Did Robert Boyett "help" cause Happy Days' decline in quality - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 10-20-2016, 04:52 AM

Robert Boyett for those who don't know, joined the production staff around 1978-79. Before this, the bulk of the production (besides Garry Marshall of course) on Happy Days was handled by Thomas Miller and Edward Milkis. I thought about this after watching the Rowdy Reviewer's "TV Trash" retrospective on Joanie Loves Chachi.

Not that it matters in regards to Happy Days but as the newly christened Miller-Milkis-Boyett Productions, no show outside of Bosom Buddies lasted for more than a single season. And even Bosom Buddies itself, only got two. And while it's hard to truly blame Robert Boyett for whatever went wrong w/ Joanie Love Chachi, but bare in mind that Edward Milkis none the less, got bumped down to "Associate Producer" on that show.

Sunshine Cab · 10-20-2016, 10:12 PM

I think the anachronistic clothes the characters wore came on during his tenure.

It seemed like they abandoned any pretense of it being a period piece.

TMC · 08-23-2018, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunshine Cab

I think the anachronistic clothes the characters wore came on during his tenure.

It seemed like they abandoned any pretense of it being a period piece.

The confusion seems to result from the fact that the producers never really bothered to make the show 'look' and 'feel' like the '60s, as they'd done with the '50s setting of the earlier seasons. The last few years of the show, especially after Joanie and Chachi started a singing career, featured hairstyles, behavior and even the music that was more synonymous with the early 1980s than the early-1960s. And some of the accessories that Howard Cunningham was wearing the last few years seasons of were definitely more in line with early to mid '80s fashion trends than those of mid to late '60s. Case in point, the metal rimmed glasses and digital watch Tom Bosley wore on many episodes.

TMC · 04-05-2019, 01:01 AM

It seems like that without Garry Marshall and Edward Milkis around to filter out the most obviously stupid ideas, the results of Miller-Boyett’s output were dire.

Dr. Thong · 10-13-2019, 11:51 AM

The decline of Happy Days -- in my opinion and viewpoint -- came from the decision to continue on after Ron Howard and Donny Most left.

Their departures -- Ron Howard's moreso -- changed the show too much and the replacement characters created by Garry Marshall and his writers fell far short of the mark as far as I'm concerned. It no longer felt like Happy Days to me -- it certainly wasn't the show I'd watched since season 3, when I jumped on the bandwagon like everyone else because of the show's burgeoning popularity.

Even in season 7, the show was starting to show signs of age and in some cases, there were shows that seemed a little tired. The characters were no longer teenage high school students and even the show acknowledged that they'd transitioned to the 1960s.

I think that HD would have had a better run overall if the final four seasons had never happened.

DEH55 · 06-15-2020, 12:15 AM

I agree. I read that in the 1979-80 season the ratings started to dip out of the top ten. So there seemed to be some fatigue with fans of the show. But when Ron and Don left there was no turning back. Then the big focus was on Joanie and Chachi, Roger, Jenny Picallo, they added a stereotypical nerd in Belvin, later Flip, Casey etc. Just not a A list group of characters to enjoy or like. The Fonz was still there but he wasn't the ultra cool Fonz of the peak years.

Dr. Thong · 06-21-2020, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEH55

I agree. I read that in the 1979-80 season the ratings started to dip out of the top ten. So there seemed to be some fatigue with fans of the show. But when Ron and Don left there was no turning back. Then the big focus was on Joanie and Chachi, Roger, Jenny Picallo, they added a stereotypical nerd in Belvin, later Flip, Casey etc. Just not a A list group of characters to enjoy or like. The Fonz was still there but he wasn't the ultra cool Fonz of the peak years.

Fonzie slowly became more and more nerdy as the show went on, particularly in the later years. It wasn't the same show anymore. Without Richie, the show lost a major character and it's focus.

IMO, the show should have ended with season 7.

DEH55 · 06-23-2020, 10:16 PM

It's true. The Fonz in 1982 was not the same as the Fonz from 1977. It's hard to explain what happened to him. Maybe more of Henry Winkler was surfacing.lol

Dr. Thong · 06-25-2020, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEH55

It's true. The Fonz in 1982 was not the same as the Fonz from 1977. It's hard to explain what happened to him. Maybe more of Henry Winkler was surfacing.lol

That's probably true. But by that point, the focus of the show had shifted, Ron and Donny were gone and the show was ostensibly in the 1960s, though Arnold's looked like an 80s pub by that point.

All shows eventually run out of creative steam and by 1982, the show had been on the air for 8 years. Even some of the season 7 shows with Ron and Donny seemed a bit tired.

HD was not the same show anymore and the fact that they had weak replacement and add-on characters didn't help.

And as I'm fond of saying, I think the Fonzie from the first two seasons would have kicked the Fonzie from the later seasons' ass.

someguy23475 · 09-29-2020, 08:57 AM

Seeing some of the 77-79 episodes for the first time in years, I had forgotten how bad some of them were. It did get worse after Ron Howard left. I never cared for Ted McGinley’s character.

TMC · 09-19-2024, 02:05 AM

This comment I think, provides a good perspective on Thomas Miller and Robert Boyett's contributions to Happy Days and really, sitcoms going forward:

Quote:

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.

Dr. Thong · 09-20-2024, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

This comment I think, provides a good perspective on Thomas Miller and Robert Boyett's contributions to Happy Days and really, sitcoms going forward:

I'm sorry, could you repeat that again...?

10-20-2016, 04:52 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,703	Did Robert Boyett "help" cause Happy Days' decline in quality Robert Boyett for those who don't know, joined the production staff around 1978-79. Before this, the bulk of the production (besides Garry Marshall of course) on Happy Days was handled by Thomas Miller and Edward Milkis. I thought about this after watching the Rowdy Reviewer's "TV Trash" retrospective on Joanie Loves Chachi. Not that it matters in regards to Happy Days but as the newly christened Miller-Milkis-Boyett Productions, no show outside of Bosom Buddies lasted for more than a single season. And even Bosom Buddies itself, only got two. And while it's hard to truly blame Robert Boyett for whatever went wrong w/ Joanie Love Chachi, but bare in mind that Edward Milkis none the less, got bumped down to "Associate Producer" on that show.
	Last edited by TMC; 08-23-2018 at 03:43 AM.

10-13-2019, 11:51 AM	#5
Dr. Thong a/k/a "ACK!" Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 10, 2001 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,546	The decline of Happy Days -- in my opinion and viewpoint -- came from the decision to continue on after Ron Howard and Donny Most left. Their departures -- Ron Howard's moreso -- changed the show too much and the replacement characters created by Garry Marshall and his writers fell far short of the mark as far as I'm concerned. It no longer felt like Happy Days to me -- it certainly wasn't the show I'd watched since season 3, when I jumped on the bandwagon like everyone else because of the show's burgeoning popularity. Even in season 7, the show was starting to show signs of age and in some cases, there were shows that seemed a little tired. The characters were no longer teenage high school students and even the show acknowledged that they'd transitioned to the 1960s. I think that HD would have had a better run overall if the final four seasons had never happened.
	__________________ "Sunday has been cancelled due to lack of interest. That is all."

10-20-2016, 10:12 PM	#2
Sunshine Cab Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 20, 2016 Posts: 105	I think the anachronistic clothes the characters wore came on during his tenure. It seemed like they abandoned any pretense of it being a period piece.

04-05-2019, 01:01 AM	#4
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,703	It seems like that without Garry Marshall and Edward Milkis around to filter out the most obviously stupid ideas, the results of Miller-Boyett’s output were dire.

06-15-2020, 12:15 AM	#6
DEH55 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 19, 2020 Posts: 322	I agree. I read that in the 1979-80 season the ratings started to dip out of the top ten. So there seemed to be some fatigue with fans of the show. But when Ron and Don left there was no turning back. Then the big focus was on Joanie and Chachi, Roger, Jenny Picallo, they added a stereotypical nerd in Belvin, later Flip, Casey etc. Just not a A list group of characters to enjoy or like. The Fonz was still there but he wasn't the ultra cool Fonz of the peak years.

06-23-2020, 10:16 PM	#8
DEH55 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 19, 2020 Posts: 322	It's true. The Fonz in 1982 was not the same as the Fonz from 1977. It's hard to explain what happened to him. Maybe more of Henry Winkler was surfacing.lol

09-29-2020, 08:57 AM	#10
someguy23475 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 02, 2006 Posts: 167	Seeing some of the 77-79 episodes for the first time in years, I had forgotten how bad some of them were. It did get worse after Ron Howard left. I never cared for Ted McGinley’s character.