With 200 episodes and eight seasons under its belt, That ’70s Show was one of the most beloved period sitcoms of the 2000s. Despite opening with strong ratings that held on for most of its run, That ’70s Show‘s final season saw drastic casting changes and a massive decline in viewership. Two months after Season 8’s premiere, Fox announced the show was coming to an end and here’s why.
What Was That ’70s Show?
As the title implies, That ’70s Show took place in the fictional suburb of Point Place, Wisconsin during the 1970s where teenager Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and his friends engaged in shenanigans typical of the era’s adolescents. Rather than romanticizing the decade, the show portrayed its characters in a relatable manner, with episodes featuring teenage sexuality, marijuana use and underage drinking. A majority of these themes were used for comedic purposes, such as “the circle,” a running gag that saw the characters sitting in a circle and smoking marijuana.
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Thanks to the cast’s chemistry, viewers of different ages were able to relate to That ’70s Show‘s portrayal of adolescence. Although its early seasons primarily focused on Eric’s relationships with his childhood sweetheart Donna (Laura Prepon) and Korean War veteran father Red (Kurtwood Smith), later episodes centered on the rest of the gang: Hyde (Danny Masterson), Jackie (Mila Kunis), Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama). These characters grew alongside the show, forming new relationships and overcoming different problems as they aged.
Why That ’70s Show Was Canceled
At the start of Season 8, That ’70s Show lost two of its lead actors: Grace and Kutcher, who both wanted to pursue film careers. Eric was ultimately written out of the series by the end of Season 7, as the character departed Point Place to teach in Africa. Kelso appeared during the first four episodes of Season 8 but eventually left Point Place for a job at the Playboy Club in Chicago. With their departure, That ’70s Show lost its main character and primary comic relief, which left the show with an obvious gap. To complicate matters even further, the series’ new character Randy (Josh Meyers) was massively unpopular with the fans, as he lacked Eric and Kelso’s chemistry with the rest of the cast.
Fan reaction was swift and ratings dipped from 7.4 million in Season 7 to 6.8 million viewers by Season 8. After debuting in November 2005, Fox announced the series was coming to an end the following January. Despite this announcement, the network closed out That ’70s Show on a high note, with the cast filming a series finale one month after Fox’s announcement. While most of Season 8 was received poorly, many fans were pleased with its finale, which featured the return of Eric and Kelso. The entire season takes place in 1979 and the finale took place on New Year’s Eve, allowing the cast to close out the decade.
Although it began with a cast of young and relatively unknown actors, many of its stars such as Kunis, Kutcher, Prepon and Grace have enjoyed successful film and television careers after That 70s Show ended. Thanks to a proper series finale, its cast was able to say goodbye to an influential moment in their careers.
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