That 70s Show – Picture: Carsey Werner
That 70s Show departed Netflix globally in September 2020 and now well over a year after the release, it’s still yet to find a new streaming home. But that could be changing with the announcement of the new spin-off coming exclusively to Netflix. Could That 70s Show be coming back to Netflix? What’s the latest? Here’s what we know.
Suggestions that That 70s Show would be leaving Netflix came in late 2019 with the SVOD (streaming video on demand) rights up for renewal. That eventually came to be with the entire series leaving Netflix globally in September 2020.
The show was popular on Netflix but dramatically dived in popularity after its departure from Netflix. Nielsen reported that in 2020 the series was ranked as the third most-watched sitcom on Netflix.
IMDb’s MOVIEmeter tracked the show in the top 200-300 range for the duration of it being on Netflix. After leaving it dived to around 1,000.
What’s different with That 70s Shows compared to other removals like The Office or Friends is that the owner of the title, Carsey-Werner doesn’t have a streaming platform it needs to buff up.
Why aren’t streamers picking up That 7os Show?
One possible reason we’ve been told behind the show not being picked up anywhere is a similar reason why Roseanne and The Cosby Show could be seen as problematic on your platform. The show’s reputation is perhaps considered tarnished given Danny Masterson’s court battles which are ongoing in 2021.
Additionally, in the age of M&A in the streaming space, we could just be seeing the show being held back for a big acquisition although nothing has been reported to suggest this actually happening.
Carsey-Werner’s library is full of classic TV shows (something Netflix has been losing plenty of over the past half-decade). Their library includes The Cosby Show, Cybil, A Different World, Whoopi, The Tracy Morgan Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and Men Behaving Badly.
After radio silence we did get some developments in late 2021.
News came in October which could signal the return of That 70s Show. As you may have heard, Carsey-Werner is teaming up with Netflix to produce a new spin-off to the series called That ’90s Show. It’ll see Gregg Mettler return to serve as the showrunner and will star Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp.
The news signals that Netflix could eventually be the recipient of the original series again. It wasn’t mentioned in the press release, however.
So for now, you’ll still need to seek out other forms of watching.
How to watch That 70s Show in 2021
The best route to watch the show now, at least ad-free is by buying the show in more traditional formats.
If you’re not willing to pay for the series outright in the US whether that’s through VOD or boxset, you can still find the show syndicated including it regularly being shown on Laff TV.
Do you miss That 70s Show on Netflix? Would you like to see them pick up the streaming rights again and is there any other shows from Carsey-Werner you’d like to see? Let us know in the comments.