That '70s Show

Infobox Television
show_name = That '70s Show


caption 2 = "That '70s Show" logo
format = Sitcom
runtime = 22 minutes (approximate)
location = Point Place, Wisconsin
creator = Mark Brazill
Bonnie Turner
Terry Turner
starring = Topher Grace (1998–2005)
Mila Kunis
Ashton Kutcher (1998–2005)
Danny Masterson
Laura Prepon
Wilmer Valderrama
Debra Jo Rupp
Kurtwood Smith
Tanya Roberts (1998–2001)
Don Stark
Lisa Robin Kelly (1998–2001)
Tommy Chong (2001–2002, 2005–2006)
Josh Meyers (2005–2006)
opentheme = "In the Street" performed by Cheap Trick & Ben Vaughn, written by Alex Chilton and Chris Bell
country = USA
network = FOX
picture_format = NTSC (480i)
audio_format = Stereo
first_aired = August 23, 1998
last_aired = May 18, 2006
num_seasons = 8
num_episodes = 200
list_episodes = List of That '70s Show episodes
website = http://www.that70sshow.com
imdb_id = 0165598
tv_com_id = 246

"That '70s Show" is an American television sitcom that centered on the lives of a group of teenagers living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976 to December 31, 1979. It debuted on the FOX TV network on August 23, 1998 and its final episode aired May 18, 2006. "That '70s Show" was a launching pad for the film careers of some of its stars, who were mostly unknown at the time they were cast.

Currently, the show remains syndicated around the world, and is shown on four channels (FX, ABC Family, The N and in syndication on local channels).

eries overview

History

"That '70s Show" is the brainchild of "3rd Rock From the Sun" creators Bonnie and Terry Turner and writer Mark Brazill. The working title for the series was "Teenage Wasteland"; other names considered were "The Kids Are Alright", "Feelin' All Right", and "Reeling in the Years", all of which are lines from popular songs of the period.

The series was commissioned by the Fox Network, and the first season premiered on August 23, 1998, with an initial order of 22 episodes (extended to 25 on January 12, 1999).cite web|url=http://www.that70sshow.com/index_news.htm|title=The FOX Network has ordered an additional 3 episodes of "That '70s Show" to bring the 1998/1999 season order to 25|work=That'70sShow|accessdate=1999-01-12] The series did well, rating highly among several target demographics, including adults aged 18-49, as well as teenage viewers. In February 1999, Fox ordered a second season, and as ratings rose the following September, the network opted to renew the series for two more seasons, bringing the total to four. Continuing success saw changing time slots (Sundays to Mondays to Tuesdays to Wednesdays to Thursdays), as well as four additional seasons.

The eighth season was announced to be the final season of the show on January 17, 2006, [cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20060117fox02|title="THAT '70S SHOW" SAYS GOODBYE TO AN ERA WITH THE 200TH EPISODE AND SERIES FINALE THIS MAY ON FOX|work=TheFutonCritic|accessdate=2006-01-17] and the final episode was filmed a month later, on February 17, 2006. [cite web|url=http://that70scentral.com/guide.php|title=That '70s Show Episode Guide|work=That'70sCentral|accessdate=2006-02-17] "That '70s Finale" originally aired on May 18, 2006.

Characters

Set in the United States "That '70s Show" depicts the life of teenager Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and his five teenage friends: Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), next-door neighbor; Steven Hyde (Danny Masterson), a rebellious drug user who eventually moved in with the Formans; Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), a dim-witted ; Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis), a self-involved high school cheerleader overly preoccupied with wealth and status; and Fez (That '70s Show)Fez (an acronym that stands for Foreign Exchange Student played by Wilmer Valderrama (presumably somewhere in Latin America) that is never identified.

Relationships among the teens are explored, the primary focus being between Eric and Donna, who are the responsible ones, as evidenced in episodes such as "Dine and Dash." Their relationship sharply contrasts with the on-again, off-again relationship between Kelso and Jackie, who were usually portrayed as mutually obsessed despite their arguments and denials of love to spite one another. In both relationships, the couples have harsh disagreements, but come to terms with their differences. Jackie subsequently moved on to Hyde and later Fez as the series progressed.

Other main characters include Eric's overbearing Korean war veteran father, Red (Kurtwood Smith), his nice, yet overbearing mother Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp), who is struggling to be a caring mom and housewife while working as a nurse in a local hospital, and his older sister Laurie (Lisa Robin Kelly, 1998-2003 and Christina Moore, 2003-2004), whose promiscuity is the butt of many jokes by the teenagers but does not deter Kelso from making moves on her. The show also depicts the relationship of Midge and Bob Pinciotti (Tanya Roberts and Don Stark), Donna's dim-witted parents, both of whom are easily influenced by the 1970s movements and fads, which places occasional stress on their marriage. Tommy Chong appeared as a frequently recurring character, Leo, the aging hippie owner of the Fotohut.

Eric Forman and Michael Kelso were written out of the series after the seventh season, as actors Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher were to star in movies to be filmed during the eighth season. (Grace in "Spider-Man 3" and Kutcher in "The Guardian"). Kelso appears in the first four episodes of the eighth season (with Kutcher credited as a special guest star) before moving to Chicago. Longtime character Leo returned with a more prominent role to help fill the gap. Eric Forman was originally supposed to be replaced by his new friend Charlie, played by Bret Harrison, but the character was killed off after the actor was offered a lead role for the show Reaper. A new character named Randy Pearson, played by Josh Meyers, was introduced to take Eric Forman's place. Another new character, Samantha, played by Judy Tylor, was added to the cast as Hyde's wife for nine episodes, but both she and Meyers had their roles minimalized following a negative response from the fans over the season's new characters.Both Eric and Kelso returned for the series' final episode. The location of the show's introduction was also changed from Eric's 1969 to the "Circle."

Cast

DVD releases

Production team

* Mark Brazill - Creator/Executive producer
* Bonnie Turner - Creator/Executive producer
* Bonnie and Terry Turner - Creator/Executive producer
* Marcy Carsey - Executive producer (Carsey-Werner Productions)
* Jackie Filgo - Executive producer
* Jeff Filgo - Executive producer
* Caryn Mandabach - Executive producer
* Tom Werner - Executive producer (Carsey-Werner Productions)
* Ben Vaughn - Composer
* Jeff Sudakin - Co-composer (season 2-4)
* David Trainer - Director

ee also

* List of "That '70s Show" episodes
* List of recurring characters of "That '70s Show"
* Point Place
* "Days Like These"
* "That '80s Show"

References

External links

* [http://www.that70sshow.com/ Official website]
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* [http://that70sshow.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page The "That '70s Show" Wiki] - known as "Groovypedia"