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.”
Mr.
Kutcher is Colt, a star high school quarterback turned hard-partying
semipro who, returning after a long absence to his family’s financially
strapped Colorado homestead, decides to trade the cowhide for the cows.
Mr. 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-P.C. 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 hardheaded spouse.
“Danny
was one of my first friends out here, and we’ve stayed closely
connected over the years,” said Mr. 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?
Tell us about Colt.
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 15-year failed football career and the
regret that goes with it. Now he’s come home.
Why Danny and why a ranch?
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 center 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.
Are things about “The Ranch” similar to your upbringing in Iowa?
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.
Why, after a huge, network Chuck Lorre show, did you go with Netflix?
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.
How did you get Sam Elliott on board?
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.
Mr. Masterson says that at least one other “’70s Show” regular will appear. Mila?
You’ll have to wait and see.
And will those Uggs, just like Tom Brady’s, continue to have a starring role?
Yes, the Uggs make another appearance — or two. Comfort first!
