The WORST episodes of Dark Side of the 90's

Every episode of Dark Side of the 90's ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Dark Side of the 90's!

A deep dive into the decade's untold history, revealing secrets, and prespectives.

Last Updated: 10/5/2025Network: VICE TV (US)Status: Continuing

6.60

30 votes

#1 - Black Sitcoms' Last Laugh

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/19/2022

Black comedies explode in the 90s, with sitcoms written and produced by Black creators, featuring Black casts. But no culture is immune to the toxicity of fame and power.

6.78

27 votes

#2 - Morning Show Wars

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/9/2022

Morning TV is the profit center of the news divisions that produce them; "Today" and "Good Morning America" battle for dominance where there's no room for failure.

6.78

27 votes

#3 - The Rise of Rush Limbaugh

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/26/2022

Rush Limbaugh is conservative radio's first megastar, claiming to have "talent on loan from God." He creates a divide in America that we see unfolding today.

6.91

33 votes

#4 - Y2K: Paranoia Will Destroy Ya

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 8/2/2022

At the end of the decade, the fear of an apocalypse looms. Two men become the stars of the real-life action thriller known as the Y2K scare.

6.92

26 votes

#5 - Robert Downey Jr. - The Comeback Kid

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 8/6/2024

Robert Downey Jr. turns his troubled backstory into a superpower. While battling a string of addictions, Downey reinvents himself into one of the most celebrated actors today.

6.94

47 votes

#6 - Grunge and the Seattle Sound

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 8/12/2021

SubPop's classic 90's indie ethos was tested when they chased mainstream money. The story of grunge told through the eyes of the little label that started it all.

Watch Now:Amazon

6.97

58 votes

#7 - TV for Teens

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 7/29/2021

The Fox Network made its mark by grabbing the attention of the nation's youth.

Watch Now:Amazon

6.97

36 votes

#8 - A Tale of Two Cults

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/26/2021

Doomsday cults emerged in the '90s, seizing on Y2K fears. While we watched the tragic Waco massacre on TV, Heaven's Gate leader Marshall Applewhite made his own plan.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.00

22 votes

#9 - Spice Girls

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/27/2024

The Spice Girls are one of the biggest pop acts ever. But behind the glitz and glamour, they battle blackmail, eating disorders, death threats, abusive relationships and addiction.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.00

28 votes

#10 - SNL

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 8/13/2024

For almost 50 years, SNL has launched comedy careers. But if you're lucky enough to get in, you may never get out alive.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.00

29 votes

#11 - NYPD Blue

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 7/30/2024

NYPD Blue forever changes TV with its use of nudity, violence and profanity. Heavy scrutiny from special interest groups will nearly get it cancelled before it ever even airs.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.08

39 votes

#12 - Internet 1.0: Don't Believe the Hype

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 9/16/2021

In the 90’s, the surge of internet-exclusive companies captured the dreams and greed of American investors. In its wake, one beloved mascot was killed — the Pets.com puppet.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.10

20 votes

#13 - Rave Culture: Under the Influence

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 9/24/2024

Rave culture is a euphoric cocktail of electronic dance music, synthetic party drugs and optimism. But where there are drugs there is also exploitation, violence, and moral panic.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.16

38 votes

#14 - Cops: Bad Boys, Bad Boys

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/28/2022

When COPS hits the airwaves, the gritty reality of police work becomes a phenomenon. Despite being the longest-running prime-time live-action series, COPS is mired in controversy.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.16

25 votes

#15 - Agassi & 90's Tennis Prodigies

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 9/3/2024

Enfant terrible Andre Agassi leads a handful of prodigies to shake up the stodgy sport of tennis. Athletes become international celebrities, but their fame comes at a cost.

Watch Now:Amazon

UFC Pt. 2: To Live or Die in the Octagon

7.17

29 votes

#16 - UFC Pt. 2: To Live or Die in the Octagon

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/5/2022

36 states have banned “no holds barred” fighting, and the UFC’s future is grim. Star fighter Ken Shamrock is also in trouble and needs a guardian angel to get him back on his feet.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.17

23 votes

#17 - Scores Strip Club: Girls & Gambinos

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 9/17/2024

Scores becomes a celebrity hangout. But when the club attracts the costly “protection” of the Gambino crime family, getting out of bed with the mob means getting in with the FBI.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.20

82 votes

#18 - Trash TV: Dirty and Deadly Talk

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/15/2021

As 90's Talk TV evolved from the cerebral (Donahue) to the trashy (Jerry Springer), the new format fused combustive relationships, shock and violence to entertain the masses.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.21

29 votes

#19 - Friends: The One About The TV Show

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 7/23/2024

Friends is must-see TV but some of the cast struggle under the weight of sudden and massive fame with painfully public addictions, and at least one near-death experience.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.21

28 votes

#20 - Secrets of the Runway

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 9/9/2021

90's supermodels were part rock stars, part royalty, and all dusted in cocaine. But off the runway, many were abused by men using their power to conceal an ugly secret.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.22

37 votes

#21 - Hip Hop: The East vs West Media War

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 9/2/2021

90's hip hop had an uphill fight for airplay and recognition. When the media finally caught on, they told a story that twisted the narrative with sometimes dangerous consequences.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.26

39 votes

#22 - Baywatch: Sex Sells

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 8/19/2021

The world’s first influencer was a TV show. Baywatch’s Southern California sun, action, and laser focus on beauty made it appeal to more than a billion people worldwide.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.26

27 votes

#23 - Tabloid TV

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/12/2022

With sex, attempted murder and betrayal, nothing personifies the tabloidification of '90s America better than the story of how Amy Fisher shot Mary Jo Buttafuoco in the head.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.30

70 votes

#24 - The Viper Room: Hollywood's Sanctuary

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 7/22/2021

The Viper Room was a refuge for Young Hollywood to hide from the prying eyes of the press, until one fateful night when the death of a rising star instantly made it headline news.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.33

45 votes

#25 - Beanie Babies Go Bust

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 8/5/2021

90's parents and kids bonded over collecting playful plush toys known as Beanie Babies until the toy's creator, Ty Warner, used the internet's power to create a frenzied market.

Watch Now:Amazon