The Forman Basement Is Back In ‘That ‘90s Show’ And Is Living Up To Its Legacy

Victoria Spagnuolo '25

Like many That ‘70s Show fans, I wasn’t that excited when I found out there was going to be a spinoff. Of course, I was excited to see the original cast again, but as most spinoffs go, I didn’t want to see a great show be ruined by a bad remake.

I surprisingly found myself — originally set on watching only for the old cast – binge-watching, enjoying the new characters and comedy as if it were its own show. It was perfectly nostalgic, while also being a refreshingly new and fun show in itself — everything a spinoff should be.

We return to the Forman house by being reintroduced to the beloved Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) and Red Forman (Kurtwood Smith), as they prepare for the visit of their son Eric (Topher Grace), their daughter-in-law Donna (Laura Prepon), and granddaughter Leia (Callie Haverda) for a Fourth of July celebration. Leia meets and forms a connection with her grandparents’ neighbor Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide) and the rest of her friends. She decides to spend the summer with her grandparents in Point Place.

Fontbonne Junior, Julianna Scotto, a fellow That ‘70s Show lover opined, “I love how That ‘90s Show brings back the nostalgia we all had when watching That ‘70s Show for the first time.”

The show gives us a new gang of a new generation, following similar plotlines of the group embarking on different adventures and getting into trouble. It also brings back some of the original archetypes in a new form.

I can’t deny that I was disappointed with the lack of scenes with the original cast, especially ones of the entire gang back together as adults. The cameos were brief and lacked substance. Considering the time difference from the original, I highly anticipated seeing the characters sit down together and talk about everything that happened since the original ending.

Despite this, the show thrived greatly on its own. It didn’t need any constant special appearances of old characters to keep it interesting. The new characters mixed with similar personalities and plotlines of the old show made it nostalgic, but also entirely new at the same time, appealing to both newer and older audiences.