That ’90s Show continues the legacy of That ’70s Show, focusing on the next generation of teenagers in Point Place, Wisconsin. Production on the show’s second season was stalled due to the Hollywood strikes. However, the sitcom is poised to return for a second season in 2024.
Netflix recently revealed a new release strategy for the new batch of episodes that will debut on the streaming platform later this year. However, given the staggered release of the episodes, the sitcom seems to be following in the footsteps of flagship shows like Stranger Things and The Witcher. Here is why it might not be a good idea for Netflix to release That ’90s Show in two parts.
Netflix Announces Two-Part Release For That ’90s Show Season 2
That ’90s Show follows Leia Forman, and her friends, who spend their time in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, during the titular decade. The series, which is a spin-off of the Topher Grace-led sitcom That ’70s Show, premiered in January 2023 on Netflix.
It was renewed for a second season in February 2023. In May 2024, Netflix announced the release date for the second season. The streaming platform confirmed that the sixteen-episode second season will be released in two parts.
‘THAT ‘90S SHOW’ Season 2 will be split into 2 parts.
• Part 1 – June 27
• Part 2 – October 24 pic.twitter.com/QtIVEvPZ5F— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 12, 2024
The first part will drop on June 27, 2024, followed by the second half of the season released on October 24, 2024. With Netflix deciding to split the series into two halves, the streaming service is seemingly following the same pattern as seen with the fourth season of Stranger Things, the third season of The Witcher, and the upcoming final season of Cobra Kai.
That ’90s Show Season 2 Following Stranger Things and The Witcher Might Backfire
In recent times, Netflix has slightly experimented with the release pattern of some of its flagship original shows. However, the new strategy has produced mixed results. After Netflix announced season 2 of That ’90s Show will be released in two parts, fans quickly took to social media to share their reactions. Here is what fans are saying about the two-part release strategy on X.
This show isn’t good enough to be splitting lol.
— Wale Not Adenuga (@EtzCrownwale001) May 12, 2024
Why is slitting things up a thing now all the time? I don’t like it.
— Sjoef (@Sjoef86) May 12, 2024
Me : why 😭
Also me : To keep people on their platform 😏 pic.twitter.com/Ie7xguBYQ9
— FILMYTORCH (@filmytorch) May 12, 2024
Why bother splitting a bad show?
— SizzlingMMA (@bacon9292) May 12, 2024
I ended up liking the first season, but splitting season 2 into two parts is dumb
— Matt B (@Horseshoe_Pod) May 12, 2024
As the tweets suggest, most fans are unhappy with Netflix splitting the release of That ’90s Show season 2. Some fans argued that the show did not have a narrative structure that required it to be split in two halves but most fans recognized that the move suited Netflix. The two-part release formula worked for Stranger Things and The Witcher, but those shows have an overarching narrative, making it easier for the streamer to split the episodes.
However, the same is unlikely to work with a sitcom, where the narrative is episodic. Hence, chances are the move could backfire for the streaming giant. Nonetheless, Netflix has previously released the Ashton Kutcher-led sitcom The Ranch in several parts but the series never became as popular as some of Netflix’s other flagship shows. Thus, Netflix is taking a big risk with the staggered release of That ’90s Show.
That ’90s Show is streaming on Netflix.
