‘That 90’s Show’ Audience Reception Analysis
‘That 90s Show’ is a reboot of the beloved sitcom ‘That 70s Show’ which was released in January of 2023. The show features the original characters’ children and is based in Kitty and Red Forman’s house once again. The main theme currently seems to be the same as the original’s- kids hanging out navigating life, except for this time it is two decades later.
If we consider The Independent’s review on the show it is clear that the show was negatively received. This is evident in the language used by the author. Even the title itself “Lame Joke And Canned Laughter In Crappy Sequel To An Unfunny Series.” The review spends most of its time complaining about how reboots of old shows never live up to the original and even goes as far to ask Netflix to stop making them. He compares the show to ‘Fuller House’ a reboot of ‘Full House’ and says that they are both awful. (Stacey, That '90s Show Review: Lame Jokes And Canned Laughter In Crappy Sequel To An Unfunny Series, 2023). From the get-go we can tell the sort of tone that the rest of the review will have. If we compare the Independent’s review to how fans responded on social media it is incredibly different. One viewer exclaims that it is a wonderful tribute to its predecessor and “a fun snapshot of a beloved decade” (Vincent, 2023). The show was filmed in front of a live audience to give it an old-fashioned effect but Stacey found it irritable and “thunderously loud” (Stacey, That '90s Show Review: Lame Jokes And Canned Laughter In Crappy Sequel To An Unfunny Series, 2023).
Variety on the other hand had a somewhat different reaction to the reboot. D’Addario argues that the show’s fundamental story is the same, it is ultimately telling a tale about kids hanging out. He also compares ‘That ‘90s Show’ to ‘Fuller House’ but this time insists that they are different. He claims that the show does not have the “painfully stilted energy of ‘Fuller House.’” He too acknowledges the live audience’s laughter but instead suggests that it conjures nostalgia for older viewers who grew up with a laugh track. The public agreed with him on this front with a fan describing it as “funny moments filled with nostalgia. That ‘90s Show is charming and has a lot of potential” (Vincent, 2023). Variety argues that the easy-going nature of the show and its characters allows the reboot to seem natural and not forced. They acknowledge that due to the large hiatus between seasons, a lot of ‘That 90s Show’ viewers will be meeting the likes of Kitty and Red for the first time. Variety suggests that there are very little inside jokes that don’t make sense as a first time viewer. Although they do wonder if the younger audience will understand and appreciate the style and storylines given that they are very based around a sitcom that is decades old. This links in with The Independent’s comment on the laugh track. While older viewers might see the live audience nostalgic, younger viewers might not understand it and might even find it annoying (D'Addario, 2023).
The Guardian has a similar mind to Variety. The review was glowing with positivity for the show. It agrees that there are strong similarities between the original show and the current one. But Mangan highlights that this is deliberate and clear. She underlines the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and says that the likeness with ‘That ‘70s Show’ is what made this show such an enjoyable watch. She argued that although the story and characters are the same, this time around the audience will relate to a different character. During the original, a viewer might have been the age of the kids but now they are the age of the parents and it gives the show a whole new meaning while still remaining the same. She acknowledges that time not only passed for the characters in Point Place but also for the audience. This is what a lot of fans are also thinking; “we’d rather hang out with Kitty and Red upstairs for now” (Vincent, 2023). Although it is the same show, it is now watched differently as the audience’s outlook has changed as they got older. Another user takes to social media to discuss this. They posted a screenshot of the show of Red with closed captions saying “enjoying yourselves, kids? You’re upstairs people now” and the Tweets caption was “I feel so called out!” (Sanmtiaacharjee, 2023)
The audience’s response on social media was very focused on the nostalgia side of the show. There was a lot of talk on the perfection of the casting of the next generation. Viewers took to Twitter to express their opinions; “the casting on Kelso and Jackie’s son is spot on” (Sanmtiaacharjee, 2023). How although it is a new show it feels like a natural progression of time. They seem to be very attached to the show and there was very little hate comments. Any hate comments, however, were subject to the acting of the newest generation. “I tried watching that 90s show but the teenagers’ acting felt so intensely Disney channel and I couldn’t stop cringing” (buggirl, 2023) and “the kids in that 90s show suck so bad at acting, I hate it so much. I’m only gonna watch it for the ogs” (alllliiiic, 2023). These hate comments were in the minority though and most other comments on social media were praising the revival.
In summary, ‘That ‘90s Show’ has been mostly well received besides a few unpleasant reviews and comments on social media. The Independent stands at the viewpoint that old shows simply should not be rebooted once they finish. The author of this review claims that it was stilted and forced. In contrast, Variety and The Guardian have a similar mind to each other suggesting that the show felt like a natural continuation of the characters and also allows the viewer to now relate to a different age bracket then before. The major newspapers and magazines have had the same opinion and response as to the fans and viewers. The main theme is teenagers hanging out and navigating their way through their teen years, the very same theme as it’s predecessor ‘That ‘70s Show.’ This theme translates well to the next generation in Point Place.
Bibliography
alllliiiic. (2023, 01 19). Twitter. Retrieved from Twitter: https://twitter.com/alllliiiic/status/1616155591126421504
buggirl. (2023, 01 30). Twitter. Retrieved from Twitter: https://twitter.com/buggirl/status/1619860113703186433
D'Addario, D. (2023, 01 19). 'That '90s Show' Updates a Familiar Formula, With Mixed Results: TV Review. Retrieved from Variety: https://variety.com/2023/tv/reviews/that-90s-show-review-netflix-1235467450/
Sanmtiaacharjee. (2023). Twitter Reactions To 'That 90s Show' Are A Trip Down Memory Lane. Lifestyle Asia.
Similar Web. (2023, 01). Variety.com. Retrieved from Similar Web: https://www.similarweb.com/website/variety.com/#overview
Stacey, P. (2023, 01 20). That '90s Show Review: Lame Jokes and Canned Laughter in Crappy Sequel to an Unfunny Series. Retrieved from Independent: https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/that-90s-show-review-lame-jokes-and-canned-laughter-in-crappy-sequel-to-an-unfunny-series-42301599.html
Stacey, P. (2023). That '90s Show Review: Lame Jokes And Canned Laughter In Crappy Sequel To An Unfunny Series. Independent.
Vincent, M. (2023). That '90s Show Reviews Call It A Mostly Satisfying '70s Follow-Up. ScreenRant.
