Season 1 of ‘That ’90s Show’ Is High On Laughter and Teenage Antics

Photo courtesy of Netflix.

Season 1 of That 90s Show premiered on Netflix on January 19, 2023. It’s a spinoff of That 70s Show which aired in the 1990s. The spinoff follows Leia Forman (Callie Haverda), the daughter of Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and Donna (Laura Prepon) Pinciotti, as she spends the summer of 1995 with her grandparents Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) and Red (Kurtwood Smith) and makes new friends along the way. I recently binged the first season and I wanted to share my thoughts with all of you. Let’s get started.

I knew of That 70s Show before I watched this show. For some reason, I was just interested in watching it. The funny thing is that I’m not the biggest fan of sitcoms but I enjoyed every second of this show.

Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith deliver their lines like the pros they are. Their chemistry is unmatched and feels authentic. I love how Kitty and Red balance each other out. They’re the perfect example of the grumpy-sunshine trope.

Regardless of me not watching the original series, it was pretty cool to see the original cast members come back for this. Laura Prepon, Topher Grace, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Wilmer Valderrama reprised their roles.

As for the new cast members, they all had great chemistry together. I loved the group scenes and seeing them all interact with each other. I relate a lot to Leia. She likes to follow the rules and she’s somewhat introverted. Callie Haverda did a great job with bringing her to life. I loved Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide) so much. Her rebellious personality balances Leia’s goody-two-shoes personality so well.

Jay Kelso (Mace Coronel) reminded me so much of Joey Tribbiani from Friends. He’s the definition of a lovable himbo. Coronel brings all the charm and intrigue. He’s a spitting image of Kutcher and Kunis which blows my mind. The casting director did such a good job at casting the kids of the original characters.

Ozzie (Reyn Doi) is the life of the party. He made me laugh so much. Doi’s line delivery was on point every time. I love that Ozzie is positive representation for the LGBTQ+ community. I love that he’s insightful and perceptive, especially for someone his age.

Nikki (Sam Morelos) was so cool. Morelos brought the intelligent side of Nik’s personality to life so well. Nate (Maxwell Acee Donovan) is Gwen’s older brother. He’s such a fun character. Donovan brings a certain depth and genuineness to Nate.

I loved the 90s vibes considering season 1 is supposed to be set in 1995. The costumes, hair, makeup, and production design all felt authentically 1990s for the most part. I don’t think this show is revolutionary by any means but it’s such a fun and nostalgic quick watch. I love shows like this that make you laugh and feel good. The humor hit with almost every scene which surprised me because it’s difficult for me to find sitcom humor funny.

Season 2 has been confirmed by Netflix so we’ll be going back to Wisconsin soon.

That ’90s Show is exclusively streaming on Netflix.

Creators: Bonnie Turner, Lindsey Turner, Gregg Mettler

Cast: Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith, Callie Haverda

Producers: Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, Gregg Mettler