That 1977 Show

'70s sitcom sends up Star Wars

A long time ago in Point Place, Wisconsin ...

Thus begins That '70s Show's season finale, a cute tip o' the Sith Lord helmet to Star Wars and fitting send-off for the sitcom, which is jumping out of the schedule early.

In Episode XXV - A New Hope (tee hee), Eric (Topher Grace) finds out that an elementary school nemesis has moved back to Point Place, and is putting the moves on Donna (Laura Prepon).

Eric tries to figure out how to rescue Donna from the clutches of the tall, good-looking new kid on the block, as well as break some bad news to his dad (Kurtwood Smith).

But from the opening credits onwards, this episode, playing Sunday at 9:30 p.m. on ITV (Cable 8), is about a far more significant event occurring in the lives of Eric and his friends: A little sci-fi movie called Star Wars has arrived in theatres.

Eric, Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), Hyde (Danny Masterson) and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) get swept up in the story of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Kelso becomes a hardcore Star Wars addict, which drives away his girlfriend Jackie (Mila Kunis) and leads him into a liplock with Eric's older sister, Laurie (Lisa Robin Kelly).

Is it coincidence that the Fox sitcom is sending up Star Wars just a couple of months before the company's film arm releases Episode I - The Phantom Menace? Unlikely.

But nonetheless, it's well done and could have formed the basis for a one-hour special instead of being crammed into a too-short half-hour.

Especially cute is a dream Eric has (shot in widescreen), where he imagines himself as Luke Skywalker, the new kid as Darth Vader and Donna as Princess Leia, complete with the cinnamon bun hairstyle. The rest of the characters fill out the dream cast, including Hyde as Han Solo and Kelso as Chewbacca.

It's a must see for Star Wars fans - especially those who remember first seeing the movies as kids - and a nice season ender for this sometimes underrated show.

That '70s Show will be back with five new episodes this summer, and 25 episodes have been ordered for next season. For the next two weeks, its slot will be occupied by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening's new Futurama, before being taken over by The Family Guy.