Created in the wake of the successful sitcom That '70s Show, it shared a similar name and even many of the same writers and production staff, but was not actually a spin-off of that series.

We were talking about what we had been doing in the '80s and found that we had all been in pretty much the same situation, supporting ourselves with jobs we hated but really burning to be in show business.

"[8] Wallem, along with Mark Brazill and Terry Turner, created the show, and other executive producers included Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner.

[11] Fox announced the rest of the cast (Chyler Leigh, Brittany Daniel, Glenn Howerton, Tinsley Grimes, and Eddie Shin) in December 2001.

His working (and eventual romantic) relationship with June Tuesday is also a focal point, and becomes the main anchor of the show after a few episodes.

Eric Kohanik of The Calgary Herald lamented that a time period needs to be at least 20 years away to laugh at it, and That '80s Show was created too soon.

"[22] Josh Friedman of The Los Angeles Times concluded that the pilot was reminiscent of a school reunion, that "[t]he nostalgic fun is intermittent".

[24] Sonia Mansfield from The San Francisco Examiner said the show "is mildly entertaining with a few funny moments", but pointed out that the humor was being pushed by the setting rather than through its characters.