Happy Days

[Egg McMuffin]

The studio audience seasons set the template for the many Miller/Boyett sitcoms (Family Matters, Full House, Step by Step, Valerie) to come: catch phrases, “awww” moments, cartoonish powers or inventions, cast overpopulation by having neighbors/boyfriends/girlfriends become main characters in the opening credits, etc.

[fishcakes]

2 hours 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,

The set change has always bothered me because the house no longer made any sense. The living room was changed putting the door on the right side of the screen, but the kitchen set remained the same with the door on the right side of the screen. So from the outside the house would have been like an L turned sideways with both the living room and kitchen doors facing the street.

[Fool to cry]

Most underrated part of the show: Tom Bosley's reaction shots. 

[bluegirl147]

17 hours ago, Fool to cry said:

Most underrated part of the show: Tom Bosley's reaction shots. 

Oh Jiminy Crickets.

[mmecorday]

Quote

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?  

My guess is Ralph had Arnold's confused with Mel's Drive-in from "American Graffiti." The two locations looked very similar. 

[Bazinga]

17 hours ago, mmecorday said:

My guess is Ralph had Arnold's confused with Mel's Drive-in from "American Graffiti." The two locations looked very similar. 

As for the name, "Mel's Diner" was the diner on "Alice," a sitcom from the same era as "Happy Days."

Mel's Diner

Edited March 25 by Bazinga

[Blergh]

On 11/14/2022 at 9:45 AM, bluegirl147 said:

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.

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?  

Zap away The Studio Audience with a snap of his fingers and have the Cunninghams and other regulars once again converse with each other in regular vocal tones( instead of SCREAMING their lines  to the nosebleed rows) and become characters with layers & growth potential instead remaining live-action cartoon caricatures spitting out catch-phrases.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I know I mentioned it up thread and not to be nitpicking, but the show was headed for cancellation. Filming before a live studio audience saved it.

That said, it did look anachronistic and more of a ‘70s feel instead of the 50s and 60s around the sixth season and especially with Chachi and his shaggy 70s hair style.

But as I and others like @bluegirl147 also stated-Ron was the heart of the show and when he left, it went to hell in a hand basket.

 

[Blergh]

7 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I know I mentioned it up thread and not to be nitpicking, but the show was headed for cancellation. Filming before a live studio audience saved it.

 

So  has been claimed by those who greenlit the Screamy Mimi Live Studio Audience. .

Regardless, in hindsight one might wonder if it would have been better to have savored a few Valrona ultra dark chocolate  truffles. ..or  to have scarfed down a case of room-temp chocolate flavored Pop Tarts.

IMO, it would have been better to have gone out earlier on a high note with the loyal audience wishing for more and imagining what-might-have-been for these characters. .than to keep it going for Eleven Seasons with none of the original high school gang still hanging around as regulars with the show wheezing on fumes to its bummer end with Annoying Chachi and Blah Joanie (RIP Miss Moran nonetheless) having a downright funereal wedding.

[Fool to cry]

I love the first season they did a live studio audience and there are a lot of funny moments in the next few seasons. What actually bugged me later was  when they had more serious and maudlin stories and scenes where they start playing the slow version of the theme!

Edited March 28 by Fool to cry