Netflix Smash Hit Sitcom Is Back For More Laughs
That ’90s Show has generated a fan base that vaulted its latest set of streaming episodes into the Netflix top ten. The second part of the sequel show’s second season debuted its eight-episode block on August 22nd and secured a solid performance among the streaming giant’s ever-growing library of original content. The series doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, either, as it’s bringing in more fans of the original series as well as growing viewership apart from the millions who tuned into That ’70s Show in the late 1990s-2000s.
Still Hangin’ Out Down The Street
That ’90s Show takes place in the summers of 1995 and 1996, more than 15 years after its predecessor’s timeline ceased in its final episode. The series follows Leia Forman (Callie Haverda), the teenage daughter of Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti of the original show. Leia is spending her summer with her grandma and grandpa, Kitty and Red Forman (Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith) in her parents’ hometown of Point Place, Wisconsin.
A Blast From The (More Recent) Past
That ’90s Show sees Leia meeting new friends during her stay and getting into some of the same shenanigans that her parents experienced during their time in Point Place. Leia’s new circle of friends include standard 1990s teenage tropes, including “riot grrrl” Gwen Runck (Ashley Aufderheide), computer geek Ozzie Takada (Reyn Doi), overachiever Nikki Velasco (Sam Morelos), and stud Jay Kelso (Mace Coronel). As a bonus, Jay is the son of That 70s Show characters Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) and Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis).
Boasting An Exaggerated ’90s Aesthetic
The series, much like the original, re-imagines the decade it’s set in by putting its characters in situations that are amid important events and pop-culture elements of its time. Unlike the disastrous and unpopular (and unrelated) That ’80s Show that the Fox Network ran for a brief time in the early 2000s, both That ’90s Show and its predecessor avoid heavy-handed references and gross and exaggerated stereotypes surrounding the people who lived during their respective eras.
Familiar Faces All Around
Fans of That ’70s Show will be delighted to see regular appearances by some of its original cast members, including Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderrama, and Don Stark. That 90s Show packs in a ton of guest stars relevant to its era, too. Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes (of Jay and Silent Bob fame) are regular fixtures in season two, and fans get to see action from Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hills, 90210), Lisa Loeb, Seth Green, Carmen Electra, and Wayne Knight.
One piece from the original series that is missing from That 90s Show is the rebellious Hyde (played by Danny Masterson). When the series was going into production, Masterson was about to begin his trial for multiple sexual assault charges, which resulted in the actor being sentenced to prison.
Streaming That ’90s Show On Netflix
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That ’90s Show proved that, though it had a tough hill to climb to equate the hilarity of the original series, it could work to be a successful sequel series.
Teens and young adults tuned in weekly to see Eric, Donna, and company get into numerous misadventures set against the cultural landscape of the mid to late 1970s. The music and wardrobe were always on point, as were the set designs.
The same can be said about That ’90s Show, as a new generation of audiences get a realistic glimpse at how teens and adults dressed and decorated during the era, as well as getting a full dose of great 1990s music.
You can stream That ’90s Show with a subscription to Netflix.
