Saturday night is one of the biggest nights for TV, with every generation of the household free to watch together, without worrying about getting ready for the next day.
As such, broadcasters have taken advantage of this, giving families the option to watch light entertainment or talent shows which appeal to the whole family.
Current examples of this phenomenon include Strictly Come Dancing, I'm a Celebrity, The Masked Singer and Michael McIntyre's The Wheel.
Sadly, over the years, several shows which once dominated this timeslot have ended. So relive the shows from the 90s that used to get everyone gathering around the sofa…
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© AlamyGladiators was one of the decade's breakout shows
Gladiators
One of the biggest shows during the 90s was ITV's Gladiators, which saw contestants attempt a series of physically demanding challenges, all while the titular Gladiators would attempt to hinder them.
The success of the show led to live arena tours and made household names out of some of the cast, who also had signature nicknames, like Wolf, Jet, Lightning and Cobra. Likewise, "Contender, ready! Gladiator, ready!" became part of the national lexicon.
Despite having unrivalled viewing figures during much of its run, the show, which first aired in 1992, started to struggle as the new millennium started to draw closer, and the show's final episode aired on 1 January 2000.
The show was briefly revived by Sky in 2008, but it was cancelled the following year. However, Gladiators has now made a second return, with the show having aired on BBC One since 2024.
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© AlamyNoel's show is fondly remembered as the pinnacle of Saturday night entertainment
Noel's House Party
Once described as "the most important show on the BBC", Noel's House Party was the ultimate light entertainment show, with the series starring Noel Edmonds and being set in the fictional village of Crinkley Bottom.
Regular features included 'Grab a Grand', which challenged guests to win the most amount of money using different currencies, 'Gotcha', a hidden camera prank that would be played on celebrity guests and 'The Gunge Tank', which led to a celebrity or member of the public getting gunged.
The show also introduced viewers to Mr. Blobby, an amorphous blob that caused chaos with the celebrities that he encountered. The character has also appeared in many shows since Noel's House Party was cancelled.
After nine successful seasons, the show was cancelled in 1999 owing to declining viewing figures.
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© AlamyThe show was exported around the world
Stars in Their Eyes
Before the likes of The X Factor, the most popular singing show on our TV screens was Stars in Their Eyes, in which members of the public would enter before transforming into a celebrity singer.
The show was hosted by a variety of people, including the likes of Leslie Crowther, Matthew Kelly and Cat Deeley, with Matthew being the host most associated with the show. "Tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be…" became one of the biggest catchphrases in TV history.
Stars in Their Eyes was first broadcast in 1990, before it ended in 2006. It was briefly revived in 2015 with Harry Hill as the host, but after failing to recapture the original magic, it was swiftly cancelled.
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© Getty ImagesThe show has been cancelled and revived several times
The Generation Game
The Generation Game was on its third run when it returned to our screens in the 90s. The show managed to originally get Bruce Forsyth back as the host, before Jim Davidson took over, but it still kept the 70s classic's vibe.
The show saw different members of the same family compete to win grand prizes. They had to take part in challenges like reconstructing an item or attempting a performance before attempting to memorise items that passed by on a conveyor belt in order to win them for the final round.
When Jim took over, more comedy elements were introduced, including gunge tanks and cameo appearances from Mr. Blobby. However, in 2002, the show came to an end once again when it failed to beat Pop Idol in the ratings battles.
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© ABC via Getty ImagesThe American shows was also popular with British audiences
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Not every Saturday night TV show was light entertainment or talent shows, with dramas like Sabrina the Teenage Witch also occupying the slot for ITV during the 1990s.
The show followed Sabrina Spellman, played by Melissa Joan Hart, who discovers she has magical powers on her 16th birthday. Although many of her spells create chaos, she is tutored by her aunts, Hilda and Zelda Spellman, played by Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick, respectively. They're also joined by Hilda and Zelda's sarcastic cat, Salem, voiced by Nick Bakay.
The show was cancelled after seven seasons, leaving audiences with a large magic-shaped hole in their TV schedules.
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© Getty ImagesThe show only lasted two seasons
Don't Forget Your Toothbrush
Although it only lasted for two seasons, Channel 4's answer to Saturday night entertainment was Don't Forget Your Toothbrush, which was hosted by Chris Evans. Although it had a tricky journey to getting on-air, once it landed, audiences loved it.
Like other light entertainment shows of the time, guests competed to win prizes. The grandest prize was offered following the 'Light Your Lemon' round, where guests competed to win an exotic holiday, while avoiding a less impressive one. If they answered five questions correctly, then they immediately left for their destination, with the show requiring guests to enter with a passport, packed suitcase and a week off work.
Despite its popularity, the show ended after its second season with Chris heading off to host the Radio 1 Breakfast Show.
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© AlamyJim hosted Big Break
Big Break
The Generation Game wasn't Jim Davidson's only Saturday night show during the 1990s, with the comedian also hosting Big Break, a snooker-themed game show which saw contestants pair up with professional snooker players.
While contestants would be required to answer questions, their sports partners, which included the likes of Stephen Hendry, Willie Thorne, Dennis Taylor and Kelly Fisher, would attempt various snooker-themed challenges.
Although the show came to an end in 2002, back in May, the BBC announced that they were going to revive the show with Stephen Hendry and Paddy McGuinness.
