Remakes, reboots and re-imaginations — it seems that is the bulk of what has dominated our streaming services over the past few years. If you’re a big fan of “That ‘70s Show,” you are probably well aware of the show’s new reboot: “That ’90s Show.” Featured on Netflix, “That ’90s Show” was released on Jan. 19, 2023, with its first season featuring ten episodes. Though the show is nostalgic to those of us who loved its parent show, the reboot was disappointing at best.
The first episode opens with Leia Foreman (Callie Haverda), the daughter of Eric (Christopher Grace) and Donna (Laura Prepon). Leia decides to spend the summer with her grandparents, Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp). While at her grandparents, Leia makes friends with her neighbor Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide) and Gwen’s half-brother Nate (Maxwell Acee Donovan). The siblings introduce Leia to their friend group, who help Leia come out of her shell for the sake of being cool- similar to her dad, Eric.
“That ‘70s Show” served as a complete blueprint for “That ’90s Show,” even down to the characterization. Just like the six famous teens from “That ‘70s Show,” “That ’90s Show” also follows six teens as they go about their summer shenanigans, using Red and Kitty’s basement as a make-shift headquarters.
Each character from “That ‘70s Show” can be directly correlated to another from “That ’90s Show.” Jay Kelso (Mace Coronel) is a chip off the old block, just like his dad (even down to the looks), Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher). There is a sibling rivalry dynamic between Gwen and Nate, like Eric and Laurie. Nate and his girlfriend Nikki (Sam Morales) take the place of the gross couple who could not be more different from one another, just like Kelso and Jackie (Mila Kunis). Gwen is the Hyde to Leia’s Eric, and there is even a quirky kid with an accent, Ozzie (Reyn Doi).
There is a disappointing lack of differentiation between the characters of the original show and its reboot. Since “That ‘70s Show” was a great show, why mess with its legacy? The reboot simply seemed like a cheap knock-off of the original, but without the beloved characters that audiences have grown to adore and may have expected to see more of in the reboot.
Though the plot’s focus was not centered around the original characters, plenty of characters from “That ‘70s Show” were brought back in the reboot, including Red, Kitty, Eric, Donna, Kelso, Jackie, Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), Bob (Don Stark) and even Leo (Tommy Chong). It was refreshing to see some of these familiar faces appear on the screen throughout the season, even if it was only for a few scenes.
Despite the similarity between the characters, much of the reboot strayed from the plot of the original show. After what happened between Jackie and Kelso in “That ‘70s Show,” it’s hard to imagine she’d ever get back together with Kelso, much less have a kid with him.
Eric and Donna also broke up towards the end of “That ‘70s Show,” unsure of the direction college would take them. Though, in the last episode of “That ‘70s Show,” Eric and Donna had a conversation after Eric’s time in Africa, leading the audience to believe they may have gotten back together. Honestly, it just seemed that there was a complete lack of recognition for the development of the original characters.
All in all, the reboot has none of the appeals of the original show except for character structure. If you were hoping to see some of your favorite characters from “That ‘70s Show,” you might as well watch some of their compelling recent work instead, like “Orange Is the New Black,” or “BlacKkKlansman.” However, if you’re simply looking for a similar, if washed-out, sitcom to “That ‘70s Show,” “That ’90s Show” may be suitable for you, just without the iconic references from the 70s flare of course.
