That '70s Show

*This series has its own wiki: That '70s Wiki*

## Chronology

***That '70s Show*** is an American television period sitcom that aired on Fox from August 23, 1998, to May 18, 2006. The series focuses on the lives of The Gang living in Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979. The main teenage cast members was headed by Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderrama, and Lisa Robin Kelly. The main adult cast members were Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith, Don Stark, Tommy Chong, and Tanya Roberts.

## Cast

* Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart
* Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso
* Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde
* Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti
* Wilmer Valderrama as Fez
* Josh Meyers as Randy Pearson (season 8)
* Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman
* Lisa Robin Kelly (seasons 2–3; recurring season 1; special appearance season 5) and Christina Moore (recurring season 6) as Laurie Forman
* Tanya Roberts as Midge Pinciotti
* Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti
* Tommy Chong as Leo Chingkwake

## 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 supposed to be the season finale of season 1. 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. After the credits roll, the license plate from Eric's Vista Cruiser is shown with the year "80", indicating that the 1980s have begun.

## Production notes

### Title

The working titles for the show were:

* *Teenage Wasteland* (named after the lyric from "Baba O'Riley" by The Who)
* *The Kids Are Alright* (named after "The Kids Are Alright" by The Who)
* *Feelin' All Right* (a Traffic & Joe Cocker song)
* *Reeling in the Years* (named after Reelin' in the Years by Steely Dan)

However, due to song-rights refusals (including The Who's Pete Townshend) and Fox Network's deeming *Feelin' All Right* less than memorable, co-creator Bonnie Turner suggested that the show should be titled *That '70s Show*, after hearing an audience member saying "I loved that show about the '70s." It was at that point where it ultimately became the official title for the show.

### Elements of the show

#### The Circle

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 plant. Also, no visible cannabis-related paraphernalia were seen, such as bongs or joint 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 pops on which he is sitting at a party; 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.

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 smoke replaced the Vista Cruiser as the setting of the opening credits.

#### The Vista Cruiser

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. For the first seven seasons of the show, the show's introduction showed the cast inside the Vista Cruiser. The particular station wagon was bought by Wilmer Valderrama at the show's conclusion from Carsey-Werner for "no more than" US$500. In August 2009, the show's Vista Cruiser was named third-greatest television car ever by MSN Autos.

#### 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." For example, in "Kitty and Eric's Night Out", Red mistakenly thinks Eric offended Kitty, so Red says, "I swear I'll kick his ass!" In "Eric's Hot Cousin", Eric tries to get out of something by claiming he's sleepwalking and Red says, "And I'm about to be sleep-kicking your ass", and, in "Prank Day", when Red gets covered in oatmeal, Eric tries to explain that it was just a prank that had gone "horribly, horribly wrong" Red says, "Well, I have a prank, too. One where my foot *doesn't* plow through your ass. Let's hope it doesn't go horribly, horribly wrong!" Several of the running gags were shown in edited clips for the series finale.

Some other notable running gags and catchphrases are:

* Fez's country of origin is never revealed. Sometimes, Fez is about to disclose where he is from, or at least hint at it, but something happens to prevent him from doing so, like someone entering the room as seen in "Stolen Car", or Fez rambling in "Love of My Life".
	+ Fez's real name was also never revealed. Even Fez stood for FES, Foreign Exchange Student. Red often calls Fez by some exotic foreign names when he is speaking directly to him, including Tarzan.
* Someone, usually Kelso, falls off the Water Tower. Charlie is the only one to fall off and die from the tower in "Bohemian Rhapsody" due to him having weak endurance.
* Kelso yells "Ow, my eye!" when Hyde rough-houses with him. For example, in the episode "Class Picture", a series of flashbacks feature Hyde beating up Kelso. While the two are out of the immediate sight of the audience, Kelso yells, "Ow, my eye!" and the scene cuts to the next flashback. This gag is repeated several times throughout the series, although the only time Kelso appears with an injured eye is in "Jackie's Cheese Squeeze" after he was punched by Todd, Jackie's manager. On that occasion, Kelso did not yell, "Ow, my eye!"
* Fez's sex life or usually lack thereof. Often Fez accidentally reveals some perverse behavior he performed, like hiding in Donna's room.
* The best thing to do or the best solution can be found by "The Circle", sometimes from the Circle, Hyde will start to talk about a car that runs on water or conspiracies towards the Government.
* Eric's attempted "secret" money stash locations are known by everyone, such as the Candy Land box.

## Spin-offs

### *That '80s Show*

*That '80s Show* was a similar decade-based show which, despite having a similar name, show structure, and many of the same writers and production staff, was not a direct spin-off, with the characters and story lines never crossing paths. It was created because of the show's popularity at the time.

### *That '90s Show*

Main article: That '90s Show
In October 2021, Netflix announced 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 will be 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. In May 2022, Netflix announced that Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon and Wilmer Valderrama who played Eric Forman, Jackie Burkhart, Michael Kelso, Donna Pinciotti and Fez, respectively will appear as guests in the new series. In November 2022, it was revealed that the series would premiere on January 19, 2023 on Netflix.

## Gallery

### Videos

Every That '70s Show Intro (Seasons 1-8, Halloween, Christmas)
## References

1. ↑ "That '70s Finale"
2. ↑ Watching TV Religiously (Engaging Culture): Television and Theology in Dialogue
3. ↑ From 'Lost' to 'Friends,' the Strange Art of Picking a TV Title
4. ↑ MSN Autos list of 'Ten Greatest Cars On Television – Ever!'
5. ↑ That '70s Show took TV adolescence down into the basement (where it belongs)
6. ↑ What Happened to Wilmer Valderrama – 2017 Update – The Gazette Review
7. ↑ FAQ
8. ↑ Charmer out of the '70s
9. ↑ Running Gags From Your Favorite 90s TV Shows
10. ↑ Weirdest Running Jokes You Didn't Notice In Favorite TV Shows
11. ↑ Contemporary Media Issues
12. ↑ 10 of TV's Most Memorable Weed-Based Episodes
13. ↑ That '70s Show Episode Synopses
14. ↑ That '70s Show S2E12 – English Transcript
15. ↑ That '70s Show' Spinoff 'That '90s Show' With Kurtwood Smith & Debra Jo Rupp Ordered By Netflix
16. ↑ ‘That ’90s Show’: Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon & Wilmer Valderrama Set To Reprise ‘That ’70s Show’ Roles In Netflix Spinoff
17. ↑ ‘That ’90s Show’ Gets Netflix Premiere Date; Red & Kitty Return To Point Place In First-Look Teaser