Odd Couple/Happy Days Similarities!!

[eddie146]

Since Garry Marshall produced both the Odd couple and Happy Days do you notice similar story lines and same character names.

In Bearnaise Barbara theres Barbara Arcola
In Happy Days there is Chachi Arcola

Of Course Nancy Cunningham
of course Richie Cunningham

Felix erases Laverne and Shirley's phone # from the kitchen wall
and of course the names Laverne and Shirley appear on Happy Days.

[Adam the Great]

In addition to Penny Marshall and Al Molinaro being in both Odd Couple and Happy Days, here are some more similiarities.

1. Pat Morita who of course played Arnold in Happy Days, played Mr. Wing in the Happy Days episode "You Saved My Life".

2. Ed Peck who played Officer Kirk in a few episodes of Happy Days, was in a few episodes of Odd Couple.

4. Barney Martin who is best know of played Jerry Seinfeld's dad Morty Seinfeld in Seinfeld, was on both Odd Couple and Happy Days. Ironically they were both courtroom episodes. Barney Martin played GW Burch in the Happy Days episode "Fonzie for the Defense" and Moss in the Odd Couple episode "The Jury Story". In addtion both characters were prejudice against African Americans.

Clint Howard plays Randy in the Odd Couple episode "The Big Brothers". Clint Howard is the brother of Ron Howard who of course played Richie Cunningham on Happy Days.

[gleason316]

Richard Stahl who was on many episodes on The Odd Couple also was on Happy Days in Fonzie the Salesman.

[Brian Damage]

interesting

[dlemond]

More Happy Days/L&S connections:

*Phil Foster played Frank DeFazio on L&S.
He was on The Odd Couple playing Dr. Krakaur in episode "Two Men on a Hoarse"

*Larry Gelman played Vinnie on The Odd Couple.
He was in the L&S episode "Road to Burbank"

*Archie Hahn played Roger on The Odd Couple.
He was in the L&S episode "Defiant One"

*Elinor Donahue played Miriam on The Odd Couple.
She was on Happy Days and played Mrs. Broderick in the episode "School Dazed"

[donald snl]

i never knew all those connectons very intersting reading

[Getalifeboy]

Also in Happy Days the First (maybe two)season was taped before they went to a Live audience!!

Odd Couple the first season was filmed and the second year went to a Live audience!!

Tony Randall played a vampire in a episode of Happy Days on a movie Richie was seeing with a date I believe!! at the time I think the Odd Couple was still on the air!!

Both series ended with weddings!!

But Odd Couple was superior in comic timing and value just a complete quality hysterical show!!....Happy Days was nothing but a gimmick after The "FONZ" characters popularity soared!! And was even worse when half the cast left!!

[dugferd]

Originally posted by Adam the Great
In addition to Penny Marshall and Al Molinaro being in both Odd Couple and Happy Days, here are some more similiarities.


4. Barney Martin who is best know of played Jerry Seinfeld's dad Morty Seinfeld in Seinfeld, was on both Odd Couple and Happy Days. Ironically they were both courtroom episodes. Barney Martin played GW Burch in the Happy Days episode "Fonzie for the Defense" and Moss in the Odd Couple episode "The Jury Story". In addtion both characters were prejudice against African Americans.

The Odd Couple jury story had nothing whatsoever to do with race. In fact, there were two "African-American"s on the jury.

[dugferd]

Originally posted by Adam the Great
In addition to Penny Marshall and Al Molinaro being in both Odd Couple and Happy Days, here are some more similiarities.

1. Pat Morita who of course played Arnold in Happy Days, played Mr. Wing in the Happy Days episode "You Saved My Life".

First, I think you meant Odd Couple episode, but the episode Pat Morita was in was Partner's Investment not You Saved My Life. Felix has been "stealing" small amounts from Oscar for a couple years and then invests the money in a Japanese restaurant.

Also interesting is that the credits named him as 'Mr. Wing', but his name was 'Yamata' in the episode.

I think someone discovered an error that 'Wing' was not a Japanese name and changed the script; then, either they forgot or didn't bother to change the credits. They may have even threw in a joke about mixing up Japanese and Chinese when toward the end of the episode Felix comments on the decor of the restaurant on how the lamps were Chinese and not Japanese. That's all conjecture, however.

[treky]

the first season of both shows were filmed with one camera, like a movie & didn't have a live audience

Howeve, like someone else said, "HD" was ruined starting in the second season, when they started to do it before a live audience, and made it "The Fonzie show"-then, later, half the cast left.

[ficlopri]

Tony Randall played a vampire? Explain please.

[Everybody Say Midget]

Happy Days disgracefully copied the exact premise of when Felix' Girlfriend whom he wanted to marry turned out to be a stripper. Fonzie's girlfriend Season 2 I believe who he was finally serious about. They even made both women supposed "Librarians".

Geez, have just a little respect for viewers intelligence Garry...

[eddie146]

the laverne and shirley apartment is similar to the odd couple apartment...same set...just changed up a bit.

[Chocolate Moose]

interesting thread!!!

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by dlemond

More Happy Days/L&S connections:

*Phil Foster played Frank DeFazio on L&S.
He was on The Odd Couple playing Dr. Krakaur in episode "Two Men on a Hoarse"

*Larry Gelman played Vinnie on The Odd Couple.
He was in the L&S episode "Road to Burbank"

*Archie Hahn played Roger on The Odd Couple.
He was in the L&S episode "Defiant One"

*Elinor Donahue played Miriam on The Odd Couple.
She was on Happy Days and played Mrs. Broderick in the episode "School Dazed"

Elinor Donahue of Father Knows Best fame played Miriam Welby, while on the same network at the same time Robert Young her father on Father Knows Best played Marcus Welby!