Yahoo Lifestyle ‘That ’90s Show’ Canceled By Netflix
Netflix is not proceeding with more installments of That ’90s Show, Deadline has learned. The news was confirmed on Instagram by star Kurtwood Smith who indicated that the comedy will be shopped elsewhere.
The cancellation comes a little over a month after Part 3 of the That ’70s Show sequel was released Aug. 22. That translates to a two-season run as Netflix releases multi-cam comedies in Parts (aka half-seasons) after their initial run.
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The 10-episode first season of That ’90s Show (aka Part 1), which featured appearances by several That ’70s Show stars, including Topher Grace, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Wilmer Valderrama, was followed by a Season 2 renewal for 16 episodes, split into two parts, Part 2 and 3.
The writing was pretty much on the wall after Part 2 debuted on June 27, only cracking the Netflix Top 10 once, in its first full week of release, with 1.8 million views. The streamer then moved up the premiere of Part 3 by almost two months, from Oct. 24 to Aug. 22. The eight episodes did not chart, meaning that they drew under 1.9M in Part 3’s opening weekend, under 1.6M in its first full week and under 1.4M in its second week.
That ’90s Show‘s short run extends Netflix’s — and other streamers that have tried the format — struggles with original multi-camera comedies. Only a couple of Netflix series, Fuller House, The Ranch and The Upshaws, which is headed into its final season, have had meaningful lifespans. That ’90s Show followed the formula of Fuller House, bringing back a popular multi-cam sitcom by picking up the story decades later with some of the original cast. In this case, it was That ’70s Show staples Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp, reprising their roles as Red and Kitty Forman, who were joined by young cast.
“I’ve loved every minute of getting to bring Grandpa Red to life for you all. I’ve said it before but it’s worth mentioning again…this show had so much heart behind it and the most wonderful cast, writers, directors, producers and crew an actor could hope to work with,” Smith wrote in his message to fans (You can read it below). “Thanks for letting Red and Kitty, their grandkid, all their grandkids friends and neighbors, the original cast members of That 70’s Show and all of our wonderful guest cast members entertain you for two seasons. To steal Red Forman’s words…we aren’t going to be dumbasses…we will shop the show, because good grandparents would try hard to get these kids graduated from high school.”
Produced under the banner of indie Carsey-Werner Company, That ’90s Show could theoretically be shopped but, as Deadline has reported, there are a lot of limitations for Netflix original series, which, at best, can only be taken to linear buyers following a cancellation. The streamer’s One Day At A Time reboot, also a multi-cam sitcom from an indie studio, Sony TV, is a rare example of a Netflix original that continued elsewhere when it was picked up by cable network Pop.
In That ’90s Show, 15 years have passed, and it is now 1995. Eric and Donna’s daughter, played by Callie Haverda, visit her grandparents for the summer and find a new group of friends in Point Place.
The main cast also includes Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide), Jay (Mace Coronel), Nate (Maxwell Acee Donovan), Ozzie (Reyn Doi) and Nikki (Sam Morelos). Season 2 guest stars include Seth Green, Will Forte, Kevin Smith and Matt Rife.
Next for Netflix on the multi-cam front is a series from one of the genre’s masters, Chuck Lorre, a sitcom starring comedian Leanne Morgan.
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