That '70s Show

Did You Know?

• That '70s Show was released on DVD in Regions 1, 2 and 4 by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment between 2004 and 2008, with a complete series release on October 14, 2008.
• The series was nominated for 16 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning once in 1999 for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series for "That Disco Episode."

Premise

The show began in May 1976 in its premiere episode, then moved to 1977 after twelve episodes. The episode "Grandma's Dead" was set in 1976 because it was the twelfth produced and originally intended to air earlier. The series stayed in 1977 for the next two seasons, transitioned to 1978 near the end of the third season, and remained there until early in the sixth season. The remaining episodes took place in 1979, and the series finale ends during a New Year's Eve countdown to January 1, 1980; after the credits, the license plate from Eric's Vista Cruiser shows the year "80," indicating the 1980s have begun. The timeline has drawn attention for continuity errors: although one year per season is implied, the characters stay high school age through season five, and characters sometimes listen to albums not yet released at the episode's setting. The series addressed 1970s social issues such as sexual attitudes, generational conflict, economic hardship, mistrust of government, and underage drinking and drug use. It also highlighted developments in fashion, entertainment (including the remote control, reruns, VCRs, cable TV, Pong, Space Invaders, cassette tapes, disco, and MAD magazine), and Eric's obsession with Star Wars. The show has been compared to Happy Days, which was similarly set twenty years before its air date. Many episodes feature the characters around Eric's "Aztec Gold" 1969 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, given to him by Red after Red bought a 1976 Toyota Corolla. The Green Bay Packers appear frequently through jerseys and paraphernalia; in the season 7 episode "Street Fighting Man," the gang attends a Packers game at Lambeau Field, and in the finale Red receives season tickets from Hyde.

Format

That '70s Show used a multi-camera setup filmed before a live studio audience with canned laughter. A recurring feature called "The Circle" shows a group of characters, usually the teenagers, sitting in a circle (typically in Eric's basement) as the camera pans to each speaking character. The scene implies the characters are under the influence of marijuana, with thick smoke, frequent coughing, and an extreme wide-angle lens, though no one is seen smoking and no drug paraphernalia appears. Characters never say "marijuana" in the circle except in the episode "Reefer Madness," instead using terms like "stuff" or "stash." In "Bye-Bye Basement," Theo refers to "weed"; in "The Relapse," Kelso mentions "smoking weed"; in "Ski Trip," Kitty asks Eric why he is taking so much oregano; in "Eric's Burger Job," Kelso blames his "roach clip"; in two episodes, Eric and Hyde wear shirts with "Cannabis sativa" on a Campbell's soup can; and in "The Pill," Red exclaims, "That kid's on dope!" A gimmick related to the circle is Eric watching the kitchen wall move erratically, also used to show drunkenness. The circle became a recurring feature; the only four episodes with the whole gang in the circle are "Class Picture," "I'm A Boy," "Substitute," and the series finale. In season 8, the circle (without smoke) replaced the Vista Cruiser as the opening credits setting. Starting with season 5, each episode is named after a song by a 1970s rock band: Led Zeppelin (season 5), The Who (season 6), The Rolling Stones (season 7), and Queen (season 8, except the finale titled "That '70s Finale"). For the first seven seasons, the introduction showed the cast inside the Vista Cruiser, which Wilmer Valderrama bought at the show's conclusion for "no more than" an undisclosed amount.

Production

Working titles for the show included Teenage Wasteland, The Kids Are Alright, Feelin' All Right, and Reeling in the Years. Requests to use titles by The Who were rejected, and though Feelin' All Right was used during the upfront presentation, Fox decided it was not memorable enough. Bonnie Turner proposed calling it That '70s Show, predicting audiences would refer to it by its setting. Mila Kunis lied about her age to get the role of Jackie Burkhart; she was 14, though the show required actors to be 18. Eric Forman was written out at the end of season 7 because Topher Grace wanted to move on. Ashton Kutcher switched to a recurring guest role after season 7, appearing in the first four episodes of season 8 as a special guest star to give closure to Kelso. Wilmer Valderrama said the decision to leave was fine after eight years and that the ensemble knew their characters well. Both Grace and Kutcher returned for the series finale, though Grace was uncredited. Tommy Chong, who began reappearing in late season 7 after a long absence, became a regular to fill Kelso's role as the dimwit. Eric was to be replaced by a new friend Charlie, played by Bret Harrison, but Charlie was killed off after Harrison got a lead role in The Loop. Another new character, Randy Pearson, played by Josh Meyers, was introduced to replace both Eric and Charlie. A stripper named Samantha, played by Jud Tylor, was added as Hyde's wife for nine episodes. The opening credits location changed from the Vista Cruiser to the circle.

Cast

Topher Grace played Eric Forman (seasons 1–7; uncredited guest in season 8), the group's leader and straight man, a slender, clumsy person with a deadpan sense of humor and an obsession with Star Wars. He is in a relationship with Donna Pinciotti for seven seasons, and his father Red is often hard on him. Eric convinces his parents to let his best friend Steven Hyde move in, and he leaves at the end of season 7 to teach in Africa; he is mentioned in every episode of season 8 but does not appear until the series finale. Mila Kunis played Jacqueline "Jackie" Beulah Burkhart, the youngest member, who starts as a spoiled, selfish, immature girl but becomes more genuine after her father goes to jail. She dates three of the four male group members: Kelso, Hyde, and Fez. Ashton Kutcher played Michael Kelso (seasons 1–7; special guest in season 8), the dumb pretty boy who hopes to coast on his looks. He dates Jackie until Laurie reveals their affair, fathers a daughter named Betsy with a librarian named Brooke, becomes a police officer but is fired for incompetence, and leaves in the fourth episode of season 8 to work as a security guard at the Chicago Playboy Club. He returns for the finale.