MTV's The 70s House
Encyclopedia
MTV's The 70s House is an American reality television
show created by Aaron Matthew Lee. The show premiered on MTV
on July 5 and ended September 6, 2005. The show featured twelve contestants (six male, six 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 MP3 players, 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 twelve contestants were: Andrew Severyn, Ashley McCarthy, Corey Hartwyk, Geo Herrera, Hailley Howard, Jami Stallings, Joey Mendicino, Lynda Khristine, Lee Wireman, Peter, Ruben, and Sarah Bray.
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.
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 Volkswagen Beetle
and a trip to Europe.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show created by Aaron Matthew Lee. The show premiered on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
on July 5 and ended September 6, 2005. The show featured twelve contestants (six male, six female) who thought they were participating in a The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
-type reality show, but instead were thrust into a 24/7
24/7
24/7 is an abbreviation which stands for "24 hours a day, 7 days a week", usually referring to a business or service available at all times without interruption...
simulation of the 1970s. They were required to part with all modern technology including cell phones, laptops, and MP3 players, 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 twelve contestants were: Andrew Severyn, Ashley McCarthy, Corey Hartwyk, Geo Herrera, Hailley Howard, Jami Stallings, Joey Mendicino, Lynda Khristine, Lee Wireman, Peter, Ruben, and Sarah Bray.
Overview
On each episodeEpisode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
contestants were assigned tasks by Oscar, the house's unseen owner who communicated over speakerphone
Speakerphone
A speakerphone is a telephone with a microphone and loudspeaker provided separately from those in the handset. This device allows multiple persons to participate in a conversation...
in an obvious parody of Charlie from Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
. 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
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
. 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
Hustle (dance)
The Hustle is a catchall name for several disco dances which were extremely popular in the 1970s. Today it mostly refers to the unique partner dance done in ballrooms and nightclubs to disco music. It has some features in common with swing dance. Its basic steps are somewhat similar to the...
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.
Stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
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
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
, a 2005 Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
and a trip to Europe.
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 | Lynda |
| 5 | "Love Boat" | Ruben Gonzalez | Joey |
| 6 | "You're So Vain" | Jami | Lynda |
| 7 | "Roller Boogie" | Ashley | Corey |
| 8 | "Five Sticks of Dynamite" | Lynda | Corey |
| 9 | "Tiger Beat" | Corey & Sarah | Joey |
| 10 | "Andrew Wins!" | Joey | Andrew |
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 AtkinsChristopher AtkinsChristopher Atkins is an American actor, who became famous with his costarring debut role in the 1980 film The Blue Lagoon.-Early life:...
was brought in as a '70s star and stated that The Blue LagoonThe Blue Lagoon (1980 film)The Blue Lagoon is a 1980 American romance and adventure film directed by Randal Kleiser. The screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart was based on the novel The Blue Lagoon by Henry De Vere Stacpoole. The film stars Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins...
was released in 1979. However, the film was actually released in June 1980 (although it was shot in 1979). Atkins' only screen role in the 1970s was a bit part in "The Streets of San FranciscoThe Streets of San FranciscoThe Streets of San Francisco is a 1970s television police drama filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros...
". - Cell phones were one of the items banned from the house. However, cell phones became publicly available in 1977, and digital cellular telephone technology in 1979. Most people, however, used rotary and/or push button phones in the 70's, as cellphones were luxuries.
- During the elimination round when a game of OperationOperation (game)Operation is a battery-operated game of physical skill that tests players' hand-eye co-ordination and fine motor skills. Originally made by Milton Bradley, and currently made by Hasbro it has been in production since 1965, the year in which the game was invented by John Spinello.The game is a...
is played, the game featured "Brain Freeze," which wasn't part of the game until October 2004. - During the episode "Dodgeball", the contestants were brought in 1970s-style clothing to a dodgeball court for a contest. Their opponents were all modern day WWEWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
wrestlers. Dawn does, however, comment on the fact that wrestling has its roots in the '70s. The WWE itself was founded even earlier than that, in 1963.