14 Crazy-Ass ’90s Sitcom Fan Theories That'll Blow Your Mind

You'll never be able to look at these shows the same way.

1. On Full House, Joey was actually the father of Michelle, Stephanie, and D.J.

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

This theory proposes that Danny Tanner wasn’t actually a father of three, but Joey Gladstone was. Genetically speaking, it makes sense that the blue-eyed, blonde-haired gals would belong to the blonde-haired, blue-eyed man, not the brown-haired, brown-eyed one. It's also interesting that Joey has no known blood relation to any of them, yet he’s always around, heavily involved in the raising of the kids. Perhaps Joey hooked up with Danny’s late wife behind his back and the two made a few babies. When you realize that Jesse and Rebecca, two dark-haired, dark-eyed individuals, also had two blonde-haired, blue-eyed twins, you can’t help but wonder if they too were created by Joey. It seems quite possible that Mr. Gladstone and his dominant genetics were sneaking around, making sweet love to the wives of his closest friends like a true scumbag.

2. Carl Winslow killed Steve Urkel on Family Matters.

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution/ 20th Century Fox

Reginald VelJohnson played a cop named Carl Winslow on Family Matters, but he also filled the role of Officer Powell in Die Hard. In one scene, Officer Powell states, “I shot a kid. He was 13 years old. Oh, it was dark, I couldn’t see him. He had a ray gun, looked real enough.”

This theory from Reddit user professorhazard suggests that the kid with the ray gun who got killed was Steve Urkel. Devastated, Carl transferred from the Chicago Police Department to Los Angeles, changed his name to Powell, and began a new life. It’s dark, it’s twisted, and it’s going to make Die Hard a little more interesting the next time around.

3. That ’70s Show is a Happy Days sequel.

Carsey-Werner Productions / CBS Television Distribution

Could it be that a show about the ’50s and made in the ’70s lived on to become a show about the ’70s, made in the ’90s? Aside from the fact that they're separated by 20 years, Reddit user gulsado noticed other similarities, and wondered if Richie from Happy Days could be Red from That ’70s Show. At the end of Happy Days, Richie and Ralph left to train for the Korean War — a war Red often mentions having fought in. On the show, Fonzie stayed behind. Fonzie was the one who always kept Richie calm, but without him around, Richie turned into a less chill person. A less chill person like Red, the sour war veteran who wound up being a father and husband two decades later on That ’70s Show. Also, both shows are set in Wisconsin, so the cheesehead fits.

4. Malcolm from Malcolm in the Middle grew up to be Walter White.

20th Television / AMC

In the past, fans have joked that Breaking Bad is a prequel to Malcolm in the Middle, and Walt changes his name to Hal in witness protection, but this theory suggests something entirely different. Redditor robnjd pointed out that both Walt and Malcolm are stubborn, manipulative, intelligent characters, who have proven to be violent and selfish. So what if Malcolm grew up to be Walter White? This is supported by the fact that during Season 2 of Malcolm in the Middle, we see Malcolm playing with a chemistry set, which is Walt’s area of expertise. Oh, and Hal’s father’s name is Walter, so that could explain where it came from. The creator of this theory went into further detail on a possible explanation for his surname being White. Ultimately, one can assume that Malcolm would grow up to look like his pops, and since there's a resemblance between the two characters (because they're played by the same dude), this theory is further validated!

5. Toy Story is a sequel to Roseanne.

Disney Pixar/ Carsey-Werner Productions

This wild theory concocted by Redditor bloogun says that the end of Roseanne is followed up by the beginning of Toy Story. While Roseanne aired until 1997, it turned out that the last two seasons were made up by Roseanne's character, so her “real” story ended in 1995, aligning the two timelines. It’s revealed that Roseanne’s sister had a child named Andy, which is also the name of the boy in Toy Story, who has an unnamed mother and no father. The biggest supporting fact here is that Laurie Metcalf voiced both Andy's mom and Roseanne's sister, Jackie. If you need a cherry on top of this theory sundae, it's the fact that writer Joss Whedon did work for both Toy Story and Roseanne!

6. Home Improvement takes place in the same universe as Toy Story.

Disney Pixar

This is supported by the fact that there’s a Binford Tools box visible in Toy Story. Also, Tim Allen played both Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear and Home Improvement's Tim Taylor — even stating “I am Buzz Lightyear” during an episode. So one could even argue that the Tim Taylor character moved on from his job as a TV host on Tool Time and went on to voice acting to play the role of Buzz. Either way, Home Improvement was shown to exist in the Toy Story universe, and vice versa.

7. Tim from Home Improvement is Jesus.

Touchstone Television

A Reddit user proposed that Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor is a Christlike figure. Not only is Tim a carpenter, but he learns and teaches meaningful lessons throughout the series. Then there’s Tim’s mysterious neighbor, a gardener whose face you never see, and he always seems to have an endless wealth of knowledge with a perfect moral compass. His flawless anecdotes provide guidance, without telling Tim precisely what to do, making him the godlike figure in this scenario.

8. Zack from Saved by the Bell was actually an unpopular kid who dreamed of being the cool guy.

NBCUniversal Television Distribution

Cracked writer Logan Trent delivered a detailed theory that explains why Zack Morris wasn’t the popular, cool kid we saw on Saved by the Bell. There was a TV series called Good Morning, Miss Bliss that preceded Saved by the Bell and featured Zack, Lisa, Screech, and Mr. Belding. On that show, Zack was a pest whose teacher shut down his shenanigans. He wasn’t smooth with girls, and he got put in his place in front of classmates — nothing like the Zack Morris from Bayside High. Cut to Saved by the Bell, the more successful spinoff, where Zack is suddenly a charming, awesome, well-liked ladies' man who is good at sports. This theory says Saved by the Bell was a giant lie — nothing more than the imagination of a delusional Zack Morris who was trying to escape his real life by living in this dream world.

9. Modern Family is a sequel to Married...With Children.

Sony Pictures Television/ 20th Century Fox Television

The obvious, big connection here is Ed O’Neil, who played both Al Bundy on Married With Children and Jay Pritchett on Modern Family. Reddit user americanpegasus pointed out that the Jay Pritchett character on Modern Family is in his second marriage and he had two kids — a blonde daughter named Kelly and a son named Bud. Theoretically, Modern Family is showing Kelly and Bud presently, in the form of Claire and Mitchell, as fully grown adults. The pictures of both characters reading from literally the exact same newspaper is just a bonus.

10. Kramer from Seinfeld had a wife, but she died.

Sony Pictures Television

On a Tiger Droppings message board, user NawlinsTiger9 proposed that maybe Kramer had a wife, but she died before he met Jerry. It could explain how Kramer had money despite not having a career. This theory also points to Kramer’s behavior, which often fits the bill of a widower. Whether it's being detached from women or depending heavily on Jerry, Kramer behaves like he just might have gone through some kind of tragedy that he never fully recovered from.

11. Everyone on Seinfeld wasn't at Jerry's apartment as often as it seemed.

Sony Pictures Television

Fans of Seinfeld know that it seemed as if Jerry's friends were constantly at his apartment, but this theory says they weren't there as often as it seemed. Redditor hotdoggystyle suggests that because Jerry is a touring comedian, he's constantly on the road performing. So viewers only see the show when Jerry is in town — when his friends are sure to visit and catch up, because that's what people did in the ’90s, before social media and cell phones were such a big thing. This theory is simple but logical, and it offers a possible answer to a question many viewers had about the constant presence of Jerry's friends at his place.

12. Hank Hill wasn't Bobby's real father on King of the Hill.

20th Century Fox Television

On King of the Hill, it’s known that Hank has a narrow urethra and isn’t capable of making a baby, so how did Bobby come to exist? This theory, from Reddit user nonuniqueusername, suggests that Bill is actually Bobby’s father. It makes a lot of sense when you consider that Bobby looks nothing like Hank, and very much like Bill, who openly has a crush on Peggy. Maybe that attraction is a result of a past sexual encounter the two shared, which led to the creation of Bobby.

13. Boy Meets World was shown through Cory's eyes.

Michael Jacobs Productions

Did you ever wonder why Eric was so cool on the early seasons of Boy Meets World, yet so dumb in the later parts of the show? Reddit user KingNick suggests that it’s because we were seeing things from Cory’s perspective. As a kid, Cory looked up to Eric, which made him seem cooler, but as Cory matured, he realized his older brother was kind of an unintelligent goober. This would also explain why his little sister disappeared for multiple seasons, because he was a teen who didn’t really have time for or interest in his younger sibling. Given that the show’s title suggests it’s about a boy meeting the world, it's not too far-fetched to think that we may have watched life play out specifically through his eyes.

14. Will Smith was being taken to heaven during the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air intro.

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Simply put by Reddit user Mattyx6427, Will was killed during the “one little fight” he got into on the basketball court. The taxi driver in the cab that was “rare” was God driving Will to heaven, where he lived in a mansion with his rich aunt and uncle, working out his personal issues. This theory is almost as sad as the "How come he don't want me?" episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where Will's dad bails on him.