Happy Days - General Discussion

[GHScorpiosRule]

The season six opener was just horrid. So obvious that all the guest stars/characters looked more like from the 70s than the supposed 1960 this show was supposed to be.

And stupid me thought this was going to be the crossover with Laverne & Shirley, were they were "forced" to marry Fonzie and Richie. Or did the cross over take place over the two shows?

BUT...HORSIES!!!!!

[VCRTracking]

7 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

The season six opener was just horrid. So obvious that all the guest stars/characters looked more like from the 70s than the supposed 1960 this show was supposed to be.

And stupid me thought this was going to be the crossover with Laverne & Shirley, were they were "forced" to marry Fonzie and Richie. Or did the cross over take place over the two shows?

BUT...HORSIES!!!!!

It's weird to see the Happy Days part of the L&S crossover because in syndication they added a scene at the end where Mr. C is fishing and Fonz' is just walking by saying how he talked his way out of the situation with the farmer. I first saw it as a kid in reruns and was disappointed at how anti-climactic it was! Then later I saw the Laverne and Shirley part where Fonz was still captured.

[blondiec0332]

7 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

It's weird to see the Happy Days part of the L&S crossover because in syndication they added a scene at the end where Mr. C is fishing and Fonz' is just walking by saying how he talked his way out of the situation with the farmer. I first saw it as a kid in reruns and was disappointed at how anti-climactic it was! Then later I saw the Laverne and Shirley part where Fonz was still captured.

At least Happy Days thought about tacking an ending on for the show when it went into reruns. That was a problem for shows who did crossovers with plots that continue onto other shows.   Law & Order had that problem with their crossovers with Homicide. When L & O shows those episodes in syndication viewers don't get to see the resolution on Homicide.   Grey's Anatomy does it now with Station 19. I watch Grey's but not Station 19 and if I miss a plot point so be it.  I don't like being manipulated into watching a show.

[VCRTracking]

2 hours ago, blondiec0332 said:

At least Happy Days thought about tacking an ending on for the show when it went into reruns. That was a problem for shows who did crossovers with plots that continue onto other shows.   Law & Order had that problem with their crossovers with Homicide. When L & O shows those episodes in syndication viewers don't get to see the resolution on Homicide.   Grey's Anatomy does it now with Station 19. I watch Grey's but not Station 19 and if I miss a plot point so be it.  I don't like being manipulated into watching a show.

In 1986 Murder She Wrote inexplicably  did a crossover once with Magnum PI(!). The first part was Magnum PI and it ended with Magnum being framed for murder and Part 2 was MSW where Jessica Fletcher trying to clear his name. In syndication they edited the Magnum episode where he did shoot the right guy and Jessica went home.

Edited September 4, 2020 by VCRTracking

[GHScorpiosRule]

On 9/4/2020 at 10:26 AM, VCRTracking said:

In 1986 Murder She Wrote inexplicably  did a crossover once with Magnum PI(!). The first part was Magnum PI and it ended with Magnum being framed for murder and Part 2 was MSW where Jessica Fletcher trying to clear his name. In syndication they edited the Magnum episode where he did shoot the right guy and Jessica went home.

I HATED that retcon! Why not just have a different case? It had already been resolved  on Magnum!!

Anyhoo, I meant to post this earlier, but the episode with the magicians? Where Fonzi ended up doing the escape from the milk can? That was TOTALLY Henry, smiling, laughing, and hugging the two kids. And those two kids were Garry Marshall’s children, unless I’m mistaken and they just happened to have the same last names?

I also love it when Richie goes all protective brother, like he did in “Smoking Ain’t Cool”, or whatever the title was that aired yesterday. Although I can’t remember if smoking was considered uncool back in the late 50s/early 60s? It was jarring and maybe a little anachronistic/PSA since it aired in 1981, when this was becoming more of an issue.

[chessiegal]

10 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

And those two kids were Garry Marshall’s children, unless I’m mistaken

Yes, they were Gary Marshall's kids. I think they were in the Christmas episode also.

[chessiegal]

AS far as smoking in the 50s, 60s, I was born in 1950 and my family didn't smoke. I was told it was a dirty stinky habit. But I do remember in my tween/teen days that smoking was something teenagers did to be "cool", and mostly it was kids who were likely to get into trouble in other ways..

[Snow Apple]

It was odd seeing the girls smoke inside the restaurant.

I grew up in an era where people were allowed to smoke anywhere, including at work, but it was still jarring to be reminded of it.

[VCRTracking]

One of my favorite episodes is when Richie briefly becomes a Basketball hero. For these reasons:

-It has my favorite "Fonzie to the rescue" moments.

-The girlfriend of the rival high school gang who goes over to Fonzie was hot.

-It has one of the genuinely funny Potsie moments where he's the announcer and he gives running commentary when Richie is making a free throw attempt:

" He bounces the ball. He bounces the ball again. He bounces the ball a third time." (everyone in the gym looks at him)

-The fact that Richie's missing older brother Chuck was a basketball player.

One thing I didn't understand for years was why at the end after Mr. C consoles Richie and he offers him a lifesaver the audience screams like it's the funniest thing. It was only reading the comments section of the clip on YouTube I found out that around the time the episode aired there was a constantly running series of commercials where a kid after losing a game his father offers him a Lifesaver!

[Snow Apple]

4 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

One thing I didn't understand for years was why at the end after Mr. C consoles Richie and he offers him a lifesaver the audience screams like it's the funniest thing. It was only reading the comments section of the clip on YouTube I found out that around the time the episode aired there was a constantly running series of commercials where a kid after losing a game his father offers him a Lifesaver!

Thanks for making me feel old. LOL

It reminds me of an episode of The Facts of Life. Tootie was being punished by sealing hundreds of envelopes. She sarcastically said "Just call me Tootie Chapstick." Every time I see that, I think "Nobody under 50-ish will understand that."

[VCRTracking]

1 hour ago, Snow Apple said:

Thanks for making me feel old. LOL

It reminds me of an episode of The Facts of Life. Tootie was being punished by sealing hundreds of envelopes. She sarcastically said "Just call me Tootie Chapstick." Every time I see that, I think "Nobody under 50-ish will understand that."

Yeah I had to look up the chapstick thing just now. Nobody under 30 probably won't understand me if I sang "Do do do do do do do waaaah" and say Mentos, the freshmaker!"

[Snow Apple]

13 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

Yeah I had to look up the chapstick thing just now. Nobody under 30 probably won't understand me if I sang "Do do do do do do do waaaah" and say Mentos, the freshmaker!"

Sorry. I should have mentioned Suzy Chapstick in my post so people can look it up.

[VCRTracking]

6 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

Sorry. I should have mentioned Suzy Chapstick in my post so people can look it up.

It was no trouble. I find it hilarious that at a meeting at the Chapstick company someone was like "Hey you know that pretty female skier in the Olympucs a few years ago whose last name sounds like our product? We should get her to do commercials where she changes it to "Chapstick"!

[blondiec0332]

3 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

 

The first couple of seasons of Happy Days were the best.   Later in the series I hated the Joanie and Chachi crap.   I didn't like Pinky and Leather Tuscadaro either.  Adding a live studio audience really hurt the show.

I liked the series better when they added the studio audience. My favorite seasons were 3-6. I think bringing Fonzie into the Cunningham family and featuring Ritchie and Fonzie's friendship changed the show and gave it heart.  You cared about the characters. The early seasons had a different tone and while it had some funny moments I don't know if i would have called it a sitcom.

[GHScorpiosRule]

8 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

Adding a live studio audience really hurt the show.

Adding the live studio audience is what saved the show from cancellation.

4 hours ago, blondiec0332 said:

I think bringing Fonzie into the Cunningham family and featuring Ritchie and Fonzie's friendship changed the show and gave it heart.  You cared about the characters. The early seasons had a different tone and while it had some funny moments I don't know if i would have called it a sitcom.

This. Of course when they made Fonzie and Richie best friends, they totally dropped how Potsie and Richie were best friends first; and somehow Potsie and Ralph had been best friends. While Richie and Fonzie's friendship gave the show its heart and most emotional beats, I didn't like the retcon of how they became friends, in that episode where Chachi wanted to join a gang. First, Fonzie was always this..."hood" that everyone knew and went to when they wanted fake ids, and the lot. Never was there an almost fight between them that ended up with them becoming friends. The show didn't even bother to make Richie look like he did in the first season.

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, icemiser69 said:

Why would this be the case?

According to Ron Howard, the show was going to be cancelled after the second season. When they added the live audience, ratings went up, and continued to rise.

[Snow Apple]

This week has the Candyman episodes. Not my favorite but I like the Laverne and Shirley cast showing up at the fake funeral. The funniest part was when they kept looking back at Fonzie's "mother."

[blondiec0332]

18 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

This week has the Candyman episodes. Not my favorite but I like the Laverne and Shirley cast showing up at the fake funeral. The funniest part was when they kept looking back at Fonzie's "mother."

Those are actually two of my favorite episodes.  Silly plot but there are quite a few lines that make me chuckle each time I watch them.

[Swenson]

On 9/13/2020 at 10:44 AM, VCRTracking said:

One of my favorite episodes is when Richie briefly becomes a Basketball hero. For these reasons:

-It has my favorite "Fonzie to the rescue" moments.

-The girlfriend of the rival high school gang who goes over to Fonzie was hot.

-It has one of the genuinely funny Potsie moments where he's the announcer and he gives running commentary when Richie is making a free throw attempt:

" He bounces the ball. He bounces the ball again. He bounces the ball a third time." (everyone in the gym looks at him)

-The fact that Richie's missing older brother Chuck was a basketball player.

One thing I didn't understand for years was why at the end after Mr. C consoles Richie and he offers him a lifesaver the audience screams like it's the funniest thing. It was only reading the comments section of the clip on YouTube I found out that around the time the episode aired there was a constantly running series of commercials where a kid after losing a game his father offers him a Lifesaver!

Absolutely.....that was the Life Savers commercial campaign in the late 70s.  So nowadays that tag at the end doesn't really connect.  it had kinda caught on as a pop culture thing for a short time as a way to cheer someone up after a tough break..... like when people start using catchphrases from SNL,  you grimace and move on and soon it stops. 

[Swenson]

So if one were to believe the logic of Back to the Future .... it would have devastating consequenes for Mork living in 1979 to reappear in the 50s and interact with people whose lives you might effect.  But could Mork at least have brought Richie a sports almanac?

 

Or is it just the basis for another clip episode?   

Edited September 17, 2020 by Swenson

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, Swenson said:

So if one were to believe the logic of Back to the Future .... it would have devastating consequenes for Mork living in 1979 to reappear in the 50s and interact with people whose lives you might effect. 

No it wouldn't because Mork stayed in one place--froze everyone except Richie, and didn't give him details about the future. So Mork going back wouldn't affect Richie's future because Mork didn't go about town, meeting, talking with others. Unlike what Marty did in Back to the Future.

I"m not sure about the dates, but it's possible this clip show was to correlate with Mork & Mindy, which might have just aired, or was going to in the following season, as this episode is at the end of the sixth season.

And yay! MeTV is going to air the second part conclusion on Laverne & Shirley (Season five opener) that corresponds with the seventh season premiere of this show on Sunday; then jump back to its airing of whatever season. 2? 3?

[VCRTracking]

It seemed like Mork & Mindy just aired because Robin Williams's performance of Mork is different then his first appearance. He sounds less nasally and "alien" and more like his real voice which he used on M&M

[Swenson]

Chachi, Chachi, Chachi...... y'know, if he were really in 1962....he would be outcast because of his freak hair....which back then was unacceptable by peer standards of the time.  So to for Potsie ...who by 1962 had grown his hair to look more like a 1979 carbon copy local tv news anchor.  And Chachi's wax did nothing to help.   And seeing what the wax did to the card table and Fonz's motorcycle seat.....I guess Potsie is lucky to have hair at all.    

[GHScorpiosRule]

4 hours ago, Swenson said:

Chachi, Chachi, Chachi...... y'know, if he were really in 1962....he would be outcast because of his freak hair....which back then was unacceptable by peer standards of the time.  So to for Potsie ...who by 1962 had grown his hair to look more like a 1979 carbon copy local tv news anchor.  And Chachi's wax did nothing to help.   And seeing what the wax did to the card table and Fonz's motorcycle seat.....I guess Potsie is lucky to have hair at all.    

It’s 1960, but yes, all of the hairstyles look like they’re from the 70s. It wasn’t until The Beatles showed up, that guys started growing their hair “long” like the Fab Four had.

[chessiegal]

15 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

It wasn’t until The Beatles showed up, that guys started growing their hair “long” like the Fab Four had.

The Beatles showed up in America in 1964. So off by 4 years, not a decade.

[GHScorpiosRule]

11 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

The Beatles showed up in America in 1964. So off by 4 years, not a decade.

I meant the hairstyles the Guys ar sporting are off by a decade, and that the beginning of growing out the hair (which wouldn’t look like what it has been since season 4) should have started up in the last season.

[Swenson]

I guess i go by the music being performed..... as  Anson sang Bobby Vee's "Take Good Care of my Baby" which actually came out in 1961.....so i was off.   Or maybe people just don't pay attention to details like that.   Soon.... Chachi will burn Arnold's down because the producers wanted to do away with the American Graffiti style drive in, for something that looks more like a late 70s era pizza joint.

When Happy Days debuted ....ABC was desperate for a hit because they had long been behind CBS and NBC so new shows that needed time to find an audience often weren't given that chance.   And Good Times on CBS was it's competition....so they needed changes.

But i guess somehow by the mid 70s....people tuned away from topical relevance shows to ABC's fantasy world.  People wanted to escape even then.  It seemed every show ABC had followed that "fantasy" aspect.  Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Charlie's Angels, Mork from Ork....etc.....

[GHScorpiosRule]

6 hours ago, Swenson said:

But i guess somehow by the mid 70s....people tuned away from topical relevance shows to ABC's fantasy world.  People wanted to escape even then.  It seemed every show ABC had followed that "fantasy" aspect.  Love Boat, Fantasy Island,

But this show premiered in 1974 as a mid season replacement, it was also part of the shows airing in the mid 70s. And if it wasn’t doing well in the ratings it would have been cancelled. And i wouldn’t characterize Charlie’s Angels as a fantasy show. And Mork & Mindy is more of an 80s show.

Bit that doesn’t excuse Marshall or his writers for the laziness.

[Snow Apple]

Jennifer was in more episodes than I thought. Does anyone remember if they mentioned what happened to her or did she just disappear?

[GHScorpiosRule]

29 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

Jennifer was in more episodes than I thought. Does anyone remember if they mentioned what happened to her or did she just disappear?

Not that I can remember. But then I was all about Richie and Fonzie; and then Joanie and Chachi.  
 

She shows up in between when the plot isn’t having Potsie panting after some new hot girl.

I never really cared about Potsie.

You could also check IMDb.

[Swenson]

I was interested to learn after taking two MeTV surveys of "what would you watch" for 1974 and 1975....(I was teenage).....thinking the competition between Happy Days and Good Times would have been closer.....but in both years, more than 70% of respondents chose Happy Days for that Tuesday at 8 timeslot.   Good Times recieved less than 10%....while NBC's Adam 12 came in around 15%.   This was when you really had to decide.  Now of course.....you can watch anything....from anytime.....whenever you want.  Back then?......if you wanted to watch both, you had to wait for summer repeats.

[Swenson]

Pa Pa.....Pa pa...pa pa pa pa PUMPS YOUR BLOOD...... don't you just find that sticking in your head and just can't make it go away?

[chessiegal]

I didn't watch the Sunday shows when they aired this week on MeTV, so the shot gun wedding episode didn't make any sense until I saw the end was a Laverne & Shirley show. Seems like the show just kept getting sillier.

[Snow Apple]

2 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I didn't watch the Sunday shows when they aired this week on MeTV, so the shot gun wedding episode didn't make any sense until I saw the end was a Laverne & Shirley show. Seems like the show just kept getting sillier.

It was weird because they included the ending on Happy Days where Fonzie explains to Mr. C that he got away. Then Laverne and Shirley started and Fonzie is still captured.

[chessiegal]

Awww.... Potsie sang my song today. 💗

[GHScorpiosRule]

*sniff* We’re approaching the last few episodes before Ron Howard leaves the show.😢

Yeah, yeah, Don Most also leaves.

But we get annoying as GET OUT Jenny Piccolo. 
 

I just don’t understand why Marshall and Company just couldn’t be accurate with the hair and clothes for this show! It just takes me out of everything when I see Richie. Potsie, Ralph, and Joanie’s hair NOT accurate to the time period!

I don’t care about Chachi, so no comment about him.

[mmecorday]

I never could stand Scott Baio. Joanie may have loved Chachi but I sure didn't.

Are we also coming up on the episode where Arnold's burns (and burns and burns)?

[GHScorpiosRule]

20 minutes ago, mmecorday said:

I never could stand Scott Baio. Joanie may have loved Chachi but I sure didn't.

Are we also coming up on the episode where Arnold's burns (and burns and burns)?

Yup. I think it's tonight. Chachi is soooooo excited that he got a second "maybe" from Joanie about going out with him, he throws the apron on the gas, which leads to the fire. And so, we say good-bye to Arnolds, which will become "Fonzie's & Big Al's" I think. Or is it "Fonzie & Big Al's"?

[Robert Lynch]

6 hours ago, mmecorday said:

I never could stand Scott Baio. Joanie may have loved Chachi but I sure didn't.

Are we also coming up on the episode where Arnold's burns (and burns and burns)?

Just be glad that his career never took off. As for his Twitter account, let's not go there. Oh, boy!

[Swenson]

They should've had a blimp......like HowFonz Inc.   But I think THIS is the moment the series made the turn.....not when Fonzie jumped the shark.....this is when the Joanie and Chachi thing really started and in my mind.....when a show starts becoming about relationship drama..... it's over.

[mmecorday]

The episode that aired on MeTV last night was about Howard being named Father of the Year by his Leopard Lodge and Marion getting drunk on wine sauce. And then there was a discussion about the different areas of Inspiration Point. Apparently the area called the Alamo was the most notorious.

Yeah, I can see why Ron Howard couldn't get away from this show fast enough.

[GHScorpiosRule]

And Arnold's burned down tonight. Chachi got off waaaaaaay too easy.

So hyped that Joanie said "maybe" again, he didn't bother to turn off the grill and destroyed a long time/standing teen hangout.

UGH.

And now that I think about it, Richie and Lori Beth got married offscreen!

As much as the brass treated Ron horribly during the last few seasons, Ron proved how professional he was by willingly returning for that emotional two-parter, where he goes to California, and then in the series finale for Joanie's wedding.

So I'm just going to go back to watch Opie.

[Swenson]

I have to admit......I wept a little for the scene where everybody is sitting around the burnt out remnants of their cherished hangout which they were thinking about abandoning.   There will be a new Arnold's now......it'll look more like "The Max" from Saved By the Bell only without Zack, Slater, Kelly, Lisa and Screech.   Instead we'll get Jenny Piccolo.

[mmecorday]

I've always found the "Arnold's Burns Because Chachi Is Stupid" episode annoying. The Fonz was cool, but he wasn't a super hero and his attempt to punch a hole in the wall of his "office" with his head was stupid even by 1970s sitcom standards. And if Lori Beth and Richie were close enough to the inferno to see it in a side view mirror, they surely would have smelled it first.

I did feel a little sad when Ralph struck one note on the ruined piano and then covered the keyboard.

[Swenson]

I have to admit......I wept a little for the scene where everybody is sitting around the burnt out remnants of their cherished hangout which they were thinking about abandoning.   There will be a new Arnold's now......it'll look more like "The Max" from Saved By the Bell only without Zack, Slater, Kelly, Lisa and Screech.   Instead we'll get Jenny Piccolo.   Oops.....did I leave out Jessie?   Sorry girl....but since you did that saucy thing you did.....you're not milk and cookies enough for the Bayside gang anymore.

[Snow Apple]

I don't know why they had to burn down Arnold's either. They established the business wasn't doing well. Why can't Fonzie just put in the money to remodel instead of all the drama of a fire? 

I'm going to answer my own question and guess it's because it's Happy Days and just remodeling is not sad and dramatic enough. I guess a fire is a reminder how important Arnold's is to everyone.

[GHScorpiosRule]

While I didn't quite remember the layout of the new Arnold's, I DEFINITELY didn't remember how much SMALLER they made the set! Only a handful of tables for a TEENAGER hangout? No booths? UGH.

And the uniforms for the waitresses are downright FUGLY.

[mmecorday]

Speaking of fugly, Erin Moran's hair in the later seasons looked awful!

Quote

I don't know why they had to burn down Arnold's either. They established the business wasn't doing well.

If I were a kid in Milwaukee at that time, I think I'd be more likely to be hanging out at the Pizza Bowl.

[GHScorpiosRule]

CLEARLY, the season finale of Season 7, which aired last night, was taped BEFORE Arnold's was Chachi burned down Arnold's. Because the original Arnold's was there, along with the original booths in "Ralph's Family Problem" that aired last night. 

And Joanie had that cute pony tail and the vibe between her and Chachi were the pre "Maybe" and "Dapper" and kisses.

And from imdb, I discovered that we learn that Richie joined the Army during what would have been his final year of college. Ralph also joined the Army, though I don't remember if the show addressed it. We'll find out tonight. But we lost both Ronny, er, I mean Ron Howard and Don Most.

And get saddled with ROGER and Jenny Frackin' Piccolo.

[blondiec0332]

2 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

CLEARLY, the season finale of Season 7, which aired last night, was taped BEFORE Arnold's was Chachi burned down Arnold's. Because the original Arnold's was there, along with the original booths in "Ralph's Family Problem" that aired last night. 

And Joanie had that cute pony tail and the vibe between her and Chachi were the pre "Maybe" and "Dapper" and kisses.

And from imdb, I discovered that we learn that Richie joined the Army during what would have been his final year of college. Ralph also joined the Army, though I don't remember if the show addressed it. We'll find out tonight. But we lost both Ronny, er, I mean Ron Howard and Don Most.

And get saddled with ROGER and Jenny Frackin' Piccolo.

I have never understood why they didn't address RH and DM leaving the show at the end of season 7. Did the network and/or writers not know? Wouldn't someone have known their contracts were up? If it was up to me Season 7 would have been the final season and Ritchie and Lori Beth getting married would have been the final episode. 

I watch a lot of TV series on DVD and streaming from all different decades and I have come to the conclusion that writers/producers from before the late 80s thought their audience wouldn't notice or care about things. The continuity on this show left a lot to be desired.