missing years - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

tmac81s · 03-23-2011, 06:31 AM

In season 11's "Fonzie Moves Out," Fonzie says he's lived above the Cunningham's garage for 6 years. This is in late '84 (real time.) He moved in at the start of season 3 ('75, real time.) Which means it was 9 years.

So why did they forget about three years?

I noticed a couple times throughout the series run, that time seemed to drag. Basically, the second season episode "The Not making of the President", from 1974, is set in the year 1956. The last episode, 1984's "Passages," is shown as being 1965. That's already a year lost somewhere....

The 1978 Christmas episode is correctly shown as being "Christmas 1960." 1981's "Home Movies" depicts the events of "Summer 1962," although earlier seasons would suggest it should be 1963. I'm guessing they wanted to prolong Joanie and Chachi's high school years!

So one year lost isn't such a big deal.....but THREE years is kinda unfathomable! Perhaps it was just some kind of typo or dislexia going on, since an upside down "9" can look like a "6"

NITPICKING, I know, but that's just me!

robyrob · 03-23-2011, 08:13 AM

Gary Marshall has always said that they never focused on the specific years and viewed it as being just set in that general time period somewhat chronologically.

there are so many time-continuity errors in the show it would be pointless to start listing them.

biffbronson · 03-23-2011, 05:27 PM

Yet for the later seasons of Laverne & Shirley, the cast is seen at the end of each opening with a sign for the year it's supposedly taking place. Go figure -- maybe Garry wanted to treat L & S differently (which he could do as they did leave Milwaukee, cutting off potential crossovers).

tmac81s · 03-24-2011, 02:45 AM

they also seemed to advance L&S a couple years ahead when they moved to Cali. I always thought that maybe they wanted to have it be a little closer to the (then) present day, maybe to set up cameos of famous people (like they did with Troy Donahue) and not have it so apparent that they looked older than they were supposed to be in L&S's time.

biffbronson · 03-24-2011, 06:40 PM

I did read somewhere that Garry wanted to go a little lax with L & S as far as wardrobe, etc. because it was a way to keep the show on (or under) budget.

You make a good observation regarding the move to CA.

dave insinga · 03-28-2011, 07:46 PM

they did it here on happy days,on growing pains ,on family ties and its been even done on shows like desperate housewives,i just think it makes it seem a liitle more interesting when they move the time lines a bit.its more noticeable with happy days because it started out so differently than it ended,i mean look at chachis hair in the last couple seasons no ones hair was really as long as his was until the late sixties.

03-23-2011, 06:31 AM	#1
tmac81s Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 06, 2011 Location: Kalispell, MT, USA Posts: 203	missing years In season 11's "Fonzie Moves Out," Fonzie says he's lived above the Cunningham's garage for 6 years. This is in late '84 (real time.) He moved in at the start of season 3 ('75, real time.) Which means it was 9 years. So why did they forget about three years? I noticed a couple times throughout the series run, that time seemed to drag. Basically, the second season episode "The Not making of the President", from 1974, is set in the year 1956. The last episode, 1984's "Passages," is shown as being 1965. That's already a year lost somewhere.... The 1978 Christmas episode is correctly shown as being "Christmas 1960." 1981's "Home Movies" depicts the events of "Summer 1962," although earlier seasons would suggest it should be 1963. I'm guessing they wanted to prolong Joanie and Chachi's high school years! So one year lost isn't such a big deal.....but THREE years is kinda unfathomable! Perhaps it was just some kind of typo or dislexia going on, since an upside down "9" can look like a "6" NITPICKING, I know, but that's just me!
	__________________ "Aaaaayyy"~~The Fonz, "Happy Days" "I've Heard it Both Ways"~~Shawn Spencer, "Psych" "Well how the hell should I know?”~~Thelma Harper, “Mama’s Family”/“Carol Burnett Show”

03-23-2011, 08:13 AM	#2
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,182	Gary Marshall has always said that they never focused on the specific years and viewed it as being just set in that general time period somewhat chronologically. there are so many time-continuity errors in the show it would be pointless to start listing them.
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03-23-2011, 05:27 PM	#3
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,455	Yet for the later seasons of Laverne & Shirley, the cast is seen at the end of each opening with a sign for the year it's supposedly taking place. Go figure -- maybe Garry wanted to treat L & S differently (which he could do as they did leave Milwaukee, cutting off potential crossovers).
	__________________ In memory of lovely Erin Moran 1960-2017 ~ Missing you "For you are beautiful ~ And I have loved you dearly ~ More dearly than the spoken word can tell..." "What's the word?" (Paul Martin) ~~ "I don't want money for nothing." (Timmy Martin) -- Lassie ROCKS! WORD UP "It's just a dugout that my dad built... In case the reds* decide to push the button down..."*

03-28-2011, 07:46 PM	#6
dave insinga Member Forum Regular Join Date: May 19, 2005 Posts: 590	tv has done this forever they did it here on happy days,on growing pains ,on family ties and its been even done on shows like desperate housewives,i just think it makes it seem a liitle more interesting when they move the time lines a bit.its more noticeable with happy days because it started out so differently than it ended,i mean look at chachis hair in the last couple seasons no ones hair was really as long as his was until the late sixties.

03-24-2011, 02:45 AM	#4
tmac81s Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 06, 2011 Location: Kalispell, MT, USA Posts: 203	they also seemed to advance L&S a couple years ahead when they moved to Cali. I always thought that maybe they wanted to have it be a little closer to the (then) present day, maybe to set up cameos of famous people (like they did with Troy Donahue) and not have it so apparent that they looked older than they were supposed to be in L&S's time.

03-24-2011, 06:40 PM	#5
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,455	I did read somewhere that Garry wanted to go a little lax with L & S as far as wardrobe, etc. because it was a way to keep the show on (or under) budget. You make a good observation regarding the move to CA.