Originally, the showrunners hired him to literally take over the role of Eric Forman in Season 8, as discussed in the director's commentary for Season 8's "Bohemian Rhapsody," available onthe DVD box set of "That '70s Show: The Complete Series.". As they scrambled to try and find a way to carry the show onwards, they introduced a new character,Charlie Schmidt,near the end of Season 7. Perhaps his career slowdown had something to do with the notion that Fez seemed too busy trying to date seemingly every woman in Hollywood under the age of 24. Kunis recalls seeing Kutcher from the back, telling People Then he just turns around and it was literally like if we were in a movie, the music would start playing and the violins would go. This would continue until the very final episode of the series, with Randy only appearing in one brief scene in the finale of "That '70s Show. "That '90s Show" is taking audiences back to the '90s and to their favorite Wisconsin basement. In this country, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Kurtwood Smith also based his character of Red Forman on a real person; his stepfather. Brace yourself for some not-so-funny news. During its lengthy run, the cast tried to keep its darkest secrets hidden, but the shady truth about the period sitcom has gradually emerged. Especially when it came to her yelling at her on-off boyfriends Hyde and Kelso. They're totally different experiences. It didn't hurt Gordon-Levitt's career much, but filming the scenes did leave a nasty taste in his mouth, so to speak. After Eric Forman and Michael Kelso left Point Place, their friend group became a little less lively. Most of us Laura, Ashton and I smoked cigarettes at the time," said Masterson. When he is released . Season five was "Led Zeppelin"; season six was "The Who," seven was "The Rolling Stones," and eight was "Queen.". Due to their young age, many of them had never had prominent roles in television or film before. After dating Randy throughout most of the final season, Donna broke off the relationship as the finale drew near and got back together with Eric in the series finale. Valderrama said on Instagram last month that filming together again felt like a reunion. The show went on for another eight years before wrapping up in 2006. In a 2012interview on "The Tonight Show," Kunis revealed that she was just 14 when she auditioned for "That '70s Show." Danny Masterson told Smashing Interviews Magazine; "They just pumped smoke. Topher Grace was actually cast after and Terry Turner saw him perform in a high school play. They didnt want a minor because it would cause certain restrictions within the filming schedule. Grace was also the only major cast members who was never Punk'd by Kutcher. As the cast got more professional opportunities and expanded their careers, they slowly aged out of their roles. When searching for the setting of a fictional location, the best place to start is with its creators, Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner and Mark Brazill. Chong was then added back as a main cast member for the eighth and final season, as Leo takes on a job working for Hyde at his record store. However, Gordon-Levitt also acknowledges the influence the kiss had on breaking certain barriers for the LGBTQ+ community at the time, telling Pride Source, "I certainly am proud to have made that small contribution of whatever kind to that progress.". In reality, Leo's temporary departure from the series was due to actor Tommy Chong's real-life arrest and court battles in the early 2000s. "We'd be smoking cigarettes and holding them low, and then they would just pump in this movie smoke that smelled like strawberries. Laura Prepon, 42, played Donna Pinciotti in "That '70s Show" and went on to star in the blockbuster Netflix show Orange Is The New Black. Not only is she reprising her role the spinoff, but shes also directing some episodes. ", While the character launched Kutcher's career as an actor, he remembers the first season of the show not quite as fondly as his other castmates. A constant foil for Eric and his friends, Red routinely acts as the personification of responsibility in the show, punishing his son's friend group whenever they step out of line or get into trouble. Described in the show as tall, lanky and long-haired, Kelso was considered a simple-minded person until he moved to Chicago in the eighth season. "That '70s Show" has one of the better intro sequences of its era of television. In the context of the series, Charlie was the son of one of Red's old war buddies. As a result, and perhaps for the best, the role went to Smith. In most cases, many of the scripts used in "That '70s Show" were recycled in its British counterpart. Because that's what everyone is going to end up calling it anyway. Bob is still that same guy: He means well, and hes got a big heart, but doesnt always think things through completely or at all.. But the romantic feelings didnt start until they met at an awards show later on. As a result of that I lost it. The co-creators of the show, Bonnie and Terry Turner, were attending their daughters high school production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Topher Grace, the plays lead, caught their eye. Michael Christopher Kelso is a fictional character and one of the four male leads on Fox Network's That '70s Show, portrayed by Ashton Kutcher. ", Chong is best known for his major role in the buddy comedy "Cheech &Chong.". Considering how much the showrunners strived for authenticity when it came to their 1970s settings, it's no surprise that the theme song played over the show's intro similarly originated from the '70s. Mila and I were contemplating it, Kutcher said. I heard they were going to reboot it, but I never got a call, he said. Shortly before his breakthrough role in 10 Things I Hate About You, Gordon-Levitt appeared in a Season 1 episode of That '70s Show as Eric's pal, Buddy Morgan. I was convinced I was going to get fired. It makes you so nostalgic. It was the perfect way to capture the vibe of the era along with being the perfect tool to pull out the characters deep thoughts with some added humor. According to executive producer Mark Hudis,ending the series on the final day of the titular decade was no coincidence; as he put it, "We thought we'd just wrap up the '70s while we wrap up the series.". Few cars are as iconic in the realm of 2000s sitcoms as Eric's Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, the station wagon gifted to him by Red that serves as the main means of transportation for Eric and his friends throughout "That '70s Show." Ashton KutcherAshton Kutcher, 44, played Michel Kelso and appears in the first episode of "That '90s Show." More eagle-eyed fans may also notice that certain episodes of "That '70s Show" take their names from well-known rock songs of the era. True Hollywood story that she left the showin 2001 because herhusband, screenwriter Barry Roberts, was terminally ill. Roberts did return for a few episodes late in the show's run. We can also talk about a few less than successful attempts at spinoff series that ultimately went nowhere. After Chong served his time, the producers of "That '70s Show" invited him to return to the show, and Leo re-emerged in Point Place in Season 7's "Down the Road Apiece." Like "That '70s Show," "Days Like These" takes place in the 1970s, follows a group of teenaged friends in the town of Luton in southeastern England. It was so random and fun.. They even made a direct reference to these ads in one episode. Actress Lisa Robin Kelly portrayed Eric Foreman's big sister Laurie for the show's first five seasons, but her role was significantly lessened after Season 3. Kunis immigrated with her family from the Ukraine to Los Angeles when she was seven. The series focuses on the lives of a group of six teenage friends living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979. "I cried," she said. " Fox was also doing well with the second season of the scripted medical dramaHouse. If you were a fan of Jackie and Kelsos relationship on the show, you probably lost your mind when they started dating in real life. Before "That '80s Show," there was another, more obscure spinoff attempt that producers tried in the form of "Days Like These," an almost direct British remake of "That '70s Show" released around the same time as the first season of "That '70s Show.". That on-screen kiss is credited as being the first gay smooch on North American prime time TV, but audiences reportedly hated it. "I've learned to forgive in my heart the people who have wronged me, like Mila," she said in a statement (via TMZ). It's genius. His performance was so powerful that a year laterwhile attending the University of Southern California they called him up to audition for the part. Apparently, Leo remembered he had awife and child, and had to get back to them. My Bob accent was right there at the ready, and it was fantastic. "When I turned 18 we started dating," she said in the documentary Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated (via People). What do you get when you throw a bunch of teenagers from small-town Wisconsin into a dingy basement with nothing to entertain themselves but a TV and a bag of pot? In a new time slot up against stiffer competition,That '70sShowfaded in its final season, and what was once a cornerstone hit for the network started to look like a sitcom waiting to be canceled. The two characters were quick to take any opportunity to throw a jab at the other, providing the show with a lot of laughs. According to an interview with Valderrama on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Valderrama went to the props department and asked them to sell the car to him, pleading with them by saying, "I need the Vista Cruiser." ", "When I look at the car, it reminds me of [being], you know, 17, 18 years old, booking 'That '70s Show' and doing that opening sequence when we're just driving in the street," said Valderrama. The finale takes place on New Year's Eve, which also happens to be the last day of the '70s. "It's actually ironic that the amount is $70," Chilton said. Simply the Worlds Most Interesting Travel Site, 15 Things You Didn't Know About 'That '70s Show', Mila Kunis Lied About Her Age To Get The Role As Jackie, They Werent Allowed To Show Marijuana On Camera - So They Got Creative, Topher Grace Got Scouted At A High School Play, The Jackie/Hyde/Kelso Love Triangle Wasnt The Original Love Triangle, Mila Kunis' Height Caused Some Framing Issues, You Can Tell What Year It Is From The Opening Sequences License Plate, Leos Character Was Based Off His Real Life Actor Tommy Chong, Fez (Supposed To Be FES) Stands For 'Foreign Exchange Student', Jackie Is The Only One Who Calls Everyone By Their First Names, Some Of The Cast Members Were Not As Close As Their On-Screen Counterparts, Lisa Robin Kelly Suffered From A Substance Abuse Problem. Fox wouldn't allow That '70s Show to directly show the use of marijuana on their network. Unfortunately, that didn't last forever: The last season of the show only reached seven million households,according to Time. Even though he is Hydes boss, he doesnt really care much about running the business as opposed to his other hobbieslike smoking weed. When lead actor Topher Grace announced he was leaving "That '70s Show" at the end of the series' seventh season, producers wondered how they were going to continue the show in the wake of Grace's departure. The show's producers did as well. At the end of season seven, Topher Graces character (Eric) left Point Place, Wisconsin in efforts to get a fully paid tuition after completing a year of teaching in Africa. Between the show's first and seventh season, audience scores never dropped below 60 percent, the eighth season took a massive dive, dropping all the way to 23 percent. In real life, Topher Grace himself left the show in order to play the role of the villain Eddie Brock or "Venom" in Spider-Man 3. 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