That '70s Show (season 1)

That '70s Show (season 1)
DVD cover
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	25
Release
Original network	Fox
Original release	August 23, 1998 – July 26, 1999
Season chronology

The first season of That '70s Show, an American television series, began August 23, 1998, and ended on July 26, 1999. It aired on Fox. The region 1 DVD was released on October 26, 2004.^[1] The season is set between 1976 and 1977. The first twelve episodes were set in 1976, then the series transitioned to 1977 for the remainder of the season. There is one exception: The twenty-third episode of the season ("Grandma's Dead") is also set in 1976, the only episode of the series to be set out of chronological order. That episode is set in 1976, even though the series has already moved on to 1977.

Cast

Main

• Topher Grace as Eric Forman
• Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart
• Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso
• Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde
• Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti
• Wilmer Valderrama as Fez
• Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman
• Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman
• Tanya Roberts as Midge Pinciotti
• Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti

Special guest

• Danny Bonaduce as Ricky
• Marion Ross as Grandma Forman
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Buddy
• Ernie Ladd as Manager
• Gary Owens as Announcer^{[lower-alpha 1]}
• Katey Sagal as Edna Hyde ^{[lower-alpha 2]}
• Gloria Gaynor as Mrs. Clark

Recurring

• Paul Kreppel as Jack Burkhart
• Lisa Robin Kelly as Laurie Forman

Guest

• Eve Plumb as Mrs. Burkhart
• Kevin Farley as Matthew Erdman
• Nick Bakay as Gus
• The Rock as Rocky Johnson
• Ken Shamrock as Wrestler #1
• Jeff Hardy (uncredited) as Wrestler #2
• Matt Hardy (uncredited) as Wrestler #3
• Terry Turner (uncredited) as Announcer
• Grey DeLisle as Ms. Kaminsky
• Paul Connor as Timmy Thompson
• Carolyn Hennesy as Sharon Singer
• Carlos Alazraqui as Man
• Mitch Pileggi as Bull
• Arlene Pileggi as Joy

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
1	1	"That '70s Pilot"	Terry Hughes	Bonnie Turner & Terry Turner & Mark Brazill	August 23, 1998	101
In the first episode, Red Forman and his wife Kitty hand the keys to the Vista Cruiser to their son, Eric, to use. Through persuasion from his friends, Eric uses the car to get out of town for a Todd Rundgren concert in Milwaukee with his closest friends: Donna, Hyde, and Kelso. Eric also decides to invite a new foreign exchange student from school, named Fez. Kelso's girlfriend Jackie invites herself along, and Eric is uncomfortable around Donna when Kelso inadvertently tells Eric that Donna likes him.
2	2	"Eric's Birthday"	David Trainer	Bonnie Turner & Terry Turner	August 30, 1998	102
Eric's 17th birthday is approaching, and he tries to prevent his mother, Kitty, from throwing him a surprise birthday party. Donna tells Jackie she kissed Eric, and Jackie helps her choose a meaningful gift for him. Meanwhile, Eric's older sister, Laurie, returns home from college for a visit.
3	3	"Streaking"	David Trainer	Eric Gilliland	September 6, 1998	103
The guys decide to streak when President Gerald Ford comes to town for a campaign stop. The town committee chooses Red to ask the President a question and Donna refuses to wear an American flag jumpsuit her father, Bob, gives her.
4	4	"Battle of the Sexists"	David Trainer	Joshua Sternin & Jeffrey Ventimilia	September 20, 1998	104
Eric and Donna argue, after she continually defeats him in various sports and games. Jackie pressures Donna to let Eric win, while Hyde and Fez pressure Kelso to stand up to Jackie. Red's job hours at the auto plant are cut back and he is forced to stay home, keeping himself occupied by "fixing" things, much to Kitty's dismay.
5	5	"Eric's Burger Job"	David Trainer	Mark Brazill	September 27, 1998	106
Eric gets a job at the local Fatso Burger, but doesn't enjoy it. Donna tries to get Eric to come over, since her parents are out of town, but he doesn't understand her hints. Instead, Kelso wants to throw a party at Donna's house.
6	6	"The Keg"	David Trainer	Dave Schiff	October 25, 1998	107
The gang throws a party in a pool at a real estate model home after finding a keg while skipping school. Eric searches for a tap but Red and Bob find out about the party and try to locate the kids, while Kitty gets Bob's wife Midge drunk.
7	7	"That Disco Episode"	David Trainer	Bonnie Turner & Terry Turner	November 8, 1998	109
The gang plan to go to a disco in Kenosha. Kitty teaches Hyde how to dance, and Bob mistakenly thinks they are having an affair. Jackie dances with Fez and Hyde with Donna, leaving Eric and Kelso slightly jealous.
8	8	"Drive-In"	David Trainer	Mark Hudis	November 15, 1998	108
Eric and Donna go to watch The Omen at the drive-in with Kelso and Jackie. Fez's host parents won't allow him to listen to rock music, so Hyde intervenes. Red and Kitty try to go out to eat at a fancy restaurant, only to end up in a diner, à la Nighthawks.
9	9	"Thanksgiving"	David Trainer	Jackie Behan & Jeff Filgo	November 22, 1998	110
Laurie brings her friend Kate (Jenny Maguire) home with her for Thanksgiving. Red's mother, Bernice, constantly calls, asking about Thanksgiving dinner, much to Kitty's annoyance. Donna is angry when she finds out Kate kissed Eric and Red is reluctant to accept a job offer from Bob.
10	10	"Sunday, Bloody Sunday"	David Trainer	Linda Wallem	November 29, 1998	105
Red's unbearable mother (Marion Ross) comes to spend a Sunday with the family. Kitty tries to quit smoking, and Eric has a school paper due. Kelso wants to break up with Jackie, but doesn't know how to tell her.
11	11	"Eric's Buddy"	David Trainer	Philip Stark	December 6, 1998	114
Eric starts hanging out with his lab partner, Buddy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), which leaves his friends feeling neglected, but Eric discovers Buddy is homosexual after he kisses Eric. Red is having trouble helping customers at Bob's appliance store, Bargain Bob's.
12	12	"The Best Christmas Ever" "That '70s Christmas"	David Trainer	Terry Turner & Philip Stark	December 13, 1998	113
Red gives Eric $40 to buy a Christmas tree, but he, Hyde and Kelso cut one down along the interstate and keep the money for beer and presents. Red is forced by Bob to spend his Christmas Eve at the store. Laurie spikes the punch with vodka at Eric's Christmas party.
13	13	"Ski Trip"	David Trainer	Jeff Filgo & Jackie Behan	January 17, 1999	115
Kelso makes out with campus chick Pam Macey, causing Jackie to dump him. She invites everyone but Kelso to her ski cabin, but soon regrets it. Hyde decides to make a risky move on Donna, which he fails at and Donna ends up slapping him in the face. Kitty releases an old grudge on Red involving their younger years. Note: This is the first episode of the series in which the year on the license plates is 1977.
14	14	"Stolen Car"	David Trainer	Mark Hudis	January 24, 1999	117
Red takes away the keys to Eric's Vista Cruiser after he notices a scratch on it, so the guys drive around in Kelso's cousin's car, which turns out to be stolen and the guys are detained. Jackie wants to have sex with Kelso and is anxiously waiting for him. Bob isn't too pleased Midge is taking a female empowerment class.
15	15	"That Wrestling Show"	David Trainer	Jeff Filgo & Jackie Behan	February 7, 1999	119
Kitty wants Red to hang out with Eric, so he goes with the gang to a wrestling match. After sleeping with him, Jackie is willing to do anything for Kelso, so he won't get bored with her. Hyde and Fez listen to Bob's stories about his problems with Midge and her classes, in exchange for beer. Kitty and Laurie attend Midge's therapy session, but discover it's not what it seems to be. Real-life pro wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (billed as The Rock) plays his real-life father, wrestler Rocky Johnson, while Ken Shamrock, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, and Ernie Ladd have cameo appearances.
16	16	"First Date"	David Trainer	Mark Brazill	February 14, 1999	116
Eric and Donna go on a date so he can ask her to be his girlfriend. While Kelso and Jackie go shopping, Hyde wants to show his feelings for Donna and hurries to interfere with Eric and Donna's date. Red and Kitty realize they no longer have much in common with neighbors Bob and Midge. After shopping, Jackie and Kelso have sex in the car.
17	17	"The Pill"	David Trainer	Linda Wallem	February 21, 1999	118
Jackie thinks she may be pregnant and confides in Eric, who later tells Donna. Kelso finds out about Jackie and faints (with Fez on top of him slapping him). Donna discusses Jackie's problem with Midge. Laurie tries to keep her failing college grades a secret. Bob discovers Donna is on birth control pills and Eric gets in trouble when his parents find out. Jackie discovers that she's not pregnant and breaks up with Kelso.
18	18	"Career Day"	David Trainer	Joshua Sternin & Jeffrey Ventimilia	February 28, 1999	111
The gang goes to work with their parents on career day. Eric works with Kitty at the hospital, while Hyde and Fez visit Hyde's mom, Edna (Katey Sagal), a lunch lady. Donna visits her father at "Bargain Bob's" and inadvertently tells him she is embarrassed by his career. Kelso tries to understand his father's (Francis Guinan) profession, and Jackie and Red bond over fixing the Vista Cruiser. The soundtrack features "Bad Blood" by Neil Sedaka. Absent: Tanya Roberts
19	19	"Prom Night"	David Trainer	Philip Stark	March 7, 1999	121
Kelso takes Pam Macey (Jennifer Lyons) to the prom to make Jackie jealous, so Jackie goes with Hyde instead. Eric rents a hotel room intending to have sex with Donna (which doesn't happen). Midge wants to start her own business, but Bob opposes the idea. At the end of the episode, Kelso and Jackie get back together at the prom and Hyde takes Pam. The episode features Gloria Gaynor as the music teacher performing the hit I Will Survive.
20	20	"A New Hope"	David Trainer	Joshua Sternin & Jeffrey Ventimilia	March 14, 1999	122
The gang sees Star Wars and Kelso is instantly obsessed, wanting to see it over and over again. Red is given his full-time status back at the plant. Meanwhile, Eric is annoyed with the son of Red's boss, David Milbank (Scott Whyte), trying to hit on Donna, prompting him to have a Star Wars dream (Eric as Luke Skywalker, Hyde as Han Solo, Kelso as Chewbacca, Red as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Fez and Jackie as Imperial Stormtroopers, Donna as Princess Leia, David as Darth Vader, and Kitty as a cleaning woman using R2-D2 as a vacuum cleaner). Eric later finds out from David that the plant will be closing soon and hits him in the face.
21	21	"Water Tower"	David Trainer	Jeff Filgo & Jackie Behan	June 14, 1999	123
The guys paint a pot leaf on the town water tower. Kelso falls off and breaks his arm and Jackie attempts to make Kelso believe this was Hyde's fault. Eric is traumatized from seeing his parents having sex, which makes them think he is on drugs.
22	22	"Punk Chick"	David Trainer	Dave Schiff	June 21, 1999	120
Hyde meets a girl just like him, who wants him to come to New York with her to start a punk band, but Eric disapproves of him leaving Point Place. Kelso wants to make Red's Atari Pong more challenging, Jackie turns to Kitty for help on a home economics assignment, and Eric has problems making it to second base with Donna.
23	23	"Grandma's Dead"	David Trainer	Arthur F. Montmorency	July 12, 1999	112
Eric thinks he killed his grandmother, Bernice Forman, when she dies in his car after he asks her, "Would it kill you to be nice?" and doesn't know how to deal with it. Red is also at a loss on how to cope with his mother's death and is embarrassed by his emotional brother Marty (Pat Skipper), who comes to the funeral.
24	24	"Hyde Moves In"	David Trainer	Mark Hudis	July 19, 1999	124
Hyde's mother, Edna, runs off with a trucker. When food and supplies grow low for Hyde at Edna's rented house, Eric persuades his parents to take him in. Jackie catches a cold and Kelso is horrified at her ill appearance. Midge uses her home for her feminist meetings.
25	25	"The Good Son"	David Trainer	Arthur F. Montmorency	July 26, 1999	125
Eric is annoyed when his parents seem to favor Hyde more than him, and sets about coercing Hyde to do destructive things. Meanwhile, Red's old war buddy, Bull (Mitch Pileggi), returns to Point Place. Red, jealous of Bull's success, reconsiders his life choices, but changes his mind after Bull and his wife (Arlene Pileggi) invite Red and Kitty to a swingers party.

Notes

1. In addition to an also starring credit in "The Good Son", Owens also guest starred in two episodes as the Narrator.
2. Also has an uncredited role in two episodes.

References

1. "That '70s Show - Season One (1998)". Amazon.com. Retrieved March 25, 2010.

• That '70s Show Episode Guide at The New York Times

External links

• List of That '70s Show episodes at the Internet Movie Database
• List of That '70s Show season 1 episodes at TV.com
• That '70s Show at epguides.com