That 70s Show appreciation thread

One of the more "suggestive" moments on the show...

 

The "Donna vs. Jackie" debate was always an easy choice for me.... Donna all the way!

The weird thing is, I don't normally even go for redheads.... but there's something about Donna....

And I'd take Midge over Jackie any day of the week.

 

One thing about this show that I can really relate to is the character of Eric. He reminds me so much of myself at that age.... a tall, baby-faced, skinny guy who's kind of awkward and geeky, and loves Star Wars. The only difference is that when I was a teenager in highschool, I never had a girl like Donna.

But that was a long time ago, and things change.... now I'm a tall, skinny adult who's awkward and geeky, loves Star Wars, and doesn't have a girl like Donna.

 

I can't believe 5STAR are airing this at 3:30 am! What a waste of a great show.

 

I recently re-watched the first 2 seasons on Netflix and still found them very funny. But I'm having trouble getting through the third season. It's kind of painful.

 

why is that?

 

I didn't like the way the series ended..... it didn't seem "special" or "final" enough... it felt like "just another episode".

 

I've thought about that, and agree. It tied up some loose ends--Bob is going to Florida, Red and Kitty aren't, Eric is back from Africa--but left some others.

So, I thought how it might have ENDED. Kelso is already in Chicago. Jackie can get a job at a TV station there, and Fez tag along with her. Hyde could decide that he was going to start a record chain like his father had, and open on in Chicago. Eric and Donna decide to get away from Point Place, but rather than going to Madison, they enroll in a college in...you guessed it, Chicago. Turns out, Laurie has been in jail there for a couple of years, and gets out on parole to that town. Red and Kitty see no reason to stay in Point Place now, sell the house and move to Chicago. Bob's bait stand gets hit by a hurricane, and he wanders back to where his daughter is.

And so begins the real THAT 80's SHOW, not the one that was on briefly. The gang is now off to new adventures. Of course, one of them will need a house with a basement...

JcS

 

I kind of didn't want to get into criticizing the show too much.. But I'll try my best to verbalize my feelings.

In short, it kind of just seems like the show was running out of steam. It appears to have taken on a much more formulaic approach come season 3, and it feels hollow.

For example, the "burns" seem to take on a much more prominent role in the show and it gets kind of old after a while...A stupid comment from Midge, an ass kicking quip from Red... relationship drama... Etc

It just feels more lazily written. (I noticed a slight drop in quality towards the end of season 2, but I still found it quite enjoyable. I'd probably nominate season 1 as my favorite.)

Also, something about it even appears "less vintage" than the previous seasons, which kind of serves to disrupt the fantasy world that a good show or film can pull you into (IMO of course).

Don't get me wrong, I laughed out loud several times during season three (I'm up to about episode 10 maybe? I stopped just before Jackie bags Hyde).

But much of the time I just find myself sitting there unengaged. It just doesn't feel as well loved and crafted as the previous seasons. Less inspired, like they're beginning to just go through the motions to pump out more product for the network.

Sigh.. I can't say that it's bad or it's crap. It's just disappointing when something you love doesn't live up to your expectations.

Edit: also Midge appears to have had some really obvious plastic surgery and is much less attractive than the previous sessions. So THAT doesn't help!

 

The first two seasons really focused on the 70s setting, actually managing to come up with stories that were plausible and that many viewers (who grew up in that era) could relate to. The characters were often believable... well, as believable as one could expect for a sitcom.

I agree that it did enter a more formulaic zone after that, making all of the characters more one-dimensional and resorting to catch phrases to get laughs. Nearly everyone was a caricature of who they were in the early seasons. Some of the stories in Seasons 3 and 4 were still pretty good and I think the show is still worthwhile during this period, even if it lacks the creativity of the first two seasons. From Seasons 5 onwards, they are definitely coasting. I can't name a single episode from the last four seasons that sticks out among my favorites.

 

The drop in quality in season eight is very noticeable. The absence of Ashton Kutcher and Topher Grace doesn't help. I also find Fez a bit annoying towards the end.

The one S8 episode I like a lot is We Will Rock You.

I like the way the gang all run upstairs to welcome in 1980. Still, it bums me out a little to think about Kitty walking downstairs into an empty basement. It brings back memories of that time in my life when I was ready to leave home.

 

Yes, Donna was very attractive, even with her less-than-attractive voice. Unfortunately, she must have gotten into drugs and alcohol later because when I saw her after the series ended she seemed to be a burnout and not attractive at all anymore. Sad. Never would have thought Jackie would become the famous one.

 

The Eve Plumb episode is awesome. It's a shame she only had very few lines, but her character was pretty much minor, so that's why she didn't have many lines.