Here’s something I didn’t see coming: Netflix has ordered ten episodes of a That ’70s Show spinoff series from original creators Bonnie and Terry Turner. Titled That ’90s Show, the new series will see Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp reprising their roles of Red and Kitty Forman.
“Hello, Wisconsin! It’s 1995 and Leia Forman, daughter of Eric and Donna, is visiting her grandparents for the summer where she bonds with a new generation of Point Place kids under the watchful eye of Kitty and the stern glare of Red,” reads the official description. “Sex, drugs and rock ’n roll never dies, it just changes clothes.” At the moment, only Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp have signed on for That ’70s Show spinoff, but the producers are hopeful that other members of the original series will return as well. Those original cast members include Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderrama, and Danny Masterson, but with Masterson set to stand trial for rape charges in Los Angeles, I can’t imagine that he’ll be asked back. Other actors who played recurring roles in the series included Tommy Chong, Don Stark, Josh Meyers, and the late Tanya Roberts.
That ’90s Show isn’t the first spinoff of That ’70s Show as Fox attempted to launch That ’80s Show while the first series was still on the air. Beyond the title, it had very little in common with That ’70s Show and was cancelled after just thirteen episodes. The original series aired for 8 seasons from 1998 to 2006 and enjoyed something of a resurgence while streaming on Netflix. While I was never the biggest fan of the series while it was airing, I am looking forward to witnessing Red Forman calling an entirely new generation of kids dumbasses.