That ’90s Showseason 3 will not be happening, as Netflix has cancelled the sitcom following a massive decline in its audiences. A follow-up toThat ’70s Show, with most of the original show’s cast reprising their roles, the rebootdebuted new episodes over the summer. The now likely finale episode ended on something of a cliffhanger, with relationships left hanging in the balance for a possibleThat ’90s Showseason 3. But after a noteworthy slide in views, the teen-centric comedy reboot has come to a stop.
DeadlineconfirmsThat ’90s Showseason 3 will not be happening. The sitcom will be shopped elsewhere, meaning that it will be offered to other potential streaming services. The news comes after the sitcom experienced a massive drop in viewership. The second installment was released in two parts. The first eight episodes of season 2, which dropped in June,only appeared in Netflix’s Top 10 charts once, with less than two million views.
The remaining episodes ofThat ’90s Showseason 2 fared even worse. Released on August 22,the last episodes did not appear once on Netflix’s charts. That means it drew less than 1.6 million views in its first week, perDeadline’s reporting, andless than 1.4 million in its second week. These are considerably low numbers for a Netflix show, especially one that has just released new episodes.
What That ’90s Show Cancellation Says About The Show & Netflix
The Massive Drop Is Alarming
That ’90s Showseason 1 garnered comparatively gargantuan numbers. Just four days after its release, the sitcom garnered 10.4 million hours views. According to an analysis byWhat’s On Netflix, which tracks the streamer’s programming, that’s above or on par with the debuts ofThe Diplomat,3 Body Problem, andFUBAR. All three series have been renewed.
The reboot focused on the teenage daughter of Eric and Donna from the original series as she went to live with her grandparents Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) for the summer, withThe ’90s Showmain castalso including Callie Haverda, Ashley Aufderheide, Mace Coronel, Reyn Doi, Sam Morelos, and Maxwell Acee Donovan.
That ’70s & ’90s Show’s Full Timeline Explained
It was always hard to tell precisely what year each season of That ’70s Show was set, and That ’90s Show hasn’t made things much clearer.
But it should also be said that the reboot was not helped by confusing marketing and a split release schedule which may have impacted its numbers. Thelabeling of season 2 as two separate parts could have been a detriment, as well as the fact that the last eight episodes shifted dates.
Our Take On That ’90s Show
Reboots Continue To Mostly Underwhelm
The reboot, from showrunner Gregg Mettler, had its moments. But as with the reboots ofSaved by the BellandFrasier, which is continuing along on Paramount+ without the widespread attention and acclaim of the original, it arrives at a different time for TV and culture and was likely never going to be the same star-making series as the original. There are just too many options for entertainment, which makes it harder to break through. It’s unfortunate sinceThat ’90s Showended with a cliffhangerabout whether Donna and Eric’s daughter would stay with her grandparents permanently.
That ’90s Show
Cast
That ’70s Show returns set two decades later with That ’90s Show, acting as a sequel but bringing back old cast favorites. Led by Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) Forman, the new cast arrives as the next generation, with the daughter of Eric and Donna, Leia Forman, leading the charge. Spending the summer with her grandparents, Leia makes new friends and forges new bonds in Point Place, Wisconsin. That ’70s Show series regulars make cameos in the show to maintain that sense of familiarity, and the show adopts the conventions of the ’90s as expected. That ’90s Show first aired on Netflix with a total of ten episodes.
