Now, there is popular agreement among Sitcoms Online users that Happy Days should have been cancelled in 1980 when Ron Howard and Don Most departed from it. And I guess by that same point, Laverne & Shirley was just running out of ideas in its original Milwaukee setting.

During the early 1980s, younger, more promising sitcoms on the ABC Network were being held back left and right, like 9 to 5, It's a Living, and Too Close for Comfort, thanks to the continued runs of Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. 9 to 5 and TCFC looked like ratings success one year, and the next year, ABC does something to those shows that forces a huge ratings decline.

What I would have done is end both Happy Days AND Laverne & Shirley after the 1980-81 season (HD's eighth season and L&S's sixth). Allow Ron Howard and Donny Most to return for one last year of HD, and let the title characters of L&S stay in Milwaukee for one more year, with their move to California taking place in its series finale (it should be noted that L&S, despite the massive ratings success in its early years, never had an official series finale episode in real life).

Under that alternate timeline, how would Happy Days's and Laverne & Shirley's storylines for 1980-81 have been different? For starters, Happy Days's "Passages" finale would have been shifted three years earlier as a consequence, and I don't think the Joanie Loves Chachi spinoff would have existed at all.

I would have just ended both shows in 1980 and have the final Happy Days episode be Richie, Potsie, and Ralph graduating from college; maybe even add in Richie proposing to Lori Beth and we would get a glimpse of the boys talking about what their futures would be like. Maybe even bring back Arnold for the graduation.

And L&S then too because fall 1980 was when they moved to California and the show went steadily downhill from that point going forward.

Yeah....they milked both shows for every ounce they could get and the show suffered as a result.

Yeah....they milked both shows for every ounce they could get and the show suffered as a result.

I think most shows have maybe four or five good seasons; after that, it's just milking it to keep it going.

As much as I loved Happy Days, it was showing signs of old age in Ron Howard's final season, the 7th.

I would have just ended both shows in 1980 and have the final Happy Days episode be Richie, Potsie, and Ralph graduating from college; maybe even add in Richie proposing to Lori Beth and we would get a glimpse of the boys talking about what their futures would be like. Maybe even bring back Arnold for the graduation.

And L&S then too because fall 1980 was when they moved to California and the show went steadily downhill from that point going forward.

Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. Thong. The reason why I decided on 1981 instead of 1980 was because it's for the sake of not knowing when Ron Howard decided to leave Happy Days. Could he have decided on it after production on season 7 had been completed, or beforehand? Beforehand would have been better.

Agreed. Leave them wanting more!

When they found out Ron Howard was leaving then they should have wrapped things up. it would have spared us the Joanie and Chachi years. as a kid i remember the other kids at school had moved on from Happy Days by the time Roger had arrived. it was not cool anymore. Even the Fonz wasn't considered cool anymore.

They really ran the shows into the ground.

This applies more to HD than Laverne and Shirley since HD had 11 seasons. L&S ended at the right time, when shirley left the show

This applies more to HD than Laverne and Shirley since HD had 11 seasons. L&S ended at the right time, when shirley left the show

It continued for a while after she left. It was a mistake.

It appears that pregnant in real life actors weren't treated well. They were basically written off as it happened to when Cindy Williams was on L&S. And it happened years later on Fresh Prince of Bel Air with Janet Hubert, where she was re-cast.

Although it was unprecedented, L&S should have taken some time off, and resumed when Cindy Williams was ready to return. And maybe the show just stayed in Milwaukee rather than go to LA. However, I'm not sure if it would have succeeded any longer in duration, but maybe.

I guess I'm in the minority but I loved both Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley later years.

I guess I'm in the minority but I loved both Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley later years.

Why

Happy Days should've ended at season 6 as that was the last season that truly felt like a show about the 1950s. Starting with season 7, things got strange and very 70s-esque which made for some weird viewing. The post Richie years aren't bad but certainly steer clear of the original purpose of the show.

Laverne and Shirley I feel ended at right about the correct time, though we could've done without the ill-fated final season without half of its namesake. Unlike others, I didn't mind their move to California and thought it was a refreshing move for the show.

I don't think the Joanie Loves Chachi spinoff would have existed at all.

We can dream...

I think both series should have ended earlier. I'm a bit in the minority in liking S6 of Laverne and Shirley, but only for it's FOW moments. They should have cut the show off then and given everyone some closure.

Happy Days also should have ended either when Howard and Most left, or the season after. After that it became just the Fonzie, Chachi, Joanie, and Roger, poop fest that we all remember.

Happy Days should've ended at season 6 as that was the last season that truly felt like a show about the 1950s. Starting with season 7, things got strange and very 70s-esque which made for some weird viewing. The post Richie years aren't bad but certainly steer clear of the original purpose of the show.


Happy Days was a show about high school kids in the 50s (even though the actors were not of high school age). Nice idea, but kind of hard to keep something like that going very long. After a couple seasons, the episodes seemed to revolve mostly around the Fonz. That was fine for a while, but I soon grew tired of it. I would have pulled the plug after season 6, if not sooner.

Without Ron Howard and Donny Most, HD is a pale shadow of its former self.

Even season 7 shows that the show was starting to age out a bit. The characters were no longer the crazed, horny teenagers trying to negotiate life in the 50s.

Now, they were just a bunch of young, horny adults navigating their way through the 60s and college.

I was trying to think of a Happy Days episode where I realized Happy Days wasn't cool anymore. Some hate Fonz jumping the shark but I had no problem with it and kids at school loved it. I hated the episode where they all did musical numbers. Chachi singing. Terrible. Or the one with Melvin Scratch. Or the one where Fonz and Ritchie met Laverne and Shirley at the farm. Can anyone think of others?

I was trying to think of a Happy Days episode where I realized Happy Days wasn't cool anymore. Some hate Fonz jumping the shark but I had no problem with it and kids at school loved it. I hated the episode where they all did musical numbers. Chachi singing. Terrible. Or the one with Melvin Scratch. Or the one where Fonz and Ritchie met Laverne and Shirley at the farm. Can anyone think of others?

I think that farm episode was the beginning of the 79-80 season and last crossover

Yes and it was bad and it was the last time I think the shows acknowledged each others existence. Lol once Laverne and Shirley moved to California they were not connected anymore and were not even in the same year anymore were they? Lol

Yes and it was bad and it was the last time I think the shows acknowledged each others existence. Lol once Laverne and Shirley moved to California they were not connected anymore and were not even in the same year anymore were they? Lol

My memory is richie with a cow hat on and laverne with cowgirl boots. How did they end up at a farm?

My memory is richie with a cow hat on and laverne with cowgirl boots. How did they end up at a farm?

The cunninghams and Fonz go up to some lake and Fonz and Ritchie find out there are these two hot farm girls at a nearby farm. So they both get into a cow costume to sneak on the property to meet them. (so stupid) and it turns out they have a over protective father with a shot gun. Laverne and Shirley also just happen to be at the lake. The second part aired on Laverne and Shirley. I think the father was going to force them to marry his daughters until Laverne and Shirley came to their rescue.

Happy Days should've ended at season 6 as that was the last season that truly felt like a show about the 1950s. Starting with season 7, things got strange and very 70s-esque which made for some weird viewing. The post Richie years aren't bad but certainly steer clear of the original purpose of the show.

Laverne and Shirley I feel ended at right about the correct time, though we could've done without the ill-fated final season without half of its namesake. Unlike others, I didn't mind their move to California and thought it was a refreshing move for the show.

Others have wrote (https://www.quora.com/What-show-do-you-think-ran-too-long-When-did-it-start-to-go-down-in-quality-How-would-you-have-ended-the-show) that Happy Days (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031121718/http://www.jumptheshark.com/h/happydays.htm), especially the post-Richie/Ron Howard years, really started to mock the audience. It wasn't just that the actors stopped wearing time period appropriate (https://www.quora.com/Why-did-Happy-Days-give-up-the-50s-fashion-for-70s-bell-bottoms) clothing and haircuts, but they often mailed in their performances. And this was made even worse by the loud ovations that they would receive every time that they made their entrance.

Basically, the show took five seasons worth of material and expanded into eleven. And in those last three or so seasons that featured Ted McGinley and in particular, Scott Baio, you would be hard pressed to believe that this was the same show that once upon a time, simply about the adventures and misadventures of three teenagers in 1950s Milwaukee.

Others have wrote (https://www.quora.com/What-show-do-you-think-ran-too-long-When-did-it-start-to-go-down-in-quality-How-would-you-have-ended-the-show) that Happy Days (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031121718/http://www.jumptheshark.com/h/happydays.htm), especially the post-Richie/Ron Howard years, really started to mock the audience. It wasn't just that the actors stopped wearing time period appropriate (https://www.quora.com/Why-did-Happy-Days-give-up-the-50s-fashion-for-70s-bell-bottoms) clothing and haircuts, but they often mailed in their performances. And this was made even worse by the loud ovations that they would receive every time that they made their entrance.

Even Ron Howard said in a video interview that he never got the tone of that show. Interesting comment.

Yeah, I think you have to blame Garry Marshall, Jerry Paris, and the writers, as they were the chief architects of the show.

As much as I loved the original cast, it was clearly showing signs of old age by season 7 and in re-watching seasons 8-11, they would have been better off ending it in 1980.

Even Ron Howard said in a video interview that he never got the tone of that show. Interesting comment.

Yeah, I think you have to blame Garry Marshall, Jerry Paris, and the writers, as they were the chief architects of the show.

As much as I loved the original cast, it was clearly showing signs of old age by season 7 and in re-watching seasons 8-11, they would have been better off ending it in 1980.

It really should have ended around 1980. Once the period fashions were gone, the show lost its identity, and eventually, it even lost the characters that had made the show work. I would have cut it off after episode 167, the end of Season 7, in May 1980.

I like every season of Happy Days, wouldn't have cut it off any sooner. Henry Winkler was a very capable replacement lead after Ron Howard left. Marion Ross and Tom Bosley were on the whole show, and Erin Moran was most of it. I also like Roger, he gets unfairly hated on by the Richie fans who wouldn't accept any replacement. While season 10 was weaker without Joanie, I really want to see that again now that I am a Crystal Bernard fan from Wings and It's a Living. It is a real shame Happy Days has disappeared from syndication (MeTV doesn't count as I likely will never have it on Comcast :mad:).

L&S ended at the right time, when shirley left the showNope. Shirley was on the first seven seasons. Laverne and Shirley had a full final season #8 after Shirley left.

It really should have ended around 1980. Once the period fashions were gone, the show lost its identity, and eventually, it even lost the characters that had made the show work. I would have cut it off after episode 167, the end of Season 7, in May 1980.

They should have had the last episode of season 7 showing them graduating from college, looking forward to the future and finally, Joanie and Chachi could have gotten together.

They should have had the last episode of season 7 showing them graduating from college, looking forward to the future and finally, Joanie and Chachi could have gotten together.

That ending would have been so much better than the Ted McGinley and Helen from Wings era. I don't know why producers bring in "the cousin" to replace a longtime, well-beloved character, but it happens far too often on TV, whether it be "Cousin Oliver", "Cousin Pam", or "Cousin Roger".

That ending would have been so much better than the Ted McGinley and Helen from Wings era. I don't know why producers bring in "the cousin" to replace a longtime, well-beloved character, but it happens far too often on TV, whether it be "Cousin Oliver", "Cousin Pam", or "Cousin Roger".

As for me, I don't bag on Ted McGinley: He was just doing what any actor would do, he played the part the way he was told to.

I blame Garry Marshall and the writers for coming up with "weak sister" versions of previous characters.

I think Too Close for Comfort would benefit greatly in an alternate universe where Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley ended earlier. I would place TCFC on the Happy Days timeslot (Tuesdays at 8 pm) for season 3, and the move to Thursdays and subsequent ratings decline would be avoided (and consequently, so would its move to first-run syndication). Therefore, TCFC would stay on ABC Network for its entire run, and so would Taxi (its move to NBC for season 5 wouldn't happen). I don't know about It's/Making a Living, 9 to 5, or Mork & Mindy and how they would have fared under such a timeline/universe.

Pretty much all the characters Marshall brought in after Ron and Don left were weak. Roger, Jenny, Melvin Belvin, Flip, Casey and on and on. Marshall had lost the plot by this time. You think Ron would have wanted to be on a show with most of these characters?

Pretty much all the characters Marshall brought in after Ron and Don left were weak. Roger, Jenny, Melvin Belvin, Flip, Casey and on and on. Marshall had lost the plot by this time. You think Ron would have wanted to be on a show with most of these characters?

Probably not. His heart lied in directing and I think he was more than ready to leave and embark on a new career circa 1980.

Happy Days just kind of went on life support and limped to the finish line in 1984, though the reunion episodes with Ron and Donny were good (it was great to see the old gang back together at Arnold's) and the finale was good too, though I never understood why Richie and Lori Beth showed up at the last minute and Ralph and Potsie never attended Joanie and Chachi's wedding.

Why

Because it was good.

Laverne and Shirley I feel ended at right about the correct time, though we could've done without the ill-fated final season without half of its namesake. Unlike others, I didn't mind their move to California and thought it was a refreshing move for the show.

I like the California move as well. :wave:

I like every season of Happy Days, wouldn't have cut it off any sooner. Henry Winkler was a very capable replacement lead after Ron Howard left. Marion Ross and Tom Bosley were on the whole show, and Erin Moran was most of it. I also like Roger, he gets unfairly hated on by the Richie fans who wouldn't accept any replacement. While season 10 was weaker without Joanie, I really want to see that again now that I am a Crystal Bernard fan from Wings and It's a Living. It is a real shame Happy Days has disappeared from syndication (MeTV doesn't count as I likely will never have it on Comcast :mad:).

Great Post! I agree. :wave:

Because it was good.

what made it good

what made it good

The characters and the storylines.

The characters and the storylines.

what characters and what storylines