the wild seventies

Television series
German title	The wild seventies!
Original title	That '70s show
Country of production	United States
original language	English
Year (s)	1998-2006
Production company	Carsey-Werner-Mandabach Productions Carsey-Werner Company
length	22 minutes
Episodes	200 in 8 seasons
genre	Sitcom
Theme music	Todd Griffin (Season 1) or Cheap Trick (Season 2–8) - That '70s Song (which is based on In The Street )
idea	Bonnie Turner Terry Turner Mark Brazill
music	Ben Vaughn Jeff Sudakin
First broadcast	August 23, 1998 (USA) on FOX
German-language first broadcast	January 15, 2000 on RTL Television
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The wild seventies! (Original English title That '70s Show , in German "This 70s show") is an American sitcom that was broadcast in the United States from 1998 to 2006 by FOX .

content

The series is about a group of teenagers who grew up in Point Place, a fictional suburb of Kenosha , Wisconsin, in America in the late 1970s.

As already indicated in the title song, the young people usually sit around bored because nothing exciting is going on in their city. Occasionally they take a trip to one of the larger cities in the area such as Racine , Madison , Chicago or Milwaukee .

The series is about love, jealousy and friendship, problems with school and work as well as in the family. A recurring element is a main character trying something new, only to eventually return to the status quo towards the end of the episode . Alternatively, guest actors are part of the series for an episode or a few to freshen up the plot.

The thematization of 70s events, developments and phenomena, which seem strange from today's point of view or, unlike the characters in the series, have meanwhile been accepted as normal, pursues the same purpose. This contrast to the present is often played with.

• One of the topics is the emergence of feminism , which in the small town of Point Place is still viewed as a foreign body.
• The recession of the 1970s has a direct impact on the Forman family as Father Red is affected by them as a worker.
• Another development, the more liberated attitude to sexuality since the late 1960s, can already be felt in Point Place.
• New technical developments such as computers , video recorders and microwave ovens are mentioned.

Finally, experimenting with drugs is shown particularly centrally. In the so-called circle sessions , the actors sit around a round table and speak their dialogues directly into the camera, while clouds of smoke and the lively, often incoherent conversation suggest that the young people are currently consuming marijuana. This is especially clear in episode 8 of season 6, in which Donna calls the circle the "Kifferrunde" and in episode 27 of season 4, when Steven Hyde literally said he never smoke pot before 3pm or 2pm.

Staging

The Roaring Seventies was recorded in front of an audience on a stage at the CBS Studio Center in Studio City , Los Angeles , California Friday night .

Particular emphasis was placed on the exact imitation of the 1970s in terms of equipment, clothing and hairstyles.

A regularly used stylistic device are surreal dream sequences.

Often a group of people, usually the teenagers, sit in a circle (mostly in Eric's basement, although occasionally elsewhere). The camera pans in a circle and stops at the person who is speaking. It is usually evident that the individuals are under the influence of marijuana . Stylistic devices are thick clouds of smoke, frequent coughs and an extremely wide-angle lens. However, the actual smoking of the drug is never shown. There is also no visible connection with drug paraphernalia such as water pipes or cigarette paper . The word “marijuana” is never mentioned (except in the episode “No Power to Drugs” and in season 6, episode 13, Hyde says, “We sit in the stoner circle and talk about relationships.” One episode later, Hyde also says, that he can't take two joints anymore.), otherwise it is often just referred to as "stuff". One gimmick related to the marijuana circle and smoking is that the kitchen wall moves when Eric is given a lecture by his parents for his faulty behavior, although this technique is also used to show that Eric is drunk . As the series progressed, the circle got a recurring function. There are only four episodes in which the whole clique sits in a circle: "Eric and the Pimples", "Poker Nights", "Mini Golf Mitch" and in the series finale.

In many episodes, the teenagers are on top of a water tower. At the end of several water tower sequences, at least one person falls down (usually Kelso). When Charlie Richardson (played by Bret Harrison) fell from the water tower and died in season 8, the water tower was renamed in his honor. After Charlie's death, Kelso fell from the water tower again, but survived; this led him to believe that he was "invincible". In the episode “The Storm in the Water Tower”, the gang painted a marijuana leaf on the tower, but it also looks like a green hand showing the finger . In the episode "Fight for Jackie" Kelso paints his and Jackie's names on the tower to annoy Hyde. Immediately after he's finished, he falls off the tower and lands in the hospital. Kelso is known to fall from the water tower at least once a year since the 5th grade.

Many of the episodes show Eric and the rest of the gang in or around Eric's "Aztec Gold" 1969 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser , which Red received as a gift to Eric in the pilot episode. For the first seven seasons of the series, the cast was shown in the opening sequence in the Vista Cruiser. This particular car was Wilmer Valderrama after the show for 500 US dollars bought. In August 2009, the Vista Cruiser from the show was voted third best TV car by the MSN Autos website.

The series comes up with a large number of guest appearances by various stars. In addition to Gene Simmons , Paul Stanley , Ace Frehley and Peter Criss from the band KISS , who often appear in the series, also David Arquette , Rachel Bilson , Alice Cooper , Eliza Dushku , Gloria Gaynor , Seth Green , Melissa Joan Hart , Alyson Hannigan , Dwayne Johnson , Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Lindsay Lohan , Justin Long , Christopher Masterson , Katey Sagal , Brooke Shields , Jessica Simpson , Betty White , Bruce Willis , Neil Flynn , Billy Dee Williams and Luke Wilson .

The series ran over eight seasons with a total of 200 episodes, with two of the main characters ( Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher ) only having guest appearances in the last season.

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Main cast

role	actor	Voice actor	consequences
Eric Forman	Topher Grace	Johannes Raspe	180
Donna Pinciotti	Laura Prepon	Solveig Duda	200
Michael Kelso	Ashton Kutcher	Marc Oliver Schulze	183
Steven Hyde	Danny Masterson	Dominik Auer	200
Jackie Burkhart	Mila Kunis	Andrea Wick	200
Fez	Wilmer Valderrama	Matthias von Stegmann	200
Kitty Forman	Debra Jo Rupp	Ursula Wolff	200
Reginald "Red" Forman	Kurtwood Smith	Erich Ludwig	200
Bob Pinciotti	Don Stark	Hans-Rainer Müller	126

Supporting cast

role	actor	Voice actor	consequences
Midge Pinciotti	Tanya Roberts (1998-2003)	Marietta Meade Carin C. Tietze	51
Laurie Forman	Lisa Robin Kelly (1998-2003) Christina Moore (2003-2004)	Veronika Neugebauer	44 6
Leo	Tommy Chong (1999-2002, 2005-2006)	Gudo Hoegel	37
Randy Pearson	Josh Meyers (2005-2006)	Philipp Moog	21st
Joanne Stupac	Mo Gaffney (2001-2003)		12
Caroline	Allison Munn (2001-2006)	Stephanie waiter	8th
Brooke	Shannon Elizabeth (2003-2005)	Natascha Geisler	9
William Barnett	Tim Reid (2004-2006)	Christoph Jablonka	9
Samantha Hyde	Jud Tylor (2005-2006)	Anke Kortemeier	8th
Nina	Joanna Canton (2002-2003)	Stefanie von Lerchenfeld	8th
Angie Barnett	Megalyn Echikunwoke (2004-2005)	Annina Braunmiller	8th
Pamela Burkhart	Brooke Shields (2004-2006)	Elisabeth Günther	7th
Roy Keene	Jim Gaffigan (2003-2004)	Thomas Albus	7th
Casey Kelso	Luke Wilson (2002-2006)	Manfred Trilling Philipp Brammer	6th

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The youngsters

At the beginning of the series, the members of Eric's Circle of Friends are sixteen or seventeen years old and therefore born around 1960 , so they come from the last few years of the baby boomer generation . They all go to the local high school .

The linchpin of the series is Eric Forman ( Topher Grace ). He and his friends spend most of their time in his parents 'basement when they are off school, and they occasionally drive around in his parents' Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser . Eric is intelligent and quick-witted, with a penchant for puns, and is mostly in a good mood and lovable. Occasionally he has self-doubts and is often nervous. His fondness for Star Wars and GI Joe action figures sometimes makes him the target of derisive remarks, as does his lanky build and lack of athleticism. Often he also has to listen to the nickname “Foreplay” (German foreplay ), less often also “Foreskin” (German foreskin ). Over the course of the series, a relationship develops with his long-time childhood friend Donna Pinciotti . After numerous separations and reconciliations, both even get engaged, but the originally planned wedding falls apart, but the two remain a couple. After graduating from high school, Eric wants to go to college to study. However, since his father has a heart attack, he decides to stay home to have a year of self-discovery. During this time he made the decision to become a teacher, but before that he would go to Africa for a year in order to get better prospects for a scholarship. During this time he separated from Donna, but both became a couple again on his return on December 31, 1979.

Donna Pinciotti ( Laura Prepon ) lives in the neighboring house . Donna is probably the most balanced and easy going person in Eric's circle of friends. Tall, red-haired Donna dresses more practically and sometimes has to defend herself against being referred to as unfeminine. Even with her feminist attitude, she sometimes offends the mostly male group. Donna and Eric have known each other from childhood. A relationship develops between the two at the beginning of the series. Donna wants to go to college after high school, but decides to stay at Point Place and study at City College because Eric is staying home and looking after his family. She also works for a radio station and even has her own show there. At the end of the series, she decides to go to college.

Eric and Steven Hyde ( Danny Masterson ) have also been friends since they were children . Steven comes from a broken home, is rather silent, but is generally respected for his coolness. Steven, who is quite intelligent, hardly takes part in school and accordingly brings home bad grades, which doesn't bother him. As a real rebel he has a penchant for heavy metal , hard rock and punk music and mostly takes part in pranks of all kinds. He also feels deep distrust of the establishment and all kinds of authority figures. His conspiracy theories, sometimes reinforced by drug consumption, however, rarely find supporters in his circle of friends . Outwardly, he sets himself apart a little with his afro hairstyle and the sunglasses he always wears. In the course of the series it turns out that Stevens biological father is the owner of a large record distribution company in which Steven gets a job as an office worker, but he does not enjoy it. Later, his father opened a record store in Point Place, which Steven ran first with his half-sister and later alone. At the end of the series, he receives a letter from his father that he has decided to close all record stores and sell them to a cleaning company. Steven is very upset about this at first. However, his father shows up at the record store shortly before the official closure and tells him that he will not close this store, but will give it to Steven as a present.

Michael Kelso ( Ashton Kutcher ) is a little underexposed, but attractive, and gets a lot into his looks. He is a year older than the others and belongs to the clique because he had to repeat the first year of school. In combination with his pronounced self-confidence, the tall Michael is very successful with the opposite sex, even if loyalty is not one of his strengths. Like Steven, he's always up for pranks. He also likes to get involved in tests of courage with danger to life and limb. He loves dogs. After completing school, he began training at the police academy and also worked for a while as a police officer until he was fired for an official offense and worked as a security guard at the Playboy Club in Florida. At the beginning of the series, he is in a relationship with Jackie, but the relationship finally breaks up after numerous breakups and reconciliations. During a concert, Kelso meets Brooke, whom he impregnates through sexual contact in the toilet. After much hesitation, he decides to want to be a good father to the child. Nevertheless, he repeatedly makes unsuccessful attempts to get together with Jackie, which, however, decidedly refuses to do so even after the separation from Steven.

Jackie Burkhart ( Mila Kunis ) is one year younger than the other youngsters. Small and dark-haired, she is also the counterpart to Donna in terms of character: superficially and fixated on herself, she usually tries to push herself into the center. Her shrill voice helps her in this. Occasionally she is very inconsiderate towards other people and sometimes hurtful open in her statements. In her worldview, she defines herself by her parents' wealth, social status ( she is popular as the leader of the high school cheerleaders ) and good looks. Accordingly, your make-up, hairstyle and clothing are extremely important. At the beginning of the series, she is Michael Kelso's friend, the only reason she is part of Eric's clique; the others don't like them. Jackie may not be stupid, but she plans to get married rich and therefore relies less on education through books than on regular reading of fashion and lifestyle magazines. The relationship with Kelso breaks up because of numerous affairs between the two. Later in the series, she eventually gets together with Steven. This relationship also breaks up because she tries to force Steven to marry, but Steven refuses. At the end of the series, she finally falls in love with Fez and the two become a couple.

Fez ( Wilmer Valderrama ) is an exchange student of unknown nationality at the high school that the other young people also attend. He lives with strictly religious host parents. His real name (Fez is onomatopoeic for foreign exchange student ) remains unknown and is a regularly used running gag of the series. In some episodes contradicting references to its origin are given. Fez is obsessed with sexuality and suffers from his inability to get along with the opposite sex. Due to his lack of command of English (strong accent and low vocabulary) and his relentless openness, he often gets into embarrassing situations. If he feels offended, he reacts very harshly; conversely, his affection can easily take on exaggerated traits. Fez has a thing for all kinds of sweets and cheese, and he doesn't tolerate a lot of alcohol. Due to his appearance deviating from the norm (darker skin color, pronunciation, tank top) he is regularly the target of youthful pranks like being locked in a locker.

Laurie Forman ( Lisa Robin Kelly , later Christina Moore ) is Eric's older sister. She is already in college and is at home irregularly. She and Eric seem to quarrel all the time, either openly or in the form of intrigue. She is therefore not part of Eric's group, even if Michael and Fez regularly try to find the attractive blonde Laurie. Laurie doesn't try too hard at college early in the series and prefers to party. Therefore she is kicked out. Through her regularly changing partners and constant affairs, she is stamped as a slut by everyone except Red .

Randy Pearson ( Josh Meyers ) takes on the role of the two missing protagonists Eric and Michael in the eighth season. He is very eloquent and knows how to deal with people (especially women). He meets the group via Hyde, in whose record store he works. While the majority of the clique often makes fun of his "hair dryer", there is a relationship between him and Donna, which breaks up again with the return of Eric in the last episode.

The adults

Reginald Albert "Red" Forman ( Kurtwood Smith ) is Eric's father. Red is employed at an auto parts factory and only works part-time because of the recession. After the factory closes, Red is first unemployed, then a manager in the newly opened supermarket "Schnäppchenmarkt" (original: "Price Mart"). After a heart attack, he is temporarily unable to work and initially cannot find work after he has recovered. However, by chance he discovers that the local exhaust service has been closed and decides to take over the business. However, the store doesn't do very well from the start. In the course of the 8th season, the "Auspuffmeister" chain would also like to open an exhaust shop near Red's shop. He is aware that he cannot keep up with the prices of such a chain. He decides to go to the headquarters of the company to defend himself against the opening, but there they make him an offer to buy his shop, which he accepts and decides to retire. Red is a strict father to Eric and often punishes him severely, but overlooks all of her weaknesses in Laurie. It is particularly important to him to turn the unsporting and playful Eric into a “real man”. Red's attitude to the world is shaped not least by his military service in the Korean War , which he mentions frequently. His aversion to communists probably stems from this period. Basically he can't do much with fashions, innovations or liberal ideas. Red has no friends and is happiest when he's quiet and a cold beer. In his spare time he likes to hunt, fish, read the newspaper or watch TV. Eric's clique, who are constantly in the basement and kitchen of the Formans and cause chaos, is always a source of arguments.

Kitty Forman ( Debra Jo Rupp ) is Eric's mother. She sometimes works as a nurse and is the balancing element in the family. She pampers Eric like a toddler, which he often embarrasses. On the other hand, he is happy to have at least one more pleasant family member besides the strict father and the scheming sister. Kitty is not always on good terms with Eric's friend Donna as she is concerned about her role as the most important woman in Eric's life. Her relationship with daughter Laurie is strained because she does not approve of Laurie's antics. Kitty regularly drinks too much alcohol , especially after stressful situations, but refuses to admit that she has a problem. A trademark of Kitty is the flashy laugh, which she often uses when tense or stressful situations arise that make her uncomfortable.

Bob Pinciotti ( Don Stark ) is Donna's father and owns the house next to the Formans. The Italian-born Bob is a short, well-built, well-built man with a rather simple disposition, but a good businessman and salesman. He owns an electrical goods store in Point Place, Bargain Bob's, which he has to give up because the newly opened Price Mart has cheaper prices and steals his customers. After a short period of unemployment and serious financial problems, he accidentally makes an invention that he applies for a patent and earns a lot of money with it. Where and what he works exactly is not discussed in the course of the series. He will also be left by his wife Midge ( Tanya Roberts ), who is going to California, during Season 4 . With Joane Stupac (Mo Gaffney) he finds a new partner, who later leaves him. In the further course of the series, he then has an affair with Jackie's mother Pamela and even reunites with his ex-wife for a short time. After a period of reconciliation, however, the quarrel arises again so often that both decide their final separation by mutual agreement and Midge goes back to California. At the end of the series, Bob decides to sell his house and open a fishing shop in Florida. However, whether he will implement the project is no longer an issue. He often tries to be friends with his neighbor Red, but doesn't notice that he's just getting on his nerves.

Midge Pinciotti ( Tanya Roberts ) is Donna's mother and Bob's wife. She is even simpler than Bob and dissatisfied with her role as a housewife. But Bob is against her going to work. Outwardly, the tall, blonde, attractive Midge is a stark contrast to the chubby little bob. The male part of the clique around Eric feels strongly drawn to her. Unlike the somewhat staid couple Forman, Midge and Bob are always easy to get excited about the numerous fads and trends of the seventies. Daughter Donna is regularly ashamed of her parents' slip-ups.

Leo ( Tommy Chong ) is the owner of the "Fotohütte" (a very small photo shop that is in a parking lot) and a good friend of Hyde. Since he is constantly under the influence of drugs, he often does not know where he is or who he is talking to. He disappears after the fourth season, but is found in the seventh by Eric on his American tour, returns to Point Place and works at Stevens' record store. In the last season it also turns out that he served before his "hippie days" in World War II and even got the Purple Heart .

music

The theme song That '70s Song , based on In The Street by Big Star , was first reinterpreted by Todd Griffin and later by the band Cheap Trick .

In the individual episodes, excerpts from well-known 70s songs are often played. Young people are very interested in music, so it is often the subject of conversations. There is no uniform taste within the group. The spectrum ranges from Jackie's predilection for ABBA and Donny Osmond to Stevens inclination for the Sex Pistols , KISS and Led Zeppelin.

From the fifth season onwards, the episode titles in the original English are named after songs by well-known music groups:

• Led Zeppelin (Season 5)
• The Who (Season 6)
• The Rolling Stones (Season 7)
• Queen (Season 8)

Episode list

Awards

• 1999: Emmy for costume in the episode That Disco Episode ( Melina Root ).

Web links

• Official website of the series (English)
• The wild seventies in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• The wild seventies in the German dubbing index
• Entry at tv.com (English)
• German episode guide
• Episode guide with first broadcast dates