That 70's Show: The Complete First Season

Review by: Elizabeth Brady

ElizabethBrady@TheCinemaSource.com

That 70's Show has proven itself over the years to be a surprisingly addictive and successful series. This DVD release of the entire first season compiles and commemorates the beginnings of the show onto four different discs, consisting of 25 episodes as well as some special features, and is sure to be entertaining to anyone, but especially fans of the series.

Right from the start of the collection, with the pilot episode, there is an understanding that That 70s Show is not a typical, wholesome sitcom. Which is not to say that it is trashy or of poor taste, but the show's writers and producers do not shy away from honest, sometimes edgy subject matter and plots. The show revolves around the character of Eric Forman (played by Topher Grace), his friends, family, and his love interest – the girl next door, Donna, played by Laura Prepon. That 70's Show includes into the usual content of coming-of-age sitcoms topics such as sex, drugs, and dysfunctional families. The series has a specific penchant for incorporating such serious issues in a very realistic yet lighthearted manner, thus making such subject matter neither overwhelming, boring, nor unrealistic to the audience.

In addition to the racier content of the show and characters, the series is also somewhat cutting-edge in terms of its stylistic techniques as well. The between-scenes fillers are usually satirical images from the 70's which are distorted for a comedic effect (i.e.
Richard Nixon's face with a computer-altered mouth shouting "Are you ready to rock????"). There are also plenty of hysterical and sometimes elaborate dream/future sequences which distinguish That 70's Show from many other sitcoms. Other traits, such as the consistent around-the-table perspective which implies, but never directly displays the group of teens smoking pot, work to make a distinct impression on and entertain the viewer.

Further quality and humor are provided to the show by the multitude of 1970's references which are seamlessly included into the episodes by the writers. From subtle mentions of how stylish leisure suits are, to impassioned debates about the evils of Disco, the decade- specific critiques add a lot of irony and laughs to the content of the episodes. There are also guest appearances from 1970's personas "” such as a cameo by Gloria Gaynor during the prom episode, in which she belts out her one hit wonder "I Will Survive." The inclusion of some more serious issues of that time (for example the economic recession of the 1970's, the gas crisis, feminism, and de-industrialization) offers a deeper sense of realism and seriousness to the series, in an intelligent and well-planned manner.

That 70's Show certainly resonates well with the audience, and this is perhaps for no other reason then because while it may be set in 30 years ago, many of

the characters, storylines, relationships, and scenarios depicted are completely timeless. The show is not only a tribute to that era and its essentials, but is at the same time representative of suburban youth culture in perhaps every decade since. Eric Forman's friends and family have an uncanny way of reminding the audience of people they recognize in their own lives – and this is what makes the show so humorous, interesting, and touching.

This look back at the first season is also quite entertaining in terms of seeing how far some of the cast has gone, and how much they have grown up in the past 5 years or so since the series premiered. Even viewers who have not been regularly watching the show throughout its development can pick out and appreciate how much the cast has evolved since then. I mean, seeing Topher Grace before his roles in major films like Traffic, Mona Lisa Smile, and In Good Company is like seeing an old home video of your best friend's little brother before he went through puberty. And Ashton Kutcher, pre-The Butterfly Effect, pre-Brittany Murphy, pre-Best-Buddies-With-P. Diddy, pre- DEMI!!! It's a long, strange trip down memory lane.

All in all, this box set gets a pretty positive grade from me, about a B+. I am personally not much of a That 70's Show fan, so the fact that I was well-entertained is good evidence that watching some episodes is not a waste of time. In terms of the DVD bonuses, which include a montage of promo clips, some behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast and creators (which seem pretty dated), and a brief trivia segment, well, those don't really score as high. The extras were pretty mediocre, and actually the only thing that were sort of pointless with these DVD's. But, after all, at least there are 26 hilarious episodes beyond the flimsy extras to make the That 70's Show – Season One box set worth it.

DVD Grade: B+