Should Happy Days Have Changed Its' Name For The Later Seasons?? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Dr. Thong · 10-09-2019, 07:59 PM

In the fall of 1979, with Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner already having been gone for a year and Jean Stapleton soon to leave her role as Edith, All In The Family underwent a name change to Archie Bunker's Place.

The retooled show focused more on the Archie character and the goings-on at his bar. They even created a new character, Murray Klein (played by Martin Balsam), to be a new foil and someone for Archie to spar with.

With the characters of Gloria, Mike and Edith gone, I think it was a wise move to change the name of the show, which ran for four seasons under the new name.

Based on that, should Happy Days have changed its' name after the departures of Ron Howard and Donny Most?

Personally, I don't feel it was the same show without them and perhaps they could have changed the name of the show to Jefferson High or Fonzie And Friends.

What do you guys and gals think...?

Schmoopie · 10-10-2019, 02:17 AM

Hmm... Sorry, but "Fonzie and Friends" sounds kind of corny to me. I agree a name change could have worked. Not sure what I would have called it though.

OH Nuts! · 10-10-2019, 08:51 AM

Maybe, but Fonzie and Friends doesn’t sound right to me either. And, really, there’s no crime in NOT changing the title unless it’s named after a star who departs/gets fired (Valerie Harper for example).

AMackII · 10-11-2019, 09:17 AM

Not Really, Happy Days can stick to its rightful show's title

Chocolate Moose · 10-11-2019, 01:10 PM

No change. Agreed.

Dr. Thong · 10-11-2019, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OH Nuts!

Maybe, but Fonzie and Friends doesn’t sound right to me either. And, really, there’s no crime in NOT changing the title unless it’s named after a star who departs/gets fired (Valerie Harper for example).

I look at it in terms of the fact that I feel the last four seasons of the show were not up to the level of the first seven with Ron Howard and Donny Most. The show wasn't the same without them and I didn't feel that Garry Marshall and the writers hit the same heights with the new replacement characters they created. The tone and style of the show changed too much and not for the better, in my humble opinion.

By retitling All In the Family into Archie Bunker's Place, I think of them as two separate shows, a great one (AITF) and a good one (ABP).

And I do agree that Fonzie And Friends would not have been a good title change -- it was just something I came up with off the top of my head.

Race's Girl · 11-16-2019, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schmoopie

Hmm... Sorry, but "Fonzie and Friends" sounds kind of corny to me. I agree a name change could have worked. Not sure what I would have called it though.

Fonzie and Friends, that sounds like a spinoff if you ask me

visaman666 · 11-16-2019, 03:36 PM

There was a Saturday Morning kids show, titled, Fonzie and The Happy Days Gang. I think Fonzie went into Outer Space, or something.

Dr. Thong · 11-29-2019, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by visaman666

There was a Saturday Morning kids show, titled, Fonzie and The Happy Days Gang. I think Fonzie went into Outer Space, or something.

Yep.

10-09-2019, 07:59 PM	#1
Dr. Thong a/k/a "ACK!" Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 10, 2001 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,546	Should Happy Days Have Changed Its' Name For The Later Seasons?? In the fall of 1979, with Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner already having been gone for a year and Jean Stapleton soon to leave her role as Edith, All In The Family underwent a name change to Archie Bunker's Place. The retooled show focused more on the Archie character and the goings-on at his bar. They even created a new character, Murray Klein (played by Martin Balsam), to be a new foil and someone for Archie to spar with. With the characters of Gloria, Mike and Edith gone, I think it was a wise move to change the name of the show, which ran for four seasons under the new name. Based on that, should Happy Days have changed its' name after the departures of Ron Howard and Donny Most? Personally, I don't feel it was the same show without them and perhaps they could have changed the name of the show to Jefferson High or Fonzie And Friends. What do you guys and gals think...?
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10-10-2019, 02:17 AM	#2
Schmoopie Keep Calm and Love Snoopy Forum Star Join Date: Jul 13, 2008 Location: Lynnwood, Washington Posts: 15,697	Hmm... Sorry, but "Fonzie and Friends" sounds kind of corny to me. I agree a name change could have worked. Not sure what I would have called it though.
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10-11-2019, 01:10 PM	#5
Chocolate Moose Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 21, 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 4,903	No change. Agreed.
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10-10-2019, 08:51 AM	#3
OH Nuts! Member Forum King Join Date: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 133,383	Maybe, but Fonzie and Friends doesn’t sound right to me either. And, really, there’s no crime in NOT changing the title unless it’s named after a star who departs/gets fired (Valerie Harper for example).

10-11-2019, 09:17 AM	#4
AMackII Member Forum Star Join Date: Oct 23, 2015 Location: St. Louis Posts: 17,225	Not Really, Happy Days can stick to its rightful show's title

11-16-2019, 03:36 PM	#8
visaman666 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 06, 2007 Posts: 818	There was a Saturday Morning kids show, titled, Fonzie and The Happy Days Gang. I think Fonzie went into Outer Space, or something.