Happy Days | Family Guy Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Happy Days has been also referenced in, " Let's Go to the Hop " and " Sibling Rivalry ". In " The Son Also Draws ", The Fonz was Peter Griffin 's spiritual guide while lost in the forest during his Vision Quest with his son Chris . He told Peter that he should start paying attention to Chris more and accept his drawing abilities. In an episode of Happy Days seen earlier in the episode, Richie reveals he is in love with Potsie. In " The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz ", Griffin starts his own religion, Fonzism. This new religion, centered around The Fonz with services held at The First United Church of the Fonz, borrows surface elements from Catholicism but uses Happy Days episodes as its sacred texts. In " It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One ", a legend about Don Most is proven true. The eponymous song that accompanies his misty rise is about him, and samples the show's theme song.

When Peter makes a mistake by leaving the couch by the curb and it is taken in " A Shot in the Dark ", a 70-year old Fonzie appears to be stumbling over being "wrong", a word Fonzie was unable to say. However, Lois points out that he is really having a stroke. Chuck Cunningham syndrome - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki More info on Chuck Cunningham syndrome Wikis Dawson's Creek Chuck Cunningham syndrome: Wikis Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles .

Related top topics (Redirected to Happy Days article) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Happy Days (seasons 2–3, 10–11) Theme music composer Pratt and McClain (1974–1975) Norman Gimble with Charles Fox (1975–1983) Bobby Avron (1983–1984) Miller-Milkis Productions (Seasons 1–8) Miller-Milkis-Boyett Productions (Seasons 9-11) January 15, 1974 – July 12, 1984 Chronology Joanie Loves Chachi This article is about the television series. For other uses, see Happy Days (disambiguation) . Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from 1974 to 1984 on ABC . The show presents an idealized vision of life in mid 1950s to mid 1960s America.

The family consists of Howard Cunningham, a hardware store owner, his homemaker wife Marion and the couple's two children, Richie , an optimistic if somewhat naïve teenager, and Joanie , Richie's sweet but feisty younger sister. The Cunninghams also had an older son named Chuck, a character who disappeared during the second season. The earlier episodes revolve around Richie and his friends, Potsie Weber (Anson Williams), Ralph Malph (Donny Most) and local dropout Arthur " The Fonz " Fonzarelli (played by Henry Winkler ), but as the series progressed, "Fonzie" proved to be a favorite with viewers and soon more story lines were written to reflect his growing popularity. Soon Fonzie befriended Richie and the Cunningham family. The focus would also occasionally shift to other additional characters, such as Fonzie's cousin Chachi , who became a love interest for Joanie Cunningham. This long-running show spawned several other television series, including Laverne & Shirley , Mork & Mindy , and Joanie Loves Chachi , and is currently a musical touring the United States. The show has been syndicated under the title Happy Days Again.

Despite some inconsistencies, it is generally indicated that the events of the series begin about 1955 and, after eleven seasons, end in 1965. As a general rule, most episodes take place about 19 years before the year of their first air date. The second season episode "The Not Making of the President" revolves around the 1956 presidential election , while two other episodes in the same season specify 1958. The sixth season episode "Christmas Time" ends with a photo dated Christmas 1960. In the 10th season episode "Babysitting", Fonzie watches the first heavyweight championship fight between Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston on television. This boxing match occurred on February 25, 1964. In the first part of the series finale "Passages", Joanie and Chachi are wearing T-shirts that say "The Kinks – Summer 1965 Tour". Contents Cast Full character list Howard "Mr. C." Cunningham ( Tom Bosley ) Husband, father, business owner, lodge member, family man. Frequently seen reading the daily newspaper in his easy chair. Marion "Mrs.

C." Cunningham ( Marion Ross ) Wife, mother and homemaker. She was the only character whom Fonzie allowed to call him by his real first name, Arthur, which she always did affectionately. Richie Cunningham ( Ron Howard ) Son and high school student. The protagonist for the first six years of the series. The character was written out of the show, leaving to join the United States Army , although Howard did return to make guest appearances as Richie during the show's final season. (1974–1980) Joanie Cunningham ( Erin Moran ) Richie's younger sister. In early seasons she is a pre-teen sometimes snooping on Richie's activities. Arthur "Fonzie" / "the Fonz" Fonzarelli ( Henry Winkler ) First written in as a minor character, but became a hugely popular breakout character and was made a series regular. He was also known for his catchy line "Aaaaayyyy!" Warren "Potsie" Weber ( Anson Williams ) Richie's closest friend, and a talented singer. He is somewhat more carefree and "worldly" than Richie in early seasons. In later seasons his character evolves to increasingly emphasise his dimwitted side.

Ralph Malph ( Donny Most ) Richie's friend, and a self-styled comedian. Left with Richie to join the Army (1974–1980). Returned as a guest star in the final season. Charles "Chachi" Arcola ( Scott Baio ) Fonzie's younger cousin and later, Al Delvecchio's stepson. Dated and eventually married Joanie Cunningham. Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi ( Pat Morita ) In season one Arnold was a middle-age caucasian with about ten seconds of air time. Morita later depicted the owner of Arnold's Drive-In ( 1975 – 1976 ), stating he obtained the moniker when he purchased the restaurant and people mistook him for "Arnold". The character explained that it was too costly to buy enough letter signs needed to rename it "Takahashi". He moonlighted as a martial arts instructor, teaching self-defense classes at the drive-in after hours. Returned after Al Molinaro departed (1982–1983). Al Delvecchio ( Al Molinaro ) Drive-in owner/cook ( 1976 – 1982 ).

Married Chachi's mother, thereby becoming Fonzie's uncle. Molinaro had earlier played the passive cop Murray on "The Odd Couple" Jenny Piccalo ( Cathy Silvers ) Joanie's boy-crazy best friend ( 1980 – 1983 ). Mentioned often in early episodes, but never appeared in person until the 1980 season. Returned as a guest star in the series finale. Jenny's father appeared in one episode, played by Silvers' real-life father Phil Silvers . Lori Beth Allen Cunningham ( Lynda Goodfriend ) Richie's girlfriend and later his wife ( 1977 – 1982 ). Returned as a guest star in the final season. Minor characters Chuck Cunningham ( Gavan O'Herlihy , Randolph Roberts ) – Eldest son, college student and basketball player. Chuck's character was written out of series in season two. Fonzie's character took on the role of big brother to Richie and his friends. Pinky Tuscadero ( Roz Kelly ) Former girlfriend of Fonzie. Leather Tuscadero ( Suzi Quatro ) Musician.

Sister of Pinky Tuscadero, and a former juvenile delinquent . Roger Phillips ( Ted McGinley ) Marion's nephew and coach and teacher at Jefferson High. Introduced after Richie left the show. (1980–1984) Flip Phillips ( Billy Warlock ) Roger's brother. (10th season only) Krystal "KC" Cunningham ( Crystal Bernard ) Howard's niece. (10th season only) Marsha Simms (Beatrice Colen) Carhop in first two seasons. Spike (Danny Butch) Fonzie's even younger cousin. Made fleeting appearances before the introduction of Chachi. Wendy ( Misty Rowe ) Another carhop from Arnold's in the first two seasons. Louisa Arcola / Louisa Delvecchio ( Ellen Travolta ) Mother of Chachi Arcola and Fonzie's aunt. Married Al Delvecchio. Melvin Belvin (Scott Bernstein) Nerdy classmate of Joanie and Chachi. Eugene Belvin (Denis Mandel) Twin brother of Melvin Belvin. Also a nerd. Bobby (Harris Kal) Friend of Chachi and Joanie seen in episodes after Richie and Ralph left the show.

Bill 'Sticks' Downey ( Jack Baker ) Friend of Richie, Potsie and Ralph and drummer for their band hence his nickname "Sticks". Gloria ( Linda Purl ) Richie's occasional girlfriend in the second season. Ashley Pfister ( Linda Purl ) Divorced mother who becomes Fonzie's steady girlfriend, but later broke up with him (offscreen) (1982–1983). Heather Pfister ( Heather O'Rourke ) Ashley Pfister's daughter (1982–1983). Jim the Student ( Kurt Krakowian ) Played Student at the graduation (1977). Danny Fonzarelli (Danny Ponce) Fonzie's adopted son in the series finale. Police Officer Kirk / Army Reserve Major Kirk ( Ed Peck ) Fonzie’s nemesis; eager to demonstrate his inflated sense of authority, and on the watch for delinquents and "pinkos" ( communists ). Cast stats Harold Gould (of Rhoda ), was cast as Howard Cunningham in the Love, American Style episode sub-titled "Love and the Happy Days". Donny Most was originally cast to play Potsie Weber.

The Ralph Malph character was added to the show after producers decided to cast Anson Williams as Potsie. Marion Ross and Anson Williams are the only cast members who stayed with the show from its pilot, an episode of Love, American Style , to its conclusion. Micky Dolenz , on the strength of his performance as a biker on an episode of Adam-12 , was Garry Marshall 's original choice to play Fonzie. Dolenz was several inches taller than the other cast members, and Marshall thought it might be better for Fonzie to be on the same eye level as the other characters. A search for a shorter actor as an alternate resulted in Henry Winkler landing the role. Susan Neher was originally cast as Joanie Cunningham and played the role in the "Love, American Style" episode. She was also supposed to play the role in the series, but was fired by Mel Ferber, who directed the first episode "All The Way". The episode's scenes where Joanie appeared where then reshot with Erin Moran playing the role. History Happy Days originated during a time of 1950s nostalgic interest evident in film, television, and music.

The show began as an unsold pilot filmed in late 1971 called New Family in Town, with Harold Gould in the role of Howard Cunningham, Marion Ross as Marion, Ron Howard as Richie, Anson Williams as Potsie, Ric Carrott as Charles "Chuck" Cunningham, and Susan Neher as Joanie. While Paramount passed on making it into a weekly series, the pilot was recycled with the title Love and the Happy Days, for presentation on the television anthology series Love, American Style . In 1972 , George Lucas asked to view the pilot to determine if Ron Howard would be suitable to play a teenager in American Graffiti , then in preproduction. Lucas immediately cast Howard in the film, which became one of the top-grossing films of 1973. Show creator Garry Marshall and ABC recast the unsold pilot to turn Happy Days into a series. Production styles The first two seasons of Happy Days were filmed using a single-camera setup and laugh track . One episode of Season 2 ("Fonzie Gets Married") was filmed in front of a studio audience with three cameras as a test run.

From the third season on, the show was a three-camera production in front of a live audience (with the announcement by Tom Bosley that "Happy Days is filmed before a live audience" at the start of most episodes), giving these later seasons a markedly different style. A laugh track was still used, but only to sweeten the live reactions. Sets The show had two main sets: the Cunningham home, and Arnold's Drive-In . In season 1 & 2, the Cunningham house was arranged with the front door on the left and the kitchen on the right, in a sort of triangle. Beginning with season 3, the house was radically rearranged to accommodate multiple cameras and a studio audience. However, the second season episode (mentioned above) in which Fonzie gets engaged was shot on the old set, but with multiple cameras. The Cunninghams' official address is 565 North Clinton Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin . [1] Within the actual Milwaukee street grid, this would put the address somewhere in the center of Milwaukee County near the current day Interstate 94 , just south of Michigan Street. It would also be an oddity, as north-south streets in the city west of downtown are numbered rather than named.

The house that served as the exterior of the Cunningham residence is actually located at 565 North Cahuenga Blvd (south of Melrose Avenue) in Los Angeles, just a few blocks from the Paramount lot on Melrose Avenue. The Milky Way Drive-In, located on Port Washington Road in the North Shore suburb of Glendale , now Kopps, was the inspiration for the original Arnold's Drive-In; it has since been demolished. The exterior of Arnold's was a "dressed" area on the Paramount Studios lot, that has since been demolished, very close to Stage 19, where the rest of the show's sets were located. The set of the diner in the first season was a room with the same vague details of the later set, such as the paneling, and the college pennants. When the show was changed to a studio based filming, the set was redesigned and became the Arnold's that is most remembered. The set was largely opened to show the audience the scenes that took place within it. The Diner entrance was hidden, but allowed an upstage, central entrance for cast members. The barely-seen kitchen was also upstage and seen only through a pass-through window.

The diner had orange booths, downstage center for closeup conversation, as well as camera left. There were two bathroom doors camera right, labeled "Guys" and "Dolls." A Seeburg jukebox was positioned camera right, and a pinball machine was positioned far camera right, ( anachronistically a 1973 "Nip It" machine, contrary to the show's '50s setting). College pennants adorned the walls, including Purdue and University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , along with a blue and white sign reading "Jefferson High School." Storylines dictated that the set would be destroyed by fire, so in later seasons, a different Arnold's Drive-in emerged and lasted through the later years of the show. Differing in design, with wood paneling and stained glass, the set was not popular amongst viewers[citation needed], and was not how Arnold's was remembered[citation needed]. In 2004, two decades after the first set was destroyed, the Happy Days 30th Anniversary Reunion requested that the reunion take place in Arnold's. The familiar set was rebuilt by Production Designer James Yarnell.

Built from the original ground plan, this was the first time that the Happy Days cast had been in this set since the 1970s. Cast changes Season 5 The most major character changes occurred after Season 5 with the addition of Scott Baio as Fonzie's cousin, Chachi Arcola. Originally the character Spike, mentioned as Fonzie's nephew (who's actually his cousin as he made it clear in one episode), was supposed to be the character who became Chachi. Al Molinaro was added as Al Delvecchio the new owner of Arnold's after Pat Morita 's character of Arnold moved on (after his character got married; Pat Morita left the program to star in a short-lived sitcom of his own, Mr. T and Tina , which was actually a spin-off of Welcome Back, Kotter . Morita would also star in a subsequent short lived Happy Days spin-off series entitled Blansky's Beauties ). Al Molinaro also played Al's twin brother Father Anthony Delvecchio, a Catholic priest. Al eventually married Chachi's mother (played by Ellen Travolta ) and Father Delvecchio served in the wedding of Joanie to Chachi in the series finale.

Seasons 8 onward Lynda Goodfriend joined the cast as semi-regular character Lori-Beth Allen, Richie's steady girlfriend, in season 5, and became a permanent member of the cast between Seasons 8 and 10, after Lori-Beth married Richie. After Ron Howard (Richie) left the series, Ted McGinley joined the cast as Roger Phillips, the new Physical Education teacher at Jefferson High and nephew to Howard and Marion. He took over from the departed Richie Cunningham character, acting as counterpoint to Fonzie. Also joining the cast was Cathy Silvers as Jenny Piccolo, Joanie's best friend who was previously referenced in various episodes from earlier seasons who remained as a main cast member until the final season. Both actors were originally credited as guest stars but were promoted to the main cast during the 10th season after several series regulars left the show. The real focus of the series was now on the Joanie and Chachi characters, and often finding ways to incorporate Fonzie into them as a shoulder to cry on, advice-giver, and savior as needed.

The Potsie character who had already been spun off from the devious best friend of Richie to Ralph's best friend and confidante, held little grist for the writers in this new age, and was now most often used as the occasional "dumb" foil for punchlines (most often from Mr. C. or Fonzie). Billy Warlock joined the cast in season 10 as Roger's brother Flip, along with Crystal Bernard as Howard's and Marion's niece K.C. They were intended as replacements for Erin Moran and Scott Baio (who departed for their own show, Joanie Loves Chachi) and were credited as part of the semi-regular cast. Both characters left with the return of Moran and Baio, following the cancellation of Joanie Loves Chachi. Also leaving Happy Days in Season 10 for Joanie Loves Chachi was Al Delvecchio; Pat Morita returned to the cast as Arnold in his absence.

Note: Gail Edwards who previously guest starred in the episode “A Potsie is Born” was offered the role that Crystal Bernard would fill but was never told so by her managers, as they knew she’d take the role and they didn’t want her to be a “new character on an old show.” Later, Edwards would appear with Bernard in 93 episodes of It's a Living . Guest stars Buffalo Bob Smith and Clarabell the Clown came to town looking for Howdy-Doody look-alikes. The episode was so popular Smith launched, "The New Howdie Doodie Show" a year later. Robin Williams appeared in an episode as Mork from Ork , "My Favorite Orkan" from Season 5. That episode led to a series spin-off called Mork & Mindy . Tom Hanks appeared in an episode as a character seeking revenge on Fonzie for pushing him off a swing when the two of them were in the 3rd grade. The confrontation occurs just as Fonzie was about to be given a community leader award.

Years later in 1987, Hanks asked Winkler to direct his comedy Turner and Hooch , but creative differences between the two stars led to Winkler being fired from the job. Herbie Faye appeared as "Pop" in the 1974 episode "Knock Around the Block". John Hart (television's " The Lone Ranger " from 1952–54) made a guest appearance in an episode where Fonzie meets his childhood idol. In 1981, a new Lone Ranger movie was being filmed. Controversy arose, when original TV Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore , was banned by Jack Wrather Productions, from wearing the Lone Ranger mask. Therefore, Moore was scratched and Hart was hired. Milwaukee Braves home run king Hank Aaron appeared in one episode. Ralph's father was an optometrist, played by Jack Dodson , who also played Howard Sprague on Ron Howard's previous sitcom, The Andy Griffith Show . Lorne Greene made a brief walk-on cameo during the first episode of Season 5, which took place in Hollywood.

Maureen McCormick, otherwise known as Marcia Brady on The Brady Bunch was "Hildie" in episode number 32 during Season 2. Anachronisms Various pinball machines manufactured in the early 1970s were seen in Arnold's, including a 1972 Bally produced machine called Nip-It. It is possible that the show's producers may have overlooked this, as pinball machines from the 1950s, commonly known as "woodrails", have a more wooden look compared to the machines used in the show. The show, along with its spin-off Laverne & Shirley , took progressively more liberties in terms of hair and clothing styles, which began to look more contemporary with the show's 1970s and 1980s production years. The hairstyles of Potsie , Ralph Malph , and (later) Chachi were not reflective of the 1950s era for men. The characters all had hair over their ears, something that would have been considered very unmasculine during the 1964 era, before the advent of " Beatles " haircuts and the longer hair that followed.

The cars used in the smash-up derby sequence of the Pinky Tuscadero episodes would have been brand new or not even released yet when the episode was set. Howard Cunningham (portrayed by Tom Bosley) can even be seen wearing an LCD digital watch during some episodes which aired in the early 1980s (LCD watches did not exist in the early 1960s). Joanie Cunningham and Jenny Piccalo are seen wearing miniskirts, which were not a fashion trend in the early 1960s. Neologisms Main article: Jumping the shark This term has been used as a metaphor to describe something that had become an unintended mockery of itself. The term arose from one of the most famous of these plots, which involved Fonzie performing a water ski jump over a shark in an episode aired on September 20, 1977, during the show's fifth season. In later years, this episode has often been cited as the point where the series had passed its peak of quality and popularity. The phrase jumping the shark was later applied to popular culture phenomena in general.

While the Fonz's literal shark jump gave rise to the phrase, some fans consider Happy Days to have had more than one such moment, occurring both before and after the stunt in question. Of particular note are the fire that destroyed the original Arnold's Drive-In and the departure of leading man Ron Howard , both of which happened after the notorious stunt involving the shark. Prior to this, the Fonzie character had become almost a comic book version of himself, battling alongside with (and subsequently romancing) a woman named Kat Mandu (portrayed by Quantum Leap actress/producer Deborah Pratt ) and encountering space alien Mork from Ork (in a backdoor pilot for Mork and Mindy ). Interestingly, although the series dipped slightly in viewership after Ron Howard's departure in 1980 (the show still remained a Top Thirty hit for three of its last four seasons), the Fonzie character became more grounded and "human" again—even venturing into a season of exploring domesticity and the trials of approaching middle age. Another figurative jumping of the shark occurred with the introduction of Ted McGinley , now notorious for serving as a replacement cast member on The Love Boat .

The "Fonzie Effect" Main article: List of breakout characters The early Happy Days episodes centered on Richie and teenage friend Warren "Potsie" Weber, dealing with typical adolescent woes in 1950s Milwaukee, along with peripherally seen peers such as Ralph Malph, Bag, et al. During the first season, the character Fonzie was becoming a fan favorite , though he was originally intended to be a local high school dropout who was only occasionally seen. The character was given progressively more screen time by the writers, becoming a permanent cast member displayed in the second season opening credits. He quickly became the show's most popular character, and many episodes came to revolve around him. When the ABC management considered changing the name of the show to "Fonzie's Happy Days", the cast, including Winkler, protested along with producer/creator Garry Marshall, and the show's title remained unchanged.[citation needed] "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome" The first two seasons of the series also featured Chuck, the Cunninghams' eldest child and Richie's older brother. The Fonz was initially meant to be a " juvenile delinquent " whom Richie and his friends would encounter, with Chuck taking on the mentoring role to Richie.

After Fonzie attained breakout success and was repurposed to be more sympathetic and closer to Richie, the Chuck character was nearly superfluous, and his scenes were usually brief appearances "on his way to basketball practice." In fact, Chuck was originally a student at Marquette University on a basketball scholarship.[citation needed] Chuck was written out during the series' second season with no explanation and was rarely referred to again. Scripts from later seasons implied the Cunninghams had two, not three children. However, in the third and fourth season recap versions of the Christmas episode, "Guess Who's Coming To Christmas", Fonzie—recalling his first Christmas with the Cunninghams—tells Arnold, and later, Al, that Chuck was "away at college." In a Happy Days reunion show from 2005, the cast mentioned that Chuck had won a scholarship to the "University of Outer Mongolia" to play basketball, as a sort of an inside joke. An officially circulated outtake from the final episode has Mr. Cunningham raising a glass to the entire cast and saying "to Happy Days." After taking a sip, he blurts out in mock surprise "Wait, where's Chuck?!" In the aired version, Mr.

Cunningham specifies that he has two children (Richie and Joanie). The unexplained removal of a character in a TV series has come to be known as "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome". Later seasons saw the addition of other characters. Introduced in the second season episode "Not With My Sister, You Don't", Danny Butch played Fonzie's similarly dressed and mannered young cousin Raymond "Spike" Fonzarelli. Although he went on to make several more appearances, the character was felt to never completely catch on, and was reworked into that of Chachi at the start of the fifth season (see below). At the start of the fourth season, Roz Kelly was brought in as Pinky Tuscadero, Fonzie's long-term girlfriend. Commercials for the subsequent season even began promoting Kelly's new character, but when discord occurred between her and the cast and producers, her character was dropped; the character was briefly mentioned in two subsequent episodes, one where her sister Leather Tuscadero (played by singer Suzi Quatro ) came to town to start anew out of reform school, and when Fonzie was out of town at a demolition derby with Pinky.

Bill "Sticks" Downey, played by John-Anthony Bailey , was supposed to be added to the cast as a new member of Richie's band, on drums, and the gang at Arnold's but the character never caught on and only stayed for a few episodes. During the first two seasons, a few actresses were brought in as potential long-term girlfriends for Richie. Laurette Spang was Richie's girlfriend Arlene in a couple of first season episodes. Richie dated Arlene Nestrock (Tannis G. Montgomery) in the pilot episode which only aired as an installment of Love American Style who admitted to Richie the only reason she dated him was because he had a television set. Arlene would return in the second season and through the use of flashbacks to the Love American Style pilot Richie explains to Potsie and Ralph how their date went. Later in the second season Linda Purl was brought in as Richie's girlfriend Gloria. Neither caught on storywise and Richie did not have a steady girlfriend until going to college and meeting Lori-Beth Allen ( Lynda Goodfriend ), a former classmate from Jefferson High.

Linda Purl returned to the Happy Days fold in Season 10 as Fonzie's girlfriend Ashley Pfister (a divorced socialite of the wealthy Milwaukee Pfister family). The Pfisters were often also referenced on Laverne & Shirley as owners of many Milwaukee establishments, including Chez Pfister, The Hotel Pfister, and Pfister Fong's. The "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome" is not to be confused with "The Mike Douglas Kiss-off", a reference to a character whose departure is explained (such as getting married or going to college), but whose name is never again referenced, even by a family member. Mike Douglas was a My Three Sons character (played by Tim Considine ) who was written-out of the show via marriage, but who seemingly vanished from existence, even while relatives got married, graduated, had children, etc. Decline in popularity Happy Days remained a successful sitcom in terms of ratings for its entire run — far greater than the length of most sitcoms' full lives.

One might point to the forward thinking of Garry Marshall who drafted a very young Scott Baio while the series was at #1 (in 1976–1977) without him, and seemingly in no need of a new, very young, character. Three years later, when Ron Howard and Donny Most left the series, it banished Anson William's Potsie to Mr. Cunningham's hardware store. The focal point then became the relationship of the Joanie and Chachi characters, helping to carry the series onward with ratings success. Of those final four seasons (the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th), Season 10 stands out as the oddest. Scott Baio and Erin Moran were spun-off to star in their own series Joanie Loves Chachi . (Joanie Loves Chachi was a ratings success in terms of viewers, but a failure in terms of the new-at-the-time "lead-in variable", a gauge to see if a show is holding a high enough percentage of the show that aired just before it during the hour). The production staff scrambled to bring in conspicuously similar Cunningham relatives to fill the spots left by Erin Moran and Scott Baio.

Season 10 marked the only full season where Fonzie entered into a monogamous relationship. With the return of the full cast (even including three guest spots by Ron Howard in a two-part episode plus the series finale), the Season 11 is arguably forgotten as a return to deeper storylines, stronger writing, and poignant moments.[citation needed] Theme music Season 1 of the series used a newly recorded version of " Rock Around the Clock " by Bill Haley & His Comets (recorded in the fall of 1973) as the opening theme song. This recording was not commercially released at the time, although the original 1954 recording returned to the American Billboard charts in 1974 as a result of its use on the show. The "Happy Days" recording had its first commercial release in 2005 by the German label Hydra Records. (When Happy Days entered syndication in 1979, the series was retitled Happy Days Again and used an edited version of the 1954 recording instead of the 1973 version). The show's closing theme song in season 1 was a fragment from "Happy Days," written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel .

According to SAG, this version was performed by Jimmy Haas (lead vocal), Ron Hicklin , Stan Farber, Jerry Whitman and Gary Garrett (backing vocals), plus studio musicians. From seasons 2–10 inclusive, a longer version of "Happy Days" replaced "Rock Around the Clock" at the beginning of the show. Released as a single in 1976 by Pratt & McClain , "Happy Days" cracked the Top 5. The show itself finished the 1976–77 television season #1, ending the five-year Nielsen reign of All in the Family . For the show's 11th and final season (1983–84), the theme was rerecorded in a more modern style. Featuring Bobby Arvon on lead vocals, with several back-up vocalists, this version of the theme song is arguably not as popular with Happy Days fans as versions from the 3rd–10th seasons (among which there were several slightly different versions and edits).

To accompany this new version, new opening credits were filmed, and the flashing "Happy Days" logo was reanimated to create an overall "new" feel which incorporated 1980s sensibilities with 1950s nostalgia (although by this time the show was set in 1965). Production & scheduling Jerry Paris , who played a role on The Dick Van Dyke Show and directed several episodes of that series, directed every episode of Happy Days from the third season on, except for three episodes in Season 3 ("Jailhouse Rock", "Dance Contest" and "Arnold's Wedding"). [2] Until the show went out of production, reruns of the show were syndicated under the title Happy Days Again. Happy Days was produced by Miller-Milkis Productions (later Miller-Milkis Boyett since Bob Boyett joined the company in 1980) and was the first ever show to be produced by Miller-Boyett Productions . It was also produced by Henderson Productions and is one of the popular shows produced in association with Paramount Television .

In its 11 seasons on the air, Happy Days still remains one of ABC 's longest-running sitcoms (behind The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet , which ran 14 seasons, from 1952 to 1966), and one of the longest-running prime time programs in the network's history. It is also unique in that it remained in the Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. time slot for the series' first ten seasons. The network has not had an entertainment series that has run consistently in the same slot since. Happy Days also proved to be quite popular in daytime reruns; they joined the ABC daytime schedule in 1975 , airing reruns at 11:30 a.m. ( ET ), being moved to 11 a.m. in 1977 , paired with Family Feud following at 11:30 a.m. It was replaced on the daytime schedule by reruns of its spin-off, Laverne & Shirley , in April 1979.

Happy Days also reruns on Five US in the UK between 16:00 and 17:00, it was shown on Channel 4 between the early 1990s to the early 2000s. Happy Days began running on FamilyNet Television in January 2009 as part of a "Families on FamilyNet" evening programming block that also features My Three Sons and Family Ties . This block was cancelled on February 26, 2010. Reruns of the show will once again air on WGN America , starting in fall 2010. The cable superstation has aired Happy Days in separate runs earlier in this decade. CBS programming head Fred Silverman scheduled Good Times directly against Happy Days during their respective second seasons in an attempt to kill the ABC show's growing popularity. However, he was named president of ABC in 1975 , and so was given the task of saving Happy Days during its third season (which saw a rapid increase in ratings).

This explains Happy Days appearing in the Top 20 for the 1973–74 and 1975–76 seasons, but being completely absent from the Top 30 in 1974–75. Ratings TBA Spin-offs Happy Days, itself considered a spin-off from Love, American Style , spun off five different series, not including two animated spin-offs; Laverne & Shirley , Blansky's Beauties , Mork & Mindy , Out of the Blue , and Joanie Loves Chachi . The most successful of these spin-offs, Laverne & Shirley (starring Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams , respectively), also took place in early/mid 1960s Milwaukee, though the two starring characters eventually moved to Los Angeles in the show’s latter years. Penny Marshall is the sister of producer Garry Marshall. Robin Williams made his first appearance as “ Mork ” on Happy Days. In his own sitcom, Mork & Mindy , Mork the alien from planet Ork landed in 1970s Boulder, Colorado , to study humans.

Joanie Loves Chachi was a short-lived show about Richie’s younger sister Joanie and Fonzie’s younger cousin Chachi’s relationship during their years as musicians in Chicago. Two myths arose around the series in recent years. The first involves the series' popularity in Korea, as "Chachi" is slang for “ penis ”. The other rumor suggests that the show was canceled due to low ratings. Actually, the program finished in the Top 20 its first season, but ABC determined that the show was losing too much of its lead-in, suggesting low appeal if the show were moved. This type of cancellation seemed strange in the early 1980s, but soon became a commonplace part of TV audience research. Out of the Blue is a spin-off of Happy Days, though a scheduling error had the series airing prior to the main character's introduction on Happy Days. [12] Blansky's Beauties (1977) starred Nancy Walker as former Las Vegas showgirl Nancy Blansky. One week before the show's premiere, the Blansky character appeared on Happy Days as a cousin of Howard Cunningham. Animated spin-offs There are two animated series.

One was produced by Hanna-Barbera titled The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang which ran from 1980–1982. There are also animated spin-offs of Laverne & Shirley and Mork and Mindy. Another is The Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour (1982). [13] Musical In the late 1990s, a touring arena show called 'Happy Days, The Arena Spectacular' toured Australia's major cities. The story featured a property developer, and former girlfriend of Fonzie called Miss Frost ( Rebecca Gibney ) wanting to buy the diner and redevelop it. It starred Craig McLachlan as Fonzie, Max Gillies and Wendy Hughes and Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham, Doug Parkinson as Al and Jo Beth Taylor as Richie's love interest Laura. Tom Bosley presented an introduction before each performance live on stage, and pop group Human Nature played a 50's style rock group. Based on the sitcom, Happy Days: A New Musical began touring in 2008.

[14] References Happy Days - BoneTheFish.com (BTF) - TV Shows Home : TV Shows A to Z : Happy Days TV Shows - Happy Days Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from 1974 to 1984 on ABC. The show presents an idealized vision of life in 1950s and early 1960s America. The family consists of Howard Cunningham, a hardware store owner, his homemaker wife Marion and the couple's two children, Richie, an optimistic if somewhat naive teenager, and Joanie, Ritchie's sweet but feisty younger sister. The Cunninghams also had an older son named Chuck, a character who disappeared during the second season. The earlier episodes revolve around Richie and his friends, Potsie Weber, Ralph Malph and local dropout Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli, but as the series progressed, "Fonzie" proved to be a favourite with viewers and soon more story lines were written to reflect his growing popularity. Soon Fonzie befriended Richie and the Cunningham family.

The focus would also occasionally shift to other additional characters, such as Fonzie's cousin Chachi, who became a love interest for Joanie Cunningham. This long-running show spawned several other television series, including Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, and Joanie Loves Chachi. Pratt & McClain - Happy Days 1974 - 1984 - YouTube Pratt & McClain - Happy Days 1974 - 1984 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Apr 19, 2011 Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974 to September 24, 1984 on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America.

Set in the Midwestern city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the series revolves around teenager Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) and his family: his father, Howard (Tom Bosley), who owns a hardware store; mother Marion (Marion Ross); younger sister Joanie (Erin Moran); and high school dropout, biker and suave ladies man Arthur "Fonzie"/"The Fonz" Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler), who would eventually become the Cunninghams' upstairs tenant. The earlier episodes revolve around Richie and his friends, Warren "Potsie" Weber (Anson Williams), Ralph Malph (Donny Most) with Fonzarelli as a secondary character. As the series progressed, Fonzarelli proved to be a favorite with viewers and soon more story lines were written to reflect his growing popularity. Fonzie befriends Richie and the Cunningham family, and when 'Richie' (Ron Howard) left the series following his character's wedding to his long-time college sweetheart, Winkler's Fonzie became the central figure of the show.

In later seasons, other characters were introduced including Fonzie's young cousin, Charles "Chachi" Arcola (Scott Baio), who became a love interest for Joanie Cunningham after Joanie initially resisted his charms. Originally spun off from a one-episode teleplay on the anthology series Love, American Style, the series spawned several other television shows, including Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, and Joanie Loves Chachi. The show is the basis for the Happy Days musical touring the United States. The leather jacket worn by Winkler during the series currently hangs in the Smithsonian Institution. Category Garry Marshall Dead: ‘Pretty Woman’ Director Was 81 | Variety — Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) July 20, 2016 Richard Gere, who starred in “Pretty Woman,” issued a statement about Marshall late on Tuesday: “Garry of course was one of those truly important people one is blessed to meet in one’s lifetime.

Besides being the pulse and life force of ‘Pretty Woman’… a steady helmsman on a ship that could have easily capsized… he was a super fine and decent man, husband and father who brought real joy and love and infectious good spirits to every thing and everyone he crossed paths with. Everyone loved Garry. He was a mentor and a cheerleader and one of the funniest men who ever lived. He had a heart of the purest gold and a soul full of mischief. He was Garry.” Marshall had one of his first substantial hits when he developed and exec produced an adaptation of Neil Simon’s play “The Odd Couple” in 1970 for ABC. The show drew several Emmy nominations for outstanding comedy series and wins for stars Jack Klugman and Tony Randall over the course of its five-season run.

(In 2015 Marshall served as a consultant on a CBS remake of the series that starred Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon.) Marshall penned the 1971 pilot for “Happy Days,” which was recycled in 1972 as a segment of ABC’s comedy anthology series “Love, American Style” called “Love and the Happy Days.” George Lucas asked to view the pilot before deciding to cast Ron Howard, who starred in it, in “American Graffiti,” released in 1973. “Happy Days” debuted as a series on the network in 1974, riding high on the wave of 1950s nostalgia generated in part by the success of “American Graffiti.” During its peak, “Happy Days” was the No. 1 show on television during the 1976-77 season, No. 2 in 1977-78 and No. 4 the following year, and Winkler’s the Fonz became a cultural touchstone, with his leather jacket eventually landing in the Smithsonian.

Years later Marshall acknowledged being the one behind the idea, for a 1977 episode, of putting Fonzie on water skis — an idea so outlandish that it spawned the phrase “jumped the shark,” said in reference to a show that is clearly past its prime. Nevertheless, “Happy Days” spawned “Laverne and Shirley,” which Marshall created with Lowell Ganz and Mark Rothman, and “Mork and Mindy,” which Marshall created with Dale McRaven and Joe Glauberg. Both were as successful in the ratings as “Happy Days,” with “Laverne and Shirley” No. 1 for two seasons and “Mork and Mindy” peaking at No. 3. “Laverne and Shirley” starred Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall , Garry’s sister, who would go on to her own successful career as a director of feature films, while “Mork and Mindy” began the career of star Williams. Garry Marshall shared an Emmy nomination, his fifth, in 1979 as “Mork and Mindy” drew a mention for comedy series.

Related Garry Marshall: Henry Winkler and More Celebrities Mourn ‘Legend,’ ‘Comedy Icon’ His first bigscreen blockbuster was 1990’s “Pretty Woman,” starring Julia Roberts as an idealized prostitute and Gere as her client-cum-Prince Charming. The romantic comedy grossed $463 million worldwide. Roberts was Oscar nominated for best actress, the film was nominated for a Golden Globe for best comedy/musical — and Marshall scored a Cesar nomination as “Pretty Woman” drew a mention in the French awards’ foreign-film category. Marshall told the New York Times that he wanted to make Roberts’ character somewhat less experienced.

“I knew if we lowered the age and made her a new girl in the business, then people would say, ‘Oh, please don’t do that, honey.'” Marshall also created the ABC sitcom “Angie” and exec produced other shows including “Happy Days” spinoff “Joanie Loves Chachi,” “The New Odd Couple,” “Blansky’s Beauties” and “Who’s Watching the Kids.” He made his directorial debut in 1967 on his series “Hey, Landlord” and also helmed some episodes of “The Odd Couple,” “Happy Days,” “Mork and Mindy” and “Laverne and Shirley.” The first feature Marshall directed was the 1982 comedy “Young Doctors in Love,” essentially a spoof of “General Hospital,” starring Sean Young and Michael McKean. His second feature effort, “The Flamingo Kid,” which Marshall scripted from a story by Neal Marshall, drew critical raves. Matt Dillon starred in the social comedy as a working-class kid who learns life lessons during a summer spent as a cabana boy. “Nothing in Common” (1986) offered good moments from stars Jackie Gleason and Tom Hanks, playing father and son.

Another modest success for Marshall came in the form of screwball comedy “Overboard,” starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. Tear-jerking chick flick “Beaches” (1988), starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, scored with audiences, if not with critics, racking up a domestic gross of $57 million and a healthy afterlife on video. Marshall reunited with his “Pretty Woman” stars Roberts and Gere for the 1999 box office success “Runaway Bride,” about a woman who keeps leaving her fiances at the altar. The New York Times said, “Garry Marshall smoothly turns Maggie’s little kink into bigscreen sitcom fodder.” The worldwide gross was $309 million. Related Appreciating Garry Marshall, a Giant Whose Work Revealed His Big Heart “The Princess Diaries” and its sequel were also big hits for Marshall. The films, which made a star of Anne Hathaway, saw global grosses of $165 million and $135 million, respectively.

Marshall took on a smaller film, “Georgia Rule,” and while the critics were generally unimpressed, the New York Times lauded the film, starring Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohan and Felicity Huffman, for some surprising qualities: “Working against its maudlin impulses with lively humor, and at the same time undercutting its laughs with some hard, ugly themes, this movie is neither a standard weepie nor a comforting dramedy.” The star-packed “Valentine’s Day” and sequel “New Year’s Day” were more commercially successful enterprises. Another sequel, “Mother’s Day,” following the same formula of lining up a large cast of top names for small parts, in this case Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and Jason Sudeikis, was released in April 2016. Marshall kept it in perspective: Speaking of the critical reception to “New Year’s Eve,” he told the New York Times, “I got killed on the last one, but it made $146 million worldwide.” Garry Kent Maschiarelli was born in the Bronx, the son of a dance and a director of industrial films who would later become a producer on some of his son’s TV programs.

He graduated from Northwestern U.’s Medill School of Journalism and began his career as a joke writer for comedians including Joey Bishop, then worked on the writing staff of “The Tonight Show With Jack Paar.” Marshall also had a long acting career that began in the early 1960s. He played a hoodlum in the James Bond film “Goldfinger” and made appearances, most uncredited, in many of his film and TV projects. He had a recurring role on “Murphy Brown” as the head of the network and guested on shows ranging form “Monk” and “The Sarah Silverman Show” to “ER.” His many small film roles included a part in sister Penny’s “A League of Their Own” as a cheapskate baseball team owner, which he reprised in the brief TV series based on the movie. In his son Scott Marshall’s 2006 comedy “Keeping Up With the Steins,” Marshall had a small but notable role as the grandfather of the bar mitzvah boy who has adopted Native American customs. Marshall also found the time for stage efforts.

“Wrong Turn at Lungfish,” co-written with Lowell Ganz, played L.A., Chicago and Off Broadway, and “The Roast,” co-penned with Jerry Belson, played Broadway in a production helmed by Carl Reiner in 1980. Marshall also wrote the play “Shelves,” and in 1997, he and his daughter Kathleen founded the Falcon Theater in Burbank. Marshall also occasionally directed opera, including stagings of Jacques Offenbach’s “The Grand Duchess,” which opened the Los Angeles Opera’s 2005-06 season, and Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love” for the San Antonio Opera in January 2008. Marshall received the American Comedy Awards’ Creative Achievement Award in 1990, the Writers Guild of America’s Valentine Davies Award in 1995, the PGA’s Honorary Lifetime Membership Award and Lifetime Achievement Award in Television in 1998 and the American Cinema Editors’ Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award in 2004. In 1997 he was inducted into the Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences’ Hall of Fame.

Marshall’s memoir “Wake Me When It’s Funny,” co-written with his daughter Lori and published in 1995, recounted his first 35 years in Hollywood. He wrote an additional memoir, “My Happy Days in Hollywood,” in 2012. “The loss today of Garry Marshall is deeply sad – for our industry, and for our Guild,” Directors Guild of America president Paris Barclay said in a statement late on Tuesday. “Garry’s gift for storytelling brought joy, laughter and an enormous, beating heart to every screen, large and small. When describing the type of stories he chose to tell, Garry once said: ‘I try to find scripts of stories that kinda celebrate the human condition… let’s talk about the tough world out there and the human spirit overcoming adversity.’ And that indefatigable optimism came through in everything he touched. As the architect of some of the longest-running situation comedies in television history – from The Lucy Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show, to Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley, to Mork & Mindy and The Odd Couple – he’s left an unforgettable mark on the medium, a blueprint that many have tried to replicate throughout the decades.

That mark continued at the movies with Pretty Woman, Beaches, The Princess Diaries and New Year’s Day to name just a few of his many, many hits. The winner of too many industry awards to count, his legacy lingers in the echoing laughter in so many living rooms and theaters.” “But the vision, joy and camaraderie Garry brought to life didn’t stop behind the camera,” the statement goes on. “He channeled his love for the craft of directing into serving our Guild – dedicating himself to protecting the creative rights of directors, as well as teaching newer generations of directors how hard-fought the DGA’s journey has been, and the importance of carrying it forward. All the while, he kept us all smiling – no mean feat. It was an honor, and a delight, for all of us who had the pleasure of serving alongside of him.” Marshall is survived by his wife, Barbara, to whom he was married since 1963; son Scott, a film director; and daughters Lori, an actress and casting director, and Kathleen, an actress; six grandchildren; and sisters Penny Marshall, an actress and film director, and Ronny Hallin, a TV producer.

A memorial is being planned for his birthday on November 13. Donations in the name of Garry Marshall may be made to The Saban Community Clinic, formerly known as the Los Angeles Free Clinic, The Intensive Care Unit at Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank, and Northwestern University Undergraduate Scholarship Fund. Happy Days Boned the Fish When... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards - Forums Happy Days Boned the Fish When... User Name Mark Forums Read Welcome to the Sitcoms Online Message Boards - Forums. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, search, view attachments, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today ! View Poll Results: Boned When...

Fonzie Jumped The Shark - Lame Attempt To Reinvigorate Show 4 Richie and Ralph - Lost Two Central Characters 12 Filmed Before Studio Audience - Suddenly All The Performers Screamed Their Lines 6 New Characters, Later Seasons - Roger, KC, Flip, Jenny Picalo, etc. 4 Singing - Potsie sounds like the whitest person in the world 2 Ralph's Parents Divorce - Beginning of the end. 70s themes in 50s show. 0 Voters: 32. You may not vote on this poll Page 1 of 5 Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 20,193 # Quote: Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from 1974 to 1984 on ABC. The show presents an idealized vision of life in 1950s and early 1960s America. The family consists of Howard Cunningham, a hardware store owner, his homemaker wife Marion and the couple's two children, Richie, an optimistic if somewhat naive teenager, and Joanie, Ritchie's sweet but feisty younger sister.

The Cunninghams also had an older son named Chuck, a character who disappeared during the second season. The earlier episodes revolve around Richie and his friends, Potsie Weber, Ralph Malph and local dropout Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli, but as the series progressed, "Fonzie" proved to be a favourite with viewers and soon more story lines were written to reflect his growing popularity. Soon Fonzie befriended Richie and the Cunningham family. The focus would also occasionally shift to other additional characters, such as Fonzie's cousin Chachi, who became a love interest for Joanie Cunningham. This long-running show spawned several other television series, including Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, and Joanie Loves Chachi. Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 12,161 I put when they switched to a live audience, but it also "boned" when it became "the Fonzie show" and when it stopped being set in the 50s and changed the setting to the 70s with a small sprinkling of the 50s.

__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her." Join Date: Mar 06, 2004 Location: Oregon "Al Delvecchio - Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah..." __________________ "I'm going to go do something productive.

I'm gonna go watch television." - Ray Peterson, The 'burbs "I am the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and Fries." - Stephen King "There's nothing wrong with G-rated movies, as long as there's lots of sex and violence." - Elvira Join Date: Jul 14, 2008 Posts: 62 Interesting (maybe not) but I was reading in a newspaper archive article from summer 1980 that there was anticipation that HD would bring back the Chuck character for the 1980-81 season (the one where Richie & Ralph had departed). I think it mentioned the specific actor who had earlier played Chuck. I guess those plans (if they were) got scrapped and ended up bringing in the new character Roger. Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 20,530 The departure of Ron Howard and Don Most! __________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives.

Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin Join Date: Jun 23, 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 470 Too much Fonzie. It changed the whole tone of the show. The screaming audience did not help matters either. __________________ ï¿½It was ï¿½Will and Grace,ï¿½ it was the social media. Literally. Thatï¿½s what changed peoplesï¿½ attitudes. Thatï¿½s why I was so certain that the vast majority of people would embrace and rapidly embraceï¿½ gay marriage, Biden said. ï¿½Think behind of all that, I bet you 85 percent of those changes, whether itï¿½s in Hollywood or social media are a consequence of Jewish leaders in the industry. The influence is immense, the influence is immense." -Vice President Joe Biden May 2013 Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Behind the Couch Posts: 59,994 Fonzie is what made the show.

HD probably would have been cancelled after season 2 if it wasn't retooled. __________________ Sonny Time-You can never get time back and you never know how much time you have left Join Date: Feb 22, 2009 Location: California Quote: Originally Posted by treky I put when they switched to a live audience, but it also "boned" when it became "the Fonzie show" and when it stopped being set in the 50s and changed the setting to the 70s with a small sprinkling of the 50s. Wow, I agree with everything you said here. I think it was a wonderful show the first two seasons. Loved it! It felt like an authentic portrayal of family life in the '50s, and really took the viewer back to that time. It made the era almost feel tangible. It had warmth, it had heart and it was well written. But then the brought in the hooting and hollering teenybopper studio audience and turned the show into a grotesque caricature of itself, all in an attempt to draw in hoards of kids and young viewers.

Fonzie was made into an over-the-top superhero/magician, no longer a "real" character. And the whole flavor of the '50s was all but completely lost. They no longer seemed to care. They just wanted noise and reactions. The women on the show were wearing 1970s/1980s hairstyles. Characters like Leather Tuscadero came on the show singing 1970s music. It was all kitsch and no substance. I believe the producers made a deal with the devil, forsaking quality and substance in exchange for high ratings from juiced up teenage viewers wanting to be part of a cool new thing. Quote: Originally Posted by LittleRickyII Wow, I agree with everything you said here. I think it was a wonderful show the first two seasons. Loved it! It felt like an authentic portrayal of family life in the '50s, and really took the viewer back to that time. It made the era almost feel tangible. It had warmth, it had heart and it was well written.

But then the brought in the hooting and hollering teenybopper studio audience and turned the show into a grotesque caricature of itself, all in an attempt to draw in hoards of kids and young viewers. Fonzie was made into an over-the-top superhero/magician, no longer a "real" character. And the whole flavor of the '50s was all but completely lost. They no longer seemed to care. They just wanted noise and reactions. The women on the show were wearing 1970s/1980s hairstyles. Characters like Leather Tuscadero came on the show singing 1970s music. It was all kitsch and no substance. I believe the producers made a deal with the devil, forsaking quality and substance in exchange for high ratings from juiced up teenage viewers wanting to be part of a cool new thing. I posted an article here not to long ago about how Happy Days basically became the #1 rated TV show in America through "selling out".

If you look at the early episodes of Happy Days (when it was shot w/ a single camera) to the latter episodes (when it was a multi-camera show in front of a live-studio audience), they're absolutely different shows. The early Happy Days for better or for worse, felt more like an authentic period piece/nostalgia program and not a cartoon. The problem w/ multi-camera sitcoms when compared to single camera ones is that they some how feel cheaper, more formulaic or artificial, and overall, studio bound. Happy Days was on ABC. ABC was always a distant third in the ratings until the mid-to late seventies. So from that standpoint, it is understandable why HD did whatever it took to increase their viewership. What made Happy Days popular, IMO, was the relationship between Richie & Fonz. The Fonz was like a big brother to Richie. Of course, that was Richie's actual big brother Chuck disappeared. That relationship worked when Richie was coming of age. However, once Richie was older he didn't need to always be running to the Fonz. I cringe at a later episode where Richie is drugged at some party, and later the Fonz had to come to his rescue.

Yeah, I've never liked it when Richie is scared, then when Fonzie shows up Richie suddenly acts like a tough guy, Fonz also had to come to Richie's rescue when Richie got the job at the newspaper. memories of the ’70s – Happy Days | W POPAGANDA memories of the ’70s – Happy Days My cycle hums Ready to race to you… The opening lyrics of the tv show Happy Days set the stage for the zany and silly actions of 1950s highschool students Richie, Potsie, Ralph Malph and the uber cool Fonzie. Launched in 1974, Happy Days starred Ron Howard as teen Richie Cunningham, well-known to viewers as little Opie from popular 60s tv series The Andy Griffith Show. Showing an idealized version of the 1950s rock ‘n’ era, this half hour sitcom was a hit for ABC and created a new star, Henry Winkler as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli.

Winkler’s character was supposed to be minor, but soon caught on with tv viewers enamored with his uber-cool status as the highschool dropout/mechanic, who wore the black leather jacket, rode the motorcycle and always was a chick magnet. Fonzie’s dialogue spawned many sayings that became pop culture gems, such as “Sit on it!, “Heyyy”, and the infamous thumbs up. Richie, Potsie and Ralph learned from the Fonz as they navigated the mean streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and spent time at their fave hang-out, Arnold’s Drive-In. Created by director Garry Marshall, Happy Days was his first series after working on several hits including The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Joey Bishop Show and The Danny Thomas Show. The series had a strong secondary cast with the Cunningham family – Howard, Marion and Joanie as well as Pat Morita as Arnold, and eventually newer characters such as Scott Baio as Chachi, Fonzie’s cousin, and Al Molinaro as Big Al, a replacement for Pat Morita.

I loved watching the teenage lives of Happy Days, as they dealt with their problems and crises and then danced to the tunes of the juke box at Arnold’s, snacking on burgers and fries. I wanted to be older and have my own hangout and hoped that it would happen for me in small town BC one day. This successful series aired for 10 years and spawned several sitcom spinoffs, including Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Joanie Loves Chachi, Blansky’s Beauties and Out of the Blue. Its also credited with the phrase ‘ jumping the shark’ for its episode about Fonzie’s escapades to waterski over a shark in the fifth season of the show, and a noted time when the show was past its prime. Garry Marshall is now a successful film director as is Ron Howard and their presence in this uber-positive tv series was polar opposite to many of the cutting-edge television of the day, but it provided a family show that was a quick escape to the halcyon days of the 1950s. Share this:

Question: Which long-running show spawned several television series, including "Laverne & Shirley", "Mork & Mindy", and "Joanie Loves Chachi"?
Answer: Happy Days