That ‘70s Show: Why Donna’s Mom Disappeared After Season 3

Midge Pinciotti noticeably disappeared for a significant timeframe in That ’70s Show. The character played by Tanya Roberts was the mother of Donna (Laura Prepon) and the wife of Bob (Don Stark) on the Fox sitcom. Despite being a hilarious member of the hit show’s cast, the actress left the series after That ’70s Show season 3 before making her surprising return in season 6.

That ’70s Show primarily focused on the teenage characters like Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and his friends, but there were also a handful of prominent adult characters. Aside from Eric’s parents, Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp), the parents of Donna were also part of the core cast. The fact that the Pinciotti family lived next door to the Formans gave the series ample opportunity to intertwine their storylines. Midge, in particular, was portrayed as a dimwitted wife lacking any common sense. Despite her personality, she served as one of Kitty’s closest friends.

As the series went on, Bob and Midge started to experience marital problems. Bob held an old-fashioned mindset when it came to women, and Midge was unhappy with her role as a housewife. Their constant fighting led to a separation, although they continued living together. The couple reconciled temporarily, and even renewed their vows, but at the end of season 3, Midge left Bob to go to California and “pursue a career on Broadway” (once again showing just how little intelligence the That ’70s Show character had). Roberts didn’t appear in the show’s fourth season and her character went through the divorce off-screen. The actress later credited her absence to personal reasons.

Tanya Roberts Left That ’70s Show For Family Reasons

After working as a series regular on That ’70s Show through season 3, Roberts left in 2001. She initially left to care for her terminally-ill husband, Barry Roberts. The show’s writers dealt with her absence with Midge’s move to California. Roberts was absent from the sitcom for season 4 and 5 in its entirety. In season 5, Donna left Point Place to live with her mom in California, but Midge was never shown on-screen.

Season 3 wasn’t Midge’s final appearance, however: she made a guest appearance in That ’70s Show season 6 for Eric and Donna’s wedding before it was called off. Her return came in the season 6 finale and she stuck around for a few episodes the following season. At the time, Bob was dating Jackie’s mom, Pam, and this made Midge jealous. She fought for Bob’s affection for a few episodes, but eventually exited the series for the final time. Roberts’ husband passed away in 2006, so it’s likely that she stepped away from acting again to care for him in those final years. The Charlie’s Angels veteran had a few acting credits to her name around the time she left That ’70s Show a second time, but she hasn’t appeared in anything since.

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Kara Hedash
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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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