Happy Days - General Discussion

[mmecorday]

Also, skip doing a musical episode especially when half the cast can't sing.

[Snow Apple]

My guilty pleasure are the Happy Days musical episodes ☺

[GHScorpiosRule]

Was that Danny Thomas who played Howard’s father? I’m too lazy to check IMDb.

Never mind I just saw the end credits and it was Danny Thomas!

[Spartan Girl]

“My Favorite Orkan” is on. I know throwing in aliens was probably the first sign of the shark that was about to be jumped — or did that happen before Mork came? — but dammit Robin, I miss you.

[mmecorday]

Kudos to Ron Howard for keeping a straight face in his scenes with Robin Williams. I miss him too, @Spartan Girl.

[GHScorpiosRule]

18 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

“My Favorite Orkan” is on. I know throwing in aliens was probably the first sign of the shark that was about to be jumped — or did that happen before Mork came? — but dammit Robin, I miss you.

That's the joke. While most critics, fans, etc. associate "Jumping the Shark" as the event/plot/episode that is the cause for a show to end, the actual episode where Fonzi did that? The show continued to be No. 1 in the ratings for the next five to six years.

That said, No one was happy. Well, Don Most was the one who pointed out that this paved the way for the direction the show was going in, and he wasn't happy. I found an interview Ron Howard where he talked about that. And did you know? Henry actually knows how to water ski!

But yeah, I too, miss Robin. I feel a rewatch of the animated Aladdin coming upon me soon...

[Egg McMuffin]

This has probably been posted before, but Thomas Miller and Bob Boyett both worked as producers on Happy Days. All the annoying things about Happy Days - catch phrases, fantasy episodes, friends and neighbors needlessly elevated to series regular status - were the template for later shows they did without Garry Marshall and Ed Milkis (the other main producers on HD). They had a lot of success with lowest-common denominator comedies like Full House, Family Matters, Step by Step, etc.

Once Miller/Boyett wrested full control of “Valerie” from Valerie Harper and fired her, they fully grafted that template onto what become “The Hogan Family” as well. Harper had been fighting them on their creative vision, and that was the main source of conflict there; the salary dispute was secondary.

[chessiegal]

Watching Perry Mason -The Case of the Romantic Rogue (1959). Marion Ross is playing a leading role. You never know who will show up on Perry Mason.

[Blergh]

On 5/21/2021 at 12:39 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

That's the joke. While most critics, fans, etc. associate "Jumping the Shark" as the event/plot/episode that is the cause for a show to end, the actual episode where Fonzi did that? The show continued to be No. 1 in the ratings for the next five to six years.

That said, No one was happy. Well, Don Most was the one who pointed out that this paved the way for the direction the show was going in, and he wasn't happy. I found an interview Ron Howard where he talked about that. And did you know? Henry actually knows how to water ski!

But yeah, I too, miss Robin. I feel a rewatch of the animated Aladdin coming upon me soon...

It seems that entire California arc came from Mr. Winkler being asked the the top brass what his hobbies were and he mentioned watersksiing- so voila. That's how the Fonz and Big Red went to Californie to supposedly audition for the movies but in reality provide the means for Mr. Winkler to do it on camera when waterskiing wasn't a well-known sport in the Milwaukee area. I'm sure Mr. Winkler NEVER waterskiied wearing a leather jacket and boots offcamera as the Fonz would for the show!  

I wonder if Mr. Winkler in his 70's has done that lately? I know he's into fly fishing (which is far more physically demanding than conventional 'drop the baited hook into the water and wait' deal). 

[mmecorday]

I had somehow forgotten about the episodes where the gang (with Al in tow) goes out west to save Marion's uncle's dude ranch.

[Blergh]

55 minutes ago, mmecorday said:

I had somehow forgotten about the episodes where the gang (with Al in tow) goes out west to save Marion's uncle's dude ranch.

And, oddly enough, the audience NEVER saw said uncle . I wonder if they  decided it would be cheaper not to cast anyone or if they had no idea what kind of character he was supposed to be. 

[Egg McMuffin]

Yeah - they had a few seasons where they were doing the big multipart season openers a la The Brady Bunch. Hollywood, the dude ranch, the crossover with Laverne & Shirley on the farm, the lake episodes during the Joannie & Chachi era.

[Snow Apple]

Today Me TV showed the new Arnold's which I think was the real jump the shark moment. There were a few good episodes after that but it wasn't the same show without Richie as the center.

Yes, Richie and Ralph were there until the end of the season but it already felt like the beginning of the end.

Edited July 29, 2021 by Snow Apple

[babyhouseman]

I'm watching Happy Days on METV after not watching for awhile. I loved the show when I was a kid. I had the HD game and drinking glasses. I didn't know Jenny Piccolo was so unpopular. I liked her. Scott Baio's current personality does affect how I see Chachi now. It's funny how your view changes when you grow up.

But when I was younger, I loved him and Joanie(I watched the spinoff). Being a fan of the 50s and 60s music, I loved the songs on the show and Leather Tuscadero. Knowledge from the Internet has made my regard for Henry and Ron grow. I didn't realize they were close. HW does a lot of interviews, and I try to watch them. He's great on Twitter.

[WinnieWinkle]

On 7/29/2021 at 7:08 PM, Snow Apple said:

Today Me TV showed the new Arnold's which I think was the real jump the shark moment. There were a few good episodes after that but it wasn't the same show without Richie as the center.

 

Did that coincide with Fonzie starting to teach at the high school because that was my real jump the shark moment when I look back on the show.  I totally get they had to have him grow up - it would have been downright creepy to have this 30  yr old guy still hanging around chasing high school girls - but even so Happy Days was over at that point. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, WinnieWinkle said:

Did that coincide with Fonzie starting to teach at the high school because that was my real jump the shark moment when I look back on the show.  I totally get they had to have him grow up - it would have been downright creepy to have this 30  yr old guy still hanging around chasing high school girls - but even so Happy Days was over at that point. 

No. Fonzie didn’t start teaching until season 8-after Richie/Ron had left.

[Egg McMuffin]

Arnold’s burned down with 8 episodes to go in season 7. And then Richie and Ralph left in between seasons and as the poster above noted, season 8 starts with Fonzie as a teacher. So it’s close. There aren’t very many episodes with the new Arnolds and Richie and Ralph still around.

[fishcakes]

The episode that began the story arc where Fonzie jumped the shark is also the first episode with Scott Baio. So, as I've been saying for years, that shark is innocent.

[Egg McMuffin]

What’s funny is that Scott Baio actually left HD after his first season to star in Garry Marshall’s “Who’s Watching the Kids”. When that flopped, he returned to HD for the latter half of season 6. But a good chunk of season 6 is Chachi-free. If WWTK had taken off, what would HD have been like in its later years?

[ifionlyknew]

2 hours ago, Kyle said:

If WWTK had taken off, what would HD have been like in its later years?

They would have cast someone else to be a love interest for Joanie.

[Snow Apple]

4 hours ago, ifionlyknew said:

They would have cast someone else to be a love interest for Joanie.

I thought of Flip since he's just a different version of Chachi, but then I remembered he's her cousin. LOL

[Egg McMuffin]

The return of Spike!

[Fool to cry]

I think Baio being allowed to keep his late 70s haircut made Ron, Anson and Donny be like "Well if he gets to have his hair that way..." and they stopped being period accurate and let their hair grow out. Then from that point on everybody had contemporary late 70s and early 80s hair. 

Henry tweeted this cool trivia:

 

Edited August 12, 2021 by Fool to cry

[Egg McMuffin]

Ron Howard says he lost hair due to stress over Fonzie becoming the breakout character on the show.

Ron Howard reveals he lost his hair due to anxiety over Henry Winkler's The Fonz eclipsing his character in Happy Days

He may have something there. Carl Winslow on Family Matters also went bald and so did the dad on Good Times.

[ctlady]

A little bit of Happy Days trivia:

What was the first line Fonzie ever said on the show?

[mmecorday]

Quote

Ron Howard says he lost hair due to stress over Fonzie becoming the breakout character on the show.

Stress can play a part in hair loss, but I think in Ron's case, he has genetics to blame. His father, Rance Howard, also started losing his hair at an early age.

[chessiegal]

Plus hair loss from stress typically grows back within months of the stress stopping.

[mmecorday]

I am really not fond of the episodes with Linda Purl and Heather O'Rourke. It's weird that Ashley is dressed in clothes typical of the time in which the episodes were filmed, but Fonzie is still sticking to his greaser look. The show was suffering a severe identity crisis by season 10 with most of the main characters either gone or shuffled off to the periphery. I'm sure when Ron Howard came back for his guest appearances, he was like, "Who are these people?"

[GHScorpiosRule]

13 minutes ago, mmecorday said:

I'm sure when Ron Howard came back for his guest appearances, he was like, "Who are these people?"

It was very early in the last season. Those are the only two episodes I watch--only for scenes between him and Henry; especially the final one, because you know it's Henry and Ron; not Fonzi and Richie.

[Snow Apple]

1 hour ago, mmecorday said:

I'm sure when Ron Howard came back for his guest appearances, he was like, "Who are these people?"

 "Fonz, why are you dating my old high school girlfriend Gloria and why are you calling her Ashley?"

[Spartan Girl]

I’m reading Ron and Clint Howard’s book and I love it so far!

[Snow Apple]

6 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

I’m reading Ron and Clint Howard’s book and I love it so far!

Glad to hear it's good. I'm waiting for it to be available at my library.

[Blergh]

On 10/17/2021 at 10:35 AM, Spartan Girl said:

I’m reading Ron and Clint Howard’s book and I love it so far!

I'm surprised that the younger Mr. Howard was willing to discuss his addiction issues but overall it was nice to see them paying tribute to both their late parents' characters, determination and . ..parenthood. 

[Spartan Girl]

From what I read in the book, while Ron did have issues with being sidelined in his own show, he knew that was on the network execs and not Henry. One time Henry felt so guilty that he actually tried to apologize to him about it. Ron assured him that they were fine. And when Ron left the show in season 7 or whatever to direct full-time, he had to call Henry to break the news to him, and while Henry was clearly sad, he told him that he’s so terrific.

Unfortunately no stories about Richie’s brief return to the show that left them both so clearly emotional. Pity.

[Blergh]

3 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

From what I read in the book, while Ron did have issues with being sidelined in his own show, he knew that was on the network execs and not Henry. One time Henry felt so guilty that he actually tried to apologize to him about it. Ron assured him that they were fine. And when Ron left the show in season 7 or whatever to direct full-time, he had to call Henry to break the news to him, and while Henry was clearly sad, he told him that he’s so terrific.

Unfortunately no stories about Richie’s brief return to the show that left them both so clearly emotional. Pity.

Also,   the elder Mr. Howard talked about how he had wanted to play the part of John-Boy Walton when that show was starting only to be told that he wouldn't have been suitable . Oddly enough, he made no mention that he DID play a memorable one-shot role as Jason's dying bestie on an episode ( 'The Gift) that aired just nine days after Happy Days debut show. This despite the characters (and the rest of Jason's family) having  great chemistry together. 

[TheLastKidPicked]

On 8/3/2021 at 5:52 PM, babyhouseman said:

Knowledge from the Internet has made my regard for Henry and Ron grow. I didn't realize they were close. HW does a lot of interviews, and I try to watch them. He's great on Twitter.

Henry Winkler did an amazing interview where he talked about growing up with dyslexia before people know what it was.

Many people, including his parents, thought he was just too lazy to learn to read.  He spent most of his high school years grounded as punishment for his bad grades. 

When he got into acting, he would make out what he could from the script, and then try to improvise the rest, based on what the other actors were saying.

Pretty amazing.  And he now dedicates much of his time advocating for kids with learning disabilities.

 

[fishcakes]

On 10/13/2021 at 1:25 PM, ctlady said:

A little bit of Happy Days trivia:

What was the first line Fonzie ever said on the show?

I just saw this yesterday because MeTV reran the first episode. I'll let the Fonz speak for himself:

The night before that they showed the last episode ever aired, which wasn't Joanie and Chachi's wedding because they originally aired them out of order, but instead was the one where Fonzie is talked into joining the Leopard Lodge and as part of his initiation he has to wear a bunny suit and hop around. So it's a relief to go back to season one Fonzie.

[Egg McMuffin]

The Fonz seemed so uncool by the end of the series. I liked the idea of having his loner character get closer to the Richie and the Cunninghams and mature. But it was done in such an unsubtle way. Of course, Happy Days is an unsubtle show. At least it was from seasons 3 on.

[LadyIrony]

On 6/5/2021 at 2:52 AM, mmecorday said:

I had somehow forgotten about the episodes where the gang (with Al in tow) goes out west to save Marion's uncle's dude ranch.

I always cringe at eps like that where the characters show how good they are at things you have never seen them even talk about before. The family turn up and they can do all these rodeo tricks and drive a wagon etc. 

Then there's the eps where you know they are cashing in on a popular movie, like the Dance Marathon episode. 

I recall the first season of Happy Day's being a lot darker. The guys talk about "making it" with girls rather than just making out like they do in other seasons. The Fonz is more a creepy hood. It seemed more realistic but I guess that didn't appeal very much but I think it would be more popular now. 

[LadyIrony]

On 12/19/2021 at 10:04 PM, Egg McMuffin said:

The Fonz seemed so uncool by the end of the series. I liked the idea of having his loner character get closer to the Richie and the Cunninghams and mature. But it was done in such an unsubtle way. Of course, Happy Days is an unsubtle show. At least it was from seasons 3 on.

It was when they realized kids were the ones watching the show and so they started using Fonzie a Sage to teach life lessons something that was pretty popular in tv shows back then. 

I also noticed as I got older and watched re-runs that the Fonz was never cool anyway, asides from maybe the first season. Even then he was just a hood. 

I have read the show was meant to be a Tom Bosley vehicle but you wouldn't know it given the screen time that the Fonz and Richie get. 

[jason88cubs]

i wish they would release all the seasons on dvd

[LadyIrony]

I was reminded of the "Fonzie's getting married" ep which I believe is Season 2, ep 13. Anyway, the Fonz is unknowingly engaged to a stripper and it is Mr C who is the one who realizes this! The Fonz is not too amused to find out his fiance is a stripper plus lying to him. 

It's just one of those rather weird Happy Days things where the lothario Fonzie is more naive than the upstanding family man. 

[Spartan Girl]

So my brother and I were watching The Waterboy in our hotel when we went to Mackinaw City last weekend, and while Henry Winkler was SUPPOSED to play a meek whiny coach, I think Fonzi came out with the "What Mama don't know, won't hurt her" line.

Some roles just never leave us lol.

[bluegirl147]

Ralph Macchio has a new memoir out and he writes about Pat Morita and clearly thought very highly of him.  He writes that  he watched Happy Days and knew Pat as Arnold and that he worked at Mel's Diner.  Was there not an editor that could have caught that mistake?  

[GHScorpiosRule]

9 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

Ralph Macchio has a new memoir out and he writes about Pat Morita and clearly thought very highly of him.  He writes that  he watched Happy Days and knew Pat as Arnold and that he worked at Mel's Diner.  Was there not an editor that could have caught that mistake?  

JEEBUS CRIPES! Ralph KNOW it's Arnold's. He even talked about it on The View!

Just laziness that an editor, or copy editor, or whoever, didn't catch it. They probably didn't know it was wrong!

[bluegirl147]

3 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Just laziness that an editor, or copy editor, or whoever, didn't catch it. They probably didn't know it was wrong!

That is what I thought. And then I thought Jesus I'm old.

[Egg McMuffin]

I want to know what Ralph thought about Dick Van Patten!

[bluegirl147]

On 11/10/2022 at 12:49 PM, Egg McMuffin said:

I want to know what Ralph thought about Dick Van Patten!

He only mentioned Eight is Enough in passing.  Most of the book was about the Karate Kid and Cobra Kai.

I rewatched season one and two and I caught two continuity mistakes. Well they weren't the mistakes but in later episodes there were continuity mistakes.  Ralph says he got a mannequin from his father's store.  His father was an optometrist in later seasons.   And Fonzie says his mother took him to the hospital to have his tonsils out.  In a later season there was an entire episode about him needing his tonsils out.

[chessiegal]

3 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

He only mentioned Eight is Enough in passing.  Most of the book was about the Karate Kid and Cobra Kai.

I rewatched season one and two and I caught two continuity mistakes. Well they weren't the mistakes but in later episodes there were continuity mistakes.  Ralph says he got a mannequin from his father's store.  His father was an optometrist in later seasons.   And Fonzie says his mother took him to the hospital to have his tonsils out.  In a later season there was an entire episode about him needing his tonsils out.

Those continuity mistakes are nothing compared to the disappearing first child Chuck.

I liked the first two seasons. For me, they had a real feel about teenage life. Once they went to a live audience in season 3, the set changed, and the tone somehow changed to be more cartoon like. Also, it started being the Fonzie show, not that I don't like the character. Similar to how MASH became the Alan Alda show.

[bluegirl147]

1 minute ago, chessiegal said:

Those continuity mistakes are nothing compared to the disappearing first child Chuck.

That continuity mistake was hard to miss when it first aired.  The mistakes I mentioned even though I have seen all seasons multiple times I never noticed before.

3 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I liked the first two seasons. For me, they had a real feel about teenage life. Once they went to a live audience in season 3, the set changed, and the tone somehow changed to be more cartoon like. Also, it started being the Fonzie show, not that I don't like the character. Similar to how MASH became the Alan Alda show.

The first two seasons did have some laugh out loud moments.  I enjoyed seasons 3-7 but the writing IMO declined with each season.  And of course once Ron Howard left the whole show declined.  They turned Fonzie into some kind of superhero.  Was there anything he couldn't do?