"That '70s Show"
Grandma's Dead (1999)

Director:

David Trainer

TV Series:

"That '70s Show" (1998)

Original Air Date:

12 July 1999 (Season 1, Episode 23)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

When Grandma Forman dies unexpectedly the Formans have to deal with the loss. Eric goes to a bar, Kitty cooks, Laurie thinks of her inheritance, and Red has to deal with his over-emotional brother.

Plot Keywords:

Black Eye | Bar Fight | Laughing | Family Relationships | Pervert

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Sept. 18

8:30 AM

MyNetwork

Grandma's Dead

#1.23

Cast

Topher Grace	...	Eric Forman
Mila Kunis	...	Jackie Burkhart
Ashton Kutcher	...	Michael Kelso
Danny Masterson	...	Steven Hyde
Laura Prepon	...	Donna Pinciotti
Wilmer Valderrama	...	Fez
Debra Jo Rupp	...	Kitty Forman
Kurtwood Smith	...	Reginald "Red" Forman
Pat Skipper	...	Marty
Earl Houston Bullock	...	Funeral Director (as Earl Bullock)
Kevin McClatchy	...	Man #1
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mary Pat Dowhy	...	Sally, Waitress
Lisa Robin Kelly	...	Laurie Forman
Jessica Meyerson	...	Charlotte
Marion Ross	...	Grandma Forman
Buckley Sampson	...	Connie

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Goofs:

Continuity: Kitty is seen carrying in groceries including a carton of eggs. Later on she tells Red she is out of eggs.

Quotes:

Eric Forman: I killed her. She was old, and the shock of her grandson telling her that she was nasty killed her.
Donna Pinciotti: Have you talked to Red about this?
Eric Forman: I'm not talking to my dad about this. Do you remember how angry he got when I didn't rake the yard? And this is like, twice as bad.

Sitcom deals with a serious topic.

This show deals with the topic of death, which is unexpected for a sitcom. Surprisingly, the show deals with the subject in an effective manner, without becoming sentimental. Repression, denial, and projection are dramatized as each character deals in their own way with the loss of a relative, in this case Red's mother. Kurtwood Smith gives the best performance. His character, the droll and cynical head of the household, Red, struggles the most to maintain control, repress his emotions and frowns on others who express theirs. That doesn't mean he is unfeeling, it just means that he is afraid to let loose because he believes that showing feelings is a sign of weakness and will undermine his position as an authority figure. Yet he too eventually succumbs as he reminisces with his son, who blames himself for his grandmother's death. All in all, this sitcom manages to deal with a complex and sensitive topic at a level that transcends the the usual low level of potboiler pulp to which we have become accustomed.