Review - That '90s Show (2023)

           Hey guys, Chuck here, and I just wrapped up watching the new Netflix sitcom That '90s Show. The series is a sequel series to the television sitcom That '70s Show, which aired on FOX from 1998 to 2006. 

          So, for a quick recap, That '70s Show was set in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, and focused on the many misadventures of Eric Forman and his friends Donna, Kelso, Jackie, Hyde, and Fez. The series also featured Eric's parents Red and Kitty in very prominent roles. As a matter of fact, Red was easily one of the most popular characters on the series, with his way of calling people "dumbass" and threatening to put his foot in someone's ass. Throw in music from the '70s, Star Wars references, and a lot of weed, and you've pretty much got That '70s Show in a nutshell. The show was really popular, especially with teens, and it launched the successful acting careers of Topher Grace, Wilmer Valderrama, Mila Kunis, and Ashton Kutcher. I, unfortunately, didn't watch it when it aired, but I have seen several episodes in syndication, and I loved it. So, needless to say, when it was announced that the producers were working on a sequel series set in the '90s, I was definitely excited for it. So, let's dive in and discuss That '90s Show.

       Okay, so the series opens in July of the year 1995. Red and Kitty are getting ready to have Eric and Donna over, along with their teenage daughter Leia. Unfortunately, Eric is shown to be the dorkiest dad in the world, as he signed himself and Leia up for space camp. Leia, unfortunately, doesn't want to go. It's ultimately when she meets a teen next door named Gwen, and hangs out with Gwen, her brother Nate, his girlfriend Nikki, and their friends Jay and Ozzie that Leia feels like she fits in, and instead decides to spend her summer with Red and Kitty in Point Place. Oh, and by the way, Jay is the son of Jackie and Kelso. So, we have Leia Forman, daughter of Eric and Donna, and Jay Kelso, son of Kelso and Jackie. Nice. 

       Throughout the series, we get to see a lot of the hallmarks that made the original That '70s Show so fun, just set in the '90s. So, if you're a fan of That '70s Show, you already know the jokes and humor to expect. And of course, the references and song choices made are definitely fitting for the decade of the '90s. The fashion is definitely out of the '90s, and the lingo is definitely out of the '90s. I mean, we see the teens renting movies at a video rental store, going to a rave, hanging out at the mall, all manner of stuff teens did in the '90s. I also liked the name drops of such '90s movies as Clerks, Free Willy, and Batman Forever. Also, Brian Austin Green makes a cameo in a nod to his character on Beverly Hills 90210. That's hilarious. 

       Now, admittedly, the show does put a lot of weight on the shoulders of Red and Kitty, and both Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp are a welcome return to Point Place and the Forman house. The two just didn't miss a beat, almost as if not much time has passed since we last saw them together. I also enjoyed the recurring guest spots by Wilmer Valderrama as Fez, who know is a successful hair stylist, and Tommy Chong as Leo, who is just as stoned out of his mind as before. Although, isn't Tommy Chong ALWAYS stoned out of his mind? Other actors from That '70s Show that showed up are Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Don Stark, Ashton Kutcher, and Mila Kunis as Eric, Donna, Bob, Kelso, and Jackie. And, yeah, it was great seeing them again. 

       As for the new kids, they all did really well. I think my favorites were the siblings of Gwen and Nate. Gwen is a Riot grrrl who is Leia's best friend, and Nate is the big airhead doofus, a bit like Kelso in the original series, really. Also a recurring character in the series is Gwen and Nate's mom Sherri, played by Andrea Anders. And the scenes between her, Red, and Kitty are hysterical. Plus, she has an off-and-on relationship with Fez, which is hysterical. I also liked the mismatched relationship between Nate and Nikki, who is also a fun character. However, the two breakouts of the show are definitely Jay and Ozzie.  Jay, who does end up hooking up with Leia in the series, is a really well rounded character and is definitely a favorite for me. Ozzie, however, got a bit annoying with his insightful witticisms, but he's a really neat character. Oh, also, he's gay. Yeah, they don't make a big deal out of it on the show, so I'm not going to in this review. 

        As for Leia herself, she's definitely very much the awkward teen that Eric was in the original series, just a little different. Callie Haverda definitely conveyed the wide-eyed youth very well, and I think that fans of That '70s Show will enjoy Leia as a character. She definitely evolves throughout the season from where she starts to where she ends up at the end. 

        Now, what's most humorous to me is that this is the second instance of Netflix revisiting a sitcom from the '90s and updating it in a new decade. The last time this happened was with Fuller House, the sequel series to Full House. However, I think that That '90s Show has potential to succeed whereas Fuller House was just... there. You see, Fuller House tried to repeat the original Full House formula, just with DJ, Stephanie, and Kimmy front and center, and set it in our modern times, so we have stuff like smartphones and Uber. Plus, Fuller House eventually found itself just falling back on guest spots from original Full House cast members like John Stamos for plot lines. Almost like they were too afraid to branch out away from the original characters and focus on new stories with the new cast members. That '90s Show, on the other hand, can easily work in future seasons as there are so many references to music, movies, and culture in the back half of the '90s that they can easily get to. For instance, we could see the original PlayStation make an appearance. The teens could go to the movies to see something like Independence Day, or The Matrix, or even Spawn. We could see Jay and Nate reading some Spawn comics and renting a VHS of Mallrats. Simply put, there's enough nostalgic references to the '90s that the series creators can draw from that the possibilities are limitless. 

       Ultimately, I enjoyed That '90s Show. There's only ten episodes, and each one is less than half an hour in length, so it shouldn't take extra long to breeze through. If you loved That '70s Show, are nostalgic for the '90s, or both , then definitely give it a watch next time you stop over on Netflix. I'm giving That '90s Show a rating of 4.85/5. 

       Well guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll be back on Sunday with my review of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.