An end of an era tonight?

[mets82]

Well, Happy Days is airing when Richie, Ralph and Postie go to Chicago. The significance is that this would be the last episode w/o a studio audience. As you know after this, Happy Days went to a studio audience and Fonzie moved into the Cunninghams apt. over the garage. Some people on the board have talked about how maybe Happy Days should've stayed w/o a studio audience. I mean on one case, I kind of like w/o a studio audience but I think Happy Days, really up until the Gang graduated high school was funny too.


On a side note, this really has nothing to do with this post but I had a question. Did you notice that both Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley kind of had the same type of restaurant towards the end of there respective series? What I mean is that if you look at Arnold's toward the end of the series, to me, it seems like they were modeling after The Old West, with those push doors going into Arnolds. Laverne and Shirley had there own Old West motiff with Cowboy Bills. It just seems in both cases they were both going for some country and western theme, but thats just me.

[jsgtrman]

Interesting you mention this, as I was also going to post about it. IMO, I think this 3rd season is really where the kicked into their groove and hit their stride in the series. The first 2 seasons were kind like a prequel, and getting the storylines and characters established, and kinda feeling things out and finding their footing with the writing. However, starting with this 3rd series this seems to kick it all into high gear and the most classic stories of the series begin to appear, not to mention the characters like Arnold now showing up. Joanie is now growing up and getting cuter growing out of her "chipmunk" looks also. But the "Fearless Fonzarelli" stories that aired tonight when Fonzie jumps the garbage cans.... these are the classics that I remember. Not so much with all of the first 2 seasons, those still had the "Love American Style" vibe to them. Now the writers seem to know what they have, and the actors seem to embrace it and know what they're doing. It's also nice to read along with the wiki episode guide as I watch these, lots of good info there:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._Days_episodes

Most notably, the studio audience is the explanation for some of the inconsistencies of that inexplicable ever changing setup of that DAMN HOUSE! I'll just start another thread on this....

[dave insinga]

but i think the show was better after them.the first two seasons were like half hour versions of american graffiti.but the show was much more enjoyable after
season two.the characters got a chance to develop more and they were not so concerned about it being the fifties.the writing improved and it was just a better show.if it would have stayed the way it was in seasons 1&2 i don't think it would have lasted as long as the series did.

[jsgtrman]

I definitely agree, it got much better starting with season 3. ALL of these episodes seem like classic episodes and the best in the series, and I remember just about all of them including most of the dialogue as well as I watch them again. That isn't the case with all of seasons 1 & 2, even though I've seen them a few times before... it's weird, but maybe they just weren't quite as memorable. Or maybe I just didn't enjoy them quite as much as Season 3 and later TO remember them the same way. Either way, this Season 3 may be my favorite of the series.

[Elvis Fonzie Dean]

I like the first two/three seasons the most. Fonzie was used best in the first two seasons. I like Happy Days being a 50s show.

[Sitcom Collector]

A critic said once: 'The Wonder Years' was what 'Happy Days' should have been'
IMO the first two seasons are the best, it had a 'film' feel to it that made one actually believe it was the 1950s, the later seasons never had that. They always looked like 70s actors pretending it was the 50s.
The first two seasons were also aimed at a more adult audience, no cartoony super Fonzie with super powers. I liked the darker Fonzie of the early years, there was a mystery about him that was lost. In his place was a cartoon character jumping over sharks. I wish Garry Marshall had decided to continue the direction of the first two years. In time they may have discarded the laugh track altogether and it would have become a real piece of Americana.

[Mr. Television]

I think the show would have only lasted 3 seasons if the producers didn't make the change. The show was not that popular until it started filming before a studio audience and they made The Fonz a major character.