If you’ve had a moment to sit down at some point this past month of the new year, you’d see that Netflix has been taking its time to curate some brand-new content for its viewers. The well-known streaming company has had no hesitation to promote these television shows on their social media and surround them with hype for new viewers, but more importantly, what is the audience saying?
That 90’s Show
That 90’s Show is a reboot of its predecessor, That 70’s Show, based around a summer in 1995 with Leia Forman. Leia is a teenager in Point Place, Wisconsin who moves in with her grandparents for the summer after meeting their next-door neighbor, Gwen. It received a 76 percent rating from Rotten Tomatoes and an 86 percent rating from Google users around the country.
Luke Ingham, an Evergreen columnist, shared his thoughts. “From the first episode, it is refreshing (and heartwarming) to see Forman and Donna Pinciotti return to where it all began for them. Forman and Pinciotti’s return to Point Place doesn’t feel forced and their interactions with their daughter and the Formans are quite funny.” Ingham later goes on to say that he does not feel strongly about the character’s development or the creativity in the production of the show. “They got caught between trying to captivate the older fans and trying to generate a new audience. The result was a weird combination that isn’t very pleasing for either target audience.” While this particular reviewer did not seem to be enthralled by this remake of an old television show he seemed to enjoy, many other viewers have shared an opposite opinion.
Ginny and Georgia (Season 2)
Ginny and Georgia has been a hit amongst teenagers across the U.S. since its primary release on Feb. 24, 2021. Now, almost two years later, Netflix has finally released season two. Kristen Maldonado, a critic on Rotten Tomatoes stated, “Ginny & Georgia season 2 was fun and has a lot of enjoyable characters, but they go a bit too far with some of the chaos at times to the point that it can be unrealistic.” It seems as if Maldonado does not share the opinion of the majority of the population, as many reviewers of the show have exclaimed that they enjoy the portrayal of real-life issues in this series. A reviewer under the name of Cynthia S. commented, “Extremely entertaining as well as informative and thought-provoking about the trials and tribulations of young adults.” It goes without saying, Netflix has outdone itself with the second season just as much as the first, and many reviewers are awaiting the release of season three, which is planning to make its debut in early 2024.
Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope, created by Eric Garcia and Brad Carpenter was released on the first day of the new year. It is the story following an eight-part series of non-chronological events in which a master thief and his crew plan a major heist worth millions of dollars just before their plans are interrupted by their own betrayal and greed. The show received a 50 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 6.7/10 on IMDb. Critic Kristen Maldonado says, “Kaleidoscope wastes its opportunity to innovate and delivers a basic heist story that feels unoriginal and lazy.” Another critic seems to have a similar take from the premiere, as Wenlei Ma claims, “While the format has promise, the idea and the material was a poor match. Maybe someone else can come along and do better with it.” The audience, apart from the critics, didn’t have much else positive to mention about the show, therefore leaving much room for improvement in future seasons. Based on the reviews of Netflix’s audience and critics, maybe it’s better if we all sat this one out.
Once again, Netflix has created a plethora of television shows that will reel you in and leave you wanting more. While critic reviews are usually reliable, sometimes you just have to watch the series and decide for yourself whether it’s worth another season. Stay tuned into Netflix’s social media for announcements on when the next newest television shows are going to be premiering along with new seasons of your favorite shows.
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