‘That ‘80s Show’ Banking on Nostalgia

The 1980s were the decade of Devo, Duran Duran, “Dynasty,” “Dallas,” Don Johnson, spiky pink hair, pastels and Sylvester Stallone playing a singing cowboy in “Rhinestone.” It was the decade of Reaganomics and Oliver Stone’s 1987 film “Wall Street,” when a manipulative financier, played by Michael Douglas, stated: “Greed is good.”

Still, for anyone who lived through them, who would have ever thought that the ‘80s would become the good old days?

That’s the premise behind “That ‘80s Show,” a new sitcom premiering Wednesday. Fox and the creative team behind the network’s hit comedy series “That ‘70s Show” are banking on the notion that audiences are ready for nostalgic laughs about Pat Benatar, record albums and “Miami Vice.”

Originally, Fox was talking to “That ‘70s Show” producers Bonnie and Terry Turner, Mark Brazill and Linda Wallem about doing a spinoff of the hit comedy before the idea morphed into taking on another decade.

“They wound up talking about the ‘80s and how they felt about it,” said Gail Berman, president of entertainment for Fox. “There were some characters they felt they could begin to relate to.... So I think based on those initial conversations it wasn’t like ‘Oh hey, let’s just take the name [of the comedy] and franchise it.’ It really began to develop out of character. Then, of course, the use of the name is something that will bring people into the show and allow it to get sampled.”

Berman doesn’t believe the new series will confuse fans of “That ‘70s Show,” especially because the two programs will play on different nights. Fox has been heavily promoting the new show during its NFL playoff coverage.

“That ‘80s Show,” which was created by executive producers Terry Turner, Brazill and Wallem, follows the lives of a group of twentysomethings in San Diego. Set in 1984, the show focuses on Corey (Glenn Howerton) and his sister, Kate (Tinsley Grimes), who live with their dad, RT (Geoff Pierson), who dresses like a reject from “Miami Vice,” and Corey’s best friend Roger (Eddie Shin).

While Roger has embraced the ‘80s, Corey refuses to get into the groove. A struggling musician, he works in a record store run by the sarcastic Margaret (Margaret Smith), a groupie in the 1960s who revels in talking about her wild and crazy experiences. Chyler Leigh plays the new girl working at the record store, Tuesday, a cynical young woman who sports a Mohawk and a razor-sharp attitude. Brittany Daniel also stars as Corey’s ex-girlfriend, Sophia.

As with “That ‘70s Show,” the new sitcom is filled with music and cultural references from the era. A scene in the premiere episode, for example, finds Corey, Katie and Roger playing a game in which they drink shots each time a character gets slapped on “Dynasty.”

Berman hopes that the series will appeal to people who remember the ‘80s--”that would be me”--as well as teens who are interested in “a good, fun comedy.”

Wallem and Brazill say they put a lot of themselves in Corey’s character. “Mark and myself were in our 20s in the ‘80s,” said Wallem. “We wanted to be artists.... Mark was a stand-up [comic] and I was an actress. We were trying to make it in New York. I couldn’t believe how quickly people were joining country clubs and [driving] a BMW.”

Fox also emulated its formula with the earlier series by looking for fresh faces to cast other than Pierson, who previously starred in the WB’s “Unhappily Ever After.”

Although Howerton was just a youngster during the ‘80s, he remembers the decade as being “gloriously hideous. They were so gaudy and tacky and wonderful.... Every country has its culture, and we have pop culture. And in the ‘80s, it was out of control.”

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“That ‘80s Show” premieres Wednesday at 8 p.m. on Fox.