That 70s Show is a series that I hold near and dear to my heart. I loved the era it was set in and the characters really spoke to me as someone who was in the perfect age bracket for when that show first aired. It’s still something I consider as comfort watching and am currently watching it with my oldest daughter who also loves it. Still, I consider this series as my favorite.

When I heard that there was a reboot coming in the form of that 90 show, I was extremely excited about that. So, is it any good? Let’s find out.

Taking place 15 years after that 70 show signed off with Eric and Donna leaving Point Place together to start their lives together. Eric and Donna come back to Point Place to visit Red and Kitty with their teenage daughter Leia. Yes. As in Princess, Leia. It seems as though Eric won that battle and got to name his only child after a character in his favorite movie, Star Wars. 

While visiting, Leia meets the next-door neighbor’s daughter, Gwen, and her half-brother, the dim-witted Nate.  After spending some time bonding with them and their friends, she feels like it’s time to spread her wings a little bit and get out from underneath her mom and dad and ask to spend the rest of the summer with her grandparents. Kitty is obviously very enthusiastic about this idea and Red is … well Red is just Red. He’s not super happy about the idea but deep down we all know he kinda loves being in that house where all the kids feel safe and go to for hang-out sessions.

That 90s Show sticks to the same formula that works so well for it’s predecessor. Each episode sees the kids spending time in the Foreman basement where they talk about life, relationships, sex, and growing up. And yes, they even partake in a little of the devil’s lettuce. Don’t worry though, they don’t just spend time in the basement, they get outside and do other things.

I must say that as much as I enjoy that 90s show and the nostalgia That 90s show is a much softer version than That 70s Show. What I mean by that is the good-humored verbal jousting the kids engage in is softer. It’s a lot more 2020s in nature with its “Burns” and feels like they’re trying to cater to the modern-day sensibilities so as to not offend anyone. That was always something I loved about That 70s Show. They pulled no punches and it wasn’t unheard of for someone to call someone else a whore. Those zingers were just better.

Each character is essentially a reimagining of someone from the original series. Leia is a great portrayal of Eric. She’s even got some of his more meek mannerisms, with a kint of sarcastic smartassery. I think she did a great job stepping into this role. Nate and Nikki are like Kelso and Jackie. Ozzie, the gay Asian kid is much more in tune to Fes , whereas Gwen is the cooler “I don’t give a f..k” female version of Hyde who also ends up becoming best friends with Leia and then there’s Jay who feels a bit like Kelso because well, he is a Kelso – He’s the product of Michael Kelso and Jackie Burkhear but he’s got a little Donna in there as well as the love interest for our main character.

All in all, I’d say that the characters all worked well together, but I never really got the feeling that they were as close as the legacy characters did. They just felt like a tight-knit family. These guys don’t feel as though they level of chemistry and perhaps that’s the show was only run for 10 episodes whereas previous seasons were 20+ episodes, and maybe they had more time to gel and come together as a cohesive family. 

Whatever the case is, I hope that if they get more seasons, to allow for them come together a bit better. I think they have something there but it needs more time to percolate.

All the legacies will make an appearance in the series, except for Danny Masherson’s Hyde and Eric’s sister Laurie, who don’t even actually get mentioned. The time we get with each of these legacy characters is short, but sweet because it’s all about passing the torch to the new generation while the original characters are off busy being adults. 

Red and Kitty are scene stealers. I’ve often said that they’re the quintessential TV Mom and Dad and I absolutely love them and every minute we get with them feels so good. They are the heart and soul and the glue that keeps this show together.  I’m not entirely sure that this series would have worked as well as it does without Red and Kitty. 

One of the best scenes in the entire season actually involves Red and Kitty learning about computers and the internet. I’m just gonna leave it there and let you guys enjoy this moment for yourselves. 

Even if you haven’t watched the original series, you will have fun with it, and it might even inspire you to go back and check it out. You may actually enjoy it more if you haven’t watched That 70s Show but you won’t understand the cameos or little nods but it may even inspire you to check out the original.

My thirteen-year-old daughter loved That 90s Show and wanted to learn about the original characters so she asked if we could watch the original show, so that’s what we’re doing together. I really hope that we’ll get more seasons of That 90s Show. Netflix needs to let people find the series because I think most people will really enjoy it.