# That '70s Show (1998)

> Six high school friends hang out in Eric Forman's basement in 1970s suburban Wisconsin, navigating hormones, parents and the meaning of life.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/46

## Facts

- Seasons: 8
- Episodes: 200
- Episode runtime: 25 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Mark Brazill, Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner
- Network: FOX
- Cast: Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderrama, Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165598/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: nostalgic, breezy, warm, comedic, sincere

## What critics say

Audiences broadly regard the series as a warm, funny retro sitcom whose ensemble chemistry and nostalgic 1970s setting carry it through its run, with quality gently declining in later seasons.

## Synopsis

That '70s Show (1998-2006) is a US multi-camera sitcom created by Mark Brazill, Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner for FOX. Topher Grace plays Eric Forman, a high school teen whose basement becomes the gathering spot for his close circle of friends, including the scheming Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), the sharp Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis), the rebellious Steven Hyde (Danny Masterson) and the sensible Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon). The engine of the show is the everyday business of being a teenager: crushes, schemes, awkward jobs, and the constant pull of parents who keep interrupting. Eric's gruff father Red (Kurtwood Smith) and mother Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) provide much of the friction and warmth. The series runs across eight seasons of episodic, case-of-the-week style stories where each episode is built from small domestic mishaps rather than a single continuing plot. Set in a small Midwestern town during the 1970s, it leans on period detail like platform shoes, 8-track tapes and puka shells. Its tone is breezy, nostalgic and warm, with a sincere undercurrent about friendship and growing up. Fans of Happy Days, Freaks and Geeks and Boy Meets World will find resonance in its affectionate look at adolescence.

## Shows like That '70s Show

- [Roseanne (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/2571)
- [Arrested Development (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/4367)
- [Boy Meets World (1993)](https://ember.film/tv/1675)
- [Freaks and Geeks (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/2262)
- [The Ranch (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/57844)
- [Two and a Half Men (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/2556)
- [10 Things I Hate About You (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/16231)
- [Kenan & Kel (1996)](https://ember.film/tv/1731)
- [Laverne & Shirley (1976)](https://ember.film/tv/2885)
- [That '90s Show (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/112297)

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