That '70s Show

Creators - Mark Brazill (That '80s Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun), Bonnie Turner (Wayne's World, Coneheads), and Terry Turner (Tommy Boy, The Brady Bunch Movie)
Starring - Topher Grace (Robot Chicken, Drunk History), Laura Prepon (Orange is the New Black, Lightning Bug), and Danny Masterson (Robot Chicken, The Dead Zone)
Release Date - 1998
Genre - Comedy
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     In 1998 I was in middle school and horror had completely consumed my life.  I had been collecting Goosebumps books and VHS for several years by this point and was no stranger to the writings of Stephen King.  I never realized how much horror had played in my youth until I was older.  Horror was everything to me.  So much so that I would often skip over things because it didn't look like it was associated with horror.  Case in point, That '70s Show.  I had a lot of friends who loved the show but I had no interest in watching it.  It just didn't look that entertaining.  That changed when I was in college and caught a couple episodes and absolutely fell in love with it.  I was constantly watching it until I started watching Supernatural and Doctor Who.  I then forgot about the show until recently when Mill Creek Entertainment surprised me with a review copy.  I had no idea they sent one my way.  Thanks guys for this amazing surprise!

     The show follows Eric Foreman (Grace), his girlfriend Donna (Prepon), and his friends Hyde (Masterson), Kelso (Kutcher), and Fez (Valderrama) as they find themselves fighting to survive high school, relationships, bullies, and most importantly, Eric's father Red.

   




     I have a soft spot for stoner comedies.  Always have even though I'm not a stoner.  I toked a few times in high school (two times) and that was it.  I always preferred drinking but stoner comedies are always fun.  I believe that is why I love That '70s Show so much.  The acting in this show was not the best.  The characters are fun and very well written but the cast does not rely on talent.  A good portion of the characters feel as if they were written in as cameo roles resulting in the cast member not taking their role seriously.  This doesn't ruin the overall show but does make a few scene lose it's impact.  The stories for this one range from single lined comedies that serve no other while other episodes were a little more than just comical.  Some of the episodes were a little more meaningful and heartfelt.  These episodes touch on scenarios that most teenagers go through like their first time having sex, experimenting with drugs, college, and so on.  The episodes are very well balanced and the characters are memorable.  Finally, the series was very comedy based so very little effort was put into effects.  The small amounts of visual effects we do get are very dated and could have been skipped.  Overall, That '70s Show is one of the better sitcoms to come out of the 90s.  The show was funny, well written, and can hold you attention like no other.  The acting was never the best but that doesn't make the show bad by any means.  Check out this box set from Mill Creek Entertainment.