I saw this tonight and laughed, but it wasn't as funny as some other recent parody shows like Silence! or The Divine Sister.
I was talking with my friend afterward about the true meaning of parody and we both thought that this really fit the definition; it was more of a nostalgic trip with a few knowing winks thrown in. The original material itself is basically a parody of teen high school life so all they needed to do was present the set-ups in a slightly exaggerated form rather than truly parody the material. Jessie being addicted to caffeine pills doesn't need to be parodied- it's already funny.
It might seem like a minor matter of semantics, but basically the upshot is that there will be little enjoyment to glean from this show if you weren't/aren't a moderately hardcore fan of the show.
I grew up on these episodes and got a kick being reminded of some of the hijinks these kids got up to. Yes the caffeine plotline plays a major role, and the actress playing Jessie has Berkley down. The guy playing Slater is pretty great too (and VERY hot).
I do have to be critical about the Malibu beach resort sequence because they called these episodes the SH*Ttiest ones! I loved those episodes and remember them quite fondly. Anyone with me on this?!
The costumes were great, but the sound sucked. I'd give it a few more performances before attending so they can get the sound issues sorted out.
The biggest disappointment was the score. The lyrics were often hard to hear, but the ones I did catch weren't all that funny or clever. The tunes were alright, but nothing too catchy.
I guess I was mixed about it all, but did have enough fun to recommend it to big fans of the show.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!