Enjoying Season One on DVD!!

[Jude The Obscure]

I just got season one on DVD (thank you, Pepsi) and I am really enjoying these episodes again--even more so than when I was a kid or in reruns. I am now noticing more things with a fine tooth comb, per se. For instance in the first episode, "All the Way", we get to see a full exterior restaurant that was called "Arthur's Restaurant", that I'm sure was some real life restaurant Paramount used for this first episode (second pilot). It actually had a full operational coffee shop in the front (as opposed to the small take out window front later seen as "Arnold's"). I'm sure Paramount, when the series was ordered, built "Arnold's" based on the "Arthur's" real layout, but did it on a smaller scale. Even Potsie, a couple of episodes later("Richie's Cup Runneth Over") referred to the owner as "Arthur", even though by that time, the exterior shots clearly said "Arnold's".

As for character observations, Richie was the naive good All American teen with a natural curiosity for seeking the wild side. Potsie was the supposedly more sophisticated wiser, wordly best friend, who often pretended to know more than he actually did. Still I would take this Potsie over the later evolved dumb as a brick character Potsie became. Joannie was the typical smart aleck younger sister and Chuck was pretty much the non-entity he always was on the series (the writers seemed on intent on never really developing him as a true character from the start).
Fonzie was simply that mysterious cool popular guy everyone wanted to have on their side for approval, before they turned him into Fonzie, THE SUPERHERO.

I loved the sets--they were real and you felt you were actually in a house, actually at a drive-in, at a garage.....the single camera concept worked great and it's a shame the need to turn this into a multi camera, live before a studio audience sitcom , in order to take advantage of the growing ratings.

Another thing I noticed--in the Cunningham garage scenes, there is a fence blocking what would become the stairway to the garage apartment (I'm sure the garage apartment never existed, until the writers felt the need to have Fonzie's presence in every episode, so hence, the set was redesigned from that point of view).

We get to see bedrooms--actual bedrooms and the bathroom. The set redesign for the studio audience severely limited access to full view of the Cunningham house and we rarely, if ever, got to see Howard and Marion in their bedroom, or even Richie's room, if I recall.

There will be more thoughts as I watch more of the DVD set.

[Jude The Obscure]

Since no one else gives a hoot about MY observations, I'll just reply to myself!

In "Fonzie Drops In", we see the writers gradually edging the Fonzie character to a more central position in both the show and Richie's life. And the roots for the Fonzie character to continue his education later on in both becoming a teacher at Jefferson and later dean of boys.
Fonzie here in the early episodes sounds a lot like Henry Winkler's natural soft spoken voice--later on, he would adopt a more manly tougher sounding way of speaking his lines.

I love his response to Marion's mashed potatoes--"Oh I love your mashed potatoes, Mrs. Cunningham. Good and stiff, just like the diner."

I truly enjoy the exterior filming and location shoots--they lend an air of authenicity that would be lost by going strictly studio audience live.

[Chocolate Moose]

will respond when I get my dvds !!!

[Jude The Obscure]

Look forward to that, Chocolate Moose!

[anglemark10]

Originally Posted by Jude The Obscure

I truly enjoy the exterior filming and location shoots--they lend an air of authenicity that would be lost by going strictly studio audience live.

I agree that, artistically, the first two seasons were the best because of the single-camera, no-audience format. I seriously doubt, though, that the show would have become as big as it did if they hadn't made the switch.

[Jude The Obscure]

Watched "Because She Was There" and it got me to thinking of how much Happy Days had in common with The Brady Bunch in those early years!

[Pockets]

Jude, I totally agree. I just picked up season one and it got me curious enough to start reading on the internet. I was a big fan of the show and I always knew that I liked those early episodes so much better because of the style of shooting on locations. The first thing I noticed was the opening theme song - Bill Haley & the Comet's Rock Around the Clock. I knew it was the early season's intro, but I noticed that it sounded polished. Low and behold, when I started reading I found out that this is a re-recorded version. (I have the original.) The most notable difference to me is that the drumming sounds cleaner and the percussion is more prominent. Not that it's bad, just very noticable to me. Also, there is some music replacement and if I am not mistaken it sounds like the Sha Na Na version of Hound Dog playing in the backgrond of one or two scenes.
These episodes are some of the best in my opinion and the essence of the show is capured so well in season one. The characters are so well defined here and this is where the Fonz was at his coolest. The locations are showcased, envoking the period and certainly giving it an authentic feel of the fifties. It's hard to capture malt shops, high schools, and 57 Chevys in a studio. The single camera setup allows the diretor to take advantage of the format for maximum effect. Though filmed like a drama, it works well for situation comedy. I think my favorite epiode in season one is "Fonzie Drops In". This really defined the Richie / Fonzie dynamic for me. Richie was too honest to help Fonzi cheat. Fonzie was true his character by dropping out once more only to glance at his passing grade after leaving school and probably thinking "one day".

Now I am looking forward to revisiting season two.

[anglemark10]

Originally Posted by Pockets

Also, there is some music replacement and if I am not mistaken it sounds like the Sha Na Na version of Hound Dog playing in the backgrond of one or two scenes.

I'm not positive, but even though they may not be the original recordings by the original artists, I think they are the versions that were used on the original airings. In other words, they avoided using the actual songs when they first produced the show.

Originally Posted by Pockets

Now I am looking forward to revisiting season two.

I hate to say it, but you may be disappointed especially after seeing the first-season DVDs. Almost all music has been replaced (including the opening theme) in the season-two set and parts of some scenes have even been cut out because of it.

[Jude The Obscure]

Originally Posted by anglemark10

I'm not positive, but even though they may not be the original recordings by the original artists, I think they are the versions that were used on the original airings. In other words, they avoided using the actual songs when they first produced the show.


I hate to say it, but you may be disappointed especially after seeing the first-season DVDs. Almost all music has been replaced (including the opening theme) in the season-two set and parts of some scenes have even been cut out because of it.

Yes, I haven't bought season 2 for those reasons. So stupid that an American TV series in America is butchered for DVD release, but the European release is uncut and has the original music and theme. Those stupid music rights are ruining a lot for us American fans.

[Pockets]

Originally Posted by Jude The Obscure

Yes, I haven't bought season 2 for those reasons. So stupid that an American TV series in America is butchered for DVD release, but the European release is uncut and has the original music and theme. Those stupid music rights are ruining a lot for us American fans.

Thanks for the advice. I'll look for the European release, (if that's possible.)