MTV's The 70s House
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The 70's House | |
|---|---|
Host, "Dawn" |
|
| Genre | Reality television |
| Running time | |
| Executive producer(s) | Adam Cohen Cara Tapper Joanna Vernetti |
| Starring | Natasha Leggero Aaron Matthew Lee Bil Dwyer Andrew Severyn Corey Hartwyk Sarah Bray Lynda Khristine Ashley McCarthy Hailley Howard Geo Herrera Jami Stallings Joey Mendicino Lee Peter Ruben |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original channel | MTV |
| Original run | July 5, 2005–September 6, 2005 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
MTV's The 70's House was a reality television show created by MTV. The show premiered July 5, 2005 and ended September 6, 2005. The show featured 12 contestants (6 male, 6 female) who thought they were participating in a The Real World-type reality show, but instead were thrust into a 24/7 simulation of the 1970s. They were required to part with all modern technology including cell phones, laptops, and iPods, as well as all modern clothing and lingo, only to adopt their cultural equivalents of the 70s. It was billed as a competition to see who can "be the most 70s."
The 12 contestants were: Andrew Severyn, Ashley McCarthy, Corey Hartwyk, Geo Herrera, Hailley Howard, Jami Stallings, Joey Mendicino, Lynda Khristine, Lee, Peter, Ruben, and Sarah Bray.
On each episode contestants were assigned tasks by Oscar, the house's unseen owner who communicated over speakerphone in an obvious parody of Charlie from Charlie's Angels. Dawn, the peppy host, acted as a liaison between the contestants and Oscar and instructed them on how to complete the tasks. After finishing the task Oscar awarded a prize to the contestant (or team) which best completed the task. Two contestants were then chosen, based on that day's performance and how well they otherwise kept their 70s facade. These contestants competed in an elimination challenge at the end of the show and the loser would be eliminated from the show. In the ninth episode, however, three contestants competed in the elimination round and two were eliminated.
The show had various gimmicks meant to test the contestants willingness to adhere to their 70s lifestyle. The most prominent gimmick was the "Hustle Alarm." Whenever a buzzer sounded and "The Hustle" was played, contestants were required to do the Hustle regardless of what they were doing. They were shown throughout the season doing the Hustle at various times including the middle of the night and early in morning.
Although presumptively a reality show, some of the roles were played by actors. Stand-up comedian Natasha Leggero played Dawn, while Bil Dwyer played the elimination challenge host, Bert Van Styles. Aaron Matthew Lee, the creator of the show, provided the voice of Oscar.
The winner received a prize package from Hewlett-Packard, a 2005 Volkswagon Beetle and a trip to Europe.
[edit] Results
| Episode # | Episode Name | Contestant Eliminated | Eliminated Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Welcome to the 1970s" | Geo | Andrew |
| 2 | "Disco Duck" | Lee | Hailley |
| 3 | "Dodge Ball" | Peter | Sarah |
| 4 | "Car Wash" | Hailley | Linda |
| 5 | "Love Boat" | Ruben | Joey |
| 6 | "You're So Vain" | Jami | Linda |
| 7 | "Roller Boogie" | Ashley | Corey |
| 8 | "Five Sticks of Dynamite" | Lynda | Corey |
| 9 | "Tiger Beat" | Corey & Sarah | Joey |
| 10 | "Andrew Wins!" | Joey | Andrew |
[edit] Goofs
In addition to mistakes made by the contestants, several anachronisms were also made by the producers of the show.
- During the "To Tell the Truth" elimination segment, actor Christopher Atkins was brought in as a '70s star and stated that The Blue Lagoon was released in 1979. However, the film was actually released in June 1980. Atkins' only screen role in the 1970s was a bit part in "The Streets of San Francisco".
- Cell phones were one of the items banned from the house. Cell phones became publicly available in 1977, and digital cellular telephone technology in 1979.
- During the elimination round when a game of Operation is played, the game featured "Brain Freeze," which wasn't part of the game until October 2004.
- The show's on-air title is spelled "The 70's House", however the correct title should be "The '70s House"
