The best Tiffani Thiessen TV shows

You might not recognize her on sight, but chances are good you’re familiar with Tiffani Thiessen.

The 49-year-old star has been around for awhile, but many of her roles — even the starring ones — flew just enough under the radar for Thiessen to persist as that one star you’ve seen everywhere but can’t quite place. With the release of her new, leftover-oriented cookbook, however, people are finally digging deep enough to discover just where they’ve seen the ’90s icon before.

Tiffani Thiessen’s best TV shows

Tiffani Thiessen is easily best known for a television show, so it seems fitting to lean on the small screen as we examine her career. She’s been a staple of our televisions since the late ‘80s, but anyone without a passion for sitcoms may not be overly familiar with Thiessen’s face. You’re not likely to recognize her from any of the minor, straight to video flicks she appeared in through the ’90s and 2000s, but you’ve almost certainly glimpsed her in at least one of these TV gems.

Saved by the Bell

Thiessen’s first-ever claim to fame — post her modeling career, that is — was via Saved by the Bell. The popular sitcom ran between 1989 and 1993, but it was through re-runs that the series found most of its fans. Saved by the Bell episodes — and several straight to TV movies — continued to air for decades following the show’s conclusion, entertaining kids long past its initial run. Thiessen played Kelly Kapowski, one of the show’s main characters, across each of the original show’s four seasons, along with all of the television movies. She even made a return for the revival, making Kelly Kapowski one of the actor’s most prominent roles of all time.

Beverly Hills, 90210

Pretty far removed from the easygoing sitcom stylings of Saved by the Bell, we have Beverly Hills, 90210, which really helps to showcase Thiessen’s range. In Beverly Hills, 90210, Thiessen took on the role of Valerie Malone, an emotionally troubled woman who enters the story in season 5. The struggling, complex character is a far cry from lighthearted Kelly Kapowski, but Thiessen nailed the role well enough to earn her a position among the main cast for several seasons more.

Two Guys and a Girl

Most people associate names like Ryan Reynolds and Nathan Fillion with Two Guys and a Girl, and far too often forget that Thiessen was also once a staple of the series. She entered the story mid-way through its run, using all that former sitcom experience to bring the character of Marti to life. The show’s shift in schedule doomed it too soon, unfortunately, but you can still catch Thiessen in the occasional episode when rare re-runs crop up on the small screen.

Good Morning, Miami

Good Morning, Miami didn’t manage to stay on the air for nearly as long as Saved by the Bell or Beverly Hills, 90210, but it still collected plenty of fans during its run. The 2002 series followed the crew of a poorly-rated morning show, but faced steep competition (and legal disputes) during its run — its hard to beat out Will & Grace — and was canceled mid-way through its second season. Its final episodes never even aired, though they were eventually made available to some U.K. viewers. For the rest of us, the show — and Thiessen’s run as Victoria Hill — ended far too early — and without a satisfying conclusion.

White Collar

Police procedurals never go out of style. White Collar is nestled in among good company like Law & Order and NCIS for fans of the genre, with each of the show’s six seasons receiving praise. Theissen was an essential element behind White Collar‘s success, serving up Elizabeth Burke, the hard working wife of lead FBI Special Agent Peter Burke in her iconic, wholesome style. She remained on the series over its entire run, and — according to interviews in which she called it her “dream job” — she loved every moment of it.

Jake and the Never Land Pirates

Theissen’s first major foray into children’s television came with Jake and the Never Land Pirates‘ 2012 debut. In the sweet animated series — which follows a band of music-loving young pirates, based around Peter Pan — Thiessen plays Misty, a pleasant witch who enjoys frequent run-ins with the pirate band. Her name is somewhat overshadowed by other members of the star-studded cast (like Dee Bradley Baker and David Arquette), but Thiessen’s work shines across each of the show’s four seasons.

Dinner at Tiffani’s

Thiessen’s transition into her new role as both an actor and a cooking gem began, at least on screen, with Dinner at Tiffani’s. Aside for that absolute slam dunk of a title, the show helped establish Thiessen as a permanent fixture in the world of cooking shows. She’d made a few appearances in cooking-themed shows before, but Hell’s Kitchen was just a stepping stone to reach Dinner at Tiffani’s. The show ran for three seasons, between 2015 and 2017, and features Thiessen, alongside a range of celebrity guests, as they enjoy a good cooking session.

Alexa & Katie

Thiessen took a break from her new emphasis on cooking to star in Alexa & Katie, which debuted on Netflix in 2018. In the streamable sitcom, she plays the matriarch of the Mendoza family, Lori. She is a vital presence in the series, serving up a powerful, compassionate role that keeps the family well-grounded. The series ran for three seasons, but unfortunately failed to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saved by the Bell

I know what you’re thinking — didn’t Saved by the Bell crop up at the top of this list? Don’t worry, your memory isn’t betraying you, we’ve just reached the previously mentioned revival of the popular ’90s series. The 2020 Peacock revival follows many of the same characters — played by the same actors — as the original, and Thiessen is among the lineup. She returned to play Kelly Kapowski alongside several of her longtime co-stars, elevated to the First Lady of California and struggling through a whole new set of issues.

Deliciousness

Thiessen’s love for food shows up as a continuous theme across her career, and currently maintains with Deliciousness, an ongoing MTV clip-show that collects food-related content from the web and shares it for its viewers to enjoy. The series launched in 2020 and was renewed for its latest season (the third) in December of 2022.