BU students share a very short list of things: bad TV reception, impending financial debt and the fact that almost all of thems were born in the ’80s.
Michael Jackson and Madonna taught us how to dance. Scrunch socks, stonewashed jeans and Keds filled our closets. Our sweat-band-clad moms did Jane Fonda workouts in the living room. MTV babysat us in the afternoons and “Saved by the Bell” took care of us on Saturday mornings.
Most of us still can’t get away from the Television. And now we’re on it. The creators of “That ’80s Show” have taken it upon themselves to transport us back to our childhood. But are we ready to go there?
The show, which airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. on FOX, focuses on a group of twenty-somethings making their way through the ’80s. There is Tuesday, the punk rocker who works in a record store; Corey, the struggling musician; Katie, a naive Debbie Gibson look-a-like; and Roger, a corporate wannabe who idolizes Ronald Reagan. The creators of the sitcom did their research. The funniest moments of “That ’80s Show” are in the references to things that used to seem so cool. Hot red leather jackets that could’ve been stolen from the dressing room of the “Thriller” set, portable phones that weigh a solid ton, ripped T-shirts and synthesized club music all played a major part in the show.
But the looks and details of the show easily overshadow the writing. Besides their outfits, the characters were a hoop-earring’s throw from compelling. The second episode of “That ’80s Show” had three subplots: 1) Katie’s boyfriend Owen, a navy sailor, is in town on leave for Valentine’s Day, 2) Corey has the hots for Tuesday, but she doesn’t quite feel the same and 3) Katie’s dad, RT, is struggling with the discovery that his ex-wife is dating someone new.
Since we are people of the ’80s, here’s the key problem: the producers want us to relate to the style and culture of the characters, but at the same time relate to the dilemma of being twenty-somethings in the ’80s. It doesn’t work. Not only were the troubles of these characters dull, but on other sitcoms they’d probably be solved during commercial breaks.
In case you were wondering, yes, “That ’80s Show” is made by the same producers of “That ’70s Show”: Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner and Caryn Mandabach. “That ’70s Show,” which airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. on FOX, has slowly become a hit show, making a star out of one of its cast members, Ashton Kutcher.
Star power in “That ’80s Show” is wimpy and not too promising. For the most part, the main characters were ripped off the stages of theaters and put together in this ensemble cast of ’80s hooligans. But you might recognize Eddie Shin, who plays Roger, from his role on “ER” or Chyler Leigh from “Not Another Teen Movie.”
One more gripe about the show: is it too much to ask to have a real audience provide the “laughing” sound effect? It’s almost impossible to giggle along with that recorded fake laughter anymore. And it makes the jokes seem less funny. Let’s at least get a better recording!
If you are in need of some mildly amusing childhood nostalgia, “That ’80s Show” will do the trick. But if you want even the slightest inkling of mental stimulation, you had better change the dial
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