That ’90s Show is the spin-off continuation of the period teen sitcom That ’70s Show created by Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, Gregg Mettler, and Lindsay Turner. The show takes a generational leap of twenty years and finds the teenage daughter of Eric and Donna, as the central element of adolescent chaos. The first season is divided into 10 episodes with an average runtime of 25-30 minutes each.
The cast of the show includes Callie Haverda as Leia Forman, Ashley Aufderheide, Mace Coronel, Maxwell Acee Donovan, Reyn Doi, Sam Morelos, Debra Jo Rupp, and Kurtwood Smith. Moreover, the original cast of That ’70s Show that makes their guest appearance in the series are Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon and Wilmer Valderrama.
-That ’90s Show Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-
Right after the announcement of the spin-off series, there was a lot of anticipation regarding its reception. Questions like, will the new millennium gang be half as fun as the OG’s? Or will it live up to the hype? Or the present generation will even relate to the dying breed of laughter track sitcoms? followed the common area of discussion around the show (or at least for me). However, with this brilliantly written tribute to the era of “just figuring out”, I can easily say, it’s not only a worthy successor but a definite standalone sitcom.
The ever-grumpy Red (played by Kurtwood Smith) and the most welcoming Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) are back in the chaotic game of handling teenagers and their jumping hormones when Eric and Donna’s daughter Leia Forman, decide to stay back at her grandparents house, after learning about her mundane life events (which mostly revolve around a constant brag for a debate champion).
Leia meets her new best friend Gwen Runck (Ashley Aufderheide) in the point place and decides to go with the flow of the summer. She forms a relatively similar gang to her father. And attempts to make the most of her time in the point place (obviously, inside the reluctantly occupied basement of Red Forman).
You’ll spot nearly all the nostalgic nuances of the predecessor in the series. Beginning from the usual location of Red’s foot (we all know where), the funky transitions, the recreational substances, the circle shot, and the on-and-off relationship sagas. Morever, apart from all these fan-favourite elements, you’ll also get several moments of uniqueness throughout the series.
The jokes and bits have the razor-sharpness and land perfectly well. Furthermore, a hefty credit has to be given to the team of writers, that have carried the entire fun-filled ride on their shoulders. The new bunch of actors are spot-on with their stereotypical characters and have done a convincing job as a whole. Plus, like every other sitcom, it will be fun to see how they evolve over future instalments.
There’s always time for improvement and minor fixes (given that the series gets the renewal). And plenty of seasons to reduce the predictability of the characters, in order to make them more natural. All in all, the sitcom leaves with an array of hope, about the future of laughter tracks, and situational comedy in general.
That ’90s Show Final Thoughts
The spin-off does complete justice to its predecessor and finds new ground in the millennium storyline. It has all the maturity to grow into a thing of its own, that will surely invite new memories, with the old humour.
You can stream the series on Netflix. Let us know your thoughts about it in the comment section below.
Also Read: Planning to Watch That ’90s Show? Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Netflix’s Period Sitcom