That '70s Show
1998
Original language: English
- comedy
- family
- drama
The story
Crank up the 8-track and flash back to a time when platform shoes and puka shells were all the rage in this hilarious retro-sitcom. For Eric, Kelso, Jackie, Hyde, Donna and Fez, a group of high school teens who spend most of their time hanging out in Eric’s basement, life in the ‘70s isn’t always so groovy. But between trying to figure out the meaning of life, avoiding their parents, and dealing with out-of-control hormones, they’ve learned one thing for sure: they’ll always get by with a little help from their friends.
What it’s like
Bright, flat multi-camera studio light over a wood-paneled basement, with orange shag carpet, avocado appliances and bell-bottoms in every frame, and a soundtrack of 1970s rock cued up on the 8-track between scenes. The laugh track sits warm and constant under fast, joke-dense banter, and the rhythm is brisk, with the group crowding the same couch and talking over each other. The emotional register is affectionate and silly, with a steady undercurrent of teenage restlessness: a slow-burn romance between Eric and Donna, Kelso's sunny obliviousness, Hyde's sardonic reluctance softening by degrees. Intensity is mild: crude sexual innuendo, teen drinking and pot jokes, sitcom slapstick and some sharp family-argument scenes, but no graphic violence and nothing bleak. It is comfortable background for a lazy evening, a comfort rewatch while folding laundry, or a gentle half-hour after a long day. It suits people who want nostalgic, low-stakes comedy with a loyal ensemble and no real darkness.
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