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Just from the title alone, it’s easy to determine the period in which That ’70s Show takes place. However, this wasn’t initially clear for star Debra Jo Rupp who was shocked to learn that the popular series was a period piece.

debra jo rupp that 70s show
THAT ’70S SHOW – Top row L-R: Wilmer Valderrama, Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Topher Grace, Laura Prepon. Center L-R: Don Stark, Tanya Roberts, Mila Kunis, Lisa Robin Kelly, Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith. | FOX Image Collection via Getty Images

That ’70s Show first aired in August 1998 on Fox. Set in the fictional town of Point Place, the sitcom quickly became a hit thanks to its interesting friendship dynamics. The series follows Eric Forman, a teenager living in Point Place, Wisconsin, in 1976.

Eric’s friends make the Formans’ basement their hangout spot. The show also follows Eric’s friends Hyde, Kelso, Jackie, Fez, and Donna as they navigate friendship and teenage life. Since the show largely takes place at the Forman house, Eric’s parents Red and Kitty, also form a huge part of the storyline.

That ’70s Show picked up a loyal fan base throughout its original run and experienced a resurgence in the 2010s as its reruns aired on cable. The show also became a hit on Netflix until the streaming giant pulled it from its programming in late 2020.

Debra Jo Rupp had no idea That ’70s Show was a period piece

That ’70s Show aired for eight seasons from August 1998 until its cancelation in May 2006. However, the sitcom was set in the late ’70s. The series was very spot-on in its sets and costumes, and looking back at it, it’s easy to believe that it might have aired in the ’70s.

Still, despite the writing being on the wall [and in the title], Rupp (who portrayed Eric’s mother, Kitty) said she had no idea the series was a period piece. In a recent joint video interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rupp said she missed that fact when she first received the script.

“I think I was in a bit of shock because I did not realize that this was set in the ’70s until I saw the appliances on the set. I somehow missed that part in the script,” Rupp said. When her co-star Kurtwood Smith asked how she could miss it, yet it was in the title, Rupp defended herself, saying the script she received had the title, The Kids Are Alright.

“I didn’t know completely what that involved, and then it fully sunk in,” Rupp said. When Smith asked if she thought they were in a costume party, Rupp joked, responding in the affirmative. She, however, said once she found out That ’70s Show was a period show, she got very excited.

Debra Jo Rupp saw her mother in her character on ‘That ’70s Show’

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Rupp and Smith have become one of TV’s most iconic couples and parents. In the EW interview with Smith, Rupp said she saw her mother in her performance, highlighting one scene where the comparison stood out for her.

In the scene, Rupp’s character Kitty has on a red outfit with very on-brand ’70s hair. Although she said she was worried people wouldn’t recognize her, everything about it reminded her of her mother. 

“That is a big giant long wrap-around skirt, and then a big red blouse with a big frill thing and I remember thinking ‘I wonder if anyone’s even going to even see me in this show between the wig [and] the hair and that big huge floaty costume,'” Rupp said. 

“I was very much my mother. Watching that was very much my mother,” she added. Rupp and Smith reprised their roles in the Netflix spinoff That ’90s Show, taking on grandparent roles. 

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