That ‘90s Show (Netflix Series, 2023)
That ‘90s Show is the logical successor to the perennially popular comedy series That ‘70s Show. But is it as good?
The old show catapulted actors like Mila Kunis, Topher Grace, Laura Prepon and Ashton Kutcher to stardom.
That ‘90s Show might do the same for the new bunch of teen actors who star in it, as long as the ten episodes strike a chord with the Netflix viewers.
For the new show we go back to rural Wisconsin. In 1995 Leia Forman (Callie Haverda) - she is the daughter of Eric (Topher Grace) and Donna (Laura Prepon) - goes to visit her grandparents Kitty (Debra Jo Rupo) and Red Forman (Kurtwood Smith) in Point Place for the summer.
Leia, who is named after the Star Wars princess, strikes up a friendship with a new generation of local kids, including not only her next door neighbor Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide), but also her brother Nate (Maxwell Donovan), his girlfriend Nikki (Sam Morelos) and their friends Jay (Mace Coronel) and Ozzie (Reyn Doi).
Ozzie is basically the new version of Fez, who was played by Wilmer Valderrama in the original series.
But the standout for me is Andrea Anders who plays Sherri aka the whirlwind mother of Gwen and Nate. As Red coolly observes: ‘She’s like a trashy Mary Poppins.’
Soon the basement of the Forman home is filled once again with a bunch of teenagers, who this time around can both be openly stoned and talk more explicitly about sex than in the original show.
Still, there are lots of references to the old show, both thematically and visually, as is it shot using the same kind of camera movements, such as spinning round the characters when they are sitting in a circle.
Also, there are plenty of winks and nods to popular nineties series like Friends, Seinfeld and South Park. (Like current movies Plane and House Party, the nostalgia for anything nineties seems to be a definite part of early 2023 culture).
Anyway, after all this hedging my bets, I think the question on everyone’s minds is: can That ‘90s Show be anywhere near as good as it’s predecessor?
Well, to be fair it is definitely better than That ‘80s Show, which ran for a short period of time in 2002.
And at times, yeah, I really enjoyed it. Some of the scripts are really well written. It’s fun to see both the new and the old actors. Red has mellowed a bit with age, while Kitty shows you can still evolve as a person when you’re over sixty.
Leia and Gwen have great chemistry and there are moments you think the show could have been edgier if their friendship blossomed into something more romantic.
But the main problem is a predictable one: it’s hard to recapture the magic of the original show and there are times when That ‘90s Show is simply trying too hard.
And I don’t know if a three star show like this will get both a faithful audience and a second season.
Oh well… the series may have another purpose. I think both Callie Haverda and Ashley Aufderheide are very talented actresses and I’m pretty sure they both will have a great career ahead of them after starring in That ‘90s Show.