It’s the season of sequels and reboots, and in today’s edition we’re back in the fictional town of Point Place with the arrival of That ‘90s Show on Netflix!
That ‘90s Show is a sequel to the popular Fox series, That ‘70s Show (1998-2006), which follows a group of teenagers as they deal with life while hanging out on the familiar street. The sequel features a brand new group of teenagers at Point Place.
The show is set exactly fifteen years after the That ‘70s Show finale, and as the name suggests, it is set in the 90s. The new coming-of-age comedy has various easter eggs and references to the original series in store for us. Brownie points to you if you’ve already spotted some, but for those of you who missed some of them, we’ve got you covered!
After all, at Point Place, time comes to a standstill as nothing has changed over the years. When Donna and Eric’s daughter, Leia, visits the fictional town to spend the summer with her grandparents, she encounters the same people her parents did more than a decade ago.
Here’s every easter egg and a nod to the original show in That ‘90s Show season 1!
1. The Opening Credits
The opening credits of the pilot episode of That ‘90s Show is a direct reference to the pilot of That ‘70s Show. The first episode of the sequel opens with the title cards reading, “Point Place, Wisconsin. July 3rd, 1995. 11:47 a.m. Location: Kitty Forman’s Kitchen.”
This is exactly how the pilot episode of That ‘70s Show also began, with the title cards reading “Point Place, Wisconsin. May 17th, 1976. 8:47 p.m. Location: Eric Forman’s Basement.” The nostalgic opening is followed by the introduction of returning characters Kitty and Red, as they groove to some music while making a sandwich.
2. Red’s Iconic Catchphrases
Red was an integral part of That ‘70s Show and is an equally significant part of That ‘90s Show. In season 1, Red says two of his most popular catchphrases from the original show, which include referring to people as “dumbasses” and “put my foot in their ass.”
Grandpa Red uses his favorite insult quite often throughout season 1, which surely brought back a lot of memories for fans of the original series!
3. Eric’s Love for Star Wars
When we heard Eric’s daughter is Leia, we instantly knew that this was a result of his undying love for the Star Wars franchise, which premiered during the timeline of That ‘70s Show season 1. Throughout the original show, Eric remains a devoted fan of the series, and nothing has changed fifteen years later.
Eric makes numerous Star Wars references throughout That ‘90s Show season 1, and even mentions that he teaches a course in college called “The Religion of Star Wars.” According to the That ‘90s Show timeline, the Star Wars prequel series hasn’t yet been released, so Eric has a lot to look forward to as a fan.
4. Iconic Locations from That ‘70s Show
From the Water Tower to Donna’s old bedroom, we come across several familiar locations in That ‘90s Show. Leia’s new best friend, Gwen, is now living in Donna’s old bedroom. While the show took place in the Forman house most of the time, we occasionally saw the Pinciotti house as well, where Gwen is now living.
We also see the Water Tower, which is still the most popular party spot for the teenagers of Point Place. You’ll remember the Water Tower as the place where the teens used to drink and make graffiti. In fact, we also see the structure from which Kelso, Hyde, Fez, and Eric fell off on several occasions.
When the teens in That ‘90s Show return to the familiar spot, we see Kelso’s iconic “Michael+Jackie” graffiti still visible, signifying that not much has changed. Leia and her gang also frequently visit The Hub, a diner that was a popular hang-out spot for the That ‘70s Show gang as well.
The diner is literally the same fifteen years later, except that it now has a video game arcade instead of a pinball machine.
5. Eric’s Candyland Stash is Back
Eric’s Candyland stash was a running gag in the original show, as he used to hide his weed stash in the popular board game, hoping his parents wouldn’t know about it. Unaware of this, Kitty gives some of Eric’s stuff from the 70s to the gang in That ‘90s Show. This included Eric’s infamous Candyland stash.
We now understand that Eric forgot to clean out his stash fifteen years ago before leaving his parents’ house. So, now our gang finds a fifteen-year-old weed stash in the Candyland board game!
6. The Vista Cruiser and the Helmet
Some of the objects we see in That ‘90s Show are also major shout-outs to the original show, such as the Vista Cruiser and the Formans’ Helmet.
Red gifts Leia Eric’s old Vista Cruiser on her 15th birthday, the iconic car that has been a part of the old gang’s various adventures throughout the original series. We see that the license plates are still from 1980, which means that the car has not been driven since the 80s.
When Leia hopefully gets her driving license in the That ‘90s Show season 2, it will be time for the Vista Cruiser to be a part of another generation’s adventures!
Now coming to the helmet, though it is not explicitly mentioned in season 1, we see the Stupid Helmet several times throughout That ‘90s Show season 1. The helmet was an iconic object from the original show, having been worn by Kelso, Eric, and others for doing stupid things. The helmet still remains in the basement of the Formans in That ‘90s Show.
7. The Mystery of Fez’s Homeland & Schatzi
Fez’s homeland has always remained a mystery in That ‘70s Show, and it is still a mystery years later. Fez never mentions it in the series, while the others characters are not able to remember it. That ‘90s Show reveals that though Kitty knows where Fez is from, the audience will never know!
When Kitty mentions where he is from, her answer is muffled by the sound of the kettle. So, we still remain in the dark about Fez’s homeland! But that isn’t the only mystery that remains unresolved in the series, there’s also the mystery of Kitty’s dog Schatzi.
If you’ve noticed, Jay uses a box of dog treats to hide his stash in That ‘90s Show. In season 1, Kitty puts the box with other stuff they’re getting rid of as the family does not have a dog anymore. Kitty owned a Dachshund in That ‘70s Show seasons 5, 6 and 7, but the dog disappeared from the show without any explanation.
Kitty’s dog, Schatzi, therefore still remains a mystery. That ‘90s Show confirms that he was indeed a part of Kitty’s life, and most likely died during That ‘70s Show. However, we’re still not sure why he wasn’t even mentioned after he disappeared.
8. Eric and Donna’s Romantic Flirting
This one is my favorite. When Eric and Donna leaves Leia with Red and Kitty, they sit on the car hood on the driveway, which used to be their favorite spot to spend some alone time in That ‘70s Show. Their cute flirting reminds us of the That ‘70s Show pilot, where they flirted in a similar way while sitting on the basement steps.
Eric also refers to this exact moment while speaking to Leia, explaining that it was that very moment when he realized he loved Donna.
9. About That ’90s Show
That ’90s Show is an upcoming American television period sitcom set in the 1990s for Netflix. A spinoff of That ’70s Show, the series will feature characters that debuted in the original series which aired on Fox from 1998 to 2006.
The spinoff’s cast includes Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman, Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman, Callie Haverda as Leia Forman, Ashley Aufderheide as Gwen, Mace Coronel as Jay, Maxwell Acee Donovan as Nate, Reyn Doi as Ozzie, Sam Morelos as Nikki.
The show will revolve around Leia Forman, the daughter of Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti, forming bonds with other teenagers as she spends the summer of 1995 with her grandparents, Red and Kitty in Point Place, Wisconsin.
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