Netflix’s That ’90s Show is one of the most fanservice-y reboots and revivals out today. The new Netflix series is all about nostalgia, from bringing back nearly all of That ’70s Show’s original cast members to replicating the show’s theme tune and trademark smoke circle. However, not every homage to the past is obvious on the first viewing; in fact, there are countless blink-and-you-miss-it That ’70s Show Easter eggs and references included in That ’90s Show.
Here are some of the more intriguing callbacks that you might have missed.
Leia is a perfect match for her father—a little awkward Forman who is smitten by the much cooler girl next door. However, there is a fashion Easter egg in both the pilots of That ’70s Show and That ’90s Show that demonstrates Leia is also her mother’s daughter: overalls.
Donna wears overalls in the basement on her first appearance on the show in 1976.
Her kid sports a shorter variation of the outfit while hanging out with her own Point Place buddies two decades later. What symmetry!
Everyone knows Eric is a Star Wars lover, therefore the name Leia makes sense. It’s easy to forget that Eric is such a Star Wars buff that he had Donna Douglas portray Leia during the show’s first run.
While this isn’t a major problem, it’s something Leia’s parents would like to keep to themselves.
Both pilots of That ’70s Show and That ’90s Show have the kids attempting to obtain booze for themselves, which is a humorous comparison in and of itself. However, in That ’90s Show, Eric is shown drinking a very timely Zima at the kitchen table, and he’s barely able to take it—proof that he and Donna have become “upstairs people,” as Red refers to them.
Graffiti is a frequent source of Easter eggs in TV series and films, and That ’90s Show is no exception. “Kris K” may be spotted on a bar above Leia and Gwen during the kids’ first visit to the water tower.
It might be a reference to ’70s legend Kris Kristofferson, whose Golden Globe-winning performance in A Star Is Born is hailed by Jackie in the original series. Speaking of Jackie, her name is also on the water tower!
On That ’90s Show, Red gives Leia Eric’s old Vista Cruiser from the first season for her birthday, complete with the same registration plate. Wilmer Valderrama, who portrays Fez, actually bought the automobile from the props department after the initial season, so resurrecting the legendary vehicle couldn’t have been too difficult.
Speaking of props, there are other tiny allusions to That ’90s Show placed throughout the set. One of them is a glass bunch of grapes from the original series.
The sculpture, like real-life décor, appears to have been demoted to the basement when times (and fashions) changed. because it was in the living room upstairs in the original series. This was another simple prop to obtain: Debra Jo Rupp, who portrays Kitty, told Netflix that she took them with her after That ’70s Show.
When Kitty suspects Leia is going to have sex, she becomes agitated. But she also assures her granddaughter that she will always be available to answer concerns, maybe since this isn’t her first time dealing with the subject with care.
During “The Pill” from Season 1 of That ’70s Show, Kitty gives Eric the sex talk and doesn’t hold back—from basic hygiene to the necessity of foreplay. “I understand you’re 17, and we can’t keep you from doing what you want,” she says. “All I’m saying is that you should respect her.” Grandma Kitty appears to be just as open and supportive 20 years later!
Many characters returned for That ’90s Show, but Casey Kelso, played by Luke Wilson, was not one of them. However, the minor character mentioned it in Episode 10 when Donna informed Leia that she used to date Kelso’s brother.