It's time to return to Point Place.
On Jan. 19, 2023, That '90s Show, a sequel series to the beloved That '70s Show, premieres on Netflix—and we've gathered up everything you need in order to prepare for your trip back to the Forman household.
That '70s Show ran for eight seasons from 1996 to 2006 and told the story of a group of teenage friends—Eric (Topher Grace), Michael a.k.a. Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), Jackie (Mila Kunis), Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), Donna (Laura Prepon) and Steven (Danny Masterson)—in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin.
The sequel series, however, will shift the focus to Eric's parents Red and Kitty, played by Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp, respectively.
Smith and Rupp will reprise their roles on That '90s Show, which features Leia Forman (Callie Haverda), the teenage daughter of Eric and Donna, visiting her grandparents in the year 1995. Over the course of her time in Point Place, Leia makes a bunch of new friends and spends a lot of time hanging out—sometimes with the presence of a substance or two—in the Forman basement.
Sound familiar?
For everything else you need to know about That '90s Show—including whether or not the stars of That '70s Show will be making appearances—keep reading.
What's the plot of That '90s Show?
When it came time to plan out a storyline for the show, creators Bonnie and Terry Turner initially came up with something a bit more off-kilter.
"Our first pass what that Eric had at some point gone to a rock festival and hooked up with someone, leading to an unknown grandchild," Terry told Variety Nov. 29. "And at the doorway shows up a 14- or 15-year-old kid who says he's Red and Kitty's grandkid."
However, the Turners said Netflix rejected the idea, saying "audiences just don't warm up" to surprise grandchildren showing up on doorsteps.
Why does the That '70s Show sequel series take place in the '90s?
While the show obviously jumps forward in time—it doesn't leap all the way to present day. As it turns out, that was very much by design.
"The ‘90s was the last time that people were looking up, they weren't looking down at their phones," Lindsey Turner, who co-created That '90s Show with her parents Bonnie and Terry told Variety. "It was that last place of a real kind of engagement, having to make your own fun and really connecting with each other."
What happened to the That '70s Show set?
It's been nearly two decades since That '70s Show left the airwaves and, during that time, the show's iconic sets were dismantled. As Don Stark, who reprises his role as the Formans' next door neighbor Bob Pinciotti on one episode of That '90s Show revealed to Entertainment Weekly Dec. 15, the production team worked tirelessly to recapture the same, familiar aesthetic.
"They had to build all new sets but they looked exactly like they were back then," he said. "It was just like going home. It was amazing, it really brought back a flood of wonderful memories. All the young people who were in the new cast were terrific, and it mirrored what it was like when we started."
Is Tommy Chong appearing on That '90s Show?
Tommy Chong, who played Leo, the hippie owner of Foto Hut on That '70's Show, will reprise his role on That '90s Show.
"They gave me a call and I did my part," he said on the Dark Mark podcast in May, according to Variety. "They never gave me any instructions, so I don't know if I'm supposed to be talking about it or not."
Well, cat's out of the bag!
Will That '90s Show have the same theme song as That '70s Show?
That '70s Show used Big Star's "In the Street"—recorded as "That '70s Song" by Cheap Trick after season one—as the show's theme song. For That '90s Show, showrunner Gregg Mettler knew they needed something more, well, '90s!
So, according to Variety, he recorded a '90s-tinged demo version of "In the Street" with his daughter on backing vocals. He gave that to Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, who served as the composer on That ‘90s Show, who worked some magic. And thus, a new theme song was created.
"I love all the music from the 90s, all the genres, and we try our best to weave them all into the show," Mettler said. "And so, there's something for everybody inside the show."
Who from That '70s Show will appear on That '90s Show?
We saved the best for last.
In May, Netflix announced that That '90s Show will feature cameos from Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderrama, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher.
While specific details about their involvement—including when they'll show up—remain top-secret, Kunis let a little tidbit slip
"My husband and I are together in it, which is weird because we shouldn't have been," she told Access Hollywood in October. "My character would be with Fez. Also, Kelso was married at the end of That's '70s Show. Now we are married with a kid [on the show]. It is very cute."
Watch all of the nostalgia unfold when That '90s Show drops Jan. 19 on Netflix.