Television series
That '70s Show
A wisecracking, laugh-tracked hangout comedy about six teenagers cycling through Eric's basement, bad haircuts, and worse decisions in mid-70s Wisconsin. It's broad, warm, and unbothered by subtlety — jokes land like clockwork, every parent is a type, every crush is a plot. Perfect for nostalgia binges or background noise; not for anyone allergic to studio-audience sitcom rhythms.
If you liked this
Freaks and Geeks1999
Same decade-adjacent high school misery, same basement-adjacent hangout energy, but played with aching sincerity instead of a laugh track. If you ever wondered what this show would feel like with real stakes, this is it.
But Only one season exists, it's genuinely sad in places, and there's no studio audience cushioning the awkwardness.

The Wonder Years1988
The original nostalgic coming-of-age sitcom, narrated by an adult looking back with fondness and regret. Gentler and more wistful, but it's clearly an ancestor in the family tree.
But Slower pace, more voiceover-driven sentiment, less zippy jokes-per-minute than you're used to.

Happy Days1974
The show that basically invented the 'teens hanging out being nostalgic about an earlier decade' format. Cheerful, corny, and the direct grandparent of every basement-set sitcom since.
But Dated even by sitcom standards, tamer humor, and the Fonz-mania era hasn't aged gracefully for everyone.

The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Dazed and Confused1993
Same decade, same stoner-basement ethos, same 'nothing happens but everything matters' teenage philosophizing — just filmed as cinema instead of performed for a studio audience.
The exact same setting — 1970s teenagers, weed, aimless nights — but shot as a hazy, hangout art film instead of a sitcom, with no jokes explaining themselves. It's the mood this show is impersonating, at the source.
But No plot to speak of, no laugh track, and the pacing is loose and meandering by design.

More like this (8)
PEN152019
Adult actors playing thirteen-year-olds in the year 2000, mining teenage humiliation for cringe-comedy gold. Same hormonal chaos and friend-group loyalty, dialed up in specificity and discomfort.
But The premise is deliberately unsettling at first, and the cringe is more visceral than sitcom-safe.

Everybody Hates Chris2005
A different decade, a different city, but the same warm family-and-friends sitcom bones, narrated with sharp comic hindsight. Great if you like your nostalgia with more bite.
But The tone shifts between broad comedy and real social commentary, which might feel like tonal whiplash.

Sex Education2019
A modern British ensemble comedy about teenagers fumbling through sex, identity, and friendship with the same big-hearted silliness. Great if you want the hangout-comedy DNA without the retro setting.
But Far more explicit and emotionally raw than anything the Formans' basement ever attempted.

The Goldbergs2013
An 80s-set family sitcom that borrows the same nostalgic needle-drops and loud-parent comedy, just one decade over. Comfortable, familiar, easy to marathon.
But Leans harder into shtick and less into character depth; some find it more grating than charming.

Malcolm in the Middle2000
Chaotic family sitcom energy with a similarly gruff dad and a similarly wry teenage lead breaking the fourth wall. Faster, meaner, funnier in places.
But No period setting, and the humor is more manic and less cozy-nostalgic.

Fresh Off the Boat2015
Another warm, period-specific (90s this time) family sitcom mining a very particular American adolescence for comedy. Good if the appeal was really 'family sitcom with a strong sense of time and place.'
But Different cultural focus entirely, and the humor is gentler, less irreverent.

The Virgin Suicides2000
Both mine 1970s suburban adolescence and parental cluelessness for their engine, but where one plays it for laughs, this one plays the same ingredients as quiet devastation.
Suburban teenagers, the same era's wallpaper and record collections, the same hormonal fog — but rendered as elegiac tragedy instead of comfort comedy. A gorgeous, devastating flip side of the coin.
But It's genuinely heartbreaking and offers zero comic relief; not what you want if you're after cozy nostalgia.

Derry Girls2018
Structurally it's the same show — hangout ensemble, clueless grown-ups, decade-specific comedy — but grounded in real historical danger, proving the format can hold weight without losing its warmth.
A tight teenage friend group, absurd hijinks, oblivious adults, wall-to-wall period needle-drops — except it's 90s Northern Ireland with the Troubles humming underneath every joke. Same comic engine, higher stakes.
But Thick Irish accents and specific political context take a bit of adjusting to, and the humor is more chaotic and less tidy.

People
Cast
Writing
- Bonnie TurnerCreator
- Mark BrazillCreator
- Terry TurnerCreator
- Bryan MooreExecutive Story Editor
- Chris PetersonExecutive Story Editor
- Dave SchiffExecutive Story Editor
- Kristin NewmanExecutive Story Editor
- Philip StarkExecutive Story Editor
- Sarah McLaughlinExecutive Story Editor
- Will ForteExecutive Story Editor
- Alan DybnerStaff Writer
- Bryan MooreStaff Writer
- Chris PetersonStaff Writer
- Kristin NewmanStaff Writer
- Sarah McLaughlinStaff Writer
- Alan DybnerStory Editor
- Bryan MooreStory Editor
- Chris PetersonStory Editor
- Dave SchiffStory Editor
- Kristin NewmanStory Editor
- Mark HudisStory Editor
- Philip StarkStory Editor
- Sarah McLaughlinStory Editor
Production
- Karen ClarkAssociate Producer
- Timothy RyderAssociate Producer
- Toti LevineAssociate Producer
- Dave SchiffCo-Executive Producer
- Dean BataliCo-Executive Producer
- Gregg MettlerCo-Executive Producer
- Jackie FilgoCo-Executive Producer
- Jeff FilgoCo-Executive Producer
- Jennifer VentimiliaCo-Executive Producer
- Joshua SterninCo-Executive Producer
- Linda WallemCo-Executive Producer
- Mark HudisCo-Executive Producer
- Philip StarkCo-Executive Producer
- Rob DeshotelCo-Executive Producer
- Bryan MooreCo-Producer
- Chris PetersonCo-Producer
- Dave SchiffCo-Producer
- Dean BataliCo-Producer
- Gregg MettlerCo-Producer
- Jackie FilgoCo-Producer
- Jeff FilgoCo-Producer
- Kristin NewmanCo-Producer
- Mark HudisCo-Producer
- Philip StarkCo-Producer
- Rob DeshotelCo-Producer
- Toti LevineCo-Producer
- Will ForteCo-Producer
- Eric GillilandConsulting Producer
- Bonnie TurnerExecutive Producer
- Caryn MandabachExecutive Producer
- Dean BataliExecutive Producer
- Jackie FilgoExecutive Producer
- Jeff FilgoExecutive Producer
- Jennifer VentimiliaExecutive Producer
- Joshua SterninExecutive Producer
- Linda WallemExecutive Producer
- Marcy CarseyExecutive Producer
- Mark BrazillExecutive Producer
- Mark HudisExecutive Producer
- Rob DeshotelExecutive Producer
- Terry TurnerExecutive Producer
- Tom WernerExecutive Producer
- Bryan MooreProducer
- Chris PetersonProducer
- Dave SchiffProducer
- Dean BataliProducer
- Franco E. BarioProducer
- Gregg MettlerProducer
- Jackie FilgoProducer
- Jeff FilgoProducer
- Kristin NewmanProducer
- Mark HudisProducer
- Melanie PattersonProducer
- Patrick KienlenProducer
- Philip StarkProducer
- Rob DeshotelProducer
- Will ForteProducer
- Bryan MooreSupervising Producer
- Chris PetersonSupervising Producer
- Dave SchiffSupervising Producer
- Dean BataliSupervising Producer
- Greg SchafferSupervising Producer
- Gregg MettlerSupervising Producer
- Jackie FilgoSupervising Producer
- Jeff FilgoSupervising Producer
- Kristin NewmanSupervising Producer
- Mark HudisSupervising Producer
- Philip StarkSupervising Producer
- Rob DeshotelSupervising Producer
- Steve JoeSupervising Producer
Recommended by
The Wonder Years, F is for Family, The Goldbergs, Everybody Hates Chris, Happy Days, Boy Meets World