Happy Days 30th Aniversary Reunion

[w3sy]

Anybody here remember the 1950's revival that took place in the 1970's? The revival gave us the band Sha Na Na, the movie American Graffiti, and its semi-spinoff, the TV series Happy Days.

The other night, there was a reunion show on TV featuring the cast of Happy Days.

And DAMN, do they all look old!

Chachi (Scott Baio) looks like he's aged the best of the bunch. Joanie looks like she's ready for medicare. Ralph Malph is all gray, and looks like Bill Maher's grandfather. Pottsie Weber looks like the same guy, but all wrinkly and with a turkey neck.

Remember Richie Cunningham's older brother, Chuck? (Actually, there were two of them.) He was a youthful, lanky college basketball player. Well, the two Chucks appeared, and they were both fat OLD codgers! One looked like former Baltimore Colt, Artie Donovan! Very unsettling.

The early Happy Days was a great show. Fonzie was this sorta shadowy, mysterious character.

Then the show took a series of wrong turns, including:

1) They all started sporting 1970's hairstyles. Ritchie even got a 1970's moustache.

2) Fonzie became "one of the guys."

3) Fonzie became an Alan Alda-like wimp, and a caricature of himself.

4) Fonzie JUMPED THE SHARK in his black leather jacket, black socks, and a short-short bathing suit.

5) The 50's theme was all but abandoned, and it became just another goofy 70's sitcom.

But the first couple years or so were great!

[KC9ECI]

I forgot that was on. #I'm bummed. #A lot of people don't know that Happy Day's is where 'Jumped the shark' comes from. #Which, leads me to this topic...http://www.qrz.com/ib-bin....921;r=1 (http://www.qrz.com/ib-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=17;t=82921;r=1)

[w4rot]

Funny as a crutch Steve...
Actually it would be pretty cool to get a burger by some chick on roller skates.....
Just hard to believe that was Opie.
w4rot

[nx6d]

Quote[/b] (w3sy @ Feb. 04 2005,18:09)]Anybody here remember the 1950's revival that took place in the 1970's? The revival gave us the band Sha Na Na, the movie American Graffiti, and its semi-spinoff, the TV series Happy Days.

The other night, there was a reunion show on TV featuring the cast of Happy Days.

And DAMN, do they all look old!

Chachi (Scott Baio) looks like he's aged the best of the bunch. Joanie looks like she's ready for medicare. Ralph Malph is all gray, and looks like Bill Maher's grandfather. Pottsie Weber looks like the same guy, but all wrinkly and with a turkey neck.

Remember Richie Cunningham's older brother, Chuck? (Actually, there were two of them.) He was a youthful, lanky college basketball player. Well, the two Chucks appeared, and they were both fat OLD codgers! One looked like former Baltimore Colt, Artie Donovan! Very unsettling.

The early Happy Days was a great show. Fonzie was this sorta shadowy, mysterious character.

Then the show took a series of wrong turns, including:

1) They all started sporting 1970's hairstyles. Ritchie even got a 1970's moustache.

2) Fonzie became "one of the guys."

3) Fonzie became an Alan Alda-like wimp, and a caricature of himself.

4) Fonzie JUMPED THE SHARK in his black leather jacket, black socks, and a short-short bathing suit.

5) The 50's theme was all but abandoned, and it became just another goofy 70's sitcom.

But the first couple years or so were great!
EWWWWWWWWW, Steve!

Don't EVEN bring up my 70's youth cruising Fremont Blvd. in my ultra swank 1964 Plymouth Valiant.

I thought "American Graffiti" completely Ruled when I saw it at the Nimitz Drive-In in 1974 when I was 15. Babes! Cool Cars! Staying out all night! Ronnie Howard as someone other than Opie or singing "Wells Fargo Wagon".

Agree with your assessment of later "Happy Days". The first season was filmed on location (some in Petaluma, CA near lovely Santa Rosa, where the WX7B station resides). The later seasons were filmed on set with a live studio audience.

Fonzie was boring when he became an establishment hard wimp guy. He lost it completely for me when he moved in with the Cunninghams...

Reunions shows suck, with the exception of the Lost in Space show I saw with Jonathan Harris. He was SO in character, even though Billy (FishHeads) Mumy was a putz.

Dave WX7B

[KC0NBW]

joanie looked like she fell in with the shark! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[KA4DPO]

Quote[/b] (w3sy @ Feb. 04 2005,19:09)]And DAMN, do they all look old!

Chachi (Scott Baio) looks like he's aged the best of the bunch. Joanie looks like she's ready for medicare. Ralph Malph is all gray, and looks like Bill Maher's grandfather. Pottsie Weber looks like the same guy, but all wrinkly and with a turkey neck.

Remember Richie Cunningham's older brother, Chuck? (Actually, there were two of them.) He was a youthful, lanky college basketball player. Well, the two Chucks appeared, and they were both fat OLD codgers! One looked like former Baltimore Colt, Artie Donovan! Very unsettling.
I looked in the mirror the other day and said the same thing.

P.S. Is that young feller really you in the avatar?

[w5klb]

Quote[/b] (w3sy @ Feb. 04 2005,19:09)]The other night, there was a reunion show on TV featuring the cast of Happy Days.

And DAMN, do they all look old!
Goes to show that growing old ain't for sissys. Heck, if I had known that I would of lived this long (which my parents kinda doubted), I would of taken better care of my health. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

So, Ron Howard had a moustache at one time? That must of been about the time I thought the show was getting too "silly" for my taste. And when Anson Williams opened his mouth to sing, I nearly blew chunks across the room.

Mr. Howard has done quite well for himself. Our "Opey" has directed some big time films. I'll bet my neighbors to the south of me in Ducan, Oklahoma, are very proud of their native son (Yeah I just HAD to put a plug in for my state!).

[ai4ep]

Well, what did you expect from a 30 year reunion tv show ? Every one ages, whether we want to admit it or not.

I had forgotten about " Leather Cuscadeero " ( wonder why she & Laverne & SHirley & Robin Williams did not make it to the reunion, for at least a few minutes ..or the woman that played RON HOWARDs girlfriend in later years ?

The rowdiest scene I saw was where ---

FONZ snapped his fingers and a crowd of MEN followed him out the foor of "ARNOLDS " drive-in .... when on tv it was always the LADIES who jumped when FONZ snapped his fingers.

I know it was a comedy sketch, but I am sure they all got bored with the same-old-same-old day after day.Not in the best of good taste...even for a 2 hour show ( I was surprised about that, I figured from the advertisements for the tv special it would be ONE hour .)


Wonder if / when they will do a BRADY BUNCH / Partridge Family reunion tv show ?

Yep, David Cassidy still tries for a comeback every few years...and Donny Osmond does a tv game show, but I forget which one.

Life goes on......

[W5HTW]

Quote[/b] (ai4ep @ Feb. 04 2005,21:12)]and Donny Osmond does a tv game show, but I forget which one.
So does everyone one else ...

[w5klb]

Quote[/b] (ai4ep @ Feb. 04 2005,21:12)]Yep, David Cassidy still tries for a comeback every few years...
Gawd, I hope that a Partrige Family Reunion never happens. The only one to really sing on Partrige Family was David Cassidy. The rest of the voices were dubed in. Danny the drummer, has had a few run in's with the law and drugs, but he is recovering from his addictions and tried unsussesfully to host a talk show program.

I thought that the show was a little corny to begin with. And the Brady Bunch? You gotta be kidding. Didn't care too much for that one either.

The one reunion I liked was Gilligan's Isle where Bob Denver and "Mary Ann" (who I thought was a fox in her own right) desribed what really went on behind the taping of that show. Pretty interesting to say the least.

[KC9ECI]

-ep
TV Land has done a Brady Bunch reunion. They repeated it the other night.

[ai4ep]

ok...thank you

[KB2AK]

If I remember correctly when a shot of the Cunningham residence was shown on "Happy Days", ther appeared to be a tower with a tribander in the background--anyone else remember this? Could it be that "Mr. C" was a ham?

[W8EFA]

I thought the program was kind of weak but it had some good history in how the pilot failed, but only after Ritchie did American Graffiti, Grease and other 50's shows were released with success did they try again in front of a live audience.

I thought the original program had some really good episodes - yea some were kinda "corny" but so was the 50's compared to the 80's and 90's. I know the styles, attitudes, etc. brought back the 50's for me growing up in the 60's watching my older brothers.

Another thing I thought the reunion did is show how well the cast genuinely liked each other and was really a team with no big egos. I had read in the paper that the cast to this day anytime anyone get's an award or any recognition they all show up and keep in touch.

[KG4CGC]

Hey Steve,
The Mayberry reunion show a few years ago was REALLY disturbing. Howard would not come back to do the reunion because it brought back too many bad memories. Like Goober.

[N8CPA]

What I didn't realize is that Happy Days actually started as a 15 minute segment of Love American Style. Then, American Grafiti, Last Picture Show, etc sparked a nostalgia craze and the characters of the LAS segment were so popular, they resurrected them with the same actors for the pilot of what became the show.

Partridge Family and Brady Bunch came on about time I graduated from high school, hence I thought I was too cool to watch the show and their bubble gum music was stupid--the latter opinion has not changed. So, I only watched it to lust over Susan Dey and pray she was old enough to be lusted.

I saw David Cassidy perform live a few years ago in an English musical, Blood Brothers. With him in the lead role, I was surprised that I enjoyed the show. He's quite a stage actor, his accent never slipped--cockney throughout.

[kd7eze]

ROT--

You want to be served a burger by a girl on roller skates? Go down to your local Sonic drive-in. Ours is one that still offers this tradition. Sadly, not all of them do. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[AG3Y]

I saw a show some months back where they were trying to put together a cast for a new "Partridge Family" show. The particular show I saw centered on a replacement for David Cassidy's role. The person they picked was NOT the one I would have EVER picked out! Just goes to show you that "you can never go back home again ! " http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

And just think, it's already been a hear since Timberlake caused that "wardrobe malfunction" on live television. Is that true ? ? ? Can you believe it ? ? ?

[w3sy]

I was hoping that long-legged country singer chick who did the pre-game show with Charlie Daniels woud have a wardrobe malfunction.

I was actually watching the TV when Janet let it all hang out. I remember it looking deliberate, as if it were part of the show. But if ya blinked, ya missed it. The HOO HA over that whole thing was blown 10,000 times out of proportion.