Looper Asks: Who's Your Favorite That '70s Show Character? - Exclusive Survey
"That 70s Show" might not top any "funniest sitcom of all time" lists, but the Fox series had a loyal base of fans, and for a good reason. The show had an incredibly charismatic cast full of new talent, most of whom have gone on to do tremendous things inside and outside the entertainment industry. Running for eight seasons (perhaps one too long), viewers got to know the characters intimately, all vastly different from one another.
We wanted to find out which character fans of the series think is the best, so we put it to a vote. Looper polled its readers and offered them seven characters from the show to choose from as their favorite. The options in the survey were Eric Forman (Topher Grace), Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis), Michael Kelson (Ashton Kutcher), Fez (Wilmer Valderamma), Red Forman (Kurtwood Smith), and Kitty Forman (Debra Jo Rupp). Over 600 Looper readers from the United States took our poll, and the last-place winner should be no surprise.
Red Forman reigns supreme on That 70s Show
Looper readers have spoken — their favorite "That 70s Show" character is Red Forman, coming in first palace with just over 19% of the vote. Red's dry sarcasm was a hit with fans, and the stern father often got the loudest laughs for his delivery and no-nonsense attitude. We're not surprised to see him come out on top in the survey, as Kurtwood Smith had incredible comedic timing on the series.
Landing in second place is Michael Kelso, with 17.6% of respondents choosing the Ashton Kutcher character as their favorite. Kelso certainly was one of the most aloof characters on "That 70s Show," and his oblivious nature often landed him some big laughs. His signature line, "Burn!" always got roaring laughter from the audience, and his place in our survey is exactly where we expected him to be.
Coming in at third is Donna Pinciotti, with a little over 14% of the vote. Donna was perhaps the most level-headed teenager in the series and was often the voice of reason to Jackie and her boyfriend, Eric. She also had a dry delivery, much like Red, and her sensible nature made her easy for the audience to relate to.
Poor Eric can't catch a break
Fourth place in Looper's survey goes to Fez, who received a little over 15% of the vote. Viewers loved the foreign exchange student for his accent, his hilarious joke delivery, and moments when he'd inadvertently put the other teens in check. There are plenty of theories about where the foreigner hails from, but it was a running gag on the show from beginning to end, which audiences always loved.
Coming in fifth place is Jackie Burkhart, with 13.3% of the vote. Like Kelso, Jackie was sometimes airheaded, with her often being the butt of the joke. She put her all into everything, from her relationships to her wardrobe. The tenacious teen's often erratic behavior made for some great comedic moments in the series.
Sixth place in Looper's poll goes to Kitty Forman, with just under 12% of the vote. The lovable wife to Red, Kitty, was just the sweetest mom around (well, almost always). Her infectious laugh always spread through the audience, who always looked forward to the moment when she'd down a little bit of alcohol.
Falling in last place is Eric Forman, with a little over 8% of the vote. Eric might have been at the forefront in many of the episodes as the child of the series' heavily featured parents and one-half of the show's most prominent couple. Eric has hilarious moments, but his last-place finish in our poll isn't surprising. Eric was dull more often than the rest of his castmates, who could outshine him with their over-the-top antics.