Old pals at home on The Ranch
Netflix comedy allows That ’70s Show regulars, Kutcher and Masterson, to talk like real people
Nearly a decade ago, Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson stepped out of that hazy circle of dope smoke as best bros in “That ‘70s Show.” Now they’re back together as brothers, stepping into parental tensions and barnyard detritus, on “The Ranch,” a new Netflix comedy created by Don Reo and Jim Patterson, executive producers on “Two and a Half Men.”
Kutcher is Colt, a star high school quarterback turned hard-partying semi-pro who returns after a long absence to his family’s financially strapped Colorado homestead.
Masterson is Rooster, the unsung older brother who replaced Colt 15 years earlier as the not-quite-golden son at home. Sam Elliott is their father, Beau, an anti-PC cowboy type who wields love like a weapon. And Debra Winger is their mother, Maggie, who shuttles between the Airstream behind her bar and the bed of her hard-headed spouse.
“Danny was one of my first friends out here, and we’ve stayed closely connected over the years,” said Kutcher, calling from Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife, Mila Kunis — another “’70s Show” alum — and their 18-month-old daughter, Wyatt Isabelle. “Even our kids are friends. So it’s a reunion for the public, but for us it’s just another day.”
Here are edited excerpts from the conversation.
Q: Sorry about the bad connection, but I’m on a boat.
A: Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around — like, I’m the one who’s on the boat while you’re toiling away in the office? And by “bad connection” do you mean that you’ve had three margaritas? Q: Tell us about Colt. A: Colt’s a guy who had all the talent in the world and thought he had the cards lined up to be a success, but he didn’t have the discipline and the work ethic to get there. In public he brandishes the confidence of a small-town hero. But he’s had a 15year failed football career and the regret that goes with it. Now he’s come home. Q: Why Danny and why a ranch? A: Danny and I have wanted to work together again, but our schedules never lined up until I came off “Two and a Half Men.” So we decided to focus on a small town in conservative, blue-collar, Middle America, and on a family trying to keep their ranch alive. And we put this kind of Archie Bunker character at the centre of it. Rather than make fun of the views of that audience, we decided to speak to them and their belief in God and country. We also felt it would be really topical.
Q: Are things about “The Ranch” similar to your upbringing in Iowa?
A: I was raised in a town with a little more than 100 people, so I’m pretty familiar with ranching and farming. I also know that the heartland isn’t always represented correctly in the media, and nobody really makes content for them.
Q: Why, after a huge, network Chuck Lorre show, did you go with Netflix?
A: We wanted to disrupt the sitcom. We wanted the characters to talk like real people, to use irreverent language, to have an edge. We wanted to shoot things outdoors and play country music — things that are unconventional for a sitcom. So we made the distinct choice to do this on Netflix, where we thought they’d let us make the show we wanted to make.
Q: How did you get Sam Elliott on board?
A: We wanted a father type with gravitas because it allows you to say whatever you want, to get dramatic and still make it funny. You know the feeling that no matter how old your dad gets, he can always whip your ass? Sam is that guy.
Q: Masterson says that at least one other “’70s Show” regular will appear. Mila? A: You’ll have to wait and see. Q: And will those Uggs, just like Tom Brady’s, continue to have a starring role?
A: Yes, the Uggs make another appearance — or two. Comfort first!