That '70s Show - Season One
by David Trainer, Terry Hughes
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Danny Masterson, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, Topher Grace, Wilmer ValderramaDirector: David Trainer, Terry Hughes
Brand: THAT 70'S SHOW
Writer: Arthur F. Montmorency
Writer: Bonnie Turner
Writer: Dave Schiff
Writer: Eric Gilliland
Writer: Jackie Behan
Writer: Jeff Filgo
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 575 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-10-26
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Movie Reviews of That '70s Show - Season One
Movie Review: Flashbacks Have Never Been This Much Fun
Summary: 5 Stars
I can still remember seeing ads for this show 7 years ago, and I can't believe that this show has been on that long. Don't get me wrong, this show is hilarious, probably one of my favorite comedy shows (although based on what's out there, there aren't too many truly great comedies). It's just that I never thought that a period show such as this could ever become so popular.
The show centers around Eric Forman (Topher Grace), a 17-year-old living in 1976 Point Place, Wicsonsin. Eric, along with his friends Hyde (Danny Masterson) and Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), his best friend/girlfriend Donna (Laura Prepon), Kelso's on-again/off-again girlfriend Jackie (Mila Kunis), and a foreign exchange student nicknamed Fez (Wilmer Valderama) go around town in an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser stopping at discos, hanging out at burger places, and going to see Star Wars. Meanwhile, they try to avoid their quoirky parents. Eric has Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp), two people who prove that there is truth behind the saying "opposites attract". Red is short-tempered and conservative, while Kitty is a loving and passive woman. And Donna has to deal with Bob (Don Stark) and Midge (Tanya Roberts). Bob is an old-fashioned (read: somewhat mysogonistic) guy and Midge is a very dull (yet very attractive) girl who gets wrapped up in every fad just for the fun of it (she joins feminism groups to fit it, much to the chagrin of Donna, who truly believes in feminism and the Equal Rights Amendment).
The gang gets involved in a bunch of crazy situations, such as the time they decide to go streaking at a Ford for President rally, when they decide to throw a keggar in an empty swimming pool, their trip to Jackie's remote ski lodge, or their outing to a WWF match. About half of the humor comes from the setting (there is a lot to poke fun at in the 70's), while the other half comes from the characters themselves. Whether it be Kelso's stupidity, Jackie's shallowness, Red's curtness, or Eric's cluelessness, there's a lot of fun to be had with this group.
One of the cool things about this show was that a lot of big names from the 70's showed up to do guest spots. This season, Danny Bonaduci shows up as Eric's boss in one episode, but as the seasons go on, we will be treated to Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, and even Tommy Chong (who becomes a regular castmember).
This show is particularly strong for its first season; while it would go on to have some really great episodes, I had forgotten just how funny these early episodes were. One of my favorite episodes of the series is "A New Hope", which is about the gang going to see Star Wars. And while the show would definitely go on to become better, it was by no means bad this year.
As someone who's been a fan of the show since it came on, it was great to see the beginnings again, and to see how the show has changed. While we get to see the origins of amazing running gags, such as the single camera panning around circular tables while characters were eating or "relaxing", we also get to see old gags that were discontinued at some point, such as the mock videos that parody educational and training tapes of the time.
The one problem that I do have with this boxed set isn't even the fault of the show; it is the fault of the producers of the DVD set. For some reason, FOX aired a a few episodes from the middle of the season later in the year, and the episodes are in order of air-date on this set, as opposed to the order of production/continuity. While this show isn't very arc-heavy, and for the most part can be seen out of order, there is a continuity to it, and the episode order on Disc 4 is a little off. The last three episodes of the season were "A New Hope", "Hyde Moves In", and "The Good Son". However, a few middle-of-the-season episodes were placed in between those three episodes on Disc 4. Strangely, this is one of the few DVD sets that arranges episodes by air-date rather than by continuity's order. Even shows like Arrested Development and Firefly (both of which are also FOX DVDs), which were aired out of order, have their episodes arranged correctly (although episode order is much more important for those two shows). But while I would have preferred the correct order, it doesn't take too much away from the overall set, since the show doesn't depend too much on the arcs (at least not yet anyway).
As I said, this is a great show. While it isn't as witty or clever as Arrested Development, it is far better than most of the comedy shows that appear on television. If you've never seen the show before, you should consider checking it out. Unlike certain shows, I could reccomend this as a "blind buy". Enjoy.
Summary of That '70s Show - Season One
Crank up the 8-track and flash back to the "me" decade?That ?70s Show is now shaking its groove thing on DVD! Set in the era of Led Zeppelin, Tab cola and Farrah Fawcett posters, this hilarious sitcom starring Ashton Kutcher recently celebrated its 100th episode and continues to delight fans with its nostalgic references and funny, slice-of-life storylines about growing up in the ?70s.Long before Ashton met Demi or Topher got lost in Traffic, the makers of Third Rock from the Sun stepped into the Wayback Machine and emerged with That '70s Show. It would go on to become the Fox Network's most successful sitcom since Married... with Children. Set in the Wisconsin suburbs of 1976, the action centers around 17-year-old Eric Forman (Topher Grace), his friends, and his family. He's an ordinary teenager, much like the slackers of Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused, with an interest in girls, cars, beer, and rock & roll (but not necessarily in that order).
Eric's friends include hipster Hyde (Danny Masterson), exchange student Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), and dim-bulb Kelso (Ashton Kutcher). Donna (Lora Prepon), Eric's neighbor, is also a friend, but she'll soon become something more, while Kelso already has a girlfriend, the bossy Jackie (Mila Kunis)--and a crush on Eric's sister Laurie (Lisa Robin Kelly). Kelso and Jackie will spend a good part of the first year breaking up just to make up, while Hyde pines for Donna and Fez for Jackie. Eric's family also includes father Red (Kurtwood Smith) and mother Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp). Donna's includes mother Midge (former Bond girl Tanya Roberts) and perm-sporting father Bob (Don Stark).
The first season boasts a period-perfect bevy of guest stars, including Danny Bonaduce ("Eric's Burger Job"), Eve Plumb ("The Keg"), and Marion Ross as Eric?s grandmother ("Sunday, Bloody Sunday" and other episodes). That said, if That '70s Show were just a nostalgia trip, it wouldn't have lasted for over seven seasons. Alas, lightning wouldn?t strike twice. When the same producers followed-up with That '80s Show a few years later, it would soon disappear without a trace. Accept no substitutes: That '70s Show is the real deal--a retro-comedy, like Happy Days, with heart. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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