There are hundreds of sitcoms around today, but not very many are ed as fondly as That ‘70s Show. The series was a coming of age story revolving around a group of teenagers who grew up in Wisconsin in the 1970s. While the show was set in the ‘70s, it was actually filmed from 1998 to 2006. For eight years, the show was on the air for eight seasons and had a total of 200 episodes.
Instead of casting well-known actors in the roles of Eric Foreman, Donna Pinciotti, Steven Hyde, Jackie Burkhart, Fez, and Michael Kelso, the showrunners decided to cast relatively unknown actors. In fact, That ‘70s Show was the very first acting gig for Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, and Ashton Kutcher.
The series had a big fan base while it was airing new episodes, and still does to this day since many stations air re-runs of the show. Even though That '70s Show has a big fan base, there are still some things about the series that don’t make a lot of sense. After all, no movie or TV show is without some type of flaw, but some people choose to ignore certain mistakes because they love the show so much.
With that said, here are the 20 Things Wrong With That '70s Show Everyone Chooses To Ignore.
Jackie Kept Going Back To Kelso
Jackie and Kelso were one of the first couples the show saw. When the series premiered, Jackie and Kelso were already dating, but they probably shouldn’t have been. Jackie constantly got on Kelso’s nerves and Kelso was constantly unfaithful to Jackie. Even though Jackie remained mostly loyal to Kelso during their relationship, Kelso was unfaithful to Jackie with Pam Macy and even Eric’s sister Laurie.
Jackie and Kelso had an on again/off again relationship for the entire series, but they ultimately did not end up together when the show came to its conclusion. That being said, Jackie really shouldn’t have gone back to Kelso so many times since he treated her so horribly before.
The Timeline And It's Extra Holidays
While the show takes place in the 1970s, the series was not filmed in that same decade. The show ran from 1998 to 2006, which totals eight years, but the timeline in the show didn’t run for eight years. When the show begins, the year is 1976. Meanwhile, the final season shows the gang welcoming in the new decade.
Even though the events in the show lasted for four years, the series had a Christmas-themed episode in almost every season. While having a Christmas episode during the Holiday season was a way to boost ratings, it still doesn’t excuse how messed up it made the timeline of the show.
The Show About Eric’s Cousin
While this mistake doesn’t necessarily have to do with That ‘70s Show, it was definitely a mistake for Fox to invest in That ‘80s Show. Many people probably haven’t even heard of the show since it was such a huge failure, but in 2002, Fox tried to bank off of the success of That ‘70s Show by creating another sitcom with the same structure as the previous show, only it was set in the 1980s.
That ‘80s Show had many of the same writers and staff as That ‘70s Show, but it isn’t considered to be a direct spinoff of That ‘70s Show. That being said, it does share a small connection to the original show since the main character is Corey Howard, who happens to be Eric Foreman’s cousin.
The Eighth Season
While That ‘70s Show has a strong and loyal fan base, many people will it that the show was just on the air for too long. Earlier seasons are arguably much better than later seasons, and the eighth season really just didn’t need to happen at all.
Both Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher had a very limited role in the eighth season, and the show just didn’t feel the same with two of the main characters missing. The series tried to replace them with different characters, but the effect just wasn’t the same. That being said, both actors returned for the series finale, but the show shouldn’t have continued on without them in the first place.
Kelso Becaming A Cop
One of the most baffling parts of That ‘70s Show isn’t the relationships or some of the obvious continuity errors. Instead, it’s the fact that Kelso becomes a police officer in season 6. Kelso had multiple run-ins with the law in previous seasons, and did illegal activities with his friends on a daily basis. Even though this change to Kelso’s character was mainly done for laughs, it really just didn’t make any sense.
Kelso was always dimwitted, so it seems unlikely that he ever would have stood a chance at the police academy. In the ninth episode of season 6, he even leaves his cruiser unattended, which allows Fez and Hyde to steal it. Also, don’t forget that he accidentally set the academy on fire with a flare gun.
Fez’s Wife
Laurie was often mean to Eric and his friends, but when she returned in season 5, she had a new attitude and even did something incredibly nice for Fez. In season 5, it was revealed that Fez was going to get deported since he got arrested for vandalizing the water tower. All of his friends were bummed that he was going to have to leave the U.S., but Laurie stepped up and married Fez so that he could stay in the country.
While this was one of Laurie’s nicer moments on the show, the plot point was completely abandoned after season 5. Obviously their marriage wasn’t based on love, but it is still weird that it was never mentioned again.
Eric Moving To Africa
Eric was the youngest child in the Foreman family and was rarely respected by his friends and family. He was always seen as nerdy, clumsy, and even lazy at times. That being said, in season 7, Eric decides that he wants to become a teacher. Topher Grace didn’t return for season 8 since he was about to start filming Spider-Man 3, which meant that Eric couldn’t be a teacher in Point Place, Wisconsin.
Instead, the writers decided to ship him off to Africa to teach for a year. Since Spider-Man 3 was a big opportunity for Grace, it makes sense why he wouldn’t return for season 8 until the finale, but the story for Eric just didn’t really mesh well with his character.
The Opening Credits
One of the most memorable aspects from That ‘70s Show was the opening credits. The opening credits featured the cast driving in a car singing the song “In the Street”, which was written by Alex Chilton and Chris Bell from the band Big Star. While this band wrote the song, Todd Griffin performed the song for the first season with Cheap Trick replacing him after season 1.
While the song and the catchphrase “Hello, Wisconsin!” often get stuck in people’s heads, the opening also features a mistake. Since the show takes place in the ‘70s, all of the cars on the road should be from 1976 or before, but a Ford Expedition from 1997-2002 can be seen in every single episode thanks to the opening title sequence.
The Water Tower
The water tower is a common hang out spot for the gang in That ‘70s Show. The water tower was first featured in season 1 when the kids attempt to draw a leaf of an illegal substance, but it ends up looking like a hand giving someone the middle finger. Many of the characters fall off the water tower, mostly Kelso, usually by breaking the railing that is on the walkway.
Usually, the characters just suffer a broken arm, but it doesn’t make sense that this is the only injury they sustain. It also doesn’t make sense that the town of Point Place wouldn’t fix the railing or do something to prevent people from climbing it since it is obviously a safety hazard.
Jackie Never Called Anyone By Their Last Names
A group of friends will usually have nicknames for certain people in their group. Eric’s last name was usually at the butt-end of jokes, but the entire group often called everyone by their last names. It was usually the guys in the group who addressed each other by their last names, but Donna even occasionally talked about her friends using their last name.
That being said, Jackie never once called any of her friends by their last name. It may have just been part of Jackie’s character, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense why she would be the only person in the group to not do this.