How long did that 70 show run

A year-old Don Stark introduced audiences to Bob Pinciotti in the pilot episode of That '70s Show and continued the role throughout the show's run. Wilmer Valderrama Fez. Danny Masterson Steven Hyde.

Ashton Kutcher Michael Kelso. Laura Prepon Donna Pinciotti. Mila Kunis Jackie Burkhart. Debra Jo Rupp Kitty Forman. Lisa Robin Kelly Laurie Forman. Tanya Roberts Midge Pinciotti. Topher Grace Eric Forman. Kurtwood Smith Red Forman. The series finale aired in when Smith was Roberts' rep also said the mistake was the result of "a miscommunication" between himself, Roberts' longtime boyfriend, Lance O'Brien, and Cedars-Sinai.

Roberts left "That '70s Show" to care for her husband, Barry Roberts, who was diagnosed with a brain disease. Following her departure from the series, Roberts hadn't appeared in many roles. Her last credited parts were on "Eve" and "Barbershop" in Kelly was later replaced by Christina Moore after she left the show, reportedly because she struggled with addiction.

At the time, Kelly had voluntarily entered a treatment facility to help her overcome her ongoing drug addiction. In the veteran comedian and marijuana activist's first appearance on the show , Leo spontaneously hired Hyde to work at the Foto Hut, even though Hyde had no previous experience. Chong has also competed on season 19 of "Dancing With the Stars" and voiced the character Yax in "Zootopia. He will star in an upcoming documentary titled "Searching for the Cure," which discusses cannabis.

World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Olivia Singh. Hyde had an 18th birthday in , despite dialogue that suggests that he is older than Eric, who turned 17 in the second episode which was in Eric also turned 18 in , two years after turning This, combined with the fact that new holiday-themed episodes run every year, means the sense of time on That '70s Show is loose at best.

The show was vaguely set in "" until the final episodes, which neared Beginning with the second season, the song was performed by the band Cheap Trick.

The lyrics are as follows:. The final line "We're all alright! After this episode, Kelso was absent from the remainder of the season, only returning for the finale. By the time the last season of That '70s Show aired, Fox was in the midst of an especially well-received television season. According to ABC MediaNet , the network's American Idol held both of the top spots in the ratings that year, raking in over 30 million viewers for each Tuesday and Wednesday airing.

Fox was also doing well with the second season of the scripted medical drama House. Additionally, Fox launched its Animation Domination block in , highlighting adult animated shows. With a growing collection of well-received shows, Fox no longer needed to depend on aging hits like That '70s Show. The network's broadcast schedule reflected this shift. In a new time slot up against stiffer competition, That '70s Show faded in its final season, and what was once a cornerstone hit for the network started to look like a sitcom waiting to be canceled.

Initially, the showrunners considered recasting the role of Eric, but that idea was abandoned in favor of introducing an entirely new character: Randy Pearson, played by Josh Meyers, who quickly became Donna's new love interest with Eric out of the picture. Hired by Hyde to work at the record store, Randy quickly became one of the gang and hung around with the other characters at the Forman house. Though Randy became part of the main cast with hopes of maintaining the status quo, the character wasn't exactly liked by fans.

It was plainly evident that Randy was meant to be a replacement for Eric, but many viewers didn't find him nearly as charming. It's impossible to know how many more seasons That '70s Show might have lasted with Grace and Kutcher in the cast, but Randy's introduction proved the series was quickly running out of gas and needed to be canceled.

The first season of That '70s Show did relatively well, drawing over 11 million households. The second season was similarly well-received ; at the beginning of the show's run, viewers were obviously engaged by and invested in the cast and their shenanigans. Carsey-Werner Productions exec Jim Kraus commented on the show's appeal in an interview with the New York Times , pointing out, "The show was a secret pleasure for Fox's core audience, the toyear-old concentration of viewers No matter what night it aired — and it moved constantly — viewers found it and followed it.

Despite declining viewership, the show didn't experience a significant drop in critical reception until the final season.