That '70s Show
From TeeVeePedia, the Internet TV Encyclopedia.
Airing on then-progressive CBS between 1953 and 1955, That '70s Show was a sitcom that showed what family life would be like in the far future of the 1970's. Starring Jackie Gleason and Donna Reed as Ralph and Donna Futura, the show was considered to be among the most infuential in what is now called The Golden Age of Old TV Shows. Set in the (then) fictional town of Sunnydale, California, That '70s Show detailed the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Futura, their daughter Mary Futura (Shelley Fabares), and twin sons Billy and Bobby Futura (Paul Paulsen and Eddie Haskell).
Many of the episodes of That '70s Show are remembered by CBS viewers as being strikingly innovative and imaginative. Among the best remembered episodes were:
- Billy and Bobby befriend a shy neighbor boy who acts very effeminate.
- Thanks to a mistake by local housing authorities, a Negro accidentally moves into the house next door to the Futuras.
- After accidentally imbibing some of Grandma's medicine, Mary stays out all night listening to a struggling musician play at a local drinking establishment
- While remodeling their bedroom, Ralph and Donna accidentally push their beds together.
- Donna criticizes Ralph for gaining too much weight as a result of entering neighborhood barbecuing contests.
- In the Very Special Episode "Soylent Logan," the citizens of Sunnydale are faced with a new law that requires everyone over the age of 30 to be killed and turned into a protein paste that is used to feed the city's remaining residents.
The improbabilty of the storylines and the strange behavior of the Futuras made That '70s Show one of the most beloved programs of its time. Unfortunately, the show will never come out on DVD because all of the film from the show was used to tape the first few Super Bowls.
