[jackiehydelover]

I actually liked and could have lived with Charlie. He didn't seem as much as a replacement as Randy did. If Charlie was replacing anyone, it would have been for the old Fez. He was just so innocent! It would have been fun watching them corrupt him a bit.

[MistyMountainHop]

So, Chris, why do you hate Randy so much? Is it his awesome hair?

[jackiehydelover]

Because Randy was clearly the replacement for Eric and Kelso. Maybe I'd feel differently if Charlie didn't die. Maybe I'd hate them both. But I would have taken Charlie over Randy any day. Although, Josh Meyers is a very nice man. At the tapings they handed out popsicles to the audience members and silly me, I decide I want the blue one. Needless to say my tongue and lips were blue when I met the cast and Josh Meyers pointed it out and proceeded to poke fun at me. It was pretty hilarious

[MistyMountainHop]

Originally Posted by jackiehydelover (View Post) Although, Josh Meyers is a very nice man. At the tapings they handed out popsicles to the audience members and silly me, I decide I want the blue one. Needless to say my tongue and lips were blue when I met the cast and Josh Meyers pointed it out and proceeded to poke fun at me. It was pretty hilarious

Seriously? That's really cute!

Randy = Eric-Kelso hybrid. Yeah, I thought that myself! Though I don't like what Randy was meant to be -- I did like Josh Meyers's portrayal of him. He played the part really well. And he had a lot to carry on his shoulders, too, considering who he was replacing.

In rebeldivaluv's wonderful J/H fic Outside Looking In (where she corrects the mistakes of season 8 so well), there's a chapter with Leo and Randy that's hysterical (ch. 3).

[blue winter roses]

In a way, I kind of feel bad for Josh Meyers. Kind of, since he probably got paid a lot for the role. But just because sometimes I think people have trouble separating the character from the actor and Randy was soooooooooooooo hated as a character.

If Charlie was replacing anyone, it would have been for the old Fez. He was just so innocent! It would have been fun watching them corrupt him a bit.

I wouldn't have minded if Fez was replaced completely. Or at least exchange pervy Fez for innocent Fez again.

[MistyMountainHop]

Originally Posted by blazing star (View Post) Or at least exchange pervy Fez for innocent Fez again.

That would'a been nice.

Fez used to be so much more complex a character. He did have an innocence. Sure, he was horny -- and strange about it -- but it wasn't really pervy-pervy. He had an insight (which came back sometimes in later seasons), and he called Kelso "whore". And it seemed his biggest strike against him (according to the show) was that he was foreign -- 'cause he could be romantic, could kiss well, could sing, could dance... seriously. WHY DID THEY SIMPLIFY HIM?!

(but he still has some of the funniest lines of the show).

[jackiehydelover]

Misty, is that fan fic you posted finished? It hasn't been updated since '08 so I was just wondering before I started reading it.

It's actually really hard for me to like the old Fez after I've seen what he becomes

[MistyMountainHop]

Chris, it's finished enough. It shouldn't leave you hanging really. That's the story that helped me get over some of my season 8 angst. She is the best writer of the T7S characters I've ever encountered. She gets the smallest of details. And every single character sounds like him/herself -- no OOC dialogue or narration.

She loves Laurie, btw. And it shows in how well she writes her.

I can't recommend Outside Looking In -- or the rest of her T7S stories -- enough.

[heatherlea94]

That fic is one my favorites, too.

[177istaken]

i think the saddest thing about season 8 was that the writers came up with story lines that were depressing but attempted to make them come off as amusing.

Charlie dying isn't that funny.
The constant bashing on Eric was sad.
The fact that Jackie got her ass drunk and made an ass out of herself because she felt that insecure was sad too.
The fact that a las vegas stripper destroyed Jackie and Hyde's relationship when they were clearly gonna get back together is probably the most depressing. Out of all relationships Hyde and Jackie had in the show, I felt that theirs' was the most meaningful. I can't see Hyde caring for anyone more than Jackie. To build that relationship up and then crush in one episode makes no effin' sense.

[nasman]

That '70s Show - Top 10 Shows That Overstayed Their Welcome - TIME

[jackiehydelover]

The producers and writers are just so stupid. As much as I loved the show, it should have ended when Eric left. I mean come on! I don't get how shows think they can last once their main character is gone. Beverly Hills, 90210 anyone? When Brandon left, I did too!

[MistyMountainHop]

It's always so frustrating when the love and care that is put into a good show -- disappears. Season 8 was about $$$ for Fox. They didn't care about the quality of the series as long as it brought in commercial money. They figured fans would still watch.

The actors and director did the best they could with the scripts they got from the hacks Fox hired to replace the original writers. It's a minor injustice in the scheme of things in this world -- but it still sucks.

[blue winter roses]

From that article, I think this part was really important:

While That 70's Show experienced steadily high ratings in its first six seasons, viewership dropped to 7 million in 2004-05.

Viewership dropping in S7... and this being when Topher and Ashton are still there. 'Kay, maybe it's me, but I would think that when the ratings were already dropping AND that making a S8 would have to be without Topher and Ashton, it would be a NO BRAINER to end the show at S7!

So regardless of the *actual* S8 storylines, the ratings were probably only gonna get worse anyway. Sometimes I think the writers knew they were being set up for failure so they decided to go all out in making the storylines as bad as possible. Just a theory.

I don't get how shows think they can last once their main character is gone. Beverly Hills, 90210 anyone? When Brandon left, I did too!

That's exactly how I feel about Scrubs. I haven't actually had the heart to watch S9 but that's because their S8 finale was written as a SERIES finale, and it was so perfect for the show. And they practically acknowledge S9 is like a spin off, what with the character and setting changes, but it's like they're just trying to squeeze as much money out of the name "Scrubs" as possible.

[MistyMountainHop]

I actually enjoyed Scrubs S9/spinoff. It took a few eps to get its stride, but...

That's neither here nor there -- since it was canceled.

Man, I wish we had $$$ so we could write a new S8, hire the actors, hire the director, and re-film!