloid talk show genre was fading in popularity by the early 2000s, Sally was one of the most enduring, spanning multiple decades.

6 Today (1952 - ) – 4.4

Three hosts from The Today Show in the '90s talking to one another.

Also known as The Today Show, this is the longest-running of all daytime talk shows and one of the longest-running U.S. series, period. The show combines news reporting with a talk show format and features guests, musical performances, and other fun segments.

Beginning as a two-hour show, Today expanded to four hours over the years, functioning like four shows all in one to both entertain and inform. Through the years, Today has had a myriad of hosts and anchors. In the '90s, this included Katie Couric – who had one of the best cameos in Austin Powers: Goldmember - along with Bryant Gumbel and Deborah Norville.

5 The Queen Latifah Show (1999 - 2001, 2013 - 2015) – 4.8

Queen Latifah sitting across from Will Smith in a scene from The Queen Latifah Show.

Fans of the long-time actor and rapper might forget that in addition to Queen Latifah's best movies and chart-topping music, the versatile talent had her own talk show for a brief period of time in the '90s. Airing for one season from 1999 to 2001 followed by a revamped second season in 2013, the show didn't last as long as others from the decade, but it remains one of the higher-rated.

Counting Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith among its executive producers, Latifah interviewed various guests, including both celebrities and others with human interest stories, and discussed pop culture topics.

4 The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986 - 2011) – 5.1

A close up of Oprah Winfrey with short hair smiling on her talk show in the '90s.

The Oprah Winfrey Show is one of the most influential daytime talk shows of this generation headed by one of the most influential TV personalities. It's also one of the longest-running talk shows of all time. Winfrey became so popular that the show eventually became known simply as Oprah. She discussed a variety of topics in each episode, often welcoming guests to discuss difficult topics in a way that wasn't being approached by other daytime talk shows.

She focused on everything from self-improvement to philanthropy (including, eventually, her own), medical and mental health advice from experts like Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil, whose careers her show helped launch, and more. Ranked by TV Guide as one of the 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, it's no surprise Oprah is a fan favorite daytime talk show.

3 The Ricki Lake Show (1993 - 2004) – 5.4

Ricki Lake addressing viewers in a scene from The Ricki Lake Show.

Anyone who grew up in the '90s will recognize the chant "Rick-i, Rick-I, Rick-i," which fans of the charismatic talk show host repeated every time she came on stage to begin an episode. Like the others, the show featured controversial topics with different guests discussing a specific issue in every episode.

Designed to attract a younger audience versus the older stay-at-home mom-type crowd the other shows targeted, there was audience interaction and reactions to everything from neglectful parents to discrimination and family drama. The Ricki Lake Show returned in 2012 and aired for one more season.

2 Donahue (1967 - 1996) – 6.3

Phil Donahue holding a microphone on his talk show from the '90s.

A staple in the daytime talk show rotation, Phil Donahue led this show for decades before ending it in the late '90s. Another show named among the 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time by TV Guide, Donahue covered more serious topics than others at the time. His first guest, for example, was a famous atheist who discussed her beliefs, or lack thereof.

Interestingly, as the tabloid talk show format began to take over in the '90s, Donahue preferred covering deeper topics instead. Ultimately, the show came to an end after an impressive run, but not before solidifying its spot in pop culture history.

1 Leeza (1993 - 2000) – 6.5

Leeza Gibbons holding a mic and talking on her '90s talk show Leeza.

Fans might be surprised to learn that Leeza, a daytime talk show hosted by John Tesh and Leeza Gibbons (originally called John & Leeza from Hollywood), ranks as the best daytime talk show of the 1990s.

After Tesh left the show in the first season, it was re-titled Leeza and Gibbons continued to host for the rest of its run. Featuring celebrity news and interviews at the start, the show evolved to become more like the other tabloid daytime talk shows. The topics, however, weren't quite as sensational as some of the other daytime shows of the time and instead featured things like celebrity stories, crime, fraud prevention, and more.

NEXT: The Most Popular Daytime Talk Shows Ranked, According To IMDb

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