It's been over two decades since the premiere of That '70s Show. The era-based sitcom followed the misadventures of teenaged Eric Forman (played by Topher Grace) and his friends as they navigated a youth coated in tie-dye and smelling of "green paprika." Viewers found the show funny, heartfelt and wholly relatable but it stumbled with a final season that didn't feature some of the main cast and a 1980s-set spinoff that never clicked. Netflix is now going back to Point Place a decade later for another attempt at continuing the story.
Netflix's That '90s Show will follow Leia Forman, daughter of the original show's central couple Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti. The character is stated to be a smart and snarky teenager, craving adventure as she spends the summer of 1995 with her grandparents, Red and Kitty Forman. Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp are reprising their roles as Red and Kitty, and both have been given an executive producer credit for the new series. Original series creators Bonnie and Terry Turner are also executive producing alongside their daughter Lindsay.
Former That '70s Show producer Gregg Mettler has been named the spinoff's showrunner. Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon and Topher Grace are reportedly in negotiations to reprise their roles of Jackie, Kelso, Donna and Eric on a recurring basis, but none of them are confirmed yet. It's unlikely that Wilmer Valderrama will return as Fez; the actor is reportedly leaving NCIS to lead a new Zorro series.
Netflix recently announced the new cast, including that the main character of Leia Forman will be played by Callie Haverda. A relative unknown -- much like Grace before her -- the 14-year-old actress has been featured in the Hulu series Shut Eye and the film The Lost Husband. Joining her will be Ashley Aufderheide as Gwen, a fiercely loyal punk-rock feminist, and Maxwell Acee Donovan as Gwen's slacker brother Nate.
Other newcomers include Nate's girlfriend Nikki played by Sam Morelos, charming and flirty future filmmaker Jay played by Mace Coronel, and the insightful and openly gay Ozzie portrayed by Reyn Doi.
Production officially began on February 4, leading fans to speculate that That '90s Show will hit Netflix sometime in late fall. The first season will consist of 10 episodes, which while much shorter than the 20-22 episode seasons its parent series had on FOX, could make for stronger writing that will help this sequel succeed where the other one failed.
That '80s Show, which starred Chyler Leigh before her breakout role on Grey's Anatomy, lasted just one season on FOX in 2002. If That '90s Show succeeds, it will be the second time in recent history that a network TV comedy has gotten a spinoff on a streaming service. Hulu's How I Met Your Father, which is the follow-up to CBS' hit series How I Met Your Mother, was recently picked up for Season 2.