Nostalgia returns to television with the reboot of the hit TV show set in the decade of grunge rock, That ‘90s Show. A new generation of teenagers undergoes haywire experiences simultaneously as their past generation of troublemakers. Callbacks to infamous moments set in the parent sitcom, That ‘70s Show, are the type of moments the audience enjoys, watching as the original characters’ characterization shines through their offspring showcased in the sequel. Six teens, six clashing personalities remarking on the past, make one perfect group to spend summer with at Point Place.

Released on January 19, 2023, the light-hearted sitcom falls in the decade of the ‘90s, with ten episodes total on Netflix. Leia Forman, daughter of Donna Pinciotti and Eric Forman, is spending the summer with her grandparents, Red and Kitty, in Point Place, Wisconsin. Throughout the summer, she connects with her gang of mishaps, experiencing a memorable teenage summer full of adventures while coming out of her shell, much like her father. Throwbacks to when her parents were kids, finding love and friendships in the most unlikely places, like her next-door neighbor’s bedroom. Her next-door neighbors, Gwen and Nate, introduce her to the group: Gwen, Nate, Nikki, Ozzie, and Jay. Much to the audience’s surprise, Jay reveals the origin of his notorious last name, associating himself with the infamous Kelso name of his father, Micheal Kelso. Occurrences like these give viewers a reminiscence of their past. 

That ‘90s Show follows the lives of six teenagers and their mischief shenanigans in the renowned basement of the Formans. As a new viewer to the cherished decades fandom, Amaya Villescas, 10, gives her insight on a piece of the ‘90s.

“I thought the show was funny, but a little cringy, not going to lie,” Villescas says. “I liked the characters in the show.”

Familiar faces reappear in small sequences throughout the ten-episode season. Returning viewers of the hit series, That ‘70s Show, are looking forward to catching sight of the new generation of teenagers, though reminiscing about the show they once loved. Production managed to upheaval certain aspects of the original show, displaying cameos and iconic puns to incorporate and meet high expectations. Having done so, the original six return to Point Place, sending off their characters as a look into the future. Eric Forman, Donna Pinciatti, Jackie Burkhart, Micheal Kelso, and Fez are a few fan favorites to return. Two original characters are here to stay; Red and Kitty, parents of Eric Forman, are permanent returning cast members in charge of keeping the gang out of trouble once again. 

Following the continuation of the show, Mariana Lopez, 10, embarks on her opinion on the contemporary show, comparing and contrasting the original. 

“My first impressions of the show are that it is a fun, light-hearted continuation of its forerunner. That 90’s Show does not yet have that same feeling as That 70’s Show has, but it does a good job of building the personalities of the new characters to relate them to the old characters,” Lopez states. “The new version is definitely not better than the original because I feel that sometimes, you just are not able to perfectly match originals and that’s okay. The point of reboots is to create something good in its own way inspired by a previous work, not strive to be exactly like it. Some things I like about the new show is that it takes place in the original setting, where they’ve just added new characters and that the old cast is still prominent.”

On the subject of reboots, audiences strike That ‘90s show as questionable. People have mixed reviews, comparing and contrasting the new show to the older one. Enthusiast of That ‘70s Show, Jacqueline Dominguez, 10, gives her first impressions of the reboot.

“My impression of the show was that I didn’t really like it at first. I did think the ‘70s show was better but at the end, I did end up liking it. I don’t usually like reboots just because the original is always better, but sometimes the reboot genuinely is good,” Dominguez said. “I do think That ‘70s Show is funnier than That ‘90s Show but they were able to make both friend groups similar in the way they act.”

Time and time again, reboots of beloved shows are making comebacks. Check out the renowned, hilarious sitcom and stream That ‘90s Show on Netflix!