The Sixth Season

In 1998 the creators of 3rd Rock from the Sun introduced That '70s Show. It's a very hilarious sitcom that takes place in, believe it or not, the 70s. Located in a fictional suburb of Green Bay, Wisconsin known as Point Place, the series revolves around the comical daily interactions of the Forman family and their friends and neighbors. This fourth season has twenty-seven great episodes and tackles similar issues as the earlier seasons, but mostly focuses on relationships and dating. These issues turn into a few sticky situations that should leave you rolling over with laughter. For more information about That '70s Show please refer to DVD Talk's reviews of season one, season two, season three, season four, and season five.

Season six has a lot of different things going on for the gang (and a few new faces). The notable storylines include Red's heart-attack, Donna and Eric's relationship, Kelso as a police cadet, Fez getting his green card, and more. The season six stories continue to give That '70s Show the edge that made it hilarious throughout the first five seasons. While the show's last two seasons (seven and eight) lose the hilarious chemistry, season six is still a winner.

In the close of season five, Red had a heart-attack. After learning that his precious daughter Laurie (played by Christina Moore in season six) married Fez to help him become a United States citizen, his heart gave. This storyline is revisited in the season six premiere. Red comes home and he is under strict orders from the doctor to take it easy. For Red, it means no work, beer, tasty foods, or fun! Eric, who is preparing to leave for college with Donna, feels guilty as he sees his mother working herself silly trying to care for Red and pay the bills. Eric postpones college to stay at home until Red is in better health. At first, Donna is intent on going to college without Eric, but decides love is more important and stays in Point Place.

Tying into Red's heart-attack, the entire family has to deal with the post-marriage blues. Fez and Laurie's marriage is far from happy. It is purely a favor on Laurie's part, as she sleeps around to Fez's dismay. Their uncanny romance becomes an issue when an INS Agent comes to investigate the validity of their marriage. Red, who opposes the marriage, poses Fez's biggest threat. He wants to see them divorced. The humor comes from the situation and Red buckling to help Fez out. Later, he even tutors Fez in U.S. history to prepare for the test to get a green card. The two have a great chemistry together and carry the storylines about the marriage well.

Eric and Donna's relationship is, once again, at the center of everybody's attention. This season they go through some major ups and downs as they prepare to tie the knot. The fun storylines include the couple lying to Pastor Dan (Billy Dee Williams) about being virgins, a fun venture in choosing gifts for the wedding registry, Donna giving up her dream to be Eric's wife, moving into a trailer, and Eric ruining Donna's wedding dress. The events that happen associated with their holy matrimony is a riot and part of what makes this season so much fun.

Kelso is at the center of a couple big season changes. In season five, he decided the best way to stay pretty was to become a cop. This season Kelso is a police cadet and there are some hilarious stories with him, the police academy, and the rest of the gang. In addition to being a police cadet, Kelso has to face other life responsibilities when a new reoccurring character Brooke (Shannon Elizabeth) is introduced. She is a hot girl who works at the library. A few months ago, she and Kelso had a fling and now she's pregnant with his baby. He has to woe her by showing her that he is capable of being a responsible individual.

Another fun change this season is the addition of Brooke Shields. Shields plays Pamela, Jackie's ditzy, sexy mother. When Jackie's dad went to jail last season, Pamela went to Mexico. She returns to Point Place after her rich boyfriend ran out of money. She quickly latches on to Bob, who is rich, and it drives Jackie and Donna up the wall. Then there is Mitch Miller (Seth Green), who first appeared in season five, joins the cast for a few episodes. Mitch is Eric's arch-nemesis and annoying as all hell. The catch is that everyone else seems to like him. He makes for a fun opponent to Eric, especially how much their geeky tendencies clash.

Overall, That '70s Show's sixth season is a blast. There are many great storylines with the cast getting into one goofy situation after the other. Like past seasons, the chemistry is still quite rich, and the new reoccurring characters and guest stars work out nicely. In the end, you can expect to laugh and laugh while watching season six.

Episode Guide

1. The Kids Are Alright: With Red on the mend, Eric's plans to move out are on hold, Jackie's torn between Hyde and Kelso, but they're not waiting for her decision. And Laurie has gone on a honeymoon without Fez.
2. Join Together: Eric's staying home, but enjoys lots of "going-away" sex with Donna. Fez wonders if he'll ever have sex again with his new wife. And Kelso takes on the job of reuniting Jackie and Hyde.
3. Magic Bus: It's Eric's eighteenth birthday and Donna's last night in Point Place. Hyde warns him that he needs to let Donna go and be cool about it - just like Bogey in Casablanca.
4. The Acid Queen: Kelso tells the guys he made it with a hot girl, Brooke, but she claims she's never seen him before. Jackie's upset when Hyde says Brooke is attractive. In the end, Brooke has a big surprise for Kelso.
5. I'm Free: Red is eager to set the record straight when the INS investigates Fez and Laurie's marriage. Brooke tells Kelso he's off the hook about the baby, but his friends think he's being irresponsible.
6. We're Not Gonna Take It: Eric competes with Kelso for a job as a waiter, Fez and Laurie are about to file for divorce...until the wedding presents start rolling in.
7. Christmas: Eric meets some cute girls at a dance. When one calls Donna at the radio station to dedicate a song to him, Donna flips out. Red dispenses his own brand of Christmas cheer as a small Santa.
8. I'm A Boy: Eric's become a slacker - sleeping all day and letting Kitty baby him - and Donna's had it. Kelso and Brooke go on a disastrous double date with Hyde and Jackie.
9. Young Man Blues: Jackie joins a "Big Sister" program, Eric makes a feeble stab at being a handyman and police cadet Kelso is thrilled to go on a ride-along in a real squad car.
10. A Legal Matter: Kelso's in a panic when he thinks he's the stooge of his police academy class, and Fez studies U.S. history to qualify for his green card.
11. I Can See For Miles: Donna and Eric total Kelso's van while checking out a wedding spot, Jackie gives Hyde's room a woman's touch and Red gets a strange gift from Bob.
12. Sally Simpson: Kelso makes an inept attempt to fix Fez up with a friend from the police academy, and Kitty becomes defensive when Red is visited by a stress management expert.

13. Won't Get Fooled Again: While Kelso and Fez "break up," a pregnancy scare freaks out Eric and Donna - and Donna is outraged when Eric insists that raising kids will be her career.
14. Baby Don't You Do It: Donna and Eric go to pre-marital church counseling to help them work through their issues. Police cadet Kelso gets a flare gun - and accidentally burns down the police academy.
15. Who Are You: Jackie is fuming when her mother returns from Mexico unexpectedly - but she really goes crazy when she finds out who Mom is dating now.
16. Man With Money: Donna and Jackie are desperate to break up their parents' romance, so they enlist Fez to help them. Kitty is upset that Red's heart monitor beeps whenever Pamela is around.
17. Happy Jack: Donna catches Eric in a very private moment and is overcome with disgust. Hyde and Fez visit Kelso at the police academy and discover that he's become a big jerk.
18. Do You Think It's Alright?: Eric is miserable having to register for wedding gifts, so Red advises him to choose the ugliest things until Donna says, "I'll do it myself."
19. Substitute: Eric invites a new guy, Mitch, to hang out with the gang, but Mitch soon becomes a nuisance - and starts hitting on Donna. Meanwhile, Bob asks Pamela to move in with him.
20. Squeeze Box: While helping Pamela move, Red and Hyde accidentally see her topless. Donna is upset to learn that Eric secretly dated someone else while they were broken up.
21. 5:15: Mitch convinces Donna to be his date to his brother's wedding, where he introduces her as his fiancee. Kelso and Brooke attend Kitty's baby care class.
22. Sparks: It's an extreme case of wedding bell blues when Red blows the money for Eric's gift on a canoe...and Eric accidentally ruins Donna's gown.
23. My Wife: After doing a little soul-searching at the bachelor and bachelorette parties, Eric and Donna think that staying in Point Place after they're married may be a big mistake.
24. Going Mobile: Brooke's mom arrives with news for Kelso, and on the eve of the wedding, Eric worries that he's holding Donna back and doesn't want to ruin her life.
25. The Seeker: Midge comes back to Point Place, Hyde is taken to the hospital and Kitty finds some surprising information in Hyde's medical records.

The DVD

Video:
This release is given in its original television aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame color. The picture quality is very good, providing a clear and clean picture with minor color distortions and compression artifacts. Overall, it looks substantially better than its original television broadcast presentation, providing less grain in the picture.

Audio:
The audio track in this release is given in English Dolby digital stereo surround. The audio in this release comes off fairly flat. However as with most TV on DVD releases it's not necessarily bad, as the majority of the audio is spoken dialogue. The sound quality is very good, providing an audible and clean audio track. There is also very little distinction between audio channels. This release also has subtitles in English and supports closed captioning.

Extras:
For extras, there are audio commentaries, featurettes, and other assorted items. Commentaries are included for the episodes "Substitute", "Sparks", and "My Wife". Each commentary stars director David Trainer. Six Minutes of Season Six (6:00) is a montage of clips from season six. The clips include key and hilarious moments from season six. It provides a decent overview of what happened in season six to the main characters. A '70s Flashback: Debra Jo Rupp (6:41) and A '70s Flashback: Kurtwood Smith (6:24) are interview featurettes with the respective performers. In each, they talk about their characters, fellow actors/actresses, experience on the show, and about the series. Lastly, each episode can be watched with an optional Episode Promo Spot.

Final Thoughts:
That '70s Show's sixth season is the show's last really strong season. The cast continues to have a great chemistry together, as well as the various reoccurring characters and guest stars. The season six storylines also offer lots of absurd and funny situations for the cast. Fans and newcomers a like will appreciate season six's well-crafted humor.