Ashton Kutcher may be trying to land more "serious" movie roles, but this great TV series shows that he really can shine when playing "the stupid one". The cast (you may well have heard of some of the others too, most of these guys have appeared in at least one film):
Don Stark plays Bob Pinciotti (pronounced "Pin-see-oddie")
Tanya Roberts - Midge Pinciotti
Mila Kunis - Jackie (aka "the annoying one")
Wilmer Valderrama - Fez (aka "the foreign kid")
Ashton Kutcher - Michael Kelso (aka "the dumbass")
Danny Masterson - Steven Hyde (aka "the stoner")
Topher Grace - Eric Forman (aka "foreplay")
Laura Prepon - Donna Pinciotti (aka "the lumberjack")
Debra Joe Rupp - Kitty Forman
Kurtwood Smith - Red Forman
In some ways, it's a typical comedy series about a group of friends and their families. But in other ways, it's not - it's consistently laugh-out-loud funny. There are several "musical" episodes per season (but get this, they actually work. It probably helps that at no point do they take themselves seriously, and the cast always seem to be having fun). It features almost-gratuitous scenes of potsmoking (this IS set in the '70s, remember =+)
There's the token grumpy father - Red Forman, but played so well by Kurtwood you can't help but wonder just how much of it is an act. Kitty is Eric's loving, emotional and slightly alcoholic mother, with a nervous laugh. Again, the part's played very well. Most of the family-related stuff centres on the Formans because the group of friends that make up the main characters (Fez, Kelso, Eric, Donna, Jackie, and Hyde) regularly hang out in Forman's basement.
However throughout the seasons we have seen a little of Kelso's family and Fez's family, a little more of Jackie's family and Hyde's family, and quite alot of Donna's (all will be revealed if you watch it from season 1 up to the current episode). You've got the token on-off "will they/won't they" romance between Eric and Donna, except here it's done funnier than in, for example, Friends.
Again like Friends, each of the main 6 have quite different personalities, but here it's somehow easier to relate to them. Probably because I'm not yet out of university, so I still have similar money worries and a penchant for partying. There's still more that makes this series great; the moments of wisdom are almost always random, unexpected and waaaay more fleeting than in lesser series.
The pot-smoking bits are handled very well. There's quite a few such moments, but you never actually see the stuff and, for the first season or so, it's rather more implicit than explicit (eventually the series gets bolder however, such as when the group paint a marijuana leaf on the water tower). There are some catchphrases that are truly catchy, which you may well pick up if you watch it too much (and don't already use them; I admit I am ignorant as to whether they are in common use in the US). An example is "burn". Fair enough, you may well use this already a little, but the usage in That '70s Show is often. I find when used in real life, it tends to lighten the mood.
Article comments
1 - Jim Carruthers
The best thing about "That 70s Show" is that it allows children by the millions to worship Alex Chilton (the theme song is a new version of a Big Star song from the er, 70s).
2 - Bob A. Booey
Yeah, this show's been decidedly slightly-above mediocre in the TV sitcom world. There's no mistaking it for a well-written show like the Simpsons or Frasier and it does go for too many easy jokes. The best thing you can say about That 70s Show is that it regularly gives the viewer more than it has to, for all the good and bad that implies. I think the Fez and Red characters are good ones that are well-written.
I started watching this show late once it got syndicated and I'm not a fan, but it's tolerable. What happened 2 seasons ago where everyone got ugly and weird-looking (except dreamy Ashton, of course)? Donna got really fat and wasn't even remotely hot anymore with those verkakte bandanas (probably because Laura Prepon hit her late 20s) and something happened with Jackie/Mila Kunis's eyes and she didn't look as cute as she did in previous seasons.
I'm not old so I don't remember the 1970s because I wasn't alive, really. I think the show probably does owe a lot to Dazed and Confused and other, superior takes on the era. But the reason the show works is because the comedy and situations aren't really based in the era (maybe in the first few episodes): they're basically teenagers of today with goofy 70s hairstyles.
Why did Kurtwood Smith's hair get jet black all of a sudden? He should go back to being a bad guy in bad action films along with John Lithgow. Bald head, protruding forehead = evil, I guess.
This is the worst comment I've yet written, probably because of the topic.
That is all.
3 - Elizabeth
That 70s Show is my favorite sit com but this season (7) I've been very dissapointed. The writing and story lines don't seem to be half as good as they used to be. I hope they at least make the eighth season a memorable one.
4 - The Future Mrs.Hyde!
That 70's Show Rocks! Awesome soundtrack, excellent characters, great script, what more could we ask for?! Groovy!