This review was made possible due to an advance copy of That 90’s Show provided by Netflix. That 90’s Show is now streaming on Netflix.
We’re back in Point Place, Wisconsin, but now it’s 1995 and Eric and Donna are all grown up with a daughter, Leia Forman, portrayed by Callie Haverda. That ’90s Show centers around Leia and her new-found friend group as she spends the summer at her grandparent’s house. The spin-off sees the return of several characters from its predecessor That ’70s Show, including Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso, Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart, and Tommy Chong as Leo Chingkwake, as well as several others.
The More Things Change…
A lot has changed when we first meet our That ’90s Show ensemble, since the season finale of That ’70s Show. Eric and Donna live in Chicago, Fez is a popular hairdresser with his own salon, Michael and Jackie are on and off and on…again? As far as the new young cast goes, Leia Forman isn’t the only character whose parents are from That ’70s Show.
In the series, we also meet Michael and Jackie’s son Jay Kelson, played by Mace Coronel. Also joining the cast is Gwen, played by Ashley Aufderheide, Ozzie, played by Reyn Doi, Nikki, played by Sam Morelos, and Nate, played by Maxwell Acee Donovan. The new gang are the outcasts, the unpopular teens in Point Place. Naturally, they’ve found each other. They’ve attempted to somewhat clone the personalities of the original cast which I’m not a huge fan of. Although there are some funny interactions between the teens, they’re mostly awkward.
Although the show is set in the 90’s, it should be a little more socially aware for 2023. One moment in particular was when Leia chased down a boy at the mall in an attempt to force him to kiss her but he runs away. Later, she returns and does force him into kissing her. I would think we’d have stopped writing that sort of thing into television by now. It’s hard to imagine anyone else but the original gang in the basement but it doesn’t feel unnatural for them to be in there. If they can find their footing, there’s potential.
My favorite addition to the cast is Sherri, played by Andrea Anders. She’s a middle-aged kind of white-trash mom to two of Leia’s friends and Kitty and Red’s neighbor. She invites herself into their home, uses their things, but has also befriended Kitty while Red finds her annoying. She’s funny and a good contrast to Kitty’s housewife ways. She has a good heart and wants to work on bettering herself, even if she finds it difficult. I think she’s a great character and I’d love to see more of her.
…The More They Stay The Same
As for now, returning members from the original cast are the standouts in the series. For me, the best parts of the series were anything involving Red and Kitty Forman, played by Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp. They are just like they were in That 70’s Show and as hilarious as ever. Maybe it’s because I’m older now than I was when That 70’s Show was airing but I would have been fine with a show revolving around the couple.
Red does have his moments where he seems to have softened up a little, but not by much. The return of most of the original cast is what really makes the show. Although they are older and have made some changes in their lives, they’re still very much the same characters. I think the show did well with keeping their personalities right while inserting them into more adult scenarios.
Although it was nice to see every character return, my favorite was Tommy Chong’s return as Leo. He had always been one of my favorite characters in That 70’s Show. What made it even better was Kitty’s realization, 20 years later, that Leo was an adult man hanging around her teenage son and his friends. There were also plenty of Easter eggs for any That 70’s Show fans, such as the Candy Land box where Eric would hide his money. I don’t want to give them all away but they are there if you look for them.
‘That ’90s Show’ – Final Thoughts
That ’90s Show leans hard on nostalgia but gives decent screen time to its new cast, even if their chemistry isn’t quite there yet. The storylines could use tightening, but it’s an easy, harmless watch—fun for fans of the original and ’90s kids alike. I wouldn’t be shocked if it gets another season… before Netflix inevitably cancels it.
Check out the trailer for That 90’s Show below:
