That '80s Show: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 4 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Overwhelming dislike based on 4 Ratings

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1.5	User Score Overwhelming dislike based on 4 Ratings

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Season Details & Credits

FOX | Season Premiere Date: January 23, 2002

Starring: Glenn Howerton, Chyler Leigh, Brittany Daniel

Summary: "The date is 1984. The location is San Diego, just one hour outside of the big dream we call Los Angeles. Corey (Glenn Howerton) and Katie (Tinsley Grimes) live with their dad RT (Geoff Pierson) and Corey's friend Roger (Eddie Shin). Corey is a creative soul who is trying to make it in the music world in a decade that only appreciates"The date is 1984. The location is San Diego, just one hour outside of the big dream we call Los Angeles. Corey (Glenn Howerton) and Katie (Tinsley Grimes) live with their dad RT (Geoff Pierson) and Corey's friend Roger (Eddie Shin). Corey is a creative soul who is trying to make it in the music world in a decade that only appreciates financial success. Although his father is a successful professional who is about to strike gold with his Gut Whacker and ride the '80s fitness marketing craze wave, Corey finds it difficult to get in the game. On the other hand, Corey's friend Roger idolizes Ronald Reagan and listens to motivation tapes while trying to find his way into corporate America. The household is rounded out by Corey's younger sister Katie, a chip off the old block whose sweetness and naiveté make her the perfect go between for her father and brother.
"At Club [Berlin], a local gathering place, Sophia (Brittany Daniel) is in control. Sophia, Corey's ex, is a beautiful, "grab all that I can" kind of girl who doesn't like to limit her choices. Sophia breaks up with Corey to explore other avenues and relationships... all types of relationships. Corey's one safe haven is Permanent Record, the music store where he works for Margaret (Margaret Smith), a woman who lived through the summer of love and emerged with quite a few stories (and a rash). But things change for Corey when he's forced to deal with the new girl, Tuesday (Chyler Leigh), a punk rocker who sports a mohawk and attitude to match." (FOX press release)

From the people who brought you That '70s Show came, appropriately enough, That '80s Show. The anachronism-filled followup launched amidst a tidal wave of publicity, scored lots of eyeballs for its premiere, and then promptly lost half of them. A lone tryout broadcast after its parent series improved its standing and suggested the sitcom could thrive with some nurturing, like That '70s Show had gotten, but the short-sighted executives who were running things at FOX, Sandy Grushow and Gail Berman, swept it under the carpet anyway, like most of the shows they launched that season.
Much more interesting than the story of the show itself was the story of a little email battle that waged (and leaked) between co-creator Mark Brazill and Judd Apatow -- who was doing another FOX show called Undeclared the same year -- after Apatow attempted to get That '70s Show star Topher Grace to make a guest appearance on his series. Filled with such classy lines as "Die in a fiery accident and taste your own blood" and "See ya at the upfronts, bitch... unless you get cancelled before that," the tastefully-restrained tale of lies, deceit and alleged intellectual property theft probably got both of their shows cancelled without anybody ever bothering to look at any of the ratings.
"Eighties
I'm living in the eighties
Eighties
I have to push, I have to struggle, oh"

Theme song
"Eighties"
written by Jaz Coleman - Paul Ferguson - Paul Raven - Geordie Walker
performed by unknown

That '80s Show is produced by Carsey-Werner-Mandabach Company

Broadcast History
-----------------

Jan 2002-Apr 2002, Wed 8:00-8:30
May 2002, Tue 8:30-9:00
May 2002, Wed 8:00-8:30
Mar 2002, Mon 8:30-9:00
Mar 2002-Apr 2002, Fri 8:30-9:00

First telecast: January 23, 2002
Last telecast: May 29, 2002
Show type: Multi-Camera Sitcom
Number of episodes: 13
Media: Tape… Expand

Creator: Linda Wallem and Terry Turner and Mark Brazill

Genre(s): Comedy

Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E13. Sophia's Depressed
Air Date: May 29, 2002
tbd
S1:E12. Beach Party
Air Date: May 7, 2002
tbd
S1:E11. Road Trip (a.k.a. Star Search)
Air Date: April 24, 2002

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Terry Kelleher

Jun 27, 2013

Hard to leg-warm up to. Read full review

James Poniewozik

Jul 1, 2013

'80s is full of unlikable stereotypes who were already well-parodied cliches two decades ago. Read full review

Tim Goodman

Jul 25, 2013

The new show takes a wispy idea and stretches it past its limit, leaving no laughs, no character development and certainly no impetus to watch again. Read full review

Flak Magazine Karen Lurie

Jul 3, 2013

Unlike its prequel, "That '70s Show," which uses the '70s as a contextual backdrop to its characters lives (and also manages to be funny), "That '80s Show" uses its characters merely as vehicles to display what we now remember as "'80s things." Read full review

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Seasons & Episodes

31

Series Overview
Season 2

tbd
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: January 23, 2002
Season 1

31
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: January 23, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E13. Sophia's Depressed
  Air Date: May 29, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E12. Beach Party
  Air Date: May 7, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E11. Road Trip (a.k.a. Star Search)
  Air Date: April 24, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E10. Punk Club
  Air Date: April 17, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E9. Double Date
  Air Date: April 10, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E8. After the Kiss
  Air Date: April 3, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E7. Katie's Birthday
  Air Date: March 27, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E6. Spring Break '84
  Air Date: March 6, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E5. My Dead Friend
  Air Date: February 20, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E4. Corey's Remix
  Air Date: February 13, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E3. Tuesday Comes Over
  Air Date: February 6, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E2. Valentine's Day
  Air Date: January 30, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E1. That '80s Pilot
  Air Date: January 23, 2002