- Network: FOX
- Series Premiere Date: Aug 23, 1998
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Critic Reviews
- Critic score
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A right-on time capsule of a decade, a warm coming-of-age comedy and the funniest new sitcom on any network this fall. [23 Aug 1998, p.D6]
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That '70s Show is best when the volatility that truly characterized this period — the sense that the times they were a-changin', to a funky beat — seeps into its golden aura of fun.
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Yet the sitcom from the 3rd Rock From the Sun creators also has imaginative sequences, clever plays on words and wonderful young actors who look their parts. This is one of the most promising new series this fall. [23 Aug 1998, p.F1]
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From snips of the Captain & Tennille to reminders on the versatility of Vienna sausages, That '70s Show is unbelievably believable. [21 Aug 1998, p.38]
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The appeal of this new sitcom, which Fox is unveiling tomorrow night, is its universal heart.
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The '70s Show has a jarringly '90s slacker sensibility. Still there are some very funny moments.
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The writing and comic sensibility are fresh and unpredictable. [23 Aug 1998, p.1L]
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Charm is not a word you normally associate with the Day-Glo, drug-drenched '70s. Yet charm is the strong suit of That '70s Show. [21 Aug 1998, p.6E]
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Smart. [23 Aug 1998, p.D10]
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This idea waiting to happen finds an imperfect but winning execution -- appropriately trippy, yet gentle enough to give it a nostalgic glow. [21 Aug 1998, p.T1]
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The writing is sharp enough to create nearly as many solid laughs as there are producers. [21 Aug 1998]
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It's different, daring, and in many ways delightful. [21 Aug 1998, p.115]
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The Fox series' formula is pretty stock teen material, with immature guys and unsuspecting parents and ditsy girls, but it's got a few inventively surrealistic scenes and a breezy tone that make it worth watching. [22 Aug 1998, p.C4]
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Satirizing smiley faces and leisure suits is hardly fresh, although there's a sweetness and likability to the cast.
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That '70s Show does have its amusing moments -- without marijuana. And it does have nostalgia on its side. [23 Aug 1998, p.3]
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The Eric character and his sort-of girlfriend, Donna (Laura Prepon), do provide a few sparks of interest in this ensemble of dumbed-down teens, but it's not enough for me...Fox calls the series "retro hip." I think it's retro dull. It probably seems a lot funnier if you are 16 and smoking pot. [22 Aug 1998, p.1E]
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[They] don't begin to capture the period beyond its thin patina, and even worse, they are simply not funny...Some arresting visual techniques here, but the writing is heavy-handed, the humor broad and labored, and some of the acting way over the top. [22 Aug 1998, p.F1]
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It blends fleeting moments of inspiration with lengthy stretches of utter banality.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 64 out of 70
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Mixed: 3 out of 70
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Negative: 3 out of 70
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Apr 7, 2020
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Feb 25, 2015
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Jul 10, 2014