That '70s Show may have been set in the 1970s, but there were a number of elements presented in the sitcom that were historically inaccurate. The Fox series originally ran from August 1998 to May 2006, with the timeline of the show being set in the mid-to-late 1970s; however, there were a number of major details presented in the series that didn't quite make sense.
That '70s Show certainly wasn't the first period sitcom to hit the small screen. Shows like Happy Days paved the way for a nostalgia-driven content which effectively transported viewers back in time. That '70s Show followed a group of teens trying to get through life in small-town Wisconsin. The first season took place in 1976 and incorporated key social issues from the decade, including teenage drug use, the recession, and differing viewpoints depending on generations.
Of course, music was a big influence in the '70s, and the diversity of genres made their way to That '70s Show. Some popular '70s musicians even had cameos in the series to pay tribute to the memorable decade. The series also honored some of the biggest artists and bands by naming episodes after popular songs. By analyzing more closely, however, there were a few songs featured that weren't released prior to the show's timeline, such as ABBA's "Dancing Queen" and Journey's "Anyway You Want It." In addition, there were several movies, books, and comics mentioned that wouldn't have been available in the timeline. As for more visual details, That '70s Show slipped on a few occasions in that regard as well.
The Most Memorable Inaccuracies From That '70s Show
It's important to note that product and set design is one of the most difficult jobs within the entertainment industry. Sometimes shows like That '70s Show, which churn out many episodes, must be produced with budget and time constraints, so certain details fall through the cracks. For That '70s Show, such misses didn't take away from the series — if anything, they added another amusing factor in realizing how much has changed since the 1970s. One of the most notable inaccuracies took place in the show's opening credits set in the Vista Cruiser: while the cast sang in the car, they were shown to be passing modern cars from the '00s on the road.
Food was another segment of the series that often didn't add up when it came to the 1970s. Food in the kitchen would often contain modern-day labels, such as Skippy peanut butter jars. Beer and soda cans from that specific decade used ring pull tabs, but those were never shown in the series. Krispy Kreme donuts also made its way into the series on multiple occasions, but the chain didn't reach Wisconsin until the early '00s.
Pop culture fanatics probably noticed a few inaccuracies when it came to Eric and some of his possessions. The sheets on his bed were Spider-Man themed, but the design was taken from the mid-'90s. A green lightsaber from Star Wars could also be seen in his bedroom, but that color wasn't produced until Return of the Jedi in 1983. Also in the '80s, the Marriott's Great America in their area changed its name to "Six Flags," but the characters refer to the park as "Six Flags" throughout the series. That '70s Show had a hard enough time cramming eight seasons into a four-year span, and although some of these inaccuracies were hard to miss, it's okay to give them a pass.