WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for That '90s Show season 1!That '90s Show cast members reveal the showrunners' plans for the series' future seasons. Netflix's follow-up to the period teen sitcom, That '70s Show, which aired eight seasons on Fox between 1998 and 2006, is developed by the original series creators Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner. The show centers on Callie Haverda's Leia Forman, the teenage daughter of original leads Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon) as she moves to Point Place, Wisconsin, to spend the summer with her grandparents, Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp), in 1995. There, Leia forges new friendships and spends time-sharing life experiences with her friends in her grandparents' basement, just like her father.
Now, in a new interview with Collider, That 90's Show's cast members, Reyn Doi (Ozzie) and Maxwell Acee Donovan (Nate), have revealed the timeline for the sequel series' potential new seasons.
As Doi and Donovan reveal, the creators have planned for each new That '90s Show season to take place over the summer. This means the showrunners plan to jump a year ahead every consecutive season and follow the characters' lives as they reunite over their summer break. Read what the stars said below.
DOI: I think so. I think their plan was to do it every season in the summer. I think they said that in the interview.
DONOVAN: That's what I've heard, too, from (the creators) the Turners. Yeah.
Can The Plan For That '90s Show's Future Season Work?
At the moment, it's hard to tell if That '90s Show season 2 would happen. While viewership figures for the spin-off series remain unclear, the sitcom hasn't exactly managed to crack the Netflix Top 10 TV shows list, and audiences and critics' reviews remain polarizing. Many agree the series is an "okay" show that delivers a few sweet laughs and a warm dose of nostalgia, but it clearly has trouble finding a footing of its own and some plot holes are hard to ignore. Whether the That '90s Show's modest reception is enough to warrant a sequel remains up for debate, with the decision being less likely to be announced until at least a month from now.
In the scenario where That '90s Show season 2 does happen, the showrunners' idea about doing a season spanning a new summer could go either way. For one, disbanding the crew after every summer break could disrupt the flow of things, as every season would need to overcome the challenge of getting the friends back together. Plus, given where the teens are in their lives, it would be far more logical to see them go their separate ways over the school year and lose touch by the next summer. Ignoring this phenomenon would be far too idealistic, and could put viewers off as they are forced to accept an unnatural camaraderie between That '90s Show's characters.
While bringing Leia back to Point Place again for the summers could work for That '90s Show season 2, the creators will likely need to find out a way to keep her in Wisconsin permanently for the show to continue. Relocating Eric and Donna seems like the best choice, but that wouldn't be possible unless Grace and Prepon commit to a recurring role for future seasons. Another solution could see Leia moving in with her grandparents, which would be hard for her parents to let their daughter go, but considering that it's what Leia may really want, could convince them of such an arrangement. That said, it's hard to tell for sure what lies for Leia and her friends in the future at the moment, but as soon as Netflix announces its decision about That '90s Show season 2, the plan for the show could become more transparent.
Source: Collider