With rock and roll, teen romance and a whole lot of disco, “That ’70s Show” was a sitcom viewers came to know and love. The show’s spinoff, “That ’90s Show,” was released on Netflix on Jan. 19.
The show features almost all of the original cast members as their original characters. The series is now centered around Eric and Don-na’s daughter, Leia Forman. She creates new friendships while staying in Point Place with her grandparents, Kitty and Red, and the new gang of friends gathers in the basement, encountering situations similar to those of their parents did.
The reboot has similar themes to the original series, keeping the nature of the friendship dynamic between the teens.
Unfortunately, the show falls flat in line delivery and the overall plotline of the characters. What was expected to be a familiar comedic experience reads more like a bad Disney Channel special. The overdramatized “teenage angst” and melodramatic outbursts were corny and made the leading lady come off as quite annoying. The consistent awkward exchanges were not fun to watch but rather cringe-worthy.
As Leia navigates her newfound freedom away from her parents, I became more invested in the plotline that follows the original characters. Seeing the old cast back on screen in the same setting made me reminisce about the old days and look to switch from Netflix to Peacock to watch “That ’70s Show.”
“That ’90s Show” will fall under the many other reboots that cannot compare to its original counterpart. It is no surprise that I was more enthralled with the original cast members, considering their superior chemistry. After 17 years, they fell right back into their characters’ roles with ease, reminding viewers that no reboot will compare.
1 of 5 stars.
