Do Not Resuscitate: That 70s Show

Written Asking to Leave the Circle in the 70's by Bridger Cunningham.
Revivals are touted everywhere this decade!  Dallas, One Day at a Time, Full House, Roseanne, Murphy Brown, Will & Grace, Boy Meets World...  What is next?  "ABC announces it will be rebooting old sitcom treasures such as Work It, Super Fun Night and The Real O'Neal's."  TVRG, like so many other media outlets has a simple message -- "Knock it Off With the Reboots!"
The Original Hit Machine -- That 70's Show (1998-2006) 
Image result for that 70's show basementLife as a teenager in the late 70's in the midwest made a wonderful backdrop to explore for (most) of the series.  The misadventures centered around jumpy teen Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and his group of friends who seem to never leave his home, much to the ire of his cantankerous father, Red (Kurtwood Smith) and joy of his bubbly mother, Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp).  Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) was his dimwitted, swinging best friend, next-door neighbor Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon) eventually became his girlfriend, and Kelso's once girlfriend, Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis) would eventually date the crass Steven Hyde (Danny Masterson), and finally foreign admirer Fez (Wilmer Valderrama).  Add the Forman's callous, self-proclaimed whore of a daughter, Laurie (Lisa Robin Kelly, Christina Moore), Donna's fad-grabbing parents Bob (Don Stark) and Midge (Tanya Roberts), and the large ensemble somehow kept the action self-contained in the Forman's lovely Point Place, Wisconsin home.  Frequent themes included misadventures cruising around in Eric's car, getting stoned in "the circle" in the basement, dealing with contemporary issues of the 70's and figuring out what country exactly Fez originated in.  The series became a pioneer for FOX as its first Tuesday sitcom, often ranking middling in overall ratings (while moonlighting in the demographics, peaking in 27th place for its 6th season).
Reasons The Series Needs to Stay Cancelled
Image result for laura prepon orange
  • 1. Most of the cast has moved on and is otherwise occupied.  Laura Prepon is front and center on Orange is the New Black, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are busy being married, and most of the cast has has found lucrative success within the 12 years after That 70's Show left us. 
  • 2. The series would likely have to center in the 90's as most of the cast is pushing 40.  Do we really need to see this as Fuller House hasn't forgotten the 90's and jams every corny reference down our throats?   
  • 3. The "kids" we all grew to love would likely take a backseat if the premise remained similar to exploring teen life, as the series would center on the kids' teens.  Do we really want to see Jackie as a power-jogging soccer Mom, or Eric Forman as another walking corporate stiff? 
  • 4. Period pieces are expensive to produce, even for the not-so-distant 90's.  Viewers already have a taste of the 90's with Fuller House and the (oh-so-low-rated) Fresh Off The Boat, which actually takes place in the referenced decade.  Would anyone care to see another round of America Online or cellular phone jokes? 
  • 5. Danny Masterson ended 2017 on a sour note, having been fired from his acclaimed series The Ranch due to rape allegations.  How could anyone look at Hyde the same after Masterson's image was tarnished? 
    Image result for kelso and jackie
  • 6. Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher appear to be happily married.  Ironic, as it is speculated they hated each other as costars.  Why wreck what appears to be another happy Hollywood marriage by resurrecting their less-than-fortunate working relationship? 
    Image result for laurie Forman
  • 7. Lisa Robin Kelly crackled as love-to-hate tramp Laurie Forman.  Tragically, she succumbed to a substance abuse problem in 2013, which also cost her gig in the early 2000's.  The series being revived would be another sad reminder of her passing, as the show was never the same after Laurie disappeared. 
  • 8. The adults on the series were richly developed and made the perfect accent to the teens' antics.  What would Red and Kitty be reduced to?  Kooky guest appearances?  No thanks! 
  • 9. The cast seemed tired toward the end of the series, with Grace and Kutcher exiting the series in 2005.  The dynamic was never the same, as the cast remains seemed as though they had one foot out the door as well, eager to move on.  Perhaps 7-8 years of exploration was enough. 
  • 10. The series already held an awkward "reunion" in its series finale, which Grace and Kutcher feeling out of place and forced in the episode.  That was enough for an eternity.

Sometimes, cancelled is better.  If fans really want to get their fix of this hit series, they do not have to search too far, as high-channeled LAFF airs the series at nausea daily.

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