That '70s Show

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That '70s Show
That '70s Show (Carsey-Werner Television) logo.svg
Genre
Created by
Directed by
Starring
Theme music composer
Opening theme
Composer
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons8
No. of episodes200 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
CinematographyRonald W. Browne
EditorsTimothy Ryder
David Helfand
Michael Karlich
Running time22 minutes
Production company The Carsey-Werner Company
Original release
Network Fox
ReleaseAugust 23, 1998 (1998-08-23) 
May 18, 2006 (2006-05-18)
Related

That '70s Show is an American television teen sitcom that aired on Fox from August 23, 1998, to May 18, 2006. The series focuses on the lives of a group of six teenage friends living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from 1976 to 1979. [1] The ensemble cast features Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderrama, Lisa Robin Kelly, Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith, Don Stark, Tommy Chong, and Tanya Roberts.

Contents

In 1999, the show was remade for the ITV network in the United Kingdom as Days Like These using almost verbatim scripts with minor changes to cultural references. [2] A sequel series, That '90s Show , set in 1995 and focusing on the children of the main characters of the original show, was released on Netflix from 2023 to 2024.

Premise

The Circle illustrated the teens' marijuana use, usually in Eric's basement. The image is of the final scene of the series. 70sFinaleCircle.png
The Circle illustrated the teens' marijuana use, usually in Eric's basement. The image is of the final scene of the series.

Setting and timeline

The show was set in May 1976 in the August 23, 1998 premiere. After 12 episodes, the series transitioned to 1977. The 23rd episode, "Grandma's Dead", was also set in 1976, because it was the 12th episode that was produced, and was originally, going to air earlier in the debut season. The show remained in 1977 for the next two seasons. Near the end of the third season, the series transitioned to 1978 until early in the sixth season. The remaining episodes took place in 1979, and the series finale abruptly ends during a New Year's Eve party as the characters reach "one" during a countdown to January 1, 1980. [3] After the credits roll, the license plate from Eric's Vista Cruiser is shown with the year "80", indicating that the 1980s have begun.[ citation needed ]

The series has gained some notoriety due to perceived continuity errors present in its timeline. Although it is implied that one year passes in congruence with each season of the series, the characters remain of high school age from the beginning of the series until the conclusion of season five. Additionally, characters can be seen listening to albums that would have not yet been released at the time of the episode's setting. [4]

Themes and references

The show is a 1970s nostalgia sitcom. [5] The show addressed numerous social issues of the 1970s such as sexual attitudes of the era, generational conflict, the economic hardships of the 1970s recession, mistrust of the American government by blue-collar workers, and underage drinking/drug use. The series also highlighted developments in fashion trends, [6] the entertainment industry, including the television remote ("the clicker"), reruns, VCRs, and cable TV; the video games Pong and Space Invaders ; the cassette tape and Disco; MAD magazine; and Eric's obsession with Star Wars , which came out in 1977. [7] The show has been compared to Happy Days , which was similarly set 20 years before the time in which it aired. [8] Many of the show's episodes featured Eric and the rest of the kids in or around Eric's "Aztec Gold" 1969 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, handed down to Eric by Red in the pilot episode (after Red begrudgingly buys a 1976 Toyota Corolla, a more economical car).[ citation needed ]

The series also contains references to the popular music of the 1970s, such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, KISS, The Grateful Dead, and The Steve Miller Band. Additionally, the series featured cameos from prominent rock musicians such as Nugent himself, as well as Roger Daltrey of the Who. [9]

Running gags and catchphrases

In one of the show's major running gags, Red often threatens to punish Eric with many variations of the catchphrase, "my foot in your ass" or more generally "kicking your ass." [10]

Some other notable running gags and catchphrases are:

Format

That 70's Show featured a multi-camera setup and was filmed before a live studio audience with canned laughter. In "The Circle," a group of characters, usually the teenagers, sit in a circle (generally in Eric's basement, though occasionally elsewhere), as the camera pans, stopping at each character as they speak. It was usually apparent that the characters are under the influence of marijuana. Thick clouds of smoke, frequent coughing and an extreme wide-angle lens added to the "drug-induced" feel, although the audience never saw anyone actually smoking the drug. Also, no visible drug-related paraphernalia were seen, such as bongs or rolling papers. Characters never spoke the word "marijuana" while in The Circle (except in one episode, "Reefer Madness"), often referring to it as "stuff" or a "stash". In the episode "Bye-Bye Basement", Theo (Leo's cousin) refers to "weed"; in "The Relapse", Kelso tells Fez that the concrete wall behind the gym is used mostly for "smoking weed and beating up freshmen;" in "Ski Trip" Kitty asks Eric why he is taking so much oregano to Jackie's ski lodge; in "Eric's Burger Job", Kelso blames his "roach clip" when the water bed on which he is sitting at a party deflates; in two episodes ("That Wrestling Show" and "Hyde Moves In"), Eric and Hyde can be seen wearing shirts with the words "Cannabis sativa" written on a Campbell's soup can; and in "The Pill", Red, referring to Kelso, exclaims, "That kid's on dope!" A gimmick related to the circle and the marijuana smoking was Eric watching the kitchen wall moving erratically, although this technique was also used to show that Eric was drunk.[ citation needed ]

As the series progressed, The Circle became one of the series' recurring features. The only four episodes where the whole gang is in The Circle are "Class Picture", "I'm A Boy", "Substitute", and in the series finale. During the eighth and final season, The Circle (sans the smoke) replaced the Formans' Vista Cruiser as the setting of the opening credits.[ citation needed ]

Beginning with season 5, each episode in the series is named after a song by a rock band that was famous in the 1970s: Led Zeppelin (season 5), The Who (season 6), The Rolling Stones (season 7), and Queen (season 8, except for the finale, titled "That '70s Finale"). [20]

For the first seven seasons of the show, the show's introduction showed the cast inside the Vista Cruiser. [21] The particular station wagon was ultimately bought by Wilmer Valderrama at the show's conclusion from Carsey-Werner for "no more than" $500. [21]

Production

The working titles for the show were:

Requests to use the titles of songs by The Who were rejected, and though Feelin' All Right was used as the title of the show during its upfront presentation, Fox later decided it would not be memorable enough. Bonnie Turner proposed simply calling it That '70s Show, predicting that audiences would merely refer to it by its setting anyway. [22]

Mila Kunis lied about her age to get her role as Jackie Burkhart in the series. She was 14 years old, though the show required its actors to be 18. [23]

Eric Forman was written out of the series at the end of the seventh season, as Topher Grace wanted to move on with his career. [24] Ashton Kutcher switched to a recurring guest role when he also chose to depart following the seventh season. [24] However, Kelso had not been written out yet, so to give better closure to the character, Kutcher appeared in the first four episodes of the eighth season (credited as a special guest star). Wilmer Valderrama recalled: "When they made the decision — which was completely, 100 percent fine, because after eight years I think it's OK to say you want out — we looked at it and said, 'Do we still have a show?' And it's such an amazing ensemble. Every single one of us has our character down, so we knew there were a lot of lines to explore." [25]

Both Grace and Kutcher returned for the series finale, although the former was uncredited. Tommy Chong (who began reappearing by late season 7 after a long absence) became a regular again to help fill Kelso's role as the dimwit of the group. Eric was supposed to be replaced by his new friend Charlie, played by Bret Harrison, as an "innocent character", who proved fairly popular with audiences, but the character was killed off after Harrison was offered a lead role in the series The Loop . [26]

Another new character named Randy Pearson, played by Josh Meyers (brother of Late Night host Seth Meyers), was introduced to take the place of both Eric and, to a lesser extent, Charlie. [27] Another new character, Samantha, a stripper played by Jud Tylor, was added as Hyde's wife for nine episodes. The location of the show's introductory theme song was changed from the Vista Cruiser to the circle.[ citation needed ]

The eighth season was announced as the final season of the show on January 17, 2006, [28] and "That '70s Finale" was filmed a month later on February 17, 2006, first airing on May 18, 2006. [29]

Cast

Young cast

Older cast

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
1 25August 23, 1998 (1998-08-23)July 26, 1999 (1999-07-26)
2 26September 28, 1999 (1999-09-28)May 22, 2000 (2000-05-22)
3 25October 3, 2000 (2000-10-03)May 22, 2001 (2001-05-22)
4 27September 25, 2001 (2001-09-25)May 21, 2002 (2002-05-21)
5 25September 17, 2002 (2002-09-17)May 14, 2003 (2003-05-14)
6 25October 29, 2003 (2003-10-29)May 19, 2004 (2004-05-19)
7 25September 8, 2004 (2004-09-08)May 18, 2005 (2005-05-18)
8 22November 2, 2005 (2005-11-02)May 18, 2006 (2006-05-18)

In other media

Home media and streaming

That '70s Show was released on DVD in Regions 1, 2 and 4 by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment at an increment of two seasons per year between 2004 and 2008 and a complete series release on October 14, 2008. Mill Creek Entertainment released all eight seasons between 20112013 and released a complete series set on May 14, 2013.

On March 6, 2012, Mill Creek released the first season on Blu-ray and season two on October 16, 2012. On November 3, 2015, Mill Creek Entertainment released That '70s Show The Complete Series on Blu-ray 1080p, featuring all 200 episodes from the series, presented digitally remastered in High Definition from the original film negatives for optimum sound and video quality and for superior home entertainment Blu-ray presentation with remastered 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound and 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. [32]

In 2019, Rupert Murdoch sold most of 21st Century Fox's film and television assets to Disney, but That '70s Show was not included as part of the sale, as the show's underlying rights were with production company Carsey-Werner. That same year, a sublicensing deal for the show with streamer Netflix ended in the United States, with the deal ending globally in 2020. [33] In 2022, Carsey-Werner sublicensed it to NBCUniversal's streaming service Peacock. [33]

Soundtracks

Several prominent songs from the decade can be heard on the series, and two soundtracks were released in 1999. The first is a collection of funk, soul, and disco, called That '70s Album (Jammin'). The second is a collection of album-oriented rock songs, called That '70s Album (Rockin'). AllMusic gave both albums 3 out of 5 stars in their reviews. [34] [35]

Remake

Days Like These

That '80s Show

That '90s Show

Netflix produced a spin-off of the series, titled That '90s Show, with Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp reprising their roles as Red and Kitty Forman, respectively. It premiered on Netflix on January 19, 2023 [36] and ran for two seasons before being cancelled in October 2024. Like the original series, it was again produced by The Carsey-Werner Company, with Gregg Mettler serving as showrunner and Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, their daughter Lindsay Turner, Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, Smith and Rupp as executive producers. [37] Topher Grace (Eric Forman), Mila Kunis (Jackie Burkhart), Ashton Kutcher (Michael Kelso), Laura Prepon (Donna Pinciotti), Wilmer Valderrama (Fez), Tommy Chong (Leo), Don Stark (Bob Pinciotti), Jim Rash (Fenton) and Seth Green (Mitch Miller), reprised their roles as guest stars in the series. [38]

Reception

American ratings

That '70s Show's eight seasons, consisting of 200 episodes, made it Fox's second-longest-running live-action sitcom ever behind Married... with Children , though it[ which? ] did not have the same ratings success, despite surviving cancellation.

SeasonEpisodesTimeslotPremiereSeason finaleRankViewers
(in millions)
1 1998–1999 25Sunday 8:30 PM (1998–1999)
Monday 8:00 PM (1999)
August 23, 1998July 26, 199911.7
2 1999–2000 26Tuesday 8:30 PM (1999–2000)
Tuesday 8:00 PM (2000)
Monday 8:00 PM (2000)
September 28, 1999May 22, 200086 [39] 9.0
3 2000–2001 25Tuesday 8:00 PMOctober 3, 2000May 22, 200110.8
4 2001–2002 27September 25, 2001May 21, 200267 [40] 9.1
5 2002–2003 25Tuesday 8:00 PM (2002)
Wednesday 8:00 PM (2003)
September 17, 2002May 14, 200352 [41] 10.4
6 2003–2004 25Wednesday 8:00 PMOctober 29, 2003May 19, 200449 [42] 10.0
7 2004–2005 25September 8, 2004May 18, 200585 [43] 7.0
8 2005–2006 22Wednesday 8:00 PM (2005)
Thursday 8:00 PM (2006)
November 2, 2005May 18, 2006103 [44] 5.8

Awards

Over the course of its run, the series was nominated for a substantial number of awards, including 16 Primetime Emmy Awards. The only win for the series at this event came in 1999, when Melina Root was awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series for "That Disco Episode". Additionally, the show was nominated for a large number of Teen Choice Awards, with both Ashton Kutcher and Wilmer Valderrama winning on three occasions.

Legacy

In August 2009, the show's Vista Cruiser was named third-greatest television car ever by MSN Autos. [45]

References

  1. "That '70s Finale". That '70s Show. Season 8. Episode 22. May 18, 2006. 21:20 minutes in. FOX.
  2. "From Tube to Telly, the Exchange Is Pop Culture". Los Angeles Times. April 5, 1999. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  3. Callaway, Kutter; Batali, Dean (November 15, 2016). Watching TV Religiously (Engaging Culture): Television and Theology in Dialogue. Baker Academic. ISBN   9781493405855.
  4. Shaw, Angel (April 29, 2023). "That '70s Show Theory Finally Explains Those Timeline Issues". ScreenRant. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  5. Matthew Gilbert. Fox show grooves on '70s nostalgia. The Boston Globe. 22 August 1998. p 32.
  6. "1970-1979 | Fashion History Timeline". fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  7. "13 Times That '70s Show Tackled History". IFC. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  8. Hochman, David (February 12, 2006). "Even Those 70's Kids Should Have Seen It Coming". The New York Times. Like 'Happy Days', 'That 70's Show' blends smart comedy with light social commentary.
  9. Robert, Pierre (January 17, 2023). "10 Memorable Classic Rock References in "That '70s Show"". 93.3 WMMR. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  10. Adams, Erik (July 30, 2014). "That '70s Show took TV adolescence down into the basement (where it belongs)". TV Club. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  11. Carter, Brooke (February 13, 2017). "What Happened to Wilmer Valderrama – 2017 Update – The Gazette Review". The Gazette Review. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  12. "Frequently Asked Questions". That70sShow.com. Carsey-Werner LLC. 2004. Archived from the original on February 6, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2009.
  13. Barlow, Helen (January 3, 2007). "Charmer out of the '70s". Herald Sun. Melbourne. Retrieved April 17, 2009.
  14. "10 Running Gags From Your Favorite 90s TV Shows". EMGN. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  15. "15 Weirdest Running Jokes You Didn't Notice In Favorite TV Shows". Screen Rant. December 15, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  16. Erickson, Emily; Sloan, William David (February 1, 2004). Contemporary Media Issues. Vision Press. ISBN   9781885219237.
  17. "10 of TV's Most Memorable Weed-Based Episodes". Splitsider. April 7, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  18. "That '70s Show Episode Synopses". www.carseywerner.net. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  19. "That '70s Show S2E12 – English Transcript". Readable. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  20. "From 'Grey's Anatomy' to 'Supernatural': TV shows that used song titles for episode names". Yahoo. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  21. 1 2 That 70s Show wrap party Access Hollywood official on YouTube
  22. "From 'Lost' to 'Friends,' the Strange Art of Picking a TV Title". The Hollywood Reporter . March 6, 2012.
  23. Goodwillie, Ian (October 20, 2019). "10 Signs You Know Way Too Much About That '70s Show". WhatCulture.com. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  24. 1 2 Bernhard, Lisa (May 18, 2008). "Ashton, Topher Departing 'That '70s Show'". Entertainment. Fox News. Archived from the original on February 6, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  25. Boyle, Michael (January 20, 2025). "Why Did Topher Grace Leave That '70s Show?". SlashFilm. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  26. DVD commentary of episode 25 of season 7 by director Trainer.
  27. Tribune Media Service (November 30, 2005). "Celebrity Spotlight". Observer-Reporter. Washington, PA. p. C6. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  28. "That '70s Show Says Goodbye to an Era with the 200th Episode and Series Finale This May on FOX". TheFutonCritic. Retrieved January 17, 2006.
  29. "That '70s Show Episode Guide". That'70sCentral. Archived from the original on February 17, 2006. Retrieved February 17, 2006.
  30. 1 2 Barash, Susan Shapiro (March 6, 2007). Tripping the Prom Queen: The Truth About Women and Rivalry. Macmillan. ISBN   9780312334321.
  31. Smith, Laura (March 28, 2014). "Tomboy Chic: That 70s Show's Donna Pinciotti". Hollywood.com. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  32. "Mill Creek Entertainment: News – THAT '70s SHOW COMPLETE SERIES ON BLU-RAY NOVEMBER 3!". Mill Creek Entertainment. August 17, 2015. Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  33. 1 2 "'That 70s Show' Returns to Streaming But Not At Netflix". What's on Netflix. August 26, 2022.
  34. Boldman, Gina. "That '70s Show Presents That '70s Album: Jammin'". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  35. Boldman, Gina. "That '70s Show Presents That '70s Album: Rockin'". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  36. Schneider, Michael (November 29, 2022). "'That 90s Show' Sets Netflix Premiere Date, Producers Break Down the Creation of 'That '70s Show' Sequel (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
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  40. "How did your favorite show rate?". USA Today. May 28, 2002. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
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  42. "ABC Medianet". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
  43. "Final 2004–05 TV Ratings Now Out".
  44. "Alias Community".
  45. Tate, James. "MSN Autos list of 'Ten Greatest Cars On Television – Ever!'". Editorial.autos.msn.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2010.