That ‘70s Show (1998-2006) managed to be the perfect formula for multi-cam sit-com shows. While cheesy, it never felt cheap or corny. While cashing in on nostalgia, it never felt alienating to audiences. The timing, casting, writing and directing of That ‘70s Show was near perfect, so did lightning strike twice with Netflix’s new reboot: That ‘90s Show (2023)?
That ‘90s Show centers around Eric Foreman and Donna Pinciotti’s teenage daughter, Leia Foreman, as she takes the summer of 1995 to break out of her shell in Point Place, Wisconsin. In the vein of the original, she dabbles in love, drugs, friendships, and basements. Many things stay the same such as many reprises of the original cast’s roles (sans Danny Masterton as Hyde), but unfortunately the magic seems to be lost. The original was known for the infamous “circle,” where it was lightly implied the kids in the basement were not entirely sober, and the reboot milks the circle for all its worth. Instead of using the circle for comedic moments to reflect on their episodic arch, the circle is used in almost every episode as a “look at how stupid people can sound on pot” gag that’s never that funny. Another relay from the original to the reboot was the set-- it’s identical to the original. While I understand that Kitty and Red would probably not be adapting grunge to their house in the 1990s, it was a disappointing waste of opportunity to cash in on the iconic set instead of inventing something similar but separate. One factor the original really had was its commitment to the 70s theme. The outfits, cast of characters, interior design and references felt so distinctly 70s that even if you weren't alive, you became nostalgic but critical of the era, a la Dazed and Confused (1993). However, the reboot did not make the time period an integral part of the plot but more of an afterthought. The outfits were like a 2014 version of “grunge” and the take on what teenagers were back then is just an obvious caricature.
Even if you don’t care about the original or “recapturing the magic,” That ‘90s Show is not a great watch. While I respect the choice of having actors who are the actual age they are supposed to represent, the acting is just so terrible. Every new actor was clearly picked right off the stage from their high school theater’s stage. And while I’ll admit the writing is probably like the original, the delivery made it so much worse than anything I’ve come to know on the original. But in all fairness, each actor wasn’t given much to work with. Each character is a watered-down version of someone from the original show, but way less interesting. Like Gwen filling the Donna role as a “riot grrrl” feminist and best friend, but she was given absolutely no plot lines or arches besides listening to Leia whine about her crush on Jay. Speaking of, despite the show spending multiple and full episodes on just their relationship, their lack of chemistry and over usage of drama made them so uninteresting to watch. Basically, the show is just not fun to watch.
If you’ve been a fan of That ‘70s Show for long, you probably remember another failed attempt at a reboot in the form of That ‘80s Show (2002) that was dismal to watch. After six terrible episodes (and starring Glenn Howerton before It’s Always Sunny), it was canned to never be spoken about again. And, honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if That ‘90s Show follows suit.