Best New Year’s Eve Episodes From ’90s Sitcoms
We love celebrating the holidays with our favorite sitcom casts. Friends, Seinfeld, Full House, Frasier (and many more) have given us so many incredible Thanksgiving and Christmas episodes, but our favorites might just be the way they ring in the new year. While there are many holiday episodes from your favorite shows to binge over December, we thought we’d make a list to celebrate the end of the decade with the gang at Central Perk or Monk’s Cafe. In case you’re wondering which episode to watch leading up to 2020, and which one you should watch at midnight, here are the best New Year’s Eve episodes from your favorite ’90s sitcoms.
10 Friends: “The One With the Monkey” (Season 1, Episode 10)
Friends is probably the King of all holiday episodes, so expect to see a couple on this list. This one is from the very first season, where the gang makes a pact to not bring any dates to their NYE party. Of course, they all break this pact. Rachel finds Paolo, Monica invites Fun Bobby, and Chandler brings Janice. Phoebe meets the wonderful David, and Joey met a single mother while shopping. Oh yeah, and Ross adopts the Capuchin monkey, Marcel. Happy New Year’s from this chaotic group and their weird dates.
9 Full House: “Happy New Year” (Season 4, Episode 13)
Full House is an iconic sitcom from the ’90s, and we’re sure you’re more than happy to spend the holidays with this gang. In this episode, Joey is upset that he doesn’t have a date for New Year’s. So, he volunteers to babysit the girls. However, Danny and Jesse secretly tape him for a video dating service. This is pretty invasive, but it all works out when Joey meets an amazing girl. The holiday season is definitely better with this cast, and this episode is wholesome and hilarious.
8 Boy Meets World: “Train of Fools” (Season 3, Episode 10)
This youthful comedy is one of our all-time underrated favs, and this New Year’s episode is no different. With no mode of transportation to get to their NYE party, the young group of friends end up spending the holiday evening in an abandoned subway car. Yes, this episode is hilarious, and honestly, tells a pretty heartfelt story about what really matters in life. Plus, it’s quirky, cute, and totally funny.
7 Friends: “The One With All the Resolutions” (Season 5, Episode 11)
In the fifth season, the gang makes New Year’s resolutions. Chandler struggles not to make jokes and be sarcastic, while Rachel tries really hard not to gossip. Monica is busy taking pictures, but the real attention is on Ross and his new leather pants. Nothing better than ringing in the new year with a pair of pants you can’t get out of, right? Obviously, all of them fail pretty miserably at following their resolutions, and it’s hilarious every step of the way. Happy New Year!
6 Mad About You: “New Year’s Eve” (Season 4, Episode 9)
Paul is supposed to film the ball droppers in Times Square at the strike of midnight, and Jamie has plans to attend the Mayor’s ball. Of course, the plans of sitcom characters never go as planned, and this group is no different. All of their evenings end up in chaos, right in the final minutes of the year. This episode is quirky and hilarious, and we’d definitely spend New Year’s Eve with this cast over and over again.
5 Frasier: “RDWRER” (Season 7, Episode 12)
This show is as classic ’90s as they come, and we absolutely love this holiday episode. Frasier tells Roz about his family’s adventure on NYE: a change of plans that led them to Sun Valley, where they join a party by a wine club friend. Of course, Niles boards the wrong Winnebago at a truck stop, and chaos definitely ensues. There’s nothing simple about this gang, but this New Year’s story is certainly hilarious.
4 Absolutely Fabulous: “Happy New Year” (Season 3, Episode 2)
This is probably an underrated ’90s sitcom, but it had a pretty stellar NYE’s episode. Edina finds her evening plans completely ruined when Patsy’s eccentric and crude sister, Jackie, arrives. This show is hilarious and eccentric and is led by some pretty incredible women. Of course, all sitcoms have some pretty dramatic holiday episodes, and this one is definitely no different, so feel free to laugh along to ring in the new year.
3 Seinfeld: “The Millennium” (Season 8, Episode 20)
This episode takes place in 1999, the edge of the Millenium. Of course, Kramer and Newman are planning parties for New Year’s Eve, and they instantly find Jerry in the middle. George is trying to get fired from the Yankees so he can work for the Mets, and Elaine is busy feuding with the owner of a Mayan clothing store. Of course, Jerry also has some dating problems. This is a classic way to ring in the New Year with this cast, and we honestly expected nothing short of chaos. Happy 2000!
2 3rd Rock From the Sun: “Happy New Dick!” (Season 4, Episode 9)
This sitcom also flew under the radar, but we love this unique and wacky show. Tommy organizes a New Year’s Eve party at the bar where Harry works, but Dick is down in the dumps after feeling like he hasn’t accomplished anything over the year. This group is all about changing their lives before the clock strikes 12, and they all do so in a pretty hilarious and cringy matter. This show is a hidden gem, and we’re happy to ring in the new year with this crew.
1 Friends: “The One With the Routine” (Season 6, Episode 10)
We’re not accepting any argument against the fact that this is probably the best NYE episode in sitcom history. That’s right, it’s the one with the routine. This cringy and hilarious episode follows Monica and Ross as they dance “the routine” from their childhood for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Of course, Joey is also involved and is trying to make a move on his new roommate, Janine. Also, Rachel, Phoebe, and Chandler are busy looking for Monica’s Christmas presents. Mainly though, we love this horribly embarrassing sibling duo, and Monica and Ross definitely know how to ring in the New Year.
Happy New Year’s and 2020 from the casts of your favorite ’90s sitcoms.
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