Continuing without Ron Howard - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Rich3 · 08-24-2011, 10:54 PM

Do you think that they should have continued the show after Ron Howard left?

Marvo301 · 08-24-2011, 11:06 PM

No. when Ron Howard and Don Most both left that should have been the end of Happy Days.

eltonfan80 · 08-25-2011, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

No. when Ron Howard and Don Most both left that should have been the end of Happy Days.

i agree completly with you

FredV · 08-26-2011, 09:53 AM

After Ron and Donnie left, the focus of the show focused more on Fonzi, which the producers had wanted to do earlier on when Fonzi broke out as a main character. At this point, I felt the show became a bit more cartoonish, though there were still some good episodes produced, one of the best I felt is when Fonzi met Angela the waitress who he thought was his long-lost mother. The two part 'Welcome Home, Ritchie' episode which reunited the cast with Ron and Donnie again were perhaps the best episodes of the latter seasons, and really emphasized how important Ritchie and Ralph were to the chemistry of the show.

Rich3 · 09-04-2011, 12:34 PM

I don't think Donnie Most was that important to the show. He was not even a major character in the first two seasons. Potsie was a bigger part of the original series. He was Richie's best friend while Ralph was just a minor character. Then the show sort of became more focused on Richie and Fonzie. But that was okay. Fonzie was a strong character.

But if the show had just lost Ralph it wouldn't have been a major blow.

TVFactFan · 09-04-2011, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich3

I don't think Donnie Most was that important to the show. He was not even a major character in the first two seasons. Potsie was a bigger part of the original series. He was Richie's best friend while Ralph was just a minor character. Then the show sort of became more focused on Richie and Fonzie. But that was okay. Fonzie was a strong character.

But if the show had just lost Ralph it wouldn't have been a major blow.

You mean if the show had lost POSTIE instead of Ralph it would not have been that big of a blow. Ralph stood out more than potsie.

Rich3 · 09-05-2011, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

You mean if the show had lost POSTIE instead of Ralph it would not have been that big of a blow. Ralph stood out more than potsie.

I don't agree. That was really the fault of the writers and producers. They made Potsie into a flatter character after the early seasons. Ralph was never that funny. He never "had it" as far as I'm concerned, like his character used to proclaim. I never really liked the show after the early seasons.

Marvo301 · 09-05-2011, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich3

I don't think Donnie Most was that important to the show. He was not even a major character in the first two seasons. Potsie was a bigger part of the original series. He was Richie's best friend while Ralph was just a minor character. Then the show sort of became more focused on Richie and Fonzie. But that was okay. Fonzie was a strong character.

But if the show had just lost Ralph it wouldn't have been a major blow.

I think Ralph was more important than you give him credit for. Once Ritchie buddied up with Fonzie Ralph became Potsie's buddy. In fact they eventually became roomates. And when Don Most left the show the writers didn't know what to do with Potsie since he no longer had Ralph to hang out with. There were some excellent episodes with Ralph where we got to see him more in depth too. Like the episode where Ralph's parents got divorced and he turned to Mr. and Mrs. C to help him deal with emotions. And the episode where Leather Tuscadero was his date to the college dance and they both changed considerably to impress each other only to realize in the end it would be much better just to be themselves.

IllinoisTVFan · 09-25-2011, 12:41 AM

I too think it should have ended after Richie left. While Fonzie was a strong character there was also too much emphasis on Joanie and Chachi and to be honest the show by the latter years was really unwatchable.

Guy Incognito · 09-29-2011, 10:40 PM

The central problem was that the characters had to grow up, but that process fundamentally altered the direction of the show and it never really recovered. Ritchie leaving hurt the show, but it was great for his character because it actually allowed him to mature offscreen. Otherwise, he and Lori Beth would likely have been living upstairs in the room next to Joanie. That might sound ludicrous, but then you have Fonzie, a 30-plus year old man living over a garage for nearly a decade despite working as a teacher and a mechanic AND having enough money to invest in Arnold's. Joanie was finally allowed to grow up when she moved away to Chicago with Chachi, but then she had to move back to her old room and fall back into the same old patterns when the spinoff bombed and K.C. failed to catch on with viewers. I thought they missed an great opportunity to have her and Jenny move in as roommates to replicate the Potsie/Ralph dynamic, but Cathy Silvers left so I guess that wasn't a possibility.

And then there's poor Potsie, who stayed in a state of arrested development for years and seemed destined for a life of mediocrity. At least they tried updating the other characters (although most of the experiments, like Ashley, failed) and maintain a sense of progression. But watching him during those last few seasons was just sad, doing nothing of note and getting slapped around by Chachi of all people.

comedyfreak · 09-30-2011, 04:05 AM

I'm glad the show continued on. I'm enjoying the post Ritchie eps on Hub and they are still funny. I seen the ep where we finally meet Rosa Coletti, I was in hysterics when Fonzie and Chachi read a letter from Al's Mother ending in yep yep yep yep yep.

robyrob · 09-30-2011, 09:37 AM

i liked the post-Richie eps, there were a lot of great ones.

Retro4Life · 09-30-2011, 11:48 AM

I drifted away from the show after Richie and Ralph left, mostly because of Richie's absence.

Guy Incognito got it right. I'd also add that for me, Richie was the heart and soul of the show; the small town kid who was a bit naive and gullible but well meaning and earnest, like a lot of kids from that place and time. Loved the Fonz but honestly his prominence kind of hurt the show in a way; he was wonderful as a second banana/supporting character to Richie but once the latter left, the Fonz had no one to really play off of, and the balance of innocence/hardened experience was undone. Really never cared about the "second generation" that much and just absolutely loathed the Chachi character.

antman67 · 02-19-2012, 04:25 PM

I still watched the show after Richie & Ralph left but it was not as good. I agree+ Without Richie, the show was not the same. Ralph was ok, but not as important.

dave insinga · 02-21-2012, 12:37 AM

but there are many post richie episodes i enjoy.as a whole i really enjoy season 11 there were many good episodes from that season
WELCOME HOME PT 1 & 2 being my favorite episodes
ARTHUR ARTHUR whch for whatever reason the hub leaves out
KISS ME TEACH
FONZIE SPOTS
FONZIE MOVES OUT
PASSAGES

08-24-2011, 10:54 PM	#1
Rich3 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 10, 2005 Posts: 688	Continuing without Ron Howard Do you think that they should have continued the show after Ron Howard left?

08-24-2011, 11:06 PM	#2
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,450	No. when Ron Howard and Don Most both left that should have been the end of Happy Days.
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09-30-2011, 04:05 AM	#11
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,058	I'm glad the show continued on. I'm enjoying the post Ritchie eps on Hub and they are still funny. I seen the ep where we finally meet Rosa Coletti, I was in hysterics when Fonzie and Chachi read a letter from Al's Mother ending in yep yep yep yep yep.
	__________________ www.facebook.com/comedyfreak

09-30-2011, 09:37 AM	#12
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,159	i liked the post-Richie eps, there were a lot of great ones.
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09-30-2011, 11:48 AM	#13
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,706	I drifted away from the show after Richie and Ralph left, mostly because of Richie's absence. Guy Incognito got it right. I'd also add that for me, Richie was the heart and soul of the show; the small town kid who was a bit naive and gullible but well meaning and earnest, like a lot of kids from that place and time. Loved the Fonz but honestly his prominence kind of hurt the show in a way; he was wonderful as a second banana/supporting character to Richie but once the latter left, the Fonz had no one to really play off of, and the balance of innocence/hardened experience was undone. Really never cared about the "second generation" that much and just absolutely loathed the Chachi character.
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

08-26-2011, 09:53 AM	#4
FredV Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 23, 2011 Location: New York City Posts: 13	After Ron and Donnie left, the focus of the show focused more on Fonzi, which the producers had wanted to do earlier on when Fonzi broke out as a main character. At this point, I felt the show became a bit more cartoonish, though there were still some good episodes produced, one of the best I felt is when Fonzi met Angela the waitress who he thought was his long-lost mother. The two part 'Welcome Home, Ritchie' episode which reunited the cast with Ron and Donnie again were perhaps the best episodes of the latter seasons, and really emphasized how important Ritchie and Ralph were to the chemistry of the show.

09-04-2011, 12:34 PM	#5
Rich3 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 10, 2005 Posts: 688	I don't think Donnie Most was that important to the show. He was not even a major character in the first two seasons. Potsie was a bigger part of the original series. He was Richie's best friend while Ralph was just a minor character. Then the show sort of became more focused on Richie and Fonzie. But that was okay. Fonzie was a strong character. But if the show had just lost Ralph it wouldn't have been a major blow.

09-25-2011, 12:41 AM	#9
IllinoisTVFan Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 22, 2011 Location: South of Chicago Posts: 4,072	I too think it should have ended after Richie left. While Fonzie was a strong character there was also too much emphasis on Joanie and Chachi and to be honest the show by the latter years was really unwatchable.

09-29-2011, 10:40 PM	#10
Guy Incognito International Man of Misery Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 30, 2011 Location: The Solar System Posts: 83	The central problem was that the characters had to grow up, but that process fundamentally altered the direction of the show and it never really recovered. Ritchie leaving hurt the show, but it was great for his character because it actually allowed him to mature offscreen. Otherwise, he and Lori Beth would likely have been living upstairs in the room next to Joanie. That might sound ludicrous, but then you have Fonzie, a 30-plus year old man living over a garage for nearly a decade despite working as a teacher and a mechanic AND having enough money to invest in Arnold's. Joanie was finally allowed to grow up when she moved away to Chicago with Chachi, but then she had to move back to her old room and fall back into the same old patterns when the spinoff bombed and K.C. failed to catch on with viewers. I thought they missed an great opportunity to have her and Jenny move in as roommates to replicate the Potsie/Ralph dynamic, but Cathy Silvers left so I guess that wasn't a possibility. And then there's poor Potsie, who stayed in a state of arrested development for years and seemed destined for a life of mediocrity. At least they tried updating the other characters (although most of the experiments, like Ashley, failed) and maintain a sense of progression. But watching him during those last few seasons was just sad, doing nothing of note and getting slapped around by Chachi of all people.

02-19-2012, 04:25 PM	#14
antman67 The Fonz Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 17, 2012 Location: NJ Posts: 560	I still watched the show after Richie & Ralph left but it was not as good. I agree+ Without Richie, the show was not the same. Ralph was ok, but not as important.

02-21-2012, 12:37 AM	#15
dave insinga Member Forum Regular Join Date: May 19, 2005 Posts: 590	the show took a blow when richie left but there are many post richie episodes i enjoy.as a whole i really enjoy season 11 there were many good episodes from that season WELCOME HOME PT 1 & 2 being my favorite episodes ARTHUR ARTHUR whch for whatever reason the hub leaves out KISS ME TEACH FONZIE SPOTS FONZIE MOVES OUT PASSAGES