‘That ‘90s Show’ is yet another attempt by Netflix to cash in on the nostalgia train. Having said that, I will admit that the idea of a spiritual sequel to ‘That ‘70s Show’ did somewhat interest me. My first viewing of ‘That ‘70s Show’ came via syndication long after it originally aired. Despite my usual lack of interest in traditional 3-camera sitcoms, I was actually quite taken by the misfits of Point Place, Wisconsin.
The long-winding tale of Eric Foreman and his gang of pretty-faced misfits growing up in the ‘70s had a certain charm to it that begrudgingly won this cynic over back when. It was your usual “pretty people doing simple things” type of sitcom, but more than not, it did manage to elevate above its trappings thanks to a remarkably likable ensemble cast. Even now, I’ll still find myself revisiting old episodes of ‘That ‘70s Show’ when I need a quick, mindless laugh.
‘That ‘90s Show’ picks up the story 20 years later. Eric (Topher Grace) and Donna (Laura Preppon) are now married with a daughter of their own. The unfortunately named Leia Foreman (Callie Haverda). Leia returns to Point Place to spend the summer vacation with her grandparents, Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp). The show follows the antics of Leia as she forms bonds with the current gen of local outcasts as they hang out in the Foreman’s basement. As the tagline for the show states; “times change, teenagers don’t.”
While the original show was as conventional as any other sitcom of the time, it did have its charms. Certain comedic devices such as the “circle” and the “split screen conversations” made it appealing. But most of its charm boiled down to casting. It was a potpourri of young Hollywood that gave birth to such stars as Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. But more than that, it was a stroke of pure dumb luck in casting, as the kids had remarkable chemistry with one another.
They actually felt like a group of friends. The type of friends who would riff on each other, but also have one another's backs when push comes to shove from the threat of outsiders. They weren’t lacking in personality and made for a likable bunch. ‘That ‘90s Show’ could have done a lot to learn from all of this. Lacking the timing and chemistry of their ‘70s counterparts, it becomes all too apparent that the new generation of kids simply can’t hold a candle to the legacy cast.
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| Meet your bland stereotypes for the '90s. |
Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide) is the rebel girl equivalent of Hyde, only she never actually does anything circumstantial to stick it to the man. Hyde was into Malcolm X and protesting government overreach while Gwen didn't even finish reading the Riot Grrl manifesto. Can someone say poser? Jay (Mace Corone) is the son of Kelso; he has the bland good looks of every ‘90s teen heartthrob, but none of the stupid, wreckless charm of his father.
Nate (Maxwell Acee Donovan) and Nikki (Sam Morelos) are the resident couple of the group. They’re kind of just there, sucking each other's faces for most episodes while bringing nothing of interest. And then there is the void of laughter that is the snarky Ozzie (Reyn Doi). Did we mention he is a gay minority? Don’t worry! The show will remind you every chance it gets while forgetting to give him any sort of character ark to go with it.
To put it simply, these kids are about as bland and inspired as a plank of wood. In some ways, they’d fit right at home in any bland ‘90s TGIF sitcom. They mostly just serve to swoon over one another without ever showing a hint of charisma. The only one who fares well in the new generation cast is Leia. Callie Haverda does well to channel the spirit of both her on-screen geeky father and fiercely independent mother. But even she can’t save this mess. That task is left to Kitty and Red. Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp do the heavy lifting as they carry the entire season on their backs.
Smith and Rupp don’t miss a beat as they effortlessly slip right back into their respective roles as if no time had passed at all. For all of the show’s woes, I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy watching an updated version of Kitty and Red traversing the ‘90s. Hell, they could have focused the entire show on that alone and I probably would have enjoyed it more. In his older age, Red has mellowed a tad, but still has enough fire in him to threaten the kids with the occasional “foot in the ass.” Meanwhile, Jo Rupp’s Kitty is just as smothering and loving as she ever was.
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| Kitty and Red must have backs of steel to carry this show. |
The legacy cast make all too brief cameos. Clearly, the budget couldn’t afford much of Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher as they show up for all of five minutes in one episode, despite being parents to one of the main characters. It's a missed opportunity as a whole. Topher Grace and Laura Prepon share a couple of nice scenes in the first episode before Grace peaces out all together. A couple of other familiar faces also show up and make the best of what little they have to work with. It’s fun to see the legacy cast show up, but it also highlights just how weak the new generation actually is when compared.
While the '70s brought nothing but weekly chaos to the Foreman residence, the '90s proves to be a rather lifeless affair. Despite being set in the ‘90s, it doesn’t do a great job of capturing the era. The ‘90s is best defined as a time of grunge, cynicism and counterculture. Outside of a clumsy ‘Clerks’ reference, there’s nothing here that screams any of that. These kids are almost too pure for the time period they’re living in.
Does anyone remember the shocking 1995 Larry Clark expose that was ‘Kids?’ Those kids would make these kids blush. It's sad to me that even something like 'The Brady Bunch Movie' did a better job at lampooning the '90s. And that was made during the time period. I guess it shouldn't matter too much. Especially considering the original show mostly used the '70s as a back drop more than anything else, but it still could have been fun to see them skewer the '90s a little more.
For a time when kids were growing up with the likes of ‘Beavis and Butt-head,’ the dumbest of these kids should be way more scatterbrained and juvenile than even their parents were back in the ‘70s. But the most they can muster up is a nonstop rapport of “bro” love. As for Leia and Gwen, maybe the writers should take a look at something like ‘Daria’ if they need inspiration on how to write a believable ‘90s teen female friendship should they get a second season.
Even the soundtrack leaves little to be desired, as they clearly didn’t have the budget to shill out for the likes of Nirvana. The one thing it does capture, albeit unintentionally, is the blandness of every ‘90s TGIF sitcom. That might have been ironically funny had the writers been more aware and played into it.
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| Topher Grace remembers his beginnings...before he peaces out and is never seen again. |
To put it simply, ‘That ‘90s Show’ is largely uninspired. Its lackluster attempt at recreating the ‘90s is the least of its problems. Despite its best efforts to evoke the ghosts of ‘70s past, it can’t capture that same lightning in a bottle. A combination of bad casting, bad writing and lackluster atmosphere makes ‘That ‘90s Show’ another dud attempt at repackaging nostalgia for a younger generation.
It’s fun to catch up with the legacy cast, but once they're gone, the show goes nowhere of interest. You know there is a problem when they can’t even recreate the magic of the epiphanies that came during the weed-induced “circle.” You know there’s a problem when every use of the “circle” in the new show feels about as fun as smoking ditch weed.
-Daniel M
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