PEOPLE in the '90s People

Jerry Springer and Ricki Lake. Sally Jessy, Maury, and a few Steves. The other Mark Wahlberg. There was a lot of talk on daytime TV in the ’90s. And even more gasp-inducing, can't-look-away insanity: “You are the father!” reveals, surprise drop-ins from exes, strippers, club kids, and daughters begging moms to “stop dressing like me!” Then, exactly 25 years ago, came The Rosie O'Donnell Show. Before signing on, the comedian and actress had insisted upon “no trash” and promised to create a safe space for both kids at home after school and celebrities on the talk show circuit promoting movies. The original “Queen of Nice” (Ellen wasn't the first) joins us to talk about her favorite guests on the show, moments she’d do differently today, the day she was handed a check for $25 million, that Oscar night she was mistaken for Kathy Bates, and if she’ll ever bring her show back. (And, obviously, we discuss Tom Cruise and Madonna.) Oh, and remember when Batman’s suit got nipples?

Breathless romance and shocking slaps. Demonic possessions and really big hair. An exhausting use of the word “bitch.” In the ‘90s, soap operas were off-the-chain crazy. And delicious. On the cover of PEOPLE’s February 21st, 1994 issue: the stars of Melrose Place. Lisa Rinna —who starred on both Days of Our Lives and Melrose — takes us back to the golden era of soaps, both daytime and primetime. As only she can, Lisa tells all about the sex (on-screen and off), fights, absurd plotlines, what she learned from Heather Locklear, how she met husband Harry Hamlin in 1992, and how her entire career prepared her for modern-day soap Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Plus: Find out which of our co-hosts is a die-hard soaps superfan and which barely knows Passions. Oh and remember Janeane Garofalo’s baby bangs in Reality Bites?

Seinfeld, Sinbad, Ellen, The Jamie Foxx Show. In the '90s, it felt like every standup comedian had a self-titled sitcom. On the cover of PEOPLE's March 29, 1993 issue: Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold — “The Terrible Two of Comedy.” Comedian, actor and talk show host Sherri Shepherd had a front row seat for the standup-sitcom boom — having appeared on seemingly every sitcom in the '90s, including Friends, Living Single, and Everybody Loves Raymond. Never one to hold back, Sherri talks about the lack of diversity on television (then and now), how she uses a friend to find dates on the apps, and how Jamie Foxx still owes her $50 for a haircut. Oh, and remember Indecent Proposal?

The late '90s were all about teens. As millennials learned to drive, they began shaping pop culture. We even created a magazine for them. On the cover of TEEN PEOPLE's June/July 1999 issue: Julia Stiles, Brandy, and 19 other It Boys and It Girls — all under 21. Julia talks to us about 10 Things I Hate About You, Heath Ledger, and whether or not she dated Joseph Gordon-Levitt in her college years. Then, we test her 90s pop knowledge and find out Julia is more Ani DiFranco than Joey Tribbiani. Oh, and remember The Tom Green Show?

Once upon a time, celebrities dressed themselves. And, sometimes, we made fun of them for it. Actress and comedian Margaret Cho knows a lot about those '90s worst-dressed lists, because Joan Rivers was her mentor. And she was on Fashion Police. And she appeared in PEOPLE's 1995 Best and Worst Dressed Issue. We go back with Margaret as she honors Joan, explains how the culture of roasting evolved, and opens up about how the decade shaped her own body image. We also discuss her groundbreaking sitcom All-American Girl and how she once watched John Travolta eat an entire pie on the set of 1997's Face/Off. Oh, and remember Showgirls?

From Total Recall to Titanic to all those July 4th Will Smith movies, we’re talking 90s summer blockbusters. (The ones without sequels.) Then we talk to Jamie Lee Curtis about her PEOPLE cover story from August 22, 1994. She explains why she'll never write a memoir, but does kindly take us behind the scenes of her own major '90s hit True Lies and explains why she thought she wasn't going to have much of a career past 1995. And as for her iconic strip tease in front of Arnold Schwarzenegger? Choreographed it herself. (Her dress at this year's Golden Globes? She says she paid for it herself.) Oh, and remember the Snapple Lady?