That '90s Show
That '90s Show is an American teen sitcom that serves as the successor/sequel to That '70s Show. Set during the summer of 1995, featuring characters and locales that debuted in its predecessor, it debuted on Netflix on January 19, 2023. In February 2023, the series was renewed for a second season.
| That '90s Show | |
|---|---|
 Season 1 promotional poster | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | That '70s Show by Bonnie Turner & Terry Turner & Mark Brazill |
| Developed by | Bonnie Turner & Terry Turner & Lindsey Turner & Gregg Mettler |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | James Iha |
| Opening theme | "In the Street" by Brett Anderson |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Steve Sandoval |
| Cinematography | Gary Baum |
| Editors |
|
| Running time | 21–30 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Release | |
| Original network | Netflix |
| Original release | January 19, 2023 – present |
| Related | |
Premise
The show centers on Leia Forman, the teenage daughter of Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti, forming bonds with other teenagers as she spends the summer of 1995 with her grandparents Red and Kitty in Point Place, Wisconsin, 15 years after the events of That '70s Show.[1][2]
Cast
Main
- Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman, Leia's paternal grandmother and Eric's mother
- Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman, Leia's paternal grandfather and Eric's father
- Callie Haverda as Leia Forman, a smart, snarky teenager who craves adventure, and is the daughter of Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti from the original series
- Ashley Aufderheide as Gwen Runck, Nate's rebellious Riot grrrl half-sister with a loyal heart
- Mace Coronel as Jay Kelso, a charming, flirty young videographing son of Michael Kelso and Jackie Burkhart, and Leia's love interest
- Reyn Doi as Ozzie, an insightful and perceptive teen who is openly gay
- Sam Morelos as Nikki, Nate's ambitious and intelligent girlfriend
- Maxwell Acee Donovan as Nate Runck, Gwen's easygoing and fun-loving older half-brother, and Nikki's boyfriend
Recurring
- Andrea Anders as Sherri Runck, the Formans' new neighbor and Gwen and Nate's mother who is in a relationship with Fez
- Laura Prepon as Donna Forman, Leia's mother, Eric's wife, and an author
- Wilmer Valderrama as Fez, a popular hair stylist
Guest stars
- Topher Grace as Eric Forman, Leia's father, and an adjunct religion professor
- Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart, Jay's mother and Kelso's wife
- Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso, Jay's father, and Jackie's husband
- Tommy Chong as Leo Chingkwake, Point Place's local hippie who was friends with the original cast[3]
- Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti,[4] Leia's maternal grandfather
- Brian Austin Green as Brian Austin Green, a fictionalized version of himself who reprised his Beverly Hills, 90210 role as David Silver in the Point Place, 53140 dream sequences that spoofed the series
- Jim Rash as Fenton, Fez's former landlord in the original series, now Sherri's landlord
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | January 19, 2023 | ||
Season 1 (2023)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "That '90s Pilot" | Gail Mancuso | Teleplay by : Gregg Mettler Story by : Bonnie Turner & Terry Turner & Lindsey Turner & Gregg Mettler | January 19, 2023 | |
| Now as a married couple, Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti visit Eric's parents for the Fourth of July weekend. Eric and Donna's daughter, Leia, meets Gwen, her next door neighbor who introduces her to her group of friends. After helping them get a tap to open a keg that Nate, Jay and Nikki got for free, she decides she wants to stay at Point Place for the summer. Eric initially refuses, but then he's convinced by Donna and allows her to stay. Kitty for one, is really excited to have a house full of kids again, while Red doesn't feel the same. Later, Michael Kelso and Jackie Burkhart pay Red and Kitty a visit, announcing they're remarrying for the second time and it's also revealed that Jay is their son, much to Red's displeasure. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Free Leia" | Gail Mancuso | Chrissy Pietrosh & Jessica Goldstein | January 19, 2023 | |
| The kids find Eric's very old “Candyland Stash” of marijuana in a box of his stuff that Kitty gives them. They all get high and get the munchies and want Raisin Bran. Kitty suggests a movie night and takes Leia to Video Haven where Jay works. She sees that someone is renting a copy of Clerks and gets the renter’s address while Jay isn't looking. Kitty takes her there and it turns out to be Leo's house. Red and Kitty meet Sherri, the mother of two of the kids that Leia is hanging out with, Gwen and Nate. Sherri is single and Kitty tries to get her to dump her boyfriend who turns out to be Fez. She overhears them having sex while she is using their bathroom because her shower head is broken. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Lip Smackers" | Gail Mancuso | Andrew Ti | January 19, 2023 | |
| Kitty and Red find out that Sherri is dating Fez. Leia wants to get her first kiss, so Gwen takes her to the mall. Nikki and Nate have to go to the urgent care because his lips had a reaction to her "Lip Smackers." Red buys a massage chair and gets so relaxed by it that he is actually in a good mood. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Rave" | Gail Mancuso | Jake Lasker | January 19, 2023 | |
| Leia is somewhat obsessed with Jay because he didn't kiss her the other night. Jay gets convinced by Nikki and Nate that he didn't kiss her because he really does like her. Gwen and Ozzie make sure that Leia knows that Jay is a player. Leia and Jay decide that they are going to let the other make the first move so that the non first mover has the control in the relationship. The kids all go to a rave and forget to bring Ozzie. Jay tricks Leia into saying that she likes him first and they get mad at each other and dare each other to see who will be successful in picking someone up at the rave. Red tries to force Ozzie to talk but Kitty gets Ozzie to tell them the kids are at the rave by being nice to him. Red busts all the kids at the rave and brings them back to Point Place. Kitty grounds Leia for a week. Leia tricks Jay into saying that he likes her and she says that she just wants to be friends trying to get the control in the relationship. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Step by Step" | Gail Mancuso | Erin Foley | January 19, 2023 | |
| Red and Kitty get their first computer and Ozzie helps them set it up. Jay's brain is getting short-circuited by his confusion over Leia. Ozzie tells Leia that he wants to come out to Kitty as part of a step-by-step plan to eventually come out to his parents and gets Leia to test the waters for him. Kitty thinks that Leia is contemplating sex and Donna rushes over with all kinds of contraceptives. Jay and Nate get tricked by an older woman into trying out her "free" hot tub and almost end up in her "free" king size bed. Ozzie tries to send Kitty an email about his coming out but she messes it up by her lack of computer knowledge so he finally just tells her straight out. Kitty is fine with him being gay, but feels conflicted about him having a Canadian boyfriend. Meanwhile, Gwen and Nikki, left alone, realize they never hang out alone together and wonder what they have in common. After using some of the stash together, they get glamour shots. After their high wears off, they agree to never talk about it again. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "The Birthday Girl" | Gail Mancuso | Lindsey Turner | January 19, 2023 | |
| It's Leia's 15th birthday, and she can't get over Jay, who now has a new girlfriend. Kitty prepares for the birthday party, and Bob arrives from Florida. Bob gets Leia an expensive karaoke machine for her birthday, so Red and Kitty try to one-up him. Leia invites Jay and his girlfriend to the party, but they don't show up. Red gives Leia the Vista Cruiser for her birthday present. That night, Jay shows up at Leia's bedroom, and Leia kisses him. He kisses her back and says, "Serena who?". The two take a ride in the Vista Cruiser but get pulled over by the police. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Boyfriend Day One" | Gail Mancuso | Clarissa Carson | January 19, 2023 | |
| Leia and Jay get pulled over because the Vista Cruiser still had license plates from 1980. Red bans Jay from the Forman house. Gwen asks Sherri if she can get a tattoo and she says no. Leia and Jay go to pick up Kitty at the dentist to show Red that Jay is responsible. Gwen gets them to stop at a tattoo parlor so that Kitty can sign off on an underage tattoo in her post dentist drugged up state. Ozzie and Nate go to check up on Nikkis SAT tutor and find out that he is a football star and a congressmans son. Kitty ends up getting a tattoo. Red gets mad at Leia and Jay and Sherri because they screwed up picking up Kitty. Nate tells Nikki that he is afraid that she is going to leave him behind but she reassures him. Red teaches Sherri how to ride a bike, sort of. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Summer Storm" | Gail Mancuso | Tommy Johnagin | January 19, 2023 | |
| In this episode, Red uses a cane after Sherri hit him with a bike, and does chores around the house to not feel useless. Kitty takes the opportunity to donate old things he doesn't want to give away, and while moving clutter, she takes the kids' stash. Jay and Ozzie find the stash in the garage, and hide it in a jacket when Red catches them. Leia shares her concerns about her relationship with Nikki, who gives her tips. Gwen and Nate get into an argument over Nate's father. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Dirty Double Booker" | Laura Prepon | Chrissy Pietrosh & Jessica Goldstein | January 19, 2023 | |
| Leia worries about whether to spend her last Saturday in Point Place going on a picnic with Jay or sneaking into a country club with Gwen and Ozzie. Nate worries about not having worked out for the football team all summer, which leaves him sore for the rest of the day. Kitty attempts to apply for a job as school nurse, with Nikki's help, despite Red's disapproval. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Kids in America" | Laura Prepon | Gregg Mettler | January 19, 2023 | |
| Leia yells at Jay after hearing he is going to break up with her. When she yells at him, the others agree with Jay seeing as she will most likely not return until next summer. The next day, Kitty tries to persuade Leia to make up with Jay, as she enjoyed the house being full again which may not continue with Leia gone. Fenton attempts to punish Sherri when he sees she is dating Fez, and after hallucinating a past circle with Eric, Jackie and Kelso, Fez decides to save his relationship with Sherri. Back at the Forman residence, as Leia and Donna prepare to leave, Nate tries to talk to her about their moment. | ||||||
Production
That '70s Show aired on Fox from 1998 to 2006, centering around the lives of teenagers from 1976 to 1979.[5] The show garnered additional popularity after its conclusion due to its availability on Netflix, before leaving the platform in September 2020.[5]
In October 2021, Netflix announced a spin-off of the series, titled That '90s Show, with Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp reprising their roles as Red and Kitty Forman, respectively.[6] The show is produced by The Carsey-Werner Company, with Gregg Mettler serving as showrunner and Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, their daughter Lindsay Turner, Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, Smith and Rupp as executive producers.[1]
Ten episodes were ordered, with the series taking on a multi-cam format like the original.[7] The show was filmed in front of a live studio audience at Sunset Bronson Studios in Los Angeles from February 7 to July 21, 2022.[8]
In February 2022, Callie Haverda, Ashley Aufderheide, Mace Coronel, Maxwell Acee Donovan, Reyn Doi and Sam Morelos joined the cast as series regulars.[9] It was also reported that Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher and Wilmer Valderrama would appear in recurring roles.[9] Danny Masterson, who had a pending criminal trial at that time, did not appear as his character of Steven Hyde, who was simply not mentioned in the series.[10] Production commenced February 6.[11] On April 30, 2022, it was announced that Grace, Prepon, Kunis, Kutcher and Valderrama would all return for guest appearances.[12] On February 3, 2023, Netflix renewed the series for a 16-episode second season.[13]
Filming on the second season was due to take place between May and September 2023, but it was delayed due to the ongoing 2023 WGA strike and 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[14]
Release
The first season of That '90s Show released onto Netflix on January 19, 2023.[15]
Reception
Audience viewership
During its debut week, That '90s Show ranked at number five on Netflix's Top 10 TV English titles just three days after its release with 41.08 million hours viewed.[16][17] The following week, the series reached number four and garnered 26.25 million viewing hours.[18][19]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 75% based on 51 critic reviews. The website's critical consensus reads "A solidly serviceable sequel series, That '90s Show may take a little time to find its rhythm, but still delivers a respectable number of warmly nostalgic laughs."[20] Metacritic assigned a score of 58 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[21]
The Hollywood Reporter's Angie Han wrote: "[That '90s Show] aims for nothing much more ambitious than re-creating the low-key charm of its predecessor. But it hits that target with enough confidence and consistency to become a treat in its own right."[22] Steve Greene, writing for IndieWire, viewed it "better than it [had] any right to be," praising the new cast's "easy" chemistry and the performances of Smith and Rupp.[23] Brian Lowry of CNN dubbed it "high in nostalgia but only half-baked,"[24] while Lucy Mangan at The Guardian found it likable enough and nostalgic.[25]
Manuel Betancourt of The A.V. Club gave the series a B and wrote "If you grew up watching That '70s Show, you'll likely have no way of assessing whether That '90s Show works on its own. Maybe it can't. And maybe it doesn't even want to."[26] Alan Sepinwall, in a column for Rolling Stone, expressed doubt that the multi-cam approach could find an audience in the streaming era;[27] Richard Roeper gave a rating of two out of four stars and described it as "a little edgy and occasionally chuckle-inducing and mostly sweet-natured, and it's just OK and quickly forgettable."[28]
References
- Andreeva, Nellie (October 8, 2021). "'That '70s Show' Spinoff 'That '90s Show' With Kurtwood Smith & Debra Jo Rupp Ordered By Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- Hibbert, James (October 8, 2021). "Netflix Orders 'That '70s Show' Spin-Off 'That '90s Show'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- Archer, Greg (January 18, 2023), "Exclusive: Tommy Chong Says He Loves the Mindset of His Character in That '90s Show", MovieWeb, archived from the original on January 19, 2023, retrieved January 19, 2023
- Bucksbaum, Sydney (December 15, 2022). "Bob Pinciotti is back! Here's a first look at Don Stark's return on 'That '90s Show'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- Irvin, Jack (October 13, 2021). "Everything To Know About Netflix's That '70s Show Spinoff, That '90s Show". Bustle. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- Romano, Nick. "That '70s Show spin-off set in the '90s coming to Netflix with some returning stars". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- Otterson, Joe (October 8, 2021). "'That '70s Show' Spinoff 'That '90s Show' Ordered at Netflix, Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp to Return". Variety. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- "'That '90s Show' Netflix Series: Everything We Know So Far". What's on Netflix. May 26, 2022. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- Andreeva, Nellie (February 3, 2022). "'That '90s Show' Sets Young Cast Led By Callie Haverda As Leia Forman In Netflix's 'That '70s Show' Spinoff". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- Trainor, Daniel (January 21, 2023). "The Unexpected Way That '90s Show Handled Danny Masterson's Absence". E-online. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- Schwartz, Ryab (February 6, 2022). "That '70s Show Stars Tease Start of '90s Show Production: 'Red and Kitty, Teenagers, Grunge Rock... Let's Go!'". TVLine. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- Aquilina, Tyler (April 30, 2022). "That '70s Show stars to return for Netflix spin-off That '90s Show". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- Schwartz, Ryan (February 3, 2023). "That '90s Show Renewed for Supersized Season 2 at Netflix". TVLine. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- Robinson, Jacob (April 14, 2023). "'That 90s Show' Season 2: Netflix Release Date Estimate & What We Know So Far". What's on Netflix. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- Schneider, Michael (November 29, 2022). "'That '90s Show' Sets Netflix Premiere Date, Producers Break Down the Creation of 'That '70s Show' Sequel (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- "Global Top 10: January 16 − January 22, 2023". Netflix. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- Bell, BreAnna (January 24, 2023). "Netflix Top 10: 'That '90s Show' Lands at No. 5 With 41 Million Hours Viewed in Opening Weekend". Variety. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- "Global Top 10: January 23 − January 29, 2023". Netflix. January 29, 2023. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- Campione, Katie (January 31, 2023). "'You People' Debuts At No. 1 On Netflix Top 10 Film List; 'Ginny & Georgia' Still Reigns Supreme For TV". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- "That '90s Show: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- "That '90s Show: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
- Han, Angie (January 19, 2023). "'That '90s Show' Review: Netflix's Sweet 'That '70s Show' Spinoff". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- Greene, Steve (January 19, 2023). "'That '90s Show' Is Way Better Than It Has Any Right to Be". IndieWire. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- Lowry, Brian (January 19, 2023). "'That '90s Show' is high in nostalgia but only half-baked". CNN. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- Mangan, Lucy (January 19, 2023). "That '90s Show review – this spin-off comedy is like revisiting a childhood classic". the Guardian. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- Betancourt, Manuel (January 19, 2023). "That '90s Show review: The kids are still alright in Netflix's reboot". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- Sepinwall, Alan (January 20, 2023). "'That '90s Show' and 'Night Court' Try to Breathe Life Into a Dying Form". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- Roeper, Richard (January 19, 2023). "'That '90s Show' a hackneyed update of a hackneyed sitcom". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
