That '90s Show is a Russian nesting doll of nostalgia: a reboot of a '90s TV show, set in the '90s, and rehashing an '90s sitcom style of sound stages and laugh tracks. Many classic YA properties have been rebooted in recent years — Wednesday, Riverdale and Bel-Air being some notable examples — but these usually make some attempt to update the format and appeal to a contemporary audience.
But not That '90s Show. While the decision to stick with a retro format feels true to the once-beloved That '70s Show, it also highlights the shortcomings of the original series, with its generic vision of teenage Americana and a laugh track that did the heavy lifting for jokes that weren't actually all that funny. (One That '90s Show episode uses "Noneya. What's noneya? Noneya business" as a running joke, which should give a sense of the level of humour we're working with here.)
What That '70s Show had going for it was a great cast of stars in the making: Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis went on to become A-listers (or at least prominent B-listers), while Topher Grace and Laura Prepon have had respectable careers. Even if the jokes weren't that great, the personalities were magnetic, and my teenage self very much wanted to be one of the gang in the Forman family basement.
That '90s Show, on the other hand, doesn't have quite the same star power. It's led by Leia Forman (Callie Haverda), the teenage daughter of Eric (Grace) and Donna (Prepon), who goes to spend the summer with grandparents Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) and Red (Kurtwood Smith) in Point Place, WI. There, she meets a new generation of kids with whom to hang out down the street, which is the same old thing they did last week. Hello, Wisconsin!
Haverda is a solid lead, doing a capable job with the classic trope of being the new kid in town and providing the emotional core of the show. The rest of her teenage costars aren't quite as memorable, save for a compelling episode about Ozzie (Reyn Doi) coming out as gay — something that's handled with the right balance of humour and sensitivity.
Much of the show's appeal comes from the frequent appearances by OG cast members: Kurtwood Smith still steals many scenes with Red's "foot up your ass" wisecracks, while Debra Jo Rupp's charm brings out the best in the inconsistent material. Tommy Chong offers vintage stoner comedy as Leo, and an all-to-brief scene with Eric and Donna sitting on the hood of the car was my favourite few seconds of the show by far. Kelso (Kutcher) and Jackie (Kunis) swing by for what looks like it was probably just a few minutes on set, and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) returns even though his "foreign exchange student" character hasn't aged very well. (Hyde is absent for reasons obvious to anyone familiar with Danny Masterson's personal life.)
The show's focus on the past is the main draw — but it's also what's holding it back from being anything more than a mindless comfort watch. These 10 episodes work best as a marathon watch, when the large quantity dulls the senses and makes them go down smoother. That '90s Show will give fans of the original the bare minimum of what they expect and absolutely nothing more.
(Netflix)But not That '90s Show. While the decision to stick with a retro format feels true to the once-beloved That '70s Show, it also highlights the shortcomings of the original series, with its generic vision of teenage Americana and a laugh track that did the heavy lifting for jokes that weren't actually all that funny. (One That '90s Show episode uses "Noneya. What's noneya? Noneya business" as a running joke, which should give a sense of the level of humour we're working with here.)
What That '70s Show had going for it was a great cast of stars in the making: Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis went on to become A-listers (or at least prominent B-listers), while Topher Grace and Laura Prepon have had respectable careers. Even if the jokes weren't that great, the personalities were magnetic, and my teenage self very much wanted to be one of the gang in the Forman family basement.
That '90s Show, on the other hand, doesn't have quite the same star power. It's led by Leia Forman (Callie Haverda), the teenage daughter of Eric (Grace) and Donna (Prepon), who goes to spend the summer with grandparents Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) and Red (Kurtwood Smith) in Point Place, WI. There, she meets a new generation of kids with whom to hang out down the street, which is the same old thing they did last week. Hello, Wisconsin!
Haverda is a solid lead, doing a capable job with the classic trope of being the new kid in town and providing the emotional core of the show. The rest of her teenage costars aren't quite as memorable, save for a compelling episode about Ozzie (Reyn Doi) coming out as gay — something that's handled with the right balance of humour and sensitivity.
Much of the show's appeal comes from the frequent appearances by OG cast members: Kurtwood Smith still steals many scenes with Red's "foot up your ass" wisecracks, while Debra Jo Rupp's charm brings out the best in the inconsistent material. Tommy Chong offers vintage stoner comedy as Leo, and an all-to-brief scene with Eric and Donna sitting on the hood of the car was my favourite few seconds of the show by far. Kelso (Kutcher) and Jackie (Kunis) swing by for what looks like it was probably just a few minutes on set, and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) returns even though his "foreign exchange student" character hasn't aged very well. (Hyde is absent for reasons obvious to anyone familiar with Danny Masterson's personal life.)
The show's focus on the past is the main draw — but it's also what's holding it back from being anything more than a mindless comfort watch. These 10 episodes work best as a marathon watch, when the large quantity dulls the senses and makes them go down smoother. That '90s Show will give fans of the original the bare minimum of what they expect and absolutely nothing more.
