Inside the $75 Billion ’90s Nostalgia Boom Driving HGTV’s New Competition Series ‘Totally ’90s House’

Nineties nostalgia is big business. From TV shows reboots and reunions like Bel-Air and Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair to the “I Love the ‘90s” tour with Vanilla Ice and Color Me Badd, the last pre-millenium decade is definitely having a moment. 

‘Totally ‘90s House’ stars Brian Austin Green, Jodie Sweetin, and other ‘90s icons

Now, HGTV is getting in on the action with Totally ‘90s House. The new six-episode competition series follows “popular nineties television idols with a passion for design and renovation [as they] go step by step back into the iconic decade [and] search for America’s homes frozen in time.” It premieres Wednesday, August 26, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV.

Two teams of ‘90s icons will face off in the show, which is hosted by Jaleel White of Family Matters fame. They’ll scour the country for houses stuck in the 1990s and then pick the perfect throwback in need of a major overhaul. 

One team consists of Brian Austin Green from Beverly Hills, 90210, Beverley Mitchell from 7th Heaven), and Jodie Sweetin from Full House. The go up against Melissa Joan Hart from Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Matthew Lawrence from Boy Meets World, and Keshia Knight Pulliam from The Cosby Show, with help from Matthew’s brother (and Blossom alum) Joey Lawrence. Design experts Carter Oosterhouse and Sabrina Soto serve as mentors as these teams of former teen idols work to modernize dated spaces while preserving their nostalgic charm in hopes of creating the ideal ‘90s-inspired dream home – and win bragging rights and $25,000 for their chosen charity. 

“Everybody loves the ‘90s again,” White said. “The fits are back, the playlists are on repeat, and kids who weren’t even born yet are binge-watching the shows we made famous. But while some things from the ‘90s are timeless … some of y’all never got the memo that the decade ended. We asked America to show us the homes still living in the past, and the response was incredible. Now it’s time for the ultimate throwback transformation. Get ready for the biggest ‘90s house battle ever.” 

Why people are so nostalgic for the 1990s 

HGTV’s decision to capitalize on 1990s nostalgia makes perfect sense. The overall vintage and retro goods market – which includes throwback ‘90s items like Hammer pants and Hypercolor shirts – was worth an estimated $75 billion in 2024. And that number is only expected to grow. Younger, Gen Z consumers want to get a piece of a simpler time, before the internet and smartphones dominated life. Meanwhile, older individuals, including millennials and members of Gen X, want to recapture the magic of their childhood or young adulthood. 

While throwback fashion and pop culture references seem to be everywhere these days, we haven’t even hit peak ‘90s nostalgia, according to Bloomberg. That’s unusual, given that nostalgia tends to run in 20-year cycles, and we’re now nearly 30 years past the decade’s end. 

“The love for the ’90s is still hanging on, partially because the ’90s were the last gasp of an analogue age, before the Internet took hold of every aspect of our lives,” Lauren Bravo, author of What Would the Spice Girls Do?, told the publication. 

Totally ‘90s House arrives as streamers and networks continue to look to the past for inspiration. A reboot of Baywatch will debut on Fox in early 2027, and a new version of Highlander is coming to theaters soon. (While the original Highlander movie premiered in 1986, several sequels and the TV series are fully products on the ‘90s.) Earlier this year, Toy Story 5 was a box office hit, thanks in part to millennial nostalgia for the original 1995 film. And a sequel to A Different World, which aired from 1987 to 1993, is coming to Netflix in September. 

HGTV’s undoubtedly hopes that its play at ‘90s nostalgia will be a hit with viewers eager to revisit the decade. The network is even producing a six-episode YouTube companion series, HGTV’s House Call: ‘90s Edition (WT), that will take viewers inside the homes of some of their favorite celebrities from the decade, revealing their design style, personal stories, and everyday spaces. In each of the six episodes, which premiere in late August, a do-it-yourself expert will help the celebs tackle a home project on their wish list.  

For more​​ news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram.