That '90s Show canceled at Netflix, but there's still (very little) hope

Bad news out of Point Place, Wisconsin: Netflix has officially canceled That '90s Show after two seasons. Deadline has confirmed series star and executive producer Kurtwood Smith's announcement of the cancellation, which also mentioned a slight glimmer of hope for fans.

"To steal Red Forman’s words… we aren’t going to be dumbasses… we will shop the show, because good grandparents would try hard to get these kids graduated from high school," Smith wrote at the end of a lengthy Instagram caption for fans of That '90s Show.

It's unclear where the sitcom will be shopped and how much interest there would be for the series to be purchased elsewhere. That '90s Show saw its viewership continue to decline with the two-part release of season 2 in June and August this summer, as part 2 debuted with only 1.8 million views and part 3 didn't manage to chart in Netflix's weekly top 10 most popular shows ranking.

That '90s Show canceled and probably won't be saved

Beyond the brand recognition of That '70s Show, there doesn't seem like much of a draw for another streaming service or network to roll the dice and take the risk to pick up the series for another season. That '70s Show currently streams exclusively on Peacock, though it's unlikely that the NBCUniversal streamer would pickup the sequel series.

Post-strike, the state of television has gotten even more volatile as networks, streamers, and production companies look to decrease and tighten budgets. As we know from past situations involving shows being saved, it's no easy financial feat to move a series from one place to another, but that doesn't mean that it can't be done. Netflix's One Day at a Time was saved post-cancellation.

While it would be great to see That '90s Show be able to complete its story on a different streaming service, don't get your hopes up too, too high just yet. Netflix will continue to hold the rights to both seasons (a.k.a. three parts) of That '90s Show, which could throw a wrench in being saved. That wasn't an issue with Peacock's Girls5eva moving to Netflix, but we don't know the specifics.

Unfortunately, That '90s Show ended on a cliffhanger as Leia lost trust in Jay leading into her first school year living in Point Place. If the series doesn't get saved and continue on somewhere else, we'll never officially see what happens next for Leia and her friends. Future seasons would have taken place outside of the summer months as Leia moved in with her grandparents full time.

It's definitely a bummer for fans of the series who were looking forward to more episodes. That '90s Show joins a short list of Netflix shows that have been canceled in 2024, with the list of shows the streamer has renewed overflowing with hits like Emily in Paris, Owning Manhattan, The Gentlemen, and lots more. Here's to hoping the sitcom can somehow pull off a miracle for a comeback, but as it stands, it's not looking good for Point Place's next generation.

Stay tuned for more Netflix news and updates from Netflix Life!