As I mentioned in a different thread, I just got disc 1 of Season 1 in the mail yesterday.
I don't think I had ever seen the first episodes before, but I did find some very interesting observations.

So far I've watched "All the Way" "The Lemon" "Richie's Cup Runneth Over" and then I fell asleep watching "Guess Who's Coming to Visit" ( it was VERY late at night!).

For one thing, Arnold's was called "Arthur's" in the very first episode; unless I was seeing things.:confused:
I guess the first episodes weren't filmed in front of a live audience. That was pretty obvious; especially in the first episode because the laugh track wasn't "quite right". And there were a lot of location shots, which was cool, but I think I prefer the live audience! Anyone know when they started doing that?


Fonzie sure didn't say much and he definitely wasn't as "cool" as he turned out to be later on (and still is!). In the first few episodes, Fonzie is wearing a gray jacket, and not his trademark leather jacket. Anyone know the story behind that?

I had completely forgotten that Richie and Joanie had an older brother, Chuck. I read that he was only mentioned in the first and second seasons but was forgotten by the third. Interesting....

I was :rotflmao: at these old Happy Days episodes! I'm kind of bummed to see that apparently there isn't any bonus material on any of the DVD sets. Is that true? I would have loved to have listened to a commentary of the first episode!

The opening sequence. I actually like the "Rock Around The Clock" theme song better than the "Happy Days" one. Anyone know why they changed it? The scenes they showed were hilarious; the girl's hair getting caught in the guy's car roof when he's trying to open it, the girl and the guy fallling out of the car while they are making out and Potsie is :lol:

Anyway, that's what I've picked up from the eppy's so far. Can't wait to see more of them!

Andrea

Yeah, the show wasn't filmed before a live audience until episode 11 I believe. Then after that, it was pretty much a live audience throughout lol. Yeah I remember reading I think it was the manuscript from the pilot episode and Fonzie didn't come in at first and only had like 3 speaking parts I think I read lol, not much but he was still in the mix I guess. One of the things I love about the First Season and part of the Second was when Fonzie came in. I remember the episode where he pretended he was driving his bike, using the mashed potatoes fork and spoon :lol:. Not only that, but his gray wind breaker instead of the leather jacket and he always seemed to have his Broncos blue **** on lol. Nice observations though! Keep em comin...

Yeah Chuck is the equivalent of the Forgotten Brady :lol:. I liked Chuck, did you know 2 competely different actors played Chuck?

Yeah Chuck is the equivalent of the Forgotten Brady :lol:. I liked Chuck, did you know 2 competely different actors played Chuck?

I just read that on a different site! :lol:

Andrea

Yeah, pretty interesting stuff.

As I mentioned in a different thread, I just got disc 1 of Season 1 in the mail yesterday.
I don't think I had ever seen the first episodes before, but I did find some very interesting observations.

So far I've watched "All the Way" "The Lemon" "Richie's Cup Runneth Over" and then I fell asleep watching "Guess Who's Coming to Visit" ( it was VERY late at night!).

For one thing, Arnold's was called "Arthur's" in the very first episode; unless I was seeing things.:confused:
I guess the first episodes weren't filmed in front of a live audience. That was pretty obvious; especially in the first episode because the laugh track wasn't "quite right". And there were a lot of location shots, which was cool, but I think I prefer the live audience! Anyone know when they started doing that?


Fonzie sure didn't say much and he definitely wasn't as "cool" as he turned out to be later on (and still is!). In the first few episodes, Fonzie is wearing a gray jacket, and not his trademark leather jacket. Anyone know the story behind that?

I had completely forgotten that Richie and Joanie had an older brother, Chuck. I read that he was only mentioned in the first and second seasons but was forgotten by the third. Interesting....

I was :rotflmao: at these old Happy Days episodes! I'm kind of bummed to see that apparently there isn't any bonus material on any of the DVD sets. Is that true? I would have loved to have listened to a commentary of the first episode!

The opening sequence. I actually like the "Rock Around The Clock" theme song better than the "Happy Days" one. Anyone know why they changed it? The scenes they showed were hilarious; the girl's hair getting caught in the guy's car roof when he's trying to open it, the girl and the guy fallling out of the car while they are making out and Potsie is :lol:

Anyway, that's what I've picked up from the eppy's so far. Can't wait to see more of them!

Andrea

The reason behind Fonzie's grey windbreaker is that ABC was nervous about
the image the character would project if he wore a leather jacket. I think the
reason the theme song was changed was that they wanted an original song,
once they found out that the show was a hit and would on the air for a while.

For one thing, Arnold's was called "Arthur's" in the very first episode; unless I was seeing things.:confused:
You were not seeing things; it was called "Arthur's" in the first episode.

I guess the first episodes weren't filmed in front of a live audience. That was pretty obvious; especially in the first episode because the laugh track wasn't "quite right". And there were a lot of location shots, which was cool, but I think I prefer the live audience! Anyone know when they started doing that?
The first episode filmed before a live audience was "Fonzie's Getting Married" in the second season. Every episode from the third season on was filmed before a live audience.

In the first few episodes, Fonzie is wearing a gray jacket, and not his trademark leather jacket. Anyone know the story behind that?
As was already mentioned, ABC was against Fonzie wearing a leather jacket because it was thought he would be perceived as a hoodlum. A compromise was made to allow him to wear it only while in the presence of his motorcycle.

I was :rotflmao: at these old Happy Days episodes! I'm kind of bummed to see that apparently there isn't any bonus material on any of the DVD sets. Is that true? I would have loved to have listened to a commentary of the first episode!
This is true. There is no bonus material on any of the sets released so far.

The opening sequence. I actually like the "Rock Around The Clock" theme song better than the "Happy Days" one. Anyone know why they changed it?
When the series hit, "Rock Around the Clock" was re-released and became a hit again on the record charts. The producers of the series wanted to capitalize on the success of the show, so they used "Happy Days" as the theme and released that as a single. Also, they didn't have to pay licensing fees for it.

The opening sequence. I actually like the "Rock Around The Clock" theme song better than the "Happy Days" one.

Well. Come over here then. We never had the "Happy Days" Theme. Here all 11 Seasons used "Rock around the Clock".

Well. Come over here then. We never had the "Happy Days" Theme. Here all 11 Seasons used "Rock around the Clock".
is that just for syndication, or were the original airings like that?

and what about the DVD sets?

is that just for syndication, or were the original airings like that?

I can't say it from the first Airing, cause I've never seen an Eppy then, but all Re-Runs I have seen on German TV used "Rock" for each Episode.


and what about the DVD sets?

There is no German Release!
But the Reg2 Box of Season Two has "HD" for the Intro...

As was already mentioned, ABC was against Fonzie wearing a leather jacket because it was thought he would be perceived as a hoodlum. A compromise was made to allow him to wear it only while in the presence of his motorcycle.
That's correct and, its also the reason that in some early eps, you see Fonzie's motorcycle INDOORS (Such as in his upper level "pad"); because that enabled Fonzie to keep his jacket on wherever he went. (Seems totally rediculous now, doesnt it? :lol: )

Wow that's interesting Iris, I never knew that! I like how the Rock Around the Clock is the first 2 seasons, then the Happy Days theme song, then season 11 Bobby Arvon did the theme song, which I love. Anybody else like the final season's theme song besides me? I like the new jukeboxs they used in the intro and the different colors to it.

then season 11 Bobby Arvon did the theme song, which I love. Anybody else like the final season's theme song besides me?
Oh, yeah, that version is great. A lot of people don't like it compared to the original, but I think it's much better.

^ Yeah, I think it's great. I like the background singin in the final version too lol. The girls singin "Wa Wa."

Arnold was indeed "Arthur's" in the first ep. I too thought I was imagining that. :lol: The first episodes were a far cry from what the show ended up being. Even though the others tried their best, it was never the same after Ron Howard and Donny Most left the show. :(

Yeah Chuck is the equivalent of the Forgotten Brady :lol:. I liked Chuck, did you know 2 competely different actors played Chuck?
Chuck is now living in obscurity in the Island of Misfit TV characters along with Judy Winslow (Family Matters), Brendan Lambert (Step By Step) and Carl Dixon (Good Times). :eek: :rofl:

^ Yup lol. And Donna's sister (maybe even two sisters) on That '70S Show lol. For a minute I thought you were telling me where the two guys that played Chuck, live now lol.

^ Yup lol. And Donna's sister (maybe even two sisters) on That '70S Show lol. For a minute I thought you were telling me where the two guys that played Chuck, live now lol.
Speaking of That 70s Show, you might as well throw in Midge (Tanya Roberts). :rofl:

Well she more or less just went off the show lol. It wasn't a odd dissapearence after a year or two after being on the show. She was mentioned tons of times after she left the show, but yeah, I know what you're saying :).

Chuck wasn't really mentioned during the show after he written out to supposedly go to college, only periodically. It was assumed that the Cunninghams only had 2 children :lol:.

That was a final Jeopardy category and the answer was the number of kids in the beginning of the show. Nobody remembered Chuck.

That was a final Jeopardy category and the answer was the number of kids in the beginning of the show. Nobody remembered Chuck.
:rofl:

Lol that's so easy. A lot of times contestants on the show know so much about math and history- yet they don't know something as simple as that about television lol.

Lol that's so easy. A lot of times contestants on the show know so much about math and history- yet they don't know something as simple as that about television lol.

That's true!

Didn't Marion become more... um... how should I put this... "dingy" in later seasons? I don't mean it as an insult at all, but she just seemed different to me in these earlier ones. I guess I'll have to watch some more.

I definitely think that as Season one progressed (I'm waiting for disc 3 of Season one to arrive), it got a lot better. Maybe that's because the characters were more established. I noticed that Fonzie started wearing his trademark leather jacket more often.

Most of the episodes on the disc that I watched, I hadn't remembered seeing before. Finally I saw one today that I did remember. The one where Potsie sets up Richie with the blind date; the really tall girl in the Statue of Liberty costume.

Andrea

Arnold was indeed "Arthur's" in the first ep. I too thought I was imagining that. :lol: The first episodes were a far cry from what the show ended up being. Even though the others tried their best, it was never the same after Ron Howard and Donny Most left the show. :(

Even though I still loved the show after they left, I totally agree with you! Ralph was funny and Richie was just a great all around character. That's why I LOVE Season 11's episodes "Welcome Home, Parts 1 and 2." Made me cry after seeing that episode lol.

That's true!

Didn't Marion become more... um... how should I put this... "dingy" in later seasons? I don't mean it as an insult at all, but she just seemed different to me in these earlier ones. I guess I'll have to watch some more.

I definitely think that as Season one progressed (I'm waiting for disc 3 of Season one to arrive), it got a lot better. Maybe that's because the characters were more established. I noticed that Fonzie started wearing his trademark leather jacket more often.

Most of the episodes on the disc that I watched, I hadn't remembered seeing before. Finally I saw one today that I did remember. The one where Potsie sets up Richie with the blind date; the really tall girl in the Statue of Liberty costume.

Andrea

Actually I thought Marion was more loose after the first 2 seasons. The first 2, maybe 3 seasons I always remember seeing her in the kitchen feeding Joanie in the morning or talking to Howard, then Richie or sometimes Chuck would pop in lol. She just seemed a one dimensional character to me, at least Season 1. After that, her hair color changed and she would always say something witty and funny. I remember the episode where Chachi entered in some boxing tournament at this gym and Roger was helping him train, so was Howard a little bit. Anyways, right before his first match, you see everybody in the living room at the house and his opponent knocks then comes in threatening to cause major harm to Chachi. Before he says all that, Marion greets him then asks if he wants pie, cake or something like that, then after she like's Well no pie for you! lol. Her hair looked like a dark orange, a little darker then Ralph's, in early seasons, then it grew a little longer and she had brownish hair. Yeah Fonzie was on and off with the jacket the first 2 seasons lol. With the directors and Garry Marshall trying to work around it, their were a lot of episodes with him and his grayish wind breaker on. Which I don't mind, I liked the wind breaker Fonzie eps as well lol.

The big observation for me is that Henry Winkler wasn't billed until the end credits. He'd move up to the opening credits in the second season, be 2nd billed in the third season and billed 1st from 1980-84.
And Chuck should've been brought back for Joanie and Chachi's wedding.
"Both my kids are here". BOTH? You have THREE kids, Howard.

The big observation for me is that Henry Winkler wasn't billed until the end credits. He'd move up to the opening credits in the second season, be 2nd billed in the third season and billed 1st from 1980-84.
And Chuck should've been brought back for Joanie and Chachi's wedding.
"Both my kids are here". BOTH? You have THREE kids, Howard.

Chuck Cunningham fell into a vortex and was never seen or mentioned again!
:lol:

"Both my kids are here". BOTH? You have THREE kids, Howard.
Actually, the quote is "we've had the joy of raising two wonderful kids." I guess Howard didn't think Chuck was a "wonderful" kid. :D

EDIT: I forgot about the beginning part, "Both of our children are married now." So, I guess Howard just wanted everyone to forget about their outcast child.

Just exactly what did Chuck do that was so terrible to be disowned by his own family?? hmmmmmmmm????? :lol:

I always thought the writers could have rectified the problem during the last season, when they knew the series was winding down.

Chuck unfortunately fell into a ditch...and was never scene again...I mean seen again..I mean seen in a scene again :lol: :lol:!!