CS Weekly Archive > DVD of the Day > 05/27/05

It's Not the Story, It's the Style

by scott castle

That '70s Show: The Complete Second Season

Dave Schiff, Mark Brazil, Joshua Sternin, Jeffrey Ventimilia, Linda Wallem, Arthur F. Montmorency, Jeff Filgo, Bob DesHotel, Dean Batali, Philip Stark, Mark Hudis, John Schwab, Chris Peterson, and Jackie Filgo
Created by Bonnie Turner & Terry Turner & Mark Brazil

While the characterization on That '70s Show is top notch, one might wonder what sets this nostalgic sitcom apart from the vast array of network laughers. The answer is the style with which the cast of characters -- Eric Foreman (Topher Grace), his pals Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), Steven Hyde (Danny Masterson), Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), and Jackie Burkhart(Mila Kunis), and his parents Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) -- manage to tread familiar plots in ways that belie the traditional sitcom format. The venue of the '70s, along with the show's iconic gags (the circle joke [where the gang gathers around a table in Eric's basement and compound the humor by expanding on one character's joke with multiple punchlines], Red's lectures [on responsibility, work ethics, and why everyone else is a dumbass], Fez's exotic non sequiturs ["In my country…"]), provide a unique icing to a familiar cake. This style, combined with well-drawn characters and the show's temporal setting, make for quality comedy. With the show's conceits established, season two gets underway at full speed with an onslaught of classic episodes that succeed even in parodying the show's own tropes, such as when Red inadvertently gets high and sells Eric's car, prompting a reversal of roles. A small selection of featurettes broadly detail the process of bringing the show to the screen, and an interview with series director David Trainer points out a few interesting aspects of the show's writing (for instance, not once has it been stated that the circle jokes are the result of substance abuse, but the audience is free to interpret either way).

That '70s Show: The Complete Second Season
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Not rated; 398 min.
$49.98

Buy it now for only $37.49 (save 25%)

Scott Castle is one thesis shy of a master's degree in film. He's written two short films, four television scripts, and a handful of short stories. He lives in Los Angeles.

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