That '70s Show Fans Know Exactly Which Episodes To Show First-Time Watchers
The sitcom "That '70s Show" aired on Fox for eight seasons, from 1998-2006. The show mainly focuses on the Forman family, which consists of Red (Kurtwood Smith), Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp), Eric (Topher Grace), and Laurie (Lisa Robin Kelly), as well as some of their neighbors and friends. The show takes place during the 1970s in a town in Wisconsin.
Although "That '70s Show" is over, viewers can still watch it on Peacock TV. Additionally, "That '70s Show" fans are excited about "That '90s Show," a new spin-off series that takes place decades later in the 1990s, which is coming soon to Netflix.
With so many seasons and episodes available to watch, it might be difficult to know where to start with "That '70s Show." Luckily, a few particular episodes of the show are highly recommended for new viewers. These specific episodes will give new viewers a sense of the characters, plot, and style of humor of "That '70s Show."
Season 1, Episode 1: That '70s Pilot
On a Reddit thread, fans of "That '70s Show" debated the best episodes to show someone who has never seen the series before. Unsurprisingly, one of the episodes that fans recommended was the pilot. U/gonetodash19 said, "Can't go wrong with the pilot episode."
When exploring any new series, even a sitcom, it is always helpful to watch the pilot to get acquainted with the show's basic premise, characters, setting, and format. However, pilots are not always the best episodes. Because they are designed to convey a large amount of information, pilots may feel overly expository and lacking in action and comedy. Also, a show has usually not quite found its footing or budget yet when the pilot is put together.
Nonetheless, "That '70s Pilot" is still one of the episodes fans recommend new viewers watch. u/CoolBeansMan9 pointed out that the pilot "sets the series and gets them hooked from the start." It introduces viewers to the central characters and premise, as well as the overall tenor of the show's comedy. In the episode, Red and Kitty Forman surrender the keys to their car to their teenage son, Eric. Five of Eric's friends then convince him to drive them out of town to see a concert, but the trip does not go as planned.
Season 3, Episode 13: Dine and Dash
Another fan-favorite episode of "That '70s Show" is Season 3, Episode 13: "Dine and Dash." In this episode, Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) tells Eric Forman and the rest of their friends that he wants to take them all out to dinner. However, after everyone has already ordered food while under the impression that Kelso was paying for it, Kelso reveals that he has no intention of paying; he wanted to have dinner with everyone. As a result, the group entertains the option of dining and dashing (where customers run away from a restaurant without paying for the food they ordered).
This episode is an excellent example of "That '70s Show" and its particular brand of humor. The high school friends are always getting into typical situations like this. Additionally, this episode makes great use of Kelso's goofiness and lack of communication skills as a plot device and an engine behind the humor. Redditor u/DarkSpectre69 pointed out that, in addition to Kelso, this episode "really highlights the quirks of each character PERFECTLY."
Season 2, Episode 1: Garage Sale
Season 2, Episode 1: "Garage Sale" is another episode of "That '70s Show" that fans, including Redditor u/Chasegold19, highly recommend to new viewers. In this episode, Red Forman has just lost his job at the plant, and money at home is tight. Therefore, the whole family decides to have a garage sale, selling off their old items to raise more funds. To accomplish this, they enlist the help of Eric's high school friends, as well as their next-door neighbors Bob (Don Stark) and Midge Pinciotti (Tanya Roberts), who are also the parents of Eric's current girlfriend, Donna (Laura Prepon).
One of Eric's friends, Steven Hyde (Danny Masterson), decides to make a large batch of "special brownies" for the garage sale, but naturally, he neglects to explain to everyone what is inside the brownies. Thus, the garage sale almost turns disastrous when a precious item is accidentally sold.
Season 3, Episode 23: Canadian Road Trip
Another classic episode of "That '70s Show" that fans, including Redditor u/atglobe, recommend to new viewers is Season 3, Episode 23: "Canadian Road Trip." In this episode, Eric Forman, Michael Kelso, Steven Hyde, Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), and Hyde's hippie boss Leo Chingkwake (Tommy Chong) take a road trip to Canada so that they can get beer. However, when they finally get to the border and Fez realizes he didn't bring his green card with them on the trip, the group has to smuggle Fez across the border.
This episode uses Fez, a fan-favorite comedic character, not only as fodder for bumbling comical relief but to continue his character arc from a foreign exchange student who hangs out with Eric and the rest of the friend group to a genuine friend, even if he is still the butt of many a joke throughout the show's many seasons.