Happy Days

[Scott]

With the new year at hand what was your favorite HAPPY DAYS episode(s)? Besides the first years I like the one with the demolition derby with the Fonz and Pinky Tuscadaro vs the Mallachi Bros.. They would say "let the pigeons loose" and of coarse the Motorcycle jump and crash into the chicken stand. In the 70's HAPPY DAYS was the most popular show for young people.

[The Burgomaster]

The one where Richie, Potsie and Ralph go cruising for chicks and end up picking up Maureen "Brady Bunch" McCormick is a good episode.  Her boyfriend turns out to be in a motorcycle gang.  Erik Estrada is also a guest star in that episode.

[Scott]

Yea, those were the days. It all ended when Richie and Ralph left the show.

I remember when Richie and the Fonz were dating Laverne and Shirley and Mork from Ork showed up. Well, it was actually probably the beginning of the end for that show.

Now back to the Mallachi Bros and the Mallachi crunch.

[ulthar]

I liked a lot of episodes while growing up - I watched "Happy Days" religiously.  But thinking back now, I am hard pressed to think of specific episodes that really stood out as my 'favorites.'  Some that I liked (that I can remember)

The motorcycle jump/chicken stand crash already mentioned; that was a pretty good show.

The one where Richie goes to the bachelor party and gets toasted.  His Dad was asking him about it and he said that were only drinking beer out of teeny weeny glasses.  "How many did you have."  "72."    His Dad did not freak out, or think the world was coming to an end because his son got drunk.  He knew the hang-over would be lesson enough.

[Something similar happened to me, so I guess that's why I liked this episode.  After drinking very nearly an entire 5th of Bacardi, something I have managed to do a few times in my younger days, at a friend's house, when back home, I totally passed out in the bathroom.  The next day, my Dad woke me up - I was in bed.  I asked "How did I get here."  Anyway, my parents had found me, and put me to bed.  I was one hurting puppy, let me tell you.  A friend of the family was in the hospital having back surgery, and my Dad made me go visit him.  I'll never forget that.  He did not yell, or fuss at all.  All he said was that I could not get out of my responsibilities because I partied too hard.  I'd like to say I never got that drunk again, but alas, it took me years to learn that lesson.  Now Dad's gone, but for what it's worth, I no longer drink - at all.  Just gave it up a few years ago because I decided I really don't like those hang-overs, or even being drunk.]

I also like the one where Richie "babysits" Fonzie's girlfriend but ends up making out with her.  When he finds out, The Fonz wants to punch Richie, but they are friends.  One thing I like about this episode is that Fonzie is the cool one, but 'the crowd' sorta takes Richie's side; at least the sympathize with him, even though Richie is more like a nerd.  In the end, Fonzie just cannot do it, but Richie gets hit by the door to the bathroom at Arnold's, and everyone thinks The Fonz gave Richie the black eye.  The Fonz saves face and keeps his rep as a tough guy, but Richie knows just how deep their growing friendship runs.  Hey, that's pretty good stuff for a corny TV show.

I liked the Mork episode, but thought at the time it was a bit scary for "Happy Days"  (till you find out Richie was only dreaming).  I remember the next day at school that was the topic of everyone's conversation: Mork from Ork.  And Robin Williams was thrust upon the world....

In any case, definiately the first couple of seasons (like most shows, eh?) were the best.  In the end, it was way past what should have been its natural death.

[Scott]

Yep, it was a great TV series. Funny how it is hard to think of specific episodes, but I think the show was nostalgia and mostly growing up in the 50's. They really hit some aspects of life using those characters. It just worked real good. There are a lot of shows do this, but the times and characters of HAPPY DAYS were the best portrayed and communicated of most in my opinion.

[ulthar]

Scott wrote:

> Yep, it was a great TV series. ......  There
> are a lot of shows do this, but the times and characters of
> HAPPY DAYS were the best portrayed and communicated of most in
> my opinion.
>


One way to measure the "success" of a TV show is how much it influences the culture.  The word "cool" was given to us by Happy Days, was it not?  I don't remember "cool" being used all that much (except to indicate temperature) before it.  Anyway, it certainly INCREASED in popularity as a slang when Happy Days was on.  And we are STILL using that word as slang.  And kids, many of whom have probably never seen a single episode of Happy Days, say "cool," also.  That's amazing.  And, that word transcends ethnic groups and subcultures.

Not many TV shows have had that depth of reach into our collective identity.