And television show #3 is… “That 70’s Show!!!!”
This show is nothing short of brilliant! Anytime I am flicking through the channels and I stumble upon this show, I stop and watch it, unless it’s season 8. “That 70’s Show” has to be my favorite comedy sitcom out there. It’s intelligent, has many messages and the characters are hilarious.
From Fez… to Kelso… over to Kitty… then back to Eric, there is not a character in this sitcom that is not interesting and funny as hell. The writers on this show created a masterpiece and this masterpiece would stay pretty much perfect until season 8.
That brings me to my next point. They should have stopped the show at season 7. For these writers to really think this show would survive the loss of both Eric and Kelso, they had to be out of their minds. They should have wrapped it up when these characters left because season 8 just plain sucked. The guy they brought in to replace Eric was a horrible actor and not funny at all. I actually felt the urge to jump into the television and show this idiot what comic timing is. You can’t fake it and that became apparently clear with this new actor. Fez got too old and heavy. Jackie was pointless without Kelso or Eric to fight with. Hyde was not enough of a character to lead the whole series, so he suffered from the collapse also. But other than that, this show is a must see. Just cut it off at the end of season 7. Trust me, it will ruin the whole series for you. I wish I never watched the last season.
Right from the first episode, you will be laughing your ass off. The filming, the style and even the music is excellent! The show opens up to a regular kid hanging with his friends in his parents basement in the 70’s. And it doesn’t change much from there. That’s it folks. That’s all it is about. Sounds pretty simple and boy is it.
Right from the beginning they grab you with this cute relationship between Donna and Eric. You know they like each other but don’t know when they will hook up. Well, it doesn’t take them long and what a ride they take you on. You adore this couple while laughing at the Jackie and Kelso duo. Right from the start the writing is spectacular, reminding you of when you met your first girlfriend and eventually fell in love. “That 70’s Show” makes you feel like a kid again, immersed in this typical 70’s family’s household. You have the starch Republican Father, Red. Then you have the crazy, adorable, loving Mother, Kitty. Eric is the typical awkward teenage boy with a sister who he can’t stand and is basically a whore. You have the wacky exchange student Fez, who is nothing short of brilliant, the actor and character combined. The liberal, hippie friend Hyde, who pretty much cares about nothing. The moron friend Kelso and his young, annoying girlfriend Jackie, who wouldn’t be in the group if it wasn’t for the relationship with Kelso.
“That 70’s Show” keeps you laughing with its off beat humor and totally original filming. This show takes a lot of chances, like having the gang obviously smoking pot in the basement. They get away with it by not stating it and doing really interesting camera closeups of each character around the table. So not only is the writing, acting and relationships amazing but the camera work is something to be seen also! When Eric is high and the parents are lecturing him, they have the camera wobble from his point of view, obviously implying he is stoned. What makes it even more hilarious is the parents are clueless. So they are just grilling him and wondering why he isn’t reacting, getting even more angry.
But let me warn you, when Donna and Eric break up, you are going to be heart broken. I could barely muster the energy to watch the first episode of the next season, I was so shook up by it. I felt just as bad as Eric did. This fantastic show takes you on an emotional ride and just when everyone has dated each other and you feel the show has nowhere else to go, Kitty goes through menopause and the show pops again, getting even funnier than it previously was! “That 70’s Show” is one of those shows that reinvented itself over and over again, getting even better each time, until the last season at least. It also tackled issues like unemployment, legalization of marajuana and women’s rights without being over preachy or partisan on the issue. The creators and cast just show you the regular life of a teenager in the 70’s, growing up and the rest just falls into place.
So, if you haven’t seen this show, get on Netflix now because the whole series is available. You can watch it from beginning to end. I actually got to experience my 15 year old cousin starting from the beginning and watching it till the end. She loved the show so much, I went out and got her the Cheap Trick CD that was signed by the whole cast during Season 1. She loved it and I just loved that I had introduced yet another future fan to this amazing show. Hopefully you all will follow. You’re missing out if you don’t.
Also, don’t forget to check out my show “A Seat on a Train” at http://www.aseatonatrain.com If you love “The Twilight zOne” then you are sure going to love “A Seat on a Train!”
A SEAT ON A TRAIN 