First look at Netflix’s That ’90s Show, including gay character

November 30, 2022 Queer Forty Staff 4 min read

Millennials rejoice! Netflix has released first look images and a teaser trailer for That ‘90s Show, and it features a gay character!

Spun off from the hit sitcom That ‘70’s Show, which originally aired from 1998 through 2006, Netflix is hoping That ‘90s Show will stoke that sense of comedic nostalgia for Millennials like That ‘70s Show did for Boomers. The story will again center around the Forman family and take place in their home, just with a new crop of teenagers. The premise of the show is as follows:

It’s 1995 and Leia Forman is desperate for some adventure in her life or at least a best friend who isn’t her dad. When she arrives in Point Place to visit her grandparents, Red and Kitty, Leia finds what she’s looking for right next door when she meets the dynamic and rebellious Gwen. With the help of Gwen’s friends, including her lovable brother Nate, his smart, laser-focused girlfriend Nikki, the sarcastic and insightful Ozzie, and the charming Jay, Leia realizes adventure could happen there just like it did for her parents all those years ago. Excited to reinvent herself, she convinces her parents to let her stay for the summer. With a basement full of teens again, Kitty is happy the Forman house is now a home for a new generation and Red is, well…Red.

(L to R) Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman, Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman | Patrick Wymore/Netflix

Leia, of course is the daughter of Eric and Donna from the original and with her, Kitty and Red there to tie this show to the original, the sky is the limit in terms of what they can do and what characters they are able to introduce. The following is a quick rundown of the cast and the parts they will be playing:

Kurtwood Smith as Red A classic never goes out of style. When the new kids bring out the old Red, the spring in Red’s step puts a spring in Kitty’s too!
Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty A whole new world opens to Kitty with the new generation and she is right at home. It has never been cooler to be Kitty.
Callie Haverda as Leia Forman Smart like her mom, awkward like her dad, Leia is craving adventure. She’s just not quite sure where or how to start. Until she discovers a best friend in the most unlikely of places: next door to her grandparents’ house in Point Place.
Ashley Aufderheide as Gwen Life gets more interesting for Leia when she meets this Riot Grrrl. Equal parts loyalty, rebellion and heart, Gwen is a dynamic powerhouse and the unofficial leader of the new generation of Point Place kids.
Maxwell Donovan as Nate When you first meet Nate he seems like a big, dumb jock… but he’s actually not that athletic. Nate has a huge heart and it’s hard to tell who he loves more: his girlfriend, his best friend, or his beat-up, old van.
Mace Coronel as Jay Jay is charming and flirty – at least, he tries. It doesn’t always come out right. He considers himself a deep thinker, nobody else does.
Reyn Doi as Ozzie Everyone loves them some Ozzie. He’s insightful, sarcastic and has perspective beyond his years. Ozzie is gay and impatient with the world for not being as accepting as his friends.
Sam Morelos as Nikki Nikki is focused, smart, and driven. She approaches maintaining her GPA with the same energy an MMA fighter brings to a cage match. She can truly relax when she’s with her boyfriend, Nate and his friends, even though sometimes she’s not laughing with them, she’s laughing at them.
Andrea Anders as Sherri This single mom to Nate and Gwen is warm and breezily blunt. She rolls through life in a state of “pretty sure” – pretty sure the kids ate, pretty sure there’s gas in the car… When Leia makes friends with her kids, Sherri makes friends with Red and Kitty, and their coffee, and their couch, and their advice.