That ‘90s Show initially looked very different, reveals one of the series' creators. Starring Topher Grace as Eric, Laura Prepon as Donna, Mila Kunis as Jackie, Ashton Kutcher as Michael, Wilmer Valderrama as Fez, and Danny Masterson as Hyde, That '70s Show ran from 1998 to 2006, centering on a group of friends experiencing their teen years during the 1970s in Point Place, Wisconsin. In October 2021, Netflix announced a spinoff of the popular sitcom with Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp reprising their roles as Eric's parents Red and Kitty. Called That '90s Show, the upcoming spinoff will bring viewers back to the Foreman household for another decade-based romp.
During a sit-down with Variety, two of the co-creators of both That '70s Show and That '90s Show, Bonnie and Terry Turner, reveal the original idea for a That '70s Show spinoff, which saw Eric winding up with a surprise child, the result of a festival hook-up. Ultimately, the Turners say that Netflix felt audiences would be unlikely to invest in that story, so they changed course. This initial plan differs greatly from the actual premise of That '90s Show, which will follow Eric and Donna's daughter Leia (Callie Haverda) as she visits her grandparents for the summer. See what Terry has to say about the original concept below:
Our first pass what that Eric [Topher Grace] had at some point gone to a rock festival and hooked up with someone, leading to an unknown grandchild. And at the doorway shows up a 14- or 15-year-old kid who says he’s Red [Kurtwood Smith] and Kitty’s [Debra Jo Rupp] grandkid.
Why The Original Spinoff Plan Wouldn't Have Worked
While it is hilarious to consider Red and Kitty's reactions to Eric's mystery child, the original spinoff plan would not have worked in the long term, especially where fans of the original That '70s Show are concerned. In the original series, audiences did not respond well to the 'consequences of secret hook-ups' stories explored in the sitcom, with Hyde's marriage to Samantha (Jud Tylor) and Kelso's surprise child with Brooke (Shannon Elizabeth) becoming two of the sitcom's most negatively received storylines. While there would have been intriguing family dynamics to explore in the initial spinoff plans, the magic of That '70s Show came down to its simplicity; introducing an overly complicated concept like a teen grandchild meeting her grandparents for the first time would have set the spinoff up for failure, as well as possibly trashing Eric and Donna's love story.
Based on the recently released That '90s Show trailer, however, the series will lean into the things that made That '70s Show work, which include Red and Kitty's presence, several other original stars, an ensemble cast of teens, and the return of the notorious stoner circle. Bringing in a cast of newcomers with Haverda, Ashley Aufderheide, Mace Coronel, Maxwell Acee Donovan, Reyn Doi and Sam Morelos, That '90s Show will likely feature many tongue-in-cheek, era-specific pop culture jokes about the 1990s, as did its predecessor with the 1970s. Since the sequel show will have the job of bringing in fans of the original, which ran during the late-1990s to early-2000s, the 1990s nostalgia should be doubly successful in keeping viewers invested in the spinoff, if executed well.
While they did not appear in the first trailer, Grace, Prepon, Kutcher, Kunis, Valderrama, and original guest star Tommy Chong are all set to return in That '90s Show. However, the focus will be primarily on the younger cast members, who will continue the tradition of hanging out in the Foreman basement. That '90s Show is set for a January 19 premiere on Netflix, and fans of That '70s Show will be able to see for themselves whether the sequel lives up to its predecessor.
Source: Variety