Did They Fact Check ANYTHING On The Show???

[LittleRickyII]

These recent episodes that have been airing were supposed to take place in 1967. It's bad enough that almost everyone is dressing in 1980s clothes and wearing 1980s hairstyles, but they can't even get historical facts straight. In an episode that aired in the last couple weeks, Laverne made a comment about Amelia Earhart's plane being lost "over 40 years ago." Earhart's plane disappeared in 1937. 1967 was just 30 years after that, not "over 40 years"! And the episode tonight, Carmine is traveling to New York. There's a shot of the Twin Towers. They weren't even completed until 1971! Construction on the first tower didn't even begin until l 1968!

[JSP]

Originally Posted by LittleRickyII

These recent episodes that have been airing were supposed to take place in 1967. It's bad enough that almost everyone is dressing in 1980s clothes and wearing 1980s hairstyles, but they can't even get historical facts straight. In an episode that aired in the last couple weeks, Laverne made a comment about Amelia Earhart's plane being lost "over 40 years ago." Earhart's plane disappeared in 1937. 1967 was just 30 years after that, not "over 40 years"! And the episode tonight, Carmine is traveling to New York. There's a shot of the Twin Towers. They weren't even completed until 1971! Construction on the first tower didn't even begin until l 1968!

There just wasn't much thought put into the writing of the show in general. L&S, along with Mork and Mindy, are the two prime examples I think of when it comes to the point that just because it's an old show doesn't mean it's classic TV.

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by JSP

There just wasn't much thought put into the writing of the show in general. L&S, along with Mork and Mindy, are the two prime examples I think of when it comes to the point that just because it's an old show doesn't mean it's classic TV.

Shows that just run their course yet nobody thinks to just let it end...

[shotzette]

The show was much more historically accurate in the early years. By the time the gang moved to California, they'd been through several writers, non stop behind the scenes drama, and a crash in the ratings. Everyone was basically just phoning it in for a paycheck. :-(

[TVFactFan]

OH WOW! The Twin Towers was actually shown in a episode of Laverne and Shirley?

[LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by JSP

There just wasn't much thought put into the writing of the show in general. L&S, along with Mork and Mindy, are the two prime examples I think of when it comes to the point that just because it's an old show doesn't mean it's classic TV.

You got that right. The word "classic" means "judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind." It doesn't simply mean old. "Classic" is the most misused word when it comes to TV shows.

But part of the problem here is that, with the exception of The Odd Couple, these Garry Marshall sitcoms were targeted towards children and teenagers, not adults. My siblings and I loved Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Mork & Mindy when they were originally on, but my parents refused to watch them. My mother couldn't stand these shows. But of course my siblings and I were kids at the time. Now I see these shows as an adult and I'm like OMG! Now I've got the perspective my parents had. I will say, though, I still do like the first two seasons of Happy Days, even now. It was charming in the beginning, and really tried to honestly reflect the era of the '50s. But starting the third season, Fred Silverman came in and tinkered with the show -- turned Fonzie into super-Fonz (made him a cartoon) and brought in that studio audience full of screaming teenagers. (Gag!) The writing turned juvenile, and all the 1950s authenticity was tossed aside. Basically, he ruined the show for adults and turned it, and the other Marshall sitcoms, into live action cartoons.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by LittleRickyII

You got that right. The word "classic" means "judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind." It doesn't simply mean old. It's time tested. But part of the issue here is that, with the exception of The Odd Couple, these Garry Marshall sitcoms were targeted towards children and teenagers. I loved Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Mork & Mindy when they were originally on but my parents wouldn't watch them. My mother couldn't stand them. But of course I was a kid at the time. Now I see these shows as an adult and I'm like OMG! Now I've got the perspective my parents had. I will say, though, I do like the first two seasons of Happy Days, even now. It was charming and really tried to honestly reflect the era of the '50s. But starting the third season, Fred Silverman came in and tinkered with the show -- turned Fonzie into super-Fonz (made him a cartoon) and brought in that studio audience full of screaming teenagers. (Gag!) And kicked aside all the 1950s authenticity. Basically, he ruined the show for adults and turned it, and the other Marshall sitcoms, into live action cartoons.

Mork and Mindy was definitely a cartoon

[LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Mork and Mindy was definitely a cartoon

All three shows were cartoons. Did you see that L&S episode where there is a ghost in Laverne's apartment? And it's supposed to be for-real ghost, not a dream. It would be one thing if this show were one of those fantasy sitcoms like Bewitched or The Munsters, but it was not. Weird.

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by shotzette

The show was much more historically accurate in the early years. By the time the gang moved to California, they'd been through several writers, non stop behind the scenes drama, and a crash in the ratings. Everyone was basically just phoning it in for a paycheck. :-(

An episode of Laverne and Shirley was shown on MeTV the other night, where they were going to a protest rally... and Bob Dylan was supposed to show up.

I'm wondering what time period/season this was from, so I can tell whether it was historically accurate for Dylan to have possible gone to such a minor scale protest rally... and if he was even at the time of doing "protest" music at all.

[JSP]

Originally Posted by LittleRickyII

You got that right. The word "classic" means "judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind." It doesn't simply mean old. "Classic" is the most misused word when it comes to TV shows.

But part of the problem here is that, with the exception of The Odd Couple, these Garry Marshall sitcoms were targeted towards children and teenagers, not adults. My siblings and I loved Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Mork & Mindy when they were originally on, but my parents refused to watch them. My mother couldn't stand these shows. But of course my siblings and I were kids at the time. Now I see these shows as an adult and I'm like OMG! Now I've got the perspective my parents had. I will say, though, I still do like the first two seasons of Happy Days, even now. It was charming in the beginning, and really tried to honestly reflect the era of the '50s. But starting the third season, Fred Silverman came in and tinkered with the show -- turned Fonzie into super-Fonz (made him a cartoon) and brought in that studio audience full of screaming teenagers. (Gag!) The writing turned juvenile, and all the 1950s authenticity was tossed aside. Basically, he ruined the show for adults and turned it, and the other Marshall sitcoms, into live action cartoons.

I would say Happy Days was still good after the Fred Silverman changes in the Third Season. Hapyy Days was good at least through Season 4 for me. They started going for belly laughs and got them I think. Clever writing? nope. But funny as hell. But I never found Laverne or Mork funny. If Lenny and Squiggy existed in real life you would want to punch them in the face all the time for their stupidity. Happy Days was good, Mork and Laverne weren't.

[shotzette]

Originally Posted by Will Dockery

An episode of Laverne and Shirley was shown on MeTV the other night, where they were going to a protest rally... and Bob Dylan was supposed to show up.

I'm wondering what time period/season this was from, so I can tell whether it was historically accurate for Dylan to have possible gone to such a minor scale protest rally... and if he was even at the time of doing "protest" music at all.

/

The 8th season was the worst offender in regards to continuity eff ups. According to the opening credits, it took place in 1967, but the characters and world events referenced were more in line with the late 60s/early 70s.

In the show's defense, no one put that much detail into fact checking sitcoms back then. Seriously, did they honestly think a bunch of us would be on a world wide computer network 33 years after the show's very lame ending discussing minutiae like this?

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by JSP

I would say Happy Days was still good after the Fred Silverman changes in the Third Season. Hapyy Days was good at least through Season 4 for me. They started going for belly laughs and got them I think. Clever writing? nope. But funny as hell. But I never found Laverne or Mork funny. If Lenny and Squiggy existed in real life you would want to punch them in the face all the time for their stupidity. Happy Days was good, Mork and Laverne weren't.

I remember being excited to see L&S on Lifetime in 2004 and had my tapes my ready. I was done with the show after about 3 weeks.

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by shotzette

/

The 8th season was the worst offender in regards to continuity eff ups. According to the opening credits, it took place in 1967, but the characters and world events referenced were more in line with the late 60s/early 70s.

In the show's defense, no one put that much detail into fact checking sitcoms back then. Seriously, did they honestly think a bunch of us would be on a world wide computer network 33 years after the show's very lame ending discussing minutiae like this?

So, the episode that mentions Bob Dylan is 1967, at least 3-4 years after there would have been any possibility that he would show up at a protest rally.

[James]

Bob Dylan was performing prior to 1967. His song "Like A Rolling Stone" charted in 1965.

[shotzette]

Originally Posted by Will Dockery

So, the episode that mentions Bob Dylan is 1967, at least 3-4 years after there would have been any possibility that he would show up at a protest rally.

Possibility? It's not like Dylan was dead or anything, LOL. It's a 1070s sitcom, sometimes you have to suspend your disbelief. If Clayton Moore could show up at Arnold's in full Lone Ranger gear to surprise Fonzie, Dylan could hypothetically show up at a mythical protest rally in 1967.