Netflix Just Canceled A Fan Favorite Revival Series

As reported by Deadline, That ‘90s Show will not be moving forward on Netflix following the second part of Season 2 releasing back in August.

While it might have been easy to see this coming considering the multi-cam comedy series never seemed to get real fan traction on the streamer, it’s a bummer of an ending considering the goodwill coming over from the original show. 

That ‘90s Show was a followup to Fox’s That ‘70s Show, which introduced the world to Topher Grace’s Eric Forman, Laura Prepon’s Donna, Ashton Kutcher’s Kelso, Wilmer Valderrama’s Fez, and Danny Masterson’s Hyde.

That original series layered laughs with the teen angst found in really any generation, though they dialed their specifics in and around the late-70s and early-80s. It ran for eight seasons on the network.

That ‘90s Show picked up 15 years later with Eric and Donna’s daughter Leia (yes, it’s Star Wars folks) returning back to Wisconsin to spend the summer with her grandparents.

Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith reprised their roles as Kitty and Red respectively, welcoming in their grandadughter with much of the same vibe carried over from the original show. 

And obviously Leia meets new friends along the way, mirroring some of what we saw with That ‘70s Show in terms of teenager stereotypes, though this time better suited for the new decade and generation.

There’s Ashley Aufderheide as Gwen (the rebellious next-door neighbor),  Mace Coronel as Jay (Kelso and Jackie’s kid), Maxwell Acee Donovan as Nate (the jock), Sam Morelos as Nikki (the go-getter), and Ryen Doi as Ozzie.

While the dynamic in and among the characters worked on a high level, it was always difficult to not draw one-to-one comparisons to the original crew. That was to be expected, and made it something of an uphill climb for the show.

All of the original That ‘70s Show appeared in cameos on That 90s Show. Topher Grace and Laura Prepon show their faces, obviously.

But we also catch up with Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis as well in a hilarious scene in the Forman’s kitchen. Wilmer Valderrama appeared as well, with Fez becoming a hairstylist.

Danny Masterson did not reprise his role after being sentenced too 30 years to life in prison following a rape conviction in 2023. 

In all, it’s a sad end for That ‘90s Show which ended up running 26 episodes on the streamer. And it continues to not bode well for these types of comedies seeing as how others have failed to gain a lot of traction on Netflix. 

Source: Deadline