A Look Back at 'That '70s Show' (Season by Season) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Adamantium · 05-14-2006, 10:05 PM

With the finale coming up, I thought I would take a look back at this classic 1990s thru 2000s sitcom.

Season One: 1998-1999
Topher Grace as Eric Forman
Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti
Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde
Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso
Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt
Wilmer Valderrama as Fez
Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman
Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman
Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti
Tanya Roberts as Midge Pinciotti
*Lisa Robin Kelly as Laurie Forman

In the debut season, set in 1976, Eric Forman turns seventeen and gets his father's Vista Cruiser. Eric hangs out downstairs in his parent's basement along with his pals, Hyde, Donna and Kelso. Fez quickly joins them as does Jackie, who dates Kelso. Red is Eric's strict father and Kitty is his loving mother. Bob and Midge are Donna's parents who have been going through a weird period in their marriage. Laurie is recurring in the first season as Eric's evil, college-bound sister.

During the first season, while Eric and Donna try to turn their friendship into romance, Hyde discovers he has feelings for Donna. There's a brief love triangle story going on for most of the season. It ends with Eric and Donna officially becoming a couple and Hyde, just sort of getting over it. Hyde's mother leaves him, so Red and Kitty take him in.

Season Two: 1999-2000
Topher Grace as Eric Forman
Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti
Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde
Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso
Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt
Wilmer Valderrama as Fez
Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman
Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman
Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti
Tanya Roberts as Midge Pinciotti
Lisa Robin Kelly as Laurie Forman
*Tommy Chong as Leo, the hippie

In the second season, Laurie moves back home after dropping out of college. Hyde gets a job at Fotohut where his new boss, Leo is a bit of a hippie, and is usually on something. Eric and Donna finally "go all the way". Kelso, while dating Jackie, cheats on her with Laurie. However, by the end of the season, it gets out and Jackie dumps him. Red, who has been having trouble since the plant closed down, becomes the manager of Price Mart. In the end of the season, Jackie falls for Hyde, especially when he takes the fall for her and gets arrested for possesion.

Season Three: 2000-2001
Topher Grace as Eric Forman
Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti
Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde
Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso
Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt
Wilmer Valderrama as Fez
Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman
Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman
Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti
Tanya Roberts as Midge Pinciotti
Lisa Robin Kelly as Laurie Forman
*Tommy Chong as Leo, the hippie

Red cracks down hard after Hyde gets out of jail for posession and Eric admits to doing it to. After a few episodes, Hyde runs into his father, who had left him when he was a kid. He moves out of the Formans and in with his dad. Red and Kitty convince Laurie to find a career, so she chooses cosmetology. However, an episode after she chooses it, she disappears from the Forman home and the show. Fez finally gets a girlfriend, Caroline, only to find out that she's a pyscho. Thanks to Donna he's able to break up with her. Kelso and Jackie get back together and Donna gets a radio job as "Hot Donna." In the finale, when Donna won't accept Eric's promise ring, he breaks up with her.

Season Four: 2001-2002
Topher Grace as Eric Forman
Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti
Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde
Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso
Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt
Wilmer Valderrama as Fez
Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman
Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman
Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti
Tommy Chong as Leo, the hippie
*Mo Gaffney as Joanne Stupak

The fourth season opens with Eric taking a trip to the 1980s, thanks to an angel, to see what the world would be like if Donna had never kissed him (in the pilot). From there, it just moves into Eric and Donna both being depressed and having post-relationship troubles. Bigger issues come for Donna when her mom, Midge, leaves Bob and her from California. Through out the season, Bob dates a woman named Joanne, who's the exact opposite of Midge. Hyde moves back into the Forman's. Jackie gets a job at the Cheese Palace at the mall and ends up kissing a co-worker. Kelso finds out about it. Donna starts dating Kelso's brother, Casey, which torments Eric. In the finale, Donna and Kelso decide to leave Point Place in his van and head for California so Donna can be with her mom. This comes right after her breakup with Casey. And Kelso goes to get away from Jackie who tries to get him to marry her. Eric, meanwhile, wants to get back with Donna. Only she doesn't know it yet.

The 100th episode, is featured in season four. It's a musical episode, featuring Fez's daydreams. This is Leo's (Tommy Chong) final season for a while. He returns late in season seven.

Season Five: 2002-2003
Topher Grace as Eric Forman
Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti
Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde
Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso
Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt
Wilmer Valderrama as Fez
Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman
Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman
Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti
*Mo Gaffney as Joanne Stupak
*Lisa Robin Kelly as Laurie Forman

The fifth season starts with Eric going to California to get back with Donna. They return to Point Place. As a punishment, Bob makes Donna attend a Catholic school. Kitty starts Menopause, which drives everyone crazy. Jackie and Hyde start a secret relationship. Once Kelso finds out, then they both battle for her. Eric and Donna get engaged. Fez finally has sex. Laurie returns as a recurring character. In the finale, the gang graduate. However, Fez is going to be deported. Once Laurie tells the gang the news that she married Fez so he could stay in the country, Red has a heart attack.

Season Six: 2003-2004
Topher Grace as Eric Forman
Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti
Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde
Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso
Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt
Wilmer Valderrama as Fez
Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman
Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman
Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti
*Christine Moore as Laurie Forman
*Brooke Shields as Pam Burkhardt

In the sixth season, Eric stays home due to Red's health. While Donna is about to go to Madison for college, she decides to stay in Point Place with Eric. They continue their engagement. Laurie now has a new face (by a new actress). Bob starts dating Jackie's mother, Pam. Kelso starts a relationship with a girl named Brooke. In fact, he gets her pregnant. Hyde and Jackie continue their relationship, which is a little rocky throughout the season. In the end, Eric doesn't show up for his wedding with Donna. To cheer her up, her, Midge returns. Also, Kelso takes training to become a cop.

Season Seven: 2004-2005
Topher Grace as Eric Forman
Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti
Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde
Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso
Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt
Wilmer Valderrama as Fez
Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman
Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman
Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti
*Tanya Roberts as Midge Pinciotti
*Tim Reid as William Barnett
*Megalyn Echikunwoke as Angie Barnett

The seventh season opens with Donna's new hairdo and Eric's decision to take the year off to do nothing. Bob and Midge get back together, for a while, before she decides to leave again. Hyde finds out who his real father is - a successful black man. Hyde also meets his sister, Angie. They both get to run a record store together. Kelso is still a cop and becomes a father. Yet, Brooke and their daughter live in Chicago. Hyde and Jackie are still in their relationship. However, Jackie starts pushing Hyde to make a commitment. Red opens up his own muffler shop. Leo returns towards the end of the season. Eric decides to go to college, but can't afford it. So he takes a teaching course in Africa. It'll be for one year and will help pay for college. He bids farewell to his friends and family, right after getting busted for having a 360 with the guys. Hyde goes to Chicago to visit Jackie (who's moved there to take a job) only he finds Kelso, naked in her room.

Season Eight: 2005-2006
Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti
Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde
Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt
Wilmer Valderrama as Fez
Josh Meyers as Randy Pearson
Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman
Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman
Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti
Tommy Chong as Leo, the hippie
*Judy Tylor as Samantha Hyde

In the eighth season, Hyde returns from a trip to Las Vegas, only to find that while getting drunk he married Samantha - a stripper. She moves into the Forman's with Hyde and they decide to stay married. Leo, who works at Hyde's record store, hires Randy Pearson. Hyde decides to keep him, when he proves to be a good worker. Eric's in Africa but doesn't seem to still be in Donna's life. Kelso leaves Point Place to take a job in Chicago at the Playboy Mansion. Eric dumps Donna, who then turns to Randy. After a while, they become a couple. Jackie and Fez live together in an apartment. She replace Kelso, after he left. Red retired from the muffler shop. After a season of Hyde and Jackie being broken up, she turns to Fez. Hyde gets divorced when he finds out Samantha already has a husband. In the finale, set on December 31st, 1979, Kelso returns for a visit. Donna dumps Randy and decides to go to college in Madison. Bob moves to Florida to start his own bait shop. And other stuff, (that I don't know about yet) happens.

Number 9 Dream · 05-15-2006, 08:33 PM

Thanks for the awesome re-cap, Adam

It was cool to see how the whole series played out. They did have quite a bit of character development and things going on with the plot, didn't they?

NASHMAN · 05-15-2006, 09:56 PM

That was one big summary! Thanks! I'm truly going to miss this show so much and today I got my other 2 season DVD's for seasons 3 & 4.

snl 70s show fan · 05-15-2006, 11:13 PM

thanks for a great summary of a great show

Adamantium · 05-16-2006, 05:00 PM

I haven't seen much of seasons 5-7. So those descriptions might be a little crappy. But I did the best I could. Once I got started, I didn't realize how long this was going to be. So I got a little lazy towards the end. But I still wanted to do it.

05-14-2006, 10:05 PM	#1
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,820	A Look Back at 'That '70s Show' (Season by Season) With the finale coming up, I thought I would take a look back at this classic 1990s thru 2000s sitcom. Season One: 1998-1999 Topher Grace as Eric Forman Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt Wilmer Valderrama as Fez Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti Tanya Roberts as Midge Pinciotti Lisa Robin Kelly as Laurie Forman In the debut season, set in 1976, Eric Forman turns seventeen and gets his father's Vista Cruiser. Eric hangs out downstairs in his parent's basement along with his pals, Hyde, Donna and Kelso. Fez quickly joins them as does Jackie, who dates Kelso. Red is Eric's strict father and Kitty is his loving mother. Bob and Midge are Donna's parents who have been going through a weird period in their marriage. Laurie is recurring in the first season as Eric's evil, college-bound sister. During the first season, while Eric and Donna try to turn their friendship into romance, Hyde discovers he has feelings for Donna. There's a brief love triangle story going on for most of the season. It ends with Eric and Donna officially becoming a couple and Hyde, just sort of getting over it. Hyde's mother leaves him, so Red and Kitty take him in. Season Two: 1999-2000* Topher Grace as Eric Forman Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt Wilmer Valderrama as Fez Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti Tanya Roberts as Midge Pinciotti Lisa Robin Kelly as Laurie Forman Tommy Chong as Leo, the hippie In the second season, Laurie moves back home after dropping out of college. Hyde gets a job at Fotohut where his new boss, Leo is a bit of a hippie, and is usually on something. Eric and Donna finally "go all the way". Kelso, while dating Jackie, cheats on her with Laurie. However, by the end of the season, it gets out and Jackie dumps him. Red, who has been having trouble since the plant closed down, becomes the manager of Price Mart. In the end of the season, Jackie falls for Hyde, especially when he takes the fall for her and gets arrested for possesion. Season Three: 2000-2001* Topher Grace as Eric Forman Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt Wilmer Valderrama as Fez Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti Tanya Roberts as Midge Pinciotti Lisa Robin Kelly as Laurie Forman Tommy Chong as Leo, the hippie Red cracks down hard after Hyde gets out of jail for posession and Eric admits to doing it to. After a few episodes, Hyde runs into his father, who had left him when he was a kid. He moves out of the Formans and in with his dad. Red and Kitty convince Laurie to find a career, so she chooses cosmetology. However, an episode after she chooses it, she disappears from the Forman home and the show. Fez finally gets a girlfriend, Caroline, only to find out that she's a pyscho. Thanks to Donna he's able to break up with her. Kelso and Jackie get back together and Donna gets a radio job as "Hot Donna." In the finale, when Donna won't accept Eric's promise ring, he breaks up with her. Season Four: 2001-2002* Topher Grace as Eric Forman Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt Wilmer Valderrama as Fez Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti Tommy Chong as Leo, the hippie Mo Gaffney as Joanne Stupak The fourth season opens with Eric taking a trip to the 1980s, thanks to an angel, to see what the world would be like if Donna had never kissed him (in the pilot). From there, it just moves into Eric and Donna both being depressed and having post-relationship troubles. Bigger issues come for Donna when her mom, Midge, leaves Bob and her from California. Through out the season, Bob dates a woman named Joanne, who's the exact opposite of Midge. Hyde moves back into the Forman's. Jackie gets a job at the Cheese Palace at the mall and ends up kissing a co-worker. Kelso finds out about it. Donna starts dating Kelso's brother, Casey, which torments Eric. In the finale, Donna and Kelso decide to leave Point Place in his van and head for California so Donna can be with her mom. This comes right after her breakup with Casey. And Kelso goes to get away from Jackie who tries to get him to marry her. Eric, meanwhile, wants to get back with Donna. Only she doesn't know it yet. The 100th episode, is featured in season four. It's a musical episode, featuring Fez's daydreams. This is Leo's (Tommy Chong) final season for a while. He returns late in season seven. Season Five: 2002-2003* Topher Grace as Eric Forman Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt Wilmer Valderrama as Fez Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti Mo Gaffney as Joanne Stupak Lisa Robin Kelly as Laurie Forman The fifth season starts with Eric going to California to get back with Donna. They return to Point Place. As a punishment, Bob makes Donna attend a Catholic school. Kitty starts Menopause, which drives everyone crazy. Jackie and Hyde start a secret relationship. Once Kelso finds out, then they both battle for her. Eric and Donna get engaged. Fez finally has sex. Laurie returns as a recurring character. In the finale, the gang graduate. However, Fez is going to be deported. Once Laurie tells the gang the news that she married Fez so he could stay in the country, Red has a heart attack. Season Six: 2003-2004 Topher Grace as Eric Forman Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt Wilmer Valderrama as Fez Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti Christine Moore as Laurie Forman Brooke Shields as Pam Burkhardt In the sixth season, Eric stays home due to Red's health. While Donna is about to go to Madison for college, she decides to stay in Point Place with Eric. They continue their engagement. Laurie now has a new face (by a new actress). Bob starts dating Jackie's mother, Pam. Kelso starts a relationship with a girl named Brooke. In fact, he gets her pregnant. Hyde and Jackie continue their relationship, which is a little rocky throughout the season. In the end, Eric doesn't show up for his wedding with Donna. To cheer her up, her, Midge returns. Also, Kelso takes training to become a cop. Season Seven: 2004-2005 Topher Grace as Eric Forman Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt Wilmer Valderrama as Fez Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti Tanya Roberts as Midge Pinciotti Tim Reid as William Barnett Megalyn Echikunwoke as Angie Barnett The seventh season opens with Donna's new hairdo and Eric's decision to take the year off to do nothing. Bob and Midge get back together, for a while, before she decides to leave again. Hyde finds out who his real father is - a successful black man. Hyde also meets his sister, Angie. They both get to run a record store together. Kelso is still a cop and becomes a father. Yet, Brooke and their daughter live in Chicago. Hyde and Jackie are still in their relationship. However, Jackie starts pushing Hyde to make a commitment. Red opens up his own muffler shop. Leo returns towards the end of the season. Eric decides to go to college, but can't afford it. So he takes a teaching course in Africa. It'll be for one year and will help pay for college. He bids farewell to his friends and family, right after getting busted for having a 360 with the guys. Hyde goes to Chicago to visit Jackie (who's moved there to take a job) only he finds Kelso, naked in her room. Season Eight: 2005-2006* Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt Wilmer Valderrama as Fez Josh Meyers as Randy Pearson Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti Tommy Chong as Leo, the hippie *Judy Tylor as Samantha Hyde In the eighth season, Hyde returns from a trip to Las Vegas, only to find that while getting drunk he married Samantha - a stripper. She moves into the Forman's with Hyde and they decide to stay married. Leo, who works at Hyde's record store, hires Randy Pearson. Hyde decides to keep him, when he proves to be a good worker. Eric's in Africa but doesn't seem to still be in Donna's life. Kelso leaves Point Place to take a job in Chicago at the Playboy Mansion. Eric dumps Donna, who then turns to Randy. After a while, they become a couple. Jackie and Fez live together in an apartment. She replace Kelso, after he left. Red retired from the muffler shop. After a season of Hyde and Jackie being broken up, she turns to Fez. Hyde gets divorced when he finds out Samantha already has a husband. In the finale, set on December 31st, 1979, Kelso returns for a visit. Donna dumps Randy and decides to go to college in Madison. Bob moves to Florida to start his own bait shop. And other stuff, (that I don't know about yet) happens.

05-15-2006, 08:33 PM	#2
Number 9 Dream That '70s Girl Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 18, 2005 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 5,875	Thanks for the awesome re-cap, Adam It was cool to see how the whole series played out. They did have quite a bit of character development and things going on with the plot, didn't they?
	__________________ Live a little be a gypsy get around http://www.librarything.com/profile/skelterhelter http://retrogirl82.dvdaf.com/owned formerly Retrogirl82

05-15-2006, 09:56 PM	#3
NASHMAN KGW NewsChannel 8 Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 06, 2004 Location: Centralia, WA 98532 Halfway between Seattle & Portland on I-5 Posts: 433	That was one big summary! Thanks! I'm truly going to miss this show so much and today I got my other 2 season DVD's for seasons 3 & 4.
	__________________ Today, Justice is a Baseball Bat! --Judge Extreme Akim "Eye for an Eye" Eric's last and final words on T70sS: "SO LONG POINT PLACE!" Goodbye Ashton and Topher it is great knowing you. 1998-2005 That '70s Show/Will & Grace (1998-2006) Good Night Wisconsin!!!! http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...lite_Truck.PNG KCRA 3 and KQCA 58 We are Where The News Comes First!

05-15-2006, 11:13 PM	#4
snl 70s show fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 14, 2005 Location: in the forman basment Posts: 2,454	thanks for a great summary of a great show

05-16-2006, 05:00 PM	#5
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,820	I haven't seen much of seasons 5-7. So those descriptions might be a little crappy. But I did the best I could. Once I got started, I didn't realize how long this was going to be. So I got a little lazy towards the end. But I still wanted to do it.