Episode Recap That '70s Show on TV.com. Watch That '70s Show episodes, get episode information, recaps and more.
Main article: Season Episodes Originally aired First aired Last aired 25 August 23, 1998 ( 1998-08-23) July 26, 1999 ( 1999-07-26) 26 September 28, 1999 ( 1999-09-28) May 22, 2000 ( 2000-05-22) 25 October 3, 2000 ( 2000-10-03) May 22, 2001 ( 2001-05-22) 27 September 25, 2001 ( 2001-09-25) May 21, 2002 ( 2002-05-21) 25 September 17, 2002 ( 2002-09-17) May 14, 2003 ( 2003-05-14) 25 October 29, 2003 ( 2003-10-29) May 19, 2004 ( 2004-05-19) 25 September 8, 2004 ( 2004-09-08) May 18, 2005 ( 2005-05-18) 22 November 2, 2005 ( 2005-11-02) May 18, 2006 ( 2006-05-18) Timeline. This section does not any. Unsourced material may be challenged and.
(November 2013) The creators had wanted the show to have a 1970s 'feel' from the beginning, so opted to set the series later in the decade, when trends and political ideologies had become firmly established and disseminated. The idea that the duration of the series would carry sociopolitical undertones also necessitated a chain of social events which could influence the characters. Thus, 1976 was chosen, which allowed episodes set within a short time frame to address, the, the, the, and the presidencies of and, all of which were culturally influential events that occurred in the earlier years of the 1970s. The shift to 1977 during the last half of the first season also allowed the inclusion of the first movie, which premiered in May 1977. Throughout the first two seasons, episodes opened with title cards showing the season/month and year (example: Late Spring, 1977 or June 1977).
These, however, were largely abandoned after season 2, with few subsequent episodes using them. However, they were used again in the final episode, showing 'December 31, 1979 10:45 a.m.' From the premiere onward, the episode's year could be determined by the registration tags on Eric's Vista Cruiser at the end of the opening and closing credits. The final episode's closing credits showed an '80' year tag. 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. The show's unexpected longevity (it was the only series to debut on Fox in 1998 to survive cancellation) combined with the first season jump to 1977 necessitated a slow-down of the series' timeline. Over time, this proved problematic from a narrative standpoint, as nearly every year featured a Thanksgiving and/or Christmas episode, and the teen-aged actors playing high-school student characters all aged into their mid-20s by the time their characters graduated from high school after five seasons (except Mila Kunis, who was not quite 20).
As the series timeline sped up and slowed down with more rapidity near the series' climax, the timeline necessitated that several major events depicted as having occurred months apart would have in fact happened within weeks or even days of one another. The timeline issues experienced on the show were not unprecedented, as other period-specific TV series have had similar issues. Most notably, aired for 11 seasons despite the only lasting three years. Additionally, many TV series over the years that take place in the present time have characters. Eighth season and series finale The character of Eric Forman was written out of the series at the end of the, as Topher Grace wanted to move on with his career.
Ashton Kutcher switched to a recurring guest role when he also chose to depart following the seventh season. 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) and later returned for the finale. 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 originally supposed to be replaced by his new friend Charlie, played by, 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.
Another new character named Randy Pearson, played by, was introduced to take the place of both Eric and, to a lesser extent, Charlie. Another new character, Samantha, a played by, 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. Both Eric and Kelso returned for the series' final episode, although Topher Grace was uncredited. The eighth season was announced as the final season of the show on January 17, 2006, and 'That '70s Finale' was filmed a month later on February 17, 2006, first airing on May 18, 2006. Production Opening Theme song The show usually opens with the theme song, ', written by and of the band.
The original version of the song appeared on Big Star's 1972 debut album. In 2000, Chilton confirmed that he was paid $70 in royalties each time the show aired, an amount he thought ironic, given the show's title.
Big Star's original version of the song was not used on the show. Instead, a cover version sung by was used as the theme song for the show's first season. Beginning in the second season, the theme song was performed by the band. Unlike previous versions of the song, Cheap Trick ended the song with the repeated phrase 'We're all alright!' Quoting the ending of their 1978 hit song '. Both versions of the song (Todd Griffin and Cheap Trick) used on the show end with somebody yelling 'Hello, Wisconsin!'
In Griffin's version, Masterson is the one yelling 'Hello, Wisconsin!' While it is unknown who yells it in Cheap Trick's version during the opening.
On the soundtrack, Cheap Trick's lead singer yells 'Hello, Wisconsin!' Alternate holiday versions of the theme song were arranged for Halloween and Christmas specials, using organ music and bells, respectively. Opening credits Opening credits for seasons 1–7 showed members of the cast driving in Eric's car singing the theme song together. At the conclusion of the opening, a shot of a 1970s-style Wisconsin license plate (black letters/numbers on a yellow background) is seen, showing the year in which the episode was taking place in the bottom right corner. During the first season's opening, a single shot of the group is used; beginning with season 2, numerous alternating shots were used of the cast in various groupings (including the adult cast members, who had not appeared in the first season's opening). After Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher left the series, the opening credits were reworked for season 8 to feature close-up shots of each of the actors singing (or mouthing) a line of the theme song in the Circle (for example, 'Hanging Out.;' 'Down the Street').
The only actors to not say or do anything in the new opening credits were and, with the exception of the first episode of season 8, when Chong sings the last 'We're all alright'. Smith looks at the camera frowning and rolls his eyes. Chong looks around the room, confused as he hears 'Hello, Wisconsin!' The omits most of the opening sequence and instead only shows the license plate shot. Elements of the show The 1970s. This section possibly contains.
Please by the claims made and adding. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (November 2015) The show addressed social issues of the 1970s such as, attitudes, generational conflict, the economic hardships of the, mistrust of the by and teenage, including. The series also highlighted developments in the entertainment industry, including the television ('the clicker'), and; the and; the and;; and Eric's obsession with. The show has been compared to, which was similarly set 20 years before the time in which it aired.
Beginning with the second season, the show focused less on the sociopolitical aspects of the story. For example, the dynamic of the relationship between Eric and Donna was altered in later seasons to more closely resemble the relationships of other ' on teen dramas. Likewise, the first season of the show featured a recurring, more dramatic storyline in which the Formans were in danger of losing their home due to Red's hours being cut back at the auto parts plant where he worked. Storylines in later seasons were generally presented more comically and less dramatically. The show also featured guest-starring actors from 1970s TV shows, such as, and ( ), and ( ), ( ), and ( ), and ( ), and ( ), ( ), ( and The Mary Tyler Moore Show), and ( ), and and ( ). Series recurring cast member also starred in a popular show in the 1970s ( ).
Beginning with season 5, each episode in the series is named after a song by a rock band that was famous in the 1970s: (season 5), (Season 6), (season 7), and (season 8, except for the finale, titled 'That '70s Finale'). Split screens One device in the show is to present a split screen in which two pairs of characters speak. One character is usually seeking advice on a problem with a character in the second pairing and the other character advises them. Although the conversations appear to mirror each other, notable differences often occur. It is most often used by the couples of the show, with each member of the couple being advised on the relationship. For example, in the episode ', Donna and Eric tell Jackie and Hyde that they have been holding out on each other sexually for three days and that maybe they should cave. Both Jackie and Hyde tell Donna and Eric not to cave or the 'caver' will be owned by the other.
Dream sequences The show includes character daydream sequences, some of which refer to or parody fads and films of the time, such as, and. The character picturing the dream sometimes also narrates it, but regardless, the other characters present see the same dream. In the episode ', Jackie mentioned she liked the song playing in Fez's dream sequence. The sequences are usually introduced by a wobbling screen transition. Sometimes, the transition is absent when the characters who imagine the scene believe they are real (for example, Eric's dream about Donna in ' or Jackie's dream about Hyde proposing in '). In the 100th episode, ', all singing scenes were Fez's dream sequences.
The circle. The circle illustrated the teens' marijuana use, usually in basement.
The picture is of the final scene of the series. 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 he or she speaks. It was usually apparent that the characters are under the influence of. Thick clouds of smoke, frequent coughing and an extreme 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 joint papers. Characters never spoke the word 'marijuana' while in the circle (except in one episode '), often referring to it as 'stuff' or a 'stash'. In the episode ', Theo (Leo's cousin) refers to 'weed'; in ', Kelso tells Fez that the concrete wall behind the gym is used mostly for 'smoking weed and beating up freshmen;' in ' Kitty asks Eric why he is taking so much oregano to Jackie's ski lodge; in ', Kelso blames his 'roach clip' when the water bed pops on which he is sitting at a party; in two episodes (' and ') Eric and Hyde can be seen wearing shirts with the words 'Cannabis Sativa' written on a Campbell's soup can; and in ' 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 ', ', ', and in the series finale.
During the eighth and final season, the circle replaced the Vista Cruiser as the setting of the opening credits. The stupid helmet The stupid helmet refers to a replica of a helmet that a character is forced to wear after having done or said something deemed stupid by the rest of the gang. Eric had to wear it when he said he wanted to propose to Donna and Fez wore it when he started banging his head on the table after trying to help Kelso keep Jackie.
The helmet can be seen in the Forman basement on a shelf behind the cast. When the series concluded in 2006, the last one up the staircase had to call Red a 'dumbass', something he always called the kids.
Since Kelso was the last one up, he grabbed the helmet. The water tower In many episodes, the teenaged characters often hang out on a local.
At the end of several water tower segments, at least one character falls off (usually Kelso). When Charlie Richardson (played by ) fell off and died in season 8, the water tower was renamed in his honor.
After Charlie's death, Kelso fell off again, but survived, leading him to believe he was 'invincible'. In the ', the gang painted a on the tower, but it looked more like a green hand giving. In the episode ' Kelso paints Jackie and his names on the tower to annoy Hyde just before falling and ending up in the hospital.
During this episode, Fez paints his manhood on the tower but only gets as far as drawing a circle when the police arrive to arrest him. Kelso was known to fall off the water tower once in every grade since middle school. Jackie and Fez share their first official kiss on the tower in the. Scene transitions In the first season, scene transitions (also known as ) consisted of animated buttons or still images of faces from the 1970s with only the mouth moving using, usually yelling, in a rock form, 'Yeahhh!' Or something similar (ex. Saying 'Yeah!'
Or saying 'Are you ready to rock and roll?' ) The smiley buttons were removed for re-runs and home video, replaced with flowers likewise exploding, replicating, deflating or bouncing around.
Sometimes they would be visuals of with the show's logo plummeting to the bottom of the screen in front of it. Beginning in season 2, transitions featured the characters doing something in front of a colorful, psychedelic, -like background. These transitions featured the most prominent characters of the episode usually dancing, falling or making facial expressions. The music accompanying these colorful sequences would match the tone of the episode and characters. By the show's final season, new transitions were created to accommodate cast changes (e.g. Donna's hair color, Leo continuing as a series regular and the insertion of Randy). 'Nobody's Fault But Mine (2)' is the only episode where Laurie Forman is featured in a transition.
Tanya Roberts is the only regular actor not to be featured in a transition. 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, 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 show's pronunciation of 'Vista Cruiser', with emphasis on 'Cruiser' conflicted with the pronunciation of author in the for the 1969 Vista Cruiser, where he pronounced the two words with the emphasis on 'Vista'. That particular was bought by Wilmer Valderrama at the show's conclusion from Carsey-Werner for 500. In August 2009, the show's Vista Cruiser was named third-greatest television car ever by MSN Autos. Running gags and catchphrases.
This section possibly contains. Please by the claims made and adding. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (August 2017) In one of the show's major, Red often threatens to punish Eric with many variations of, 'kicking your ass'. For example, in ', Red mistakenly thinks Eric offended Kitty, so Red says, 'I swear I'll kick his ass!' In ', 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 ', 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:. Red's favorite insult is 'dumbass', the origin of which is revealed in '. Ironically, Eric is the first character to say 'dumbass' in 'Eric's Burger Job' (season 1 episode 5).
The insult is adopted by the whole gang and even occasionally by Kitty. Red regularly comes up with new choice insults such as 'kettlehead' (which refers to Kelso). 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 ', or Fez rambling in '. Fez's real name was also never revealed. Even Fez stood for FES, Foreign Exchange Student. Red often calls Fez by some exotic foreign name when he is speaking directly to him.
Someone, usually Kelso, falls off the Water Tower. The word 'burn', a term used by a character after something bad or offensive happens at another character's expense, although it is more often used by Kelso. According to Kelso in ', a good burn consists of two elements: 'You didn't see it coming; parts of it really hurt.' . Hyde would usually give Kelso a punch in the arm for either his stupidity or bad behavior.
Kelso yells 'Ow, my eye!' When Hyde rough-houses with him. For example, in the episode ', 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 ' after he was punched by Todd, Jackie's manager.
On that occasion, Kelso did not yell, 'Ow, my eye!' . Fez uses the phrase 'Good day', followed by another cast member saying, 'But Fez.'
And Fez immediately interrupts with an exclamatory, 'I said good day!' In some instances, the words vary, but the interaction is the same. Eric has a never-ending streak of quoting.
In several episodes, he relates things to Star Wars, or quotes the film. In times of trouble, he brings a toy light saber and his going-away present from Donna was her dressing up as. Everyone who calls Eric's action figures 'dolls' is always loudly corrected by Eric: 'They're action figures!' . Kitty often uses alcohol or her use is mentioned, particularly after she starts menopause during the fifth season. 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'. Eric's attempted 'secret' money stash locations are known by everyone. Guest stars from 1970s sitcoms would often have an inside joke referring to their earlier series.
British remake In 1999, the show was remade by the network in the as using almost scripts with minor changes to cultural references. Merchandise Home media. Main article: That '70s Show was released on in Regions 1, 2 and 4 by at an increment of two seasons per year between 2004 and 2008 and a complete series release on October 14, 2008. Released all eight seasons between 2011 and '13 and released a complete series set on May 14, 2013. On March 6, 2012, Mill Creek released the first season on 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 with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio.
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, and, called That '70s Album (Jammin'). The second is a collection of songs, called That '70s Album (Rockin').
Gave both albums 3 out of 5 stars in their reviews. Reception American ratings Over the course of its run, the series was a consistent performer for Fox, becoming one of their flagship shows. Its eight seasons, consisting of 200 episodes, made it Fox's second-longest-running live-action sitcom ever behind, though That '70s Show did not have the same ratings success. Season Episodes Timeslot Premiere Season finale Rank Viewers (in millions) 25 Sunday 8:30 August 23, 1998 July 26, 1999 49 11.7 26 Tuesday 8:30 September 28, 1999 May 22, 2000 86 9.0 25 Tuesday 8:00 October 3, 2000 May 22, 2001 65 10.8 27 September 25, 2001 May 21, 2002 67 9.1 25 Tuesday 8:00 (2002) Wednesday 8:00 (2003) September 17, 2002 May 14, 2003 52 10.4 25 Wednesday 8:00 October 29, 2003 May 19, 2004 49 10.0 25 September 8, 2004 May 18, 2005 85 7.0 22 Wednesday 8:00 (2005) Thursday 8:00 (2006) November 2, 2005 May 18, 2006 103 5.8 Awards. That '70s Show.
That 70s Show S-1 On Dailymotion
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Retrieved November 22, 2012. September 21, 2011.
Retrieved November 22, 2013. EW Staff (June 13, 2006). Entertainment Weekly Inc. Retrieved November 22, 2013. And yes, it's true that the theme song of That '70s Show, 'In the Street', was sung by Cheap Trick (after Todd Griffin sang the original version), but the cast members sing along with them.
You can even hear Hyde (Danny Masterson) yell out 'Hello, Wisconsin!' At the end of the Griffin version of the song. 'In the Street' by.
Various Artists. Retrieved 2017-08-13. Like 'Happy Days', 'That 70's Show' blends smart comedy with light social commentary. Egan, James (2016).
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Groovy sitcom about a group of suburban teens verging on adulthood in 1976 Wisconsin. They deal with sex, drugs, and rock and roll, not to mention disco, leisure suits and, of course, parents. After five years, Eric, Kelso, Donna, Fez and Hyde exited high school (Jackie was a year behind), at which point the '70s element of the series was pretty much fo (more) Groovy sitcom about a group of suburban teens verging on adulthood in 1976 Wisconsin. They deal with sex, drugs, and rock and roll, not to mention disco, leisure suits and, of course, parents. After five years, Eric, Kelso, Donna, Fez and Hyde exited high school (Jackie was a year behind), at which point the '70s element of the series was pretty much forgotten. (Season 5, Episode 6) COMEDY Bob throws a monkey wrench into Donna and Eric's plans when he sends her to visit a college different from where Eric is going.
Ted: Reid Scott. Melanie: Sarah Lancaster. Lisa: Erin Cardillo.
Kitty: Debra Jo Rupp. Hyde: Danny Masterson.
That 70s Shows Episodes
Donna: Laura Prepon (more) Bob throws a monkey wrench into Donna and Eric's plans when he sends her to visit a college different from where Eric is going. Ted: Reid Scott. Melanie: Sarah Lancaster. Lisa: Erin Cardillo.
Kitty: Debra Jo Rupp. Hyde: Danny Masterson. Donna: Laura Prepon.
(Season 5, Episode 8) COMEDY Thanksgiving brings Kitty's parents, Eric's sister Laurie and Kelso with a date-Eric's math teacher, who has just failed Eric. Bea: Betty White. Burt: Tom Poston. Laurie: Lisa Robin Kelly. McGee: Andrea Benewald.
Kelso: Ashton Kutcher. Red: Kurtwood (more) Thanksgiving brings Kitty's parents, Eric's sister Laurie and Kelso with a date-Eric's math teacher, who has just failed Eric. Bea: Betty White. Burt: Tom Poston. Laurie: Lisa Robin Kelly. McGee: Andrea Benewald. Kelso: Ashton Kutcher.
Red: Kurtwood Smith. Kitty: Debra Jo Rupp.