Dark Side of the 90's

Arsenio carves out a niche in the white, late-night world by showcasing hip hop artists and emerging talent. Despite his success, Arsenio becomes a casualty in the late-night wars.

MTV’s The Real World is television with something to say--with a soap opera twist. But when MTV gets rich from reality TV, they trade in realness for fart jokes and hot tubs.

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.

Ken Shamrock and the UFC are joined at the knuckle. Dubbed "human cockfighting," the UFC will fight senators and scandals in a battle that almost ends the sport before it begins.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.