Top 20 Unscripted That '70s Show Moments That Were Kept in the Show

There are more than a few character breaks on this show, and we love seeing Debra Jo Rupp break. This episode sees Bob and Midge’s tumultuous relationship come to a head when Bob walks out on her and spends far too much time at the Forman’s house for Red’s liking. Red and Kitty discuss who will clean out the tub that Bob used, and they reach a stalemate early in the episode. By the end, Kitty gives in, but Red can’t let her go through with it. When he calls out for Eric to do it instead, we see Kitty laugh, and even though this is unplanned, we think her amusement at Red’s solution adds to this whole storyline.

After Eric and Donna’s break up, the rest of the gang is forced to choose sides. They decide to split their time between the two, which leads to them hanging out in Donna’s living room as opposed to their regular hangout in Eric’s basement. Donna’s dad, Bob, takes this as an opportunity to entertain them, and for some reason he chooses to sing “What’s New Pussycat?” to his daughter’s friends. Not only does he not quite do Tom Jones justice, he manages to crack up his castmates. Even though they’re supposed to look bored and annoyed, Mila Kunis is visibly laughing as he sings, and we can’t say we blame her.

Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp clearly had a great time on the set of “That ‘70s Show” playing the parents of Eric and the de facto parents of the rest of the gang. They manage to crack each other up a few times throughout the series, and this moment is one that always makes us laugh. In the fifth season of the show, Red tells Eric and Donna that they should get married in a week. Even though it’s supposed to be a serious moment, when Red calls the couple “love chickens,” he and Kitty lose it. We now know that they do chicken out of getting married, so this joke really comes home to roost.

There’s no end of funny and memorable moments shared between this group, and a lot of those moments have taken place in the infamous circle. One of the least likely members to find himself in the circle is definitely Red Forman, but in this episode, he’s found in it along with a bottle of whipped cream. Surrounded by a haze of smoke, he sprays the whipped cream on his head and proclaims himself “whipped cream head.” He tries to keep it together enough to get through the rest of his line, but bursts out laughing, and we immediately do the same. We’re just disappointed that this sequence was all a figment of Hyde’s imagination.

If there’s any TV dad out there that you don’t want to upset, it’s probably Red Forman. So, when this prank goes wrong, the boys narrowly escape without a foot in their asses. When Hyde, Fez, and Eric try to prank Kelso, they enlist Red’s help. But, he accidentally becomes the victim when he comes through the basement door and ends up with oatmeal all over him. Kurtwood Smith must’ve not been prepared for the amount that would drench him, as we see him slip slightly on the oatmeal. This wasn’t Smith playing it up for laughs; the oatmeal was, as you can imagine, pretty slippery. Luckily, he caught himself but we can’t help but think how mad Red would’ve been if he’d taken a tumble.

In this unscripted moment, Kelso almost takes Kitty down in the wake of another one of his chaotic scenes. One of the most memorable guest stars on “That ‘70s Show” is Brooke Shields, who plays Jackie’s mom, and in this scene, Kelso is a little overly excited to see her. Kitty hosts a cocktail party, and when Ashton Kutcher’s character shows up, he abruptly opens the door in a rush to see what Pam’s wearing, and apparently accidentally knocked Kitty’s leg in the process, sending her flying backward. The director liked the take so much he decided to keep it in the final cut.

Here we go again with Kitty and Red Forman breaking character, and we really can’t get enough of it. In this episode, Kitty’s twin sister, Paula, comes to visit. Kitty clearly feels envious of her sister’s seemingly glamorous life, and she tries to compete with her in humorous and over-the-top ways. In the end, she talks to her husband as she reflects on her own life. When talking about how she wants to explore it more, it’s Debra Jo Rupp who cracks up, causing Kurtwood Smith to join her, and we’re right there with them.

There are only four episodes in the series that include all six of the main teen cast members in the circle at the same time. With this being the first instance, they clearly took the opportunity to have some fun. This episode is a nostalgic trip for the gang, as they talk about their memories growing up with their friends while they prepare for their class pictures. All of these moments already have us loving this close-knit group even more than usual, but seeing them improvise a friendly wrestling match in the circle solidifies them as a fun-loving group, both on and off camera.

It’s clear that Ashton Kutcher put on a masterclass in improvisation in his role in this series, and it started as early as the first season. When the group goes on a ski trip after Jackie and Kelso split, he’s left in the dust. After talking to Eric about it in his kitchen, Kelso follows him to the driveway and trips on the door on his way out. He wouldn’t be Michael Kelso if he wasn’t hilariously graceless, and we’re happy this unplanned moment helped shape his character into the one we know and love.

It’s no secret that after Hyde moved in, he became the son Red always wanted. So when his biological dad reappears, it causes some rifts. However, there is plenty of comic relief throughout the episode while this whole scenario unfolds, like this one between the Formans. One of the funniest moments is an off-the-cuff one from Red when Eric laughs while his dad ironically talks about the complexities of father-son dynamics. In an unplanned moment, Red tells Eric to wipe the smirk off of his face, prompting both Eric and us to laugh even harder.

Goodbyes are always emotional, and the finale of “That ‘70s Show” is no exception. As the characters reminisce about their “long strange trip” and what lies ahead for all of them, the waterworks are much in evidence for everyone. But while the sadness of these scenes is scripted, the tears and emotions of the actors are authentic for most of them. Laura Prepon, who plays Donna, reportedly had difficulty even performing, as she was so overcome. We can hardly blame her, or any of them - it was hard enough saying goodbye to the characters through the screen - we can only imagine how tough it was in-person.

From sadness and endings, now let’s return to the beginning and joy! During the very first episode, the guys begin their tradition of sitting around in a circle having conversations where they’re clearly under-the-influence. When Hyde begins discussing the infamous car that runs on water (man), actor Danny Masterson couldn’t keep a straight face and laughed. The camera then turns to Kelso/Ashton Kutcher, who has absolutely lost it! Both of them managed to carry on with the scene, and their laughter only lent more authenticity to the vibe of teenagers getting high in a basement.

When Jackie is tired of the single life, she drags Donna to a bar to help her find a new guy. Unfortunately, her attempts to find an older man only brings her to someone who used to be involved with her mother. On the car ride home, Donna tries to cheer Jackie up, comparing her sad look to Mary Tyler Moore. It works and Jackie quotes the theme song to the actress’ titular show, throwing her hat just like Moore does. Except, the hat hits Donna in the face and both Mila Kunis and Laura Prepon seemingly struggle to stay in character. At least it “made the scene after all.”

One of the worst mistakes Eric ever makes is accidentally running over Donna’s cat, Mr. Bonkers. While discussing how he should break the news to her with his parents, Eric receives some less than helpful advice from Red. His father advises a blunt statement that he’s a killer of felines, only to break down. Actor Kurtwood Smith was clearly tickled by the line, and couldn’t contain his laughter. Still, he manages to collect himself enough to stay mostly in-character. Plus, his gleeful laughter only makes Eric and Kitty’s horrified looks even funnier!

While the Formans have a garage sale, Eric laments to Donna that he can’t join her at the movies - since Red would likely kick his ass. When Donna remarks that she can too, the two of them engage in playful wrestling. However, a nearby Fez jumps in to wrestle Donna as well. This was something allegedly decided on by the writers on-set, who decided not to tell anyone but Fez’s actor Wilmer Valderrama. Laura Prepon is clearly having a case of the giggles during the event, and she and Topher Grace’s clueless reactions elevate an already entertaining moment.

After Donna goes on birth control, Eric gets the sex talk from his parents, and he finally gets around to talking about doing the act with Donna. Despite going on the pill, she wants to wait for the right time. Eric is naturally rather eager - half-jokingly asking repeatedly if “now” is the right time. After Donna leaves, Red walks up and sprays Eric down with a water hose. Even if this was in the script, actor Topher Grace was still clearly unprepared and his panic and disbelief at getting soaked are certainly authentic. It’s for Eric’s own good, and for the good of some great comedy.

Kelso’s not exactly the brightest or the most coordinated of characters to begin with. But one of his earliest pratfalls wasn’t in the script. During the show’s first Christmas episode, Kelso leaps over the couch in his eagerness to talk to Eric’s sister Laurie. Except, Ashton Kutcher missed the target and slammed his shins hard on the coffee table. While he valiantly manages to stay in character, Laurie’s actress, Lisa Robin Kelly, has a genuine reaction to the mishap. Laurie may not be impressed with Kelso’s lack of conversation skills, but we’re definitely taken with Kutcher’s ability to keep it together.

The show’s theme song is as integral to the overall ‘70s vibe of the show as anything else. Although it’s quite possible that many little bits of business the characters do while cruising in the Vista Cruiser were improvised, we can only confirm one - and it’s the only dialogue from the sequence. After the theme song concludes, Hyde yells out “hello Wisconsin!” According to one of the series’ co-creators, Mark Brazill, this exclamation was improvised by Hyde’s actor, Danny Masterson. It’s a small thing, but when it’s featured in nearly every single episode, it certainly adds up.

During Donna’s bachelorette party, she, Jackie, and Kitty go to a strip club. While Donna takes the opportunity to reconnect with Kelso’s brother, Casey, Jackie and Kitty are entertained by the strippers. Kitty gets really into it, and does an absolutely hysterical dance while watching a guy do one-handed pushups. According to Debra Jo Rupp herself, no one, not even her, knew what she’d do until the day of filming, so the other actors were dying of laughter. The blooper reel for the episode can attest to this - and given how funny Kitty is here, we’re not at all surprised.

Eric is distraught after finding out the girl he has a thing for likes his dad instead of him. He makes the classic mistake of telling his friends about it. They take the opportunity to repeatedly roast him over the situation, with Hyde delivering one of the most savage burns in the whole show. And while there’s no one unscripted moment here, it’s clear that the actors don’t have to fake their laughter at all, as they’re all having entirely too much fun losing it throughout at the admittedly hilarious jokes they’re telling. It’s this kind of authentic laughter that makes “That ‘70s Show” feel special even today.

Which unplanned moment had you cracking up? Let us know in the comments!