The pilot efficiently established the core dynamics that would define the series:

The first episode of That '70s Show , titled "," premiered on August 23, 1998, establishing the groovy yet dysfunctional world of Point Place, Wisconsin. Set on May 17, 1976, the episode centers on 17-year-old Eric Forman receiving the keys to the iconic 1969 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser from his stern father, Red. Plot Summary: The Road to Milwaukee

Red gives Eric the car on the strict condition that he does not take it out of town.