Overview
On each episode 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 1970s 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 1970s 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.
Read more about this topic: MTV's The 70s House