Netflix has officially greenlit a spinoff to the popular Fox series That 70s Show, with some familiar cast members reportedly returning. The streaming giant has ordered 10 episodes of the spinoff, That 90s Show, which will be a multi-cam sitcom like the original.
“That 70’s Show” debuted on Fox in 1998 and had a successful eight-season run. The show helped launch the careers of actors like Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, Danny Masterson, Ashton Kutcher, and Wilmer Valderrama.
The series follows a group of teenage friends growing up in a fictional Wisconsin town during the 1970s. The show found success on Netflix after its original run but departed the service last year.
Variety reports that the new show will take place a few decades after the original. The story will focus on Leia Forman, daughter of Eric and Donna, who is visiting Red and Kitty for the summer.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the released synopsis of the series reads: “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. Sex, drugs, and rock ’n roll never dies, it just changes clothes.”
Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp, who played parents Red and Kitty Forman in the original series, are set to return in That ’90s Show. Original series creators Bonnie and Terry Turner are also back on board as writers and executive producers.
Producers are hopeful that other familiar names will join in guest appearances.
One member of the original cast that fans shouldn't expect to return is Danny Masterson, who played Steven Hyde. Netflix fired Masterson from its series The Ranch, where he starred alongside Kutcher. The dismissal was due to allegations which Masterson is currently awaiting trial for.
This isn’t the first time Netflix has rebooted a series. The company has made reviving old series part of its strategy. Previously they have revived shows like Full House, Arrested Development, and Gilmore Girls.
It makes sense that the company would use data to see which shows viewers are binge-watching. This allows them to know where there is an audience, and That 70s Show reportedly did very well on the platform.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter