7.9/102,051 votes#1 - That '70s Pilot
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 8/23/1998
While Eric Forman is swiping beer for his best friends Donna Pinciotti, Michael Kelso, and Steven Hyde, his parents Red and Kitty hint that he may be getting the old Vista Cruiser. Now Eric can drive all of his friends – including the new foreign exchange student, Fez – to a Todd Rundgren concert in Milwaukee. A minor snag occurs when Kelso's obnoxious girlfriend, Jackie Burkhart, finds out and invites herself along. An even bigger snag occurs when Red tells Eric that he can't drive the car out of Point Place.
Director: Terry Hughes
Writer: Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, Mark Brazill
8.0/101,654 votes#2 - Eric's Birthday
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 8/30/1998
Eric's 17th birthday is coming up and he really doesn't want a party. Unfortunately, it's extremely obvious that Kitty is planning a surprise party against his wishes – she's even invited his older sister Laurie home from college for the event. Eric enlists Laurie's help in calling off the party while Kelso naively tries to attract her interest. And Donna, who's unsure about the state of her relationship with Eric, gets advice from Jackie on what to get him for a gift.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner
7.6/101,542 votes#3 - Streaking
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 9/6/1998
President Ford comes to Point Place; Red is chosen to ask him a question, but struggles as he tries to speak. Eric and the guys welcome the President by streaking. Donna has to wear an American flag jumpsuit Bob gave her.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Eric Gilliland
7.6/101,455 votes#4 - Battle of the Sexists
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 9/20/1998
Red's hours at the plant are cut, so he fills his free time fixing things around the house, much to Kitty's dismay. Donna beats Eric at basketball, which sets off series of contests between them. Midge and Kitty each give their kids some pointers on harmonious relationships. The guys tease Kelso for being "pig-whipped" by Jackie.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Joshua Sternin
7.6/101,439 votes#5 - Eric's Burger Job
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 9/27/1998
With her parents going to the Playboy Club over the weekend, Donna drops Eric some unsubtle hints that she wants to hang out alone with him. Unfortunately, Eric is so preoccupied with getting a job at the new Fatso Burger that he completely misses her signals. Kelso gets the idea to throw a toga party at the Pinciotti house, but Donna's less than enthused about the prospect. As for Eric, he quickly finds that work eats up a lot of his free time.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Mark Brazill
8.1/101,504 votes#6 - The Keg
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/25/1998
Eric skips school with Donna, Hyde, and Kelso for the first time in his life. Unbelievably, the gang finds a keg in the middle of the road and sees it as a sign that they should throw a party. Problems arise, however, when they all realize that there's no beer tap after the party is in full swing. Meanwhile, Red and Bob have their suspicions about what the kids are up to and launch a full scale search of Point Place.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Dave Schiff
8.0/101,465 votes#7 - That Disco Episode
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/8/1998
The kids decide to go to a disco but Steven doesn't know how to dance so Mrs. Forman teaches him to dance. Mr. Pinciotti walks in on them in a compromising position and believes they're having an affair. Kelso gets jealous of Fez because he thinks he's putting the moves on Jackie.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Terry Turner, Bonnie Turner
7.7/101,382 votes#8 - Drive-In
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/15/1998
Eric and Donna go to the drive-in. Eric doesn't want Kelso and Jackie to go because they'd be competition but Donna invites them anyway. Fez's house parents think he's listening to the devil's music (a copy of Kiss' Destroyer album). Red and Kitty spend the evening out and almost get arrested.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Mark Hudis
7.7/101,381 votes#9 - Thanksgiving
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/22/1998
Laurie comes home for Thanksgiving with her friend Kate. Eric is annoyed that he'll have to give up his room for their guest, until he sees how hot Kate is. Jackie alerts Donna to the trouble she could be facing now that a college girl is sleeping in Eric's bed. Kitty tries vainly to avoid her mother-in-law's phone calls as she prepares for Thanksgiving dinner.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Jeff Filgo
7.4/101,319 votes#10 - Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 11/29/1998
Red's mother spends a Sunday with them and drives everyone crazy, except Fez. She seems to have a certain fondness for him.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Terry Turner, Bonnie Turner, Linda Wallem
8.1/101,532 votes#11 - Eric's Buddy
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 12/6/1998
Eric has a new friend and Steven and Kelso can't stand it. Steven doesn't like him because he's rich and Eric doesn't give him a ride home anymore because Buddy has a Trans Am. Kelso, on the other hand, seems like a worried spouse. Eric starts to feel uncomfortable around him however when Buddy makes a move on him. Buddy apparently thought that Eric was also gay. And Red makes his first sale.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Philip Stark
7.9/101,339 votes#12 - The Best Christmas Ever
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 12/13/1998
Red gives Eric 40 bucks to buy a Christmas tree and says that he can keep the change for his party. So Eric, Hyde and Kelso cut down a tree off the interstate and keep the money. They spend the money on beer and Kelso buys Jackie a Christmas present. Laurie spikes the punch with rum and Jackie's friend's are all attracted to Fez all of the sudden. Red has to work on Christmas Eve and not long after he gets home cops show up at his door telling him that his Christmas tree was illegally obtained and that they have to confiscate it. Also Hyde has a thing for Donna.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Philip Stark, Terry Turner, Bonnie Turner
7.7/101,288 votes#13 - Ski Trip
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 1/17/1999
Jackie dumps Kelso after he makes out with Pam Macy and invites everyone but him to her parent's ski cabin for the weekend. Eric, excited about what this could mean for him and Donna, pays no attention to Kelso's whining about being left behind or Red's tips about driving in the snow. He doesn't realize that Hyde keeps hitting on Donna and Kelso plans on following them to the lodge. Also, Kitty gets mad at Red over a past indiscretion and Fez has his first experience with snow.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Jeff Filgo, Jackie Behan
7.6/101,255 votes#14 - Stolen Car
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 1/24/1999
When Eric scratches the car, Red suspends his driving privileges, so the gang has to walk everywhere. That is, until Kelso's cousin lends him a car. They get arrested though because the car was reported stolen. With one phone call, Kelso calls Jackie and she tells him that she'll have sex with him once he gets out of prison. The whole incident was a mix-up and the gang is released.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Mark Hudis
7.9/101,381 votes#15 - That Wrestling Show
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 2/7/1999
Kitty thinks that it would be a good idea if Red and Eric become friends. She forces Eric to invite Red to go with the gang to a wrestling event in Kenosha. Bob tags along and seeks help from Fez and Hyde over Midge's decision to start therapy. And Jackie is super nice to Kelso now that they've done the deed.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Jeff Filgo, Jackie Behan
7.7/101,251 votes#16 - First Date
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 2/14/1999
Valentine's Day is coming up, so Eric decides to ask Donna out on their official first date and give her his class ring. She breaks her study date with Hyde in order to go, leading Hyde to realize he only has one last chance with her. Red and Kitty discover they don't have that much in common with Bob and Midge anymore. And Jackie explains to Kelso how things are going to work now that they've "proven their love" to each other.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Mark Brazill
8.2/101,295 votes#17 - The Pill
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 2/21/1999
Since no one else is around, Jackie confides in Eric that she thinks she might be pregnant. Eric passes the news on to Donna, who tries to get Jackie to tell Kelso. The incident inspires Donna to go on birth control pills. Her decision inadvertantly causes Eric a lot of grief when Bob and the Formans find out.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Linda Wallem
7.9/101,286 votes#18 - Career Day
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 2/28/1999
It's career day and the gang must spend the day working with their parents. Eric goes to the hospital with Kitty and is amazed at all she has to deal with every day. Fez accompanies Hyde and interviews cafeteria lady "Gross Edna" while mother and son feud. Poor Michael spends the entire day trying to figure out what his dad does, while Donna is mortified by Bob's crazy promotional antics. And Red finally finds one of Eric's friends he likes: Jackie.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Jennifer Ventimilia, Joshua Sternin
7.8/101,283 votes#19 - Prom Night
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 3/7/1999
Prom night is fast approaching and Eric gets a motel room as part of his "spontaneous" plan to "do it" with Donna on the big night. When Jackie finds out that Kelso asked slutty Pam Macy to prom, she gets Hyde to take her out of pity. Fez wants to take his pretty English teacher to the prom. As for the adults, they struggle with how to respond to Midge's idea for her future career.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Philip Stark
8.3/101,425 votes#20 - A New Hope
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 3/14/1999
The guys go see Star Wars and are all completely blown away by it. Red asks Eric to hang out with his boss's son now that he's started working at the plant full-time again. David was an awkward kid the last time Eric saw him, but now he's a hunk who likes reading Donna's short stories. Also, Laurie starts hitting on Kelso out of boredom.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Jennifer Ventimilia, Joshua Sternin
8.2/101,300 votes#21 - Water Tower
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 6/14/1999
The guys paint a pot leaf on the water tower and Kelso falls off trying to fix it because everyone thinks it looks like the finger. Instead of going to the hospital they go to Eric's cause his mom's a nurse. When Eric goes to get her he walks in on his parents having sex. Having trouble sleeping and not being able to look his parents in the eyes leads his parents to believe he's on drugs.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Jeff Filgo, Jackie Behan
7.4/101,253 votes#22 - Punk Chick
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 6/21/1999
Hyde meets a girl who's the female version of him. She tries to convince him to go to New York with her but he decides that it would be best if he stayed behind. Kelso and Red make smaller paddles for Pong. Fez feels left out of everything. Jackie tries to bake a pie for home economics project, but she ruins it every time.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Dave Schiff
8.0/101,263 votes#23 - Grandma's Dead
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 7/12/1999
Red's mother Bernice has once again managed to make everyone miserable during one of her visits. While driving his grandmother home, Eric lashes out and tells her that it wouldn't kill her to be nice once in a while. Bernice promptly drops dead, leaving Eric to think he killed her. The entire Forman family (including Laurie and Red's brother Marty) comes together for her funeral while Eric gets drunk at a bar with the guys.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Arthur F. Montmorency
8.1/101,315 votes#24 - Hyde Moves In
Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 7/19/1999
The gang goes skinny-dipping and Jackie gets sick. Hyde moves in with the Formans when his mom runs away with a trucker. Bob takes a liking to one of Midge's feminist friends.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Mark Hudis, Arthur F. Montmorency
8.0/101,264 votes#25 - The Good Son
Season 1 Episode 25 - Aired 7/26/1999
Eric loves having Hyde as a "brother" because he does all of Eric's chores but when his parents start to prefer Hyde he starts to hate him. Hyde changes from the conspiracy minded trouble-making guy Eric loves to a total bore. Midge and Bob are having relationship problems. Red's old war buddy comes back and Red finds out that he's a swinger.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Arthur F. Montmorency, Matt Witten
The Best Episodes of That '70s Show Season 1
Every episode of That '70s Show Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of That '70s Show Season 1!
Crank up the 8-track and flash back to a time when platform shoes and puka shells were all the rage in this hilarious retro-sitcom. For...
Genres:ComedyFamilyDrama
Network:FOX
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"That '70s Pilot" is the best rated episode of "That '70s Show" season 1. It scored 7.9/10 based on 2051 votes. Directed by Terry Hughes and written by Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, Mark Brazill, it aired on 8/23/1998. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "Eric's Birthday".