That '70s Show: series review

This show is about a bunch of teenagers growing up in the 70's in Wisconsin, U.S.A. The show revolves around Eric Forman and his friends, on the cusp of adulthood, through the revelry, invincibility and nonchalance of youth. Most of the show is shot in Eric's basement where everyone hangs out, goofs around and discusses life, crushes, rock and roll, and everything else in between. As this is the 70's, there are a lot of bell bottom pants, long hair, records, record stores, band tee shirts, the best music ever, and of course, the sweet leaf to experience everything, through the psychedelic, purple haze. We don't need no education, as the show is more about the personal side of the characters.

The vain and spoiled Jackie Burkhart. Epitome of cool Steven Hyde. Donna, Eric's wonderwall. Fez, the foreigner with a penchant for the weird, women and cookies. Eric, star wars nerd, finding his way. Kelso , who has a way around women and finds ways to fall all along the watchtower. Then we have the parents. Kitty, holding the family together and being such an entertaining part of this show, with her genuine warmth, hilarious fits, and laugh (which will make everyone laugh along :) ). Red, hardened by the war, hard working man, keeping the kids in line. Looking at the cast you will notice that a more than a few members went on to become very well known names in Hollywood. All the characters in the show are relateable, and share an easy, warm camaraderie among themselves.

This show has it all, breaking the law, hanging out with the wrong crowd, rebel yell, blatant disregard for authority, devil worship, the number of the beast, a lot of smoke from the sweet leaf, conspiracy theory, randomness, making fun of organized religion, and controlled substances are depicted in a hilarious way! Sometimes I wondered how the censor boards cleared vast sections of the show. Euphemisms for controlled substances, direct references to the green leaf, lighting up all the time, apart from referring to the fairer sex by insulting names are taken for granted. The series begins with a bang. Flashes of brilliance are peppered throughout the series, although I felt creativity levels dip as the show went on. The casting problems later on added to this instability.

There are multiple references to classic rock n roll trivia, which I enjoyed thoroughly, being the trivia junkie that I am! Playing records backwards - incantations of the devil recreated flashes from the heady quiz scene of yore with firangi. Moments from "Slacker" and "Dazed and confused" flit by, calling for a recreation of times gone by, and for equilibrium. A love letter to rock n roll and driving down the road, loud music blaring through the speakers while the wind rushes through your hair.

Hyde in Led Zeppelin/  Grateful dead/ Che/ The Doors tee shirts reminded me of the vibrant Bengaluru music scene, the multitude of rock Gods that descend there regularly, and walking down brigade road any day. Days of thunder \m/ . His words of wisdom are priceless, rivaled only by the haze- fueled reflections of Leo. Original thought, devil - may care attitude, zen, aloofness are all Hyde. Anti - establishment, anti - religion, breaking the law, just goofing around, long side locks. Whatever, man.

Leo. The most amazing character in the show. Each of his dialogues is better than the previous one! He is absolutely hilarious! He pops in every now and then randomly, and creates an atmosphere of craziness. Eternally stoned, he drops lines of deep insight always.

The heartfelt tribute to real music is by naming episodes on songs by bands such as Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Who & The rolling stones. The title song can be heard a hundred times, and you will not be bored. It is groovy, fun to watch and epitomizes all that the show stands for. When watching this show, you may not reminisce about college a lot, but you will, about your dear friends. Friends who stuck around during all the craziness and who created a sea of madness. The show has a lot of innovative elements going for it. The first season began with an absolute bang! the graphics in between scenes, brilliant ways of depicting a trip,  flashbacks, split - screens  and alternate realities are depicted very creatively. The circle is a constant in most of the episodes.

The show was not without it's share of cast problems. While some were unavoidable, and some made me think if actors are not required to sign contracts for a whole series. Towards the end, this jarred the viewing experience to a large extent. This aside, the series was a thoroughly enjoyable one.

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