That 90's Show

[Benjamin Olson]

Well, I watched the whole thing. It has issues but I hope for a second season.

I recently rewatched the first season of That '70s Show for the first time since it aired, and the comparison with this sequel really just isn't fair. The original is not a perfect show by any means but it really hit the ground running at 100% from the pilot on in a way few sitcoms do. The cast was basically all stand out in their respective roles (and I think it was as much good casting as acting talent). All the characters clicked from the opening episodes, and I feel like a new viewer would feel they knew them all better by episode three or so than they would know some of these new teen characters by the end of these ten episodes. Some of the writing was pretty excellent. It also had lots of creative elements that few traditional format, multi-camera, "filmed-in-front of a live studio audience" sitcoms have.

Some of the writing goes for lazy or cheap laughs, some things didn't age great, the studio audience "wooing" over anything sex adjacent gets really annoying in a show that sex-focused, and the show definitely got tired in later seasons; but it was a run-away success for good reasons, and there was some lightning captured in a bottle at the heart of it.

This new show, is trapped between being its own show and being an homage to the old show, and I'm not sure its done a great job of either yet. But it's nice to see Red and Kitty back. And it's no shade on the new kids (all actually teenage actors this time) that my interest in their escapades is eclipsed by my desire to spend more time checking in on nostalgic characters from the old show. I don't need it all to be primairly focused on old characters, but if they're going to establish one of the teen characters as Kelso and Jackie's kid, then those characters should get an actual b-plot in episode, not just appear for one walk-on cameo all season. Eric was basically one of the leads of the opening episode, which was satisfying, but then didn't appear again all season, which felt a little odd. The actors in the new teen gang all seem to be giving it their best, but probably need more time to really develop their characters. Hopefully they get a second season to retool a little and build on what worked. Most sit-coms do not start at their apex the way the show's predecessor did.

Also as a side note, I've seen the complaint elsewhere online that it isn't sufficiently evocative of the 90s. That may be true (partly because it spends so much time with an elderly couple at a house stuck in the '70s), but I will say that having Eric Forman be an "adjunct professor teaching a class on Star Wars religion" is subtly the most mid-90s thing ever. The lofty cultural prestige of Star Wars before the coming of the Phantom Menace has never been seen since.

As another side note: In the United States the original show is currently streaming on Peacock, probably somewhere else as well, and NOT ON NETFLIX. Netflix made this but didn't lock down the streaming rights to the show its based on in their largest market!? What sort of dog and pony show are they running over there? They might as well just run ads for other streaming services, at least then they'd get paid rather than pay for the privilege of promoting competitors.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Loved it, as funny as the original, at first the OG dominated, but over time I became invested in the kids stories.

But Kelso the younger actor was wearing way too much lipstick, didn't fit the character.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I can't wait for the That 2018 Show! It'll probably be here within 5 years.

Yeah, 2010-2019 is a decade they will never do a show for, and they'd have to call a That 2020's Show, That Dystopia Show, who wants to watch a show about a group of teen-agers in lockdown that only text each other. You want to do something for 2011-current year your looking at a M.A.S.H darker, sadder, style of humour.

No the last usable Decade is 2000-2010, after that they have to do earlier decades like the That 50's Show and That 60's Show (but nothing before the end of WW2, too dark, this isn't M.A.S.H type show).

 

[Aeson]

That 20's Show, the kids sit around getting high on Zoom.

 

[Ryujin]

Well, I watched the whole thing. It has issues but I hope for a second season.

I recently rewatched the first season of That '70s Show for the first time since it aired, and the comparison with this sequel really just isn't fair. The original is not a perfect show by any means but it really hit the ground running at 100% from the pilot on in a way few sitcoms do. The cast was basically all stand out in their respective roles (and I think it was as much good casting as acting talent). All the characters clicked from the opening episodes, and I feel like a new viewer would feel they knew them all better by episode three or so than they would know some of these new teen characters by the end of these ten episodes. Some of the writing was pretty excellent. It also had lots of creative elements that few traditional format, multi-camera, "filmed-in-front of a live studio audience" sitcoms have.

Some of the writing goes for lazy or cheap laughs, some things didn't age great, the studio audience "wooing" over anything sex adjacent gets really annoying in a show that sex-focused, and the show definitely got tired in later seasons; but it was a run-away success for good reasons, and there was some lightning captured in a bottle at the heart of it.

This new show, is trapped between being its own show and being an homage to the old show, and I'm not sure its done a great job of either yet. But it's nice to see Red and Kitty back. And it's no shade on the new kids (all actually teenage actors this time) that my interest in their escapades is eclipsed by my desire to spend more time checking in on nostalgic characters from the old show. I don't need it all to be primairly focused on old characters, but if they're going to establish one of the teen characters as Kelso and Jackie's kid, then those characters should get an actual b-plot in episode, not just appear for one walk-on cameo all season. Eric was basically one of the leads of the opening episode, which was satisfying, but then didn't appear again all season, which felt a little odd. The actors in the new teen gang all seem to be giving it their best, but probably need more time to really develop their characters. Hopefully they get a second season to retool a little and build on what worked. Most sit-coms do not start at their apex the way the show's predecessor did.

Also as a side note, I've seen the complaint elsewhere online that it isn't sufficiently evocative of the 90s. That may be true (partly because it spends so much time with an elderly couple at a house stuck in the '70s), but I will say that having Eric Forman be an "adjunct professor teaching a class on Star Wars religion" is subtly the most mid-90s thing ever. The lofty cultural prestige of Star Wars before the coming of the Phantom Menace has never been seen since.

As another side note: In the United States the original show is currently streaming on Peacock, probably somewhere else as well, and NOT ON NETFLIX. Netflix made this but didn't lock down the streaming rights to the show its based on in their largest market!? What sort of dog and pony show are they running over there? They might as well just run ads for other streaming services, at least then they'd get paid rather than pay for the privilege of promoting competitors.

Another of the things in the show that I immediately noticed, that is evocative of the '90s, is making the token gay character an immediately recognizable caricature, and catty. (It took me a minute to come up with an acceptable synonym for the "B" word, that immediately sprang to mind.) If that's not indicative of '90s sitcoms, then I don't know what is.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Another of the things in the show that I immediately noticed, that is evocative of the '90s, is making the token gay character an immediately recognizable caricature, and catty. (It took me a minute to come up with an acceptable synonym for the "B" word, that immediately sprang to mind.) If that's not indicative of '90s sitcoms, then I don't know what is.

I think the cold catty thing is just fascade, someone hurt Ozzie at some point and he uses it as a shield. You see him emotionally crack at the end of season 1 during the last scene, hard.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Another of the things in the show that I immediately noticed, that is evocative of the '90s, is making the token gay character an immediately recognizable caricature, and catty. (It took me a minute to come up with an acceptable synonym for the "B" word, that immediately sprang to mind.) If that's not indicative of '90s sitcoms, then I don't know what is.

It does seem like a move from the same problematic homage playbook as the "let's have a foreign guy where nobody knows where he's from" which I feel is much more a '70s tv trope than a '90s one (note: my knowledge of 70s television is, in the grand scheme of things, pretty negligible so I won't take it personally if anyone wants to refute me on that).

In both cases I feel like they give the characters enough charm and personality beyond the "cringy period tv trope" aspect that it only mildly bothers me, but it's definitely is not an element I love in either show.

In the case of Ozzie, the clever thing to do would be to establish that as a gay teen growing up in small town Wisconsin and likely having not found much of a gay community, his sense of how a gay person is "supposed" to behave is based on what he sees on 90s tv.

 

[Aeson]

This discussion about the 90s may have influenced the ad selection, and that's why I'm seeing ads for Chuck E Cheese.

 

[Argyle King]

Overall, I enjoy the show. It's a lot better than I expected.

Ozzie (aside from a few moments with coming out to Kitty) is a character I find to be easily unlikeable though. He has the cattiness of Jackie and the creepiness of Fez mixed with Hyde's antisocial snide and layered over a caricature of being gay; but without any of the redeeming qualities of Jackie, Fez, or Will & Grace.

Hopefully that's just growing pains in feeling out a new character in a new show.

I think Kurtwood Smith does a great job of portraying Red as the old-school hard-ass dad we already knew from That 70s Show but now allowing more bits and pieces of occasional love and emotion shine through as settles into being a grandfather (as well as being the primary male role model for the neighborhood kids).

Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty is still as good as ever. While it is played for laughs to see her struggle with computers and various other things, there is an honest layer of truth to be found in what it's like for a traditional 70s wife/mom to be introduced to the changing times.

Callie Haverda as Leia Forman has a standout performance. You can clearly see that the character is patterned after Eric, but with slight changes to slowly ease the audience into accepting her as a new character and her own person. The beginning of the series is based upon the idea of her standing up to her dad and wanting to be her own person. In many ways, I would say that Callie's performance as Leia is an improvement over Topher Grace's performance as Eric.

Ashley Aufderheide as Gwen is likewise notable. In contrast to what I said about Ozzie above, she takes pieces of Hyde's (down with the man) character; Donna's strong independence; and a few other things and turns it into a well-rounded character. She's also part 90s MTV Daria, but sociable and quietly cool. I think the actress will find a lot more work after the show.

Overall, I like the show.

 

[Undrave]

That 50's Show and That 60's Show

Wasn't that Happy Days?