Debra Jo Rupp Did Her Best To Preserve That '70s Show's Set

Out of everything that could have been brought back for "That '90s Show," Debra Jo Rupp's infamous persona from the predecessor, Kitty Forman, was arguably one of the best possible choices. The Netflix series was fortunate that the actress had already taken surprising steps to maintain the memory of "That '70s Show" once it concluded.  

The actress has appeared in some minor parts in several programs throughout her career, including legendary small-screen heavy hitters like "Seinfeld" and "Friends." But while her filmography has an extensive amount of credits, the time she spent on "That '70s Show" will probably be forever revered by many as one of her absolute best achievements in television. After starring in 200 entries of the comedy that ended in 2006, Debra Jo Rupp would go on to be seen in movies like "She's Out of My League" and even join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Disney+ series "WandaVision." The actress may have been done playing Kitty Forman for the foreseeable future, but streaming powerhouse Netflix had other plans. A sequel set of entries was ordered, and Debra Jo Rupp would return to play the fan-favorite personality again in "That '90s Show". 

The actress and everyone else involved had the difficult task of recreating Point Place, Wisconsin, for the '90s. In order to maintain the authenticity of the Forman household, the production needed all the help they could get to accomplish such an ambitious goal. Luckily, Debra Jo Rupp had some things lying around that would help give the Netflix show a hint of "That '70s Show" nostalgia. 

Mrs. Forman is good at a lot of things, especially when it comes to making her house feel like a home, not just for everyone on the show, but for everyone watching as well. When it came time to put the final touches on the set of "That '90s Show," according to Kurtwood Smith — the actor that plays Kitty's Husband, Red Forman — a few things were added to honor the legacy of "That '70s Show," "There were some things that were kept from the original set," Smith said in an interview with the New York Post. "Debra Jo had probably three-quarters of what was in [Red and Kitty's] kitchen in her house in Massachusetts and had to send it all back. Most of it is rebuilt but, boy, you can't tell. I walked onto the set and it was like coming home."

It's funny to think that certain pieces of the old set will also be making a comeback on the streamer along with Smith and Rupp so many years later. Exactly what Rupp snagged from the show is information she's keeping to herself, but while promoting the Netflix series, she told US Magazine, "I took the cheese grater lights from the kitchen and the purple grapes from the coffee table as keepsakes from the 'That '70s Show set.'"

Kitty keeping all of those commemorative keepsakes turned out to be a blessing for the franchise in the long run, helping the next installment live up to the expectations of longtime fans, and properly introducing newcomers to the experience of comically reminiscing about a simpler time.