Showing posts with label Happy Days. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Happy Days. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 31, 2022
It's National Eat Outside Day!
It's National Eat Outside Day! What say we all head down to Arnold's for some burgers and sodas?
Saturday, August 8, 2020
Happy birthday, Don Most!
Don Most was born on this day in 1953, so let's celebrate with a supercut of Ralph Malph saying, "I still got it!" on Happy Days:
Friday, April 26, 2019
Great Moments in 70s and 80s TV History: AYYYYY!
Many think Happy Days declined when Fonz jumped over a shark, but I think maybe we can trace it to the ill-fated "socially relevant" turn the series suddenly took:
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Great Moments in 70s and 80s TV History: Fonz Masters Bobbing for Apples
Season 2's Haunted is a fine example of early Happy Days in addition to being a fun Halloween episode. You get to see Arnold's all decked out, Richie in the classic skeleton garb...
Mr. C handing out candy to wise-acre neighborhood kids who (surprise, surprise) just happen to be played by Garry Marshall's kids...
But best of all is Fonzie's appearance at Ralph's annual Halloween party as The Lone Ranger with Tonto. When Ralph says, "Hey, kemosabe," Fonz snaps, "Hey, you watch your guttermouth, Malph!"
The gang convinces Fonz to bob for apples. After Potsie explains the rules, Fonzie just sticks his hand and grabs one. Let's take another look:
Potsie whines that he didn't follow the rules, and Richie suggests Fonz didn't do it the right way. The response: "I didn't want to get my mask wet." "Then it's a good way," Richie adds quickly.
Sunday, October 21, 2018
On this day in 1957, Jailhouse Rock starring Elvis Presley premiered with a special opening in Memphis.
On May 26, 1981, this premiered on ABC:
Which is better? You make the call!
(Click here to learn more about the above photo by listening to our Happy Days episode)
On May 26, 1981, this premiered on ABC:
Which is better? You make the call!
(Click here to learn more about the above photo by listening to our Happy Days episode)
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Great Moments in 70s and 80s TV History #2: John Lennon at Arnold's Drive-In
This picture of John Lennon and son Julian on the Happy Days set during his "Lost Weekend" phase surfaced a few years ago, and, yes, it is genuine!
If you don't believe me, take it from Anson Williams!
Lennon's then-girlfriend May Pang posted the pic on her Facebook page. She and the Lennons visited Paramount Studios in 1974. I like to imagine John asking Fonzie to make the jukebox play some Chuck Berry, then being heartbroken at learning he can't actually get a burger and fries from Arnold's.
It's a shame John wasn't around years later to contribute material to the "American Musical" episode we discussed in season 1.
If you don't believe me, take it from Anson Williams!
Lennon's then-girlfriend May Pang posted the pic on her Facebook page. She and the Lennons visited Paramount Studios in 1974. I like to imagine John asking Fonzie to make the jukebox play some Chuck Berry, then being heartbroken at learning he can't actually get a burger and fries from Arnold's.
It's a shame John wasn't around years later to contribute material to the "American Musical" episode we discussed in season 1.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
BOTNS Celebrates National Pizza Day Part 2: Ron Howard should have sued
In 1977, Pizza Hut and Dr. Pepper teamed up to offer premium drink glasses to customers featuring the stars of Happy Days, which of course we discussed in this episode of the podcast.
Let's take a closer look, starting with the star of the show himself, the icon, the legend...Potsie:
And his loyal sidekick, The Fonz:
"Whoa. Don't forget shortcake."
Ralph Malph looks kind of menacing here. Or maybe he looks like David Letterman. Or maybe both.
I've saved the worst for last. Ron Howard, or someone who cared for him, should have tried to block the release of merchandise with this "likeness":
"Duhhhh....gee, Fonz, whaddya wanna do today? I reckon we could go on over to Al's and throw rocks at them fancy college kids."
It's like someone took Opie Taylor to a secret underground lab in the Ozarks, conducted experiments on him for years, then released him by driving a van into Milwaukee, shoving him out the back, and speeding away.
Enjoy National Pizza Day, everyone! Thanks to the collectors on the Internet who posted pics of these swank glasses. Special credit to anyone who was actually able to ingest food in 1977 while staring at that Richie glass.
Let's take a closer look, starting with the star of the show himself, the icon, the legend...Potsie:
And his loyal sidekick, The Fonz:
"Whoa. Don't forget shortcake."
Ralph Malph looks kind of menacing here. Or maybe he looks like David Letterman. Or maybe both.
I've saved the worst for last. Ron Howard, or someone who cared for him, should have tried to block the release of merchandise with this "likeness":
"Duhhhh....gee, Fonz, whaddya wanna do today? I reckon we could go on over to Al's and throw rocks at them fancy college kids."
It's like someone took Opie Taylor to a secret underground lab in the Ozarks, conducted experiments on him for years, then released him by driving a van into Milwaukee, shoving him out the back, and speeding away.
Enjoy National Pizza Day, everyone! Thanks to the collectors on the Internet who posted pics of these swank glasses. Special credit to anyone who was actually able to ingest food in 1977 while staring at that Richie glass.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Further viewing: Potsie's finest moment?
One of the odd things about the Happy Days episode "American Musical"--and, oh, there are many--is that the one cast member the show tried to push as a music sensation for years had such a minor role. Before Joanie and Chachi were "a thing," Happy Days attempted to make Potsie Weber (Anson Williams) a singer.
And then it tried again. And again. And again.
In fact, one of Potsie's standout episodes featured Joanie crushing on him big time because he was such a dreamy crooner. What a slap in the face it must have been for Anson Williams to watch the likes of Ted McGinley get showcased in the all-musical episode while he was relegated to a supporting role in the "Immigration Blues" segment.
And just in case you missed it when we posted it the other day or you forgot how ridiculous it was, here's another look at that bit:
As awful as this episode was though, there was an even worse segment on the series, and it was a full-on showcase for Potsie. I give you season 6, episode 27, "Potsie Quits School."
Tormented by an imperious teacher, Potsie struggled in Biology until Richie helped him learn the intricacies of the circulatory system by writing a song about it. The result is one of the goofiest moments in Happy Days history, coming at a time when the sitcom still had a shred of dignity, no less:
Everything about this is terrible. The song is bad enough (though catchy as all get out, I must admit), but look how it kills all the main characters. Fonzie has to introduce the song. Ralph, Richie and Lori Beth look like idiots playing their improvised instruments and bopping around. Even the teacher, who might have been an effective heel foil, is reduced to looking through a giant textbook as if he needs verification that the rudimentary facts his student is reciting just because they're being SUNG.
No good comes of this. The song doesn't even always rhyme (though, to be fair, it must have been tough to try to come up with a rhyme for "ventricle"). For overall suckitude AND negative impact on the series as a whole, I submit to you that this individual song is the worst ever featured on Happy Days, even topping the stuff we see in "American Musical."
And then it tried again. And again. And again.
In fact, one of Potsie's standout episodes featured Joanie crushing on him big time because he was such a dreamy crooner. What a slap in the face it must have been for Anson Williams to watch the likes of Ted McGinley get showcased in the all-musical episode while he was relegated to a supporting role in the "Immigration Blues" segment.
And just in case you missed it when we posted it the other day or you forgot how ridiculous it was, here's another look at that bit:
As awful as this episode was though, there was an even worse segment on the series, and it was a full-on showcase for Potsie. I give you season 6, episode 27, "Potsie Quits School."
Tormented by an imperious teacher, Potsie struggled in Biology until Richie helped him learn the intricacies of the circulatory system by writing a song about it. The result is one of the goofiest moments in Happy Days history, coming at a time when the sitcom still had a shred of dignity, no less:
Everything about this is terrible. The song is bad enough (though catchy as all get out, I must admit), but look how it kills all the main characters. Fonzie has to introduce the song. Ralph, Richie and Lori Beth look like idiots playing their improvised instruments and bopping around. Even the teacher, who might have been an effective heel foil, is reduced to looking through a giant textbook as if he needs verification that the rudimentary facts his student is reciting just because they're being SUNG.
No good comes of this. The song doesn't even always rhyme (though, to be fair, it must have been tough to try to come up with a rhyme for "ventricle"). For overall suckitude AND negative impact on the series as a whole, I submit to you that this individual song is the worst ever featured on Happy Days, even topping the stuff we see in "American Musical."
Saturday, October 8, 2016
TV Guide Game Ephemera: Happy Days Edition
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| The cover to the March 7-13, 1983, edition, featuring a show we hope to someday discuss. |
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| We nerded out about the NBC sitcom lineup ad (from the same March 7-13 issue). Take a gander at the listings, and you might find a hint at future BOTNS episodes. |
Friday, October 7, 2016
Show notes: Episode 3: Happy Days, "American Musical"
*"American Musical" aired Tuesday at 8:00 P.M. May 26, 1981, and was the 22nd episode of Happy Days' eighth season.
*Ted McGinley (Howard and Marion's nephew Roger Phillips) apparently got his reputation for causing shows to go down the tubes from the late, lamented Jump the Shark. In fact, Married with Children was on longer with him than it was before him, so maybe the reputation is a little overblown, but here are some successful shows that he joined after their creative peak:
The Love Boat
Dynasty
Hotel
The West Wing (I'm assuming on this one)
But it all started with Happy Days, his first regular acting gig. His role in 1984's Revenge of the Nerds is arguably his biggest movie role.
*To clear up the Chachi situation: At the time of this episode, Fonz's cousin Chachi Arcola was living with his mom (Ellen Travolta) at her pad. In the show's next season, Big Al started dating her, and they soon married. Shortly after that development, spinoff Joanie Loves Chachi debuted on ABC and did well for the 4 "Season 1" episodes
In this series, the two crazy kids moved from Milwaukee to try to become pop stars, with Big Al and Mrs. Chaci starting a restaurant which conveniently provided opportunities to stage musical numbers. The show tanked when it returned in the fall, so Joanie and Chachi rejoined the "mothership" and their show was yanked.
*Speaking of music, Anson Williams (Potsie) did not sing the show's theme song at any point, though his vocal stylings did become a frequent feature of the series. Potsie became assistant manager of Cunningham Hardware and stuck around throughout the series' entire run, but he was not in the series finale.
*If you want to try the weird elephant dance from the "Immigration Blues" number at home, here's a visual reference:
*We talked on the podcast about how long Happy Days hung around. The series had more "finales" than a Peter Jackson movie. In season 11, an early two-parter, "Welcome Home," has Richie's emotional farewell from the series and would have been a natural closing. Yet there are 17 more episodes in that final year, including the two-parter called "Passages," which features Joanie and Chachi's wedding, plus Fonzie's adopting the "cute" kid who had become his sidekick.
Yet there are 5 more episodes after that, with the actual last episode, "Fonzie's Spots," having this plot according to IMDB:
Fonzie, Roger and Chachi soon regret agreeing to help Howard Cunningham save his Grand Poobah position by becoming new Leopard Lodge recruits when they find out their pledge master is prankster Potsie "Sabu" Weber.
I do not remember that one, but it sounds awful. So of course I want to see it.
*The show is not seen as widely in reruns as it used to be, but it currently airs weeknights on Me-TV. Currently the full series is not streaming, either, though this episode is one of the few (25 out of 255) on Hulu. CBS All Access has not added the show, and it's never been on Netflix.
*The TV Guide game starts at 00:48:10.
*Ted McGinley (Howard and Marion's nephew Roger Phillips) apparently got his reputation for causing shows to go down the tubes from the late, lamented Jump the Shark. In fact, Married with Children was on longer with him than it was before him, so maybe the reputation is a little overblown, but here are some successful shows that he joined after their creative peak:
The Love Boat
Dynasty
Hotel
The West Wing (I'm assuming on this one)
But it all started with Happy Days, his first regular acting gig. His role in 1984's Revenge of the Nerds is arguably his biggest movie role.
*To clear up the Chachi situation: At the time of this episode, Fonz's cousin Chachi Arcola was living with his mom (Ellen Travolta) at her pad. In the show's next season, Big Al started dating her, and they soon married. Shortly after that development, spinoff Joanie Loves Chachi debuted on ABC and did well for the 4 "Season 1" episodes
In this series, the two crazy kids moved from Milwaukee to try to become pop stars, with Big Al and Mrs. Chaci starting a restaurant which conveniently provided opportunities to stage musical numbers. The show tanked when it returned in the fall, so Joanie and Chachi rejoined the "mothership" and their show was yanked.
*Speaking of music, Anson Williams (Potsie) did not sing the show's theme song at any point, though his vocal stylings did become a frequent feature of the series. Potsie became assistant manager of Cunningham Hardware and stuck around throughout the series' entire run, but he was not in the series finale.
*If you want to try the weird elephant dance from the "Immigration Blues" number at home, here's a visual reference:
*We talked on the podcast about how long Happy Days hung around. The series had more "finales" than a Peter Jackson movie. In season 11, an early two-parter, "Welcome Home," has Richie's emotional farewell from the series and would have been a natural closing. Yet there are 17 more episodes in that final year, including the two-parter called "Passages," which features Joanie and Chachi's wedding, plus Fonzie's adopting the "cute" kid who had become his sidekick.
Yet there are 5 more episodes after that, with the actual last episode, "Fonzie's Spots," having this plot according to IMDB:
Fonzie, Roger and Chachi soon regret agreeing to help Howard Cunningham save his Grand Poobah position by becoming new Leopard Lodge recruits when they find out their pledge master is prankster Potsie "Sabu" Weber.
I do not remember that one, but it sounds awful. So of course I want to see it.
*The show is not seen as widely in reruns as it used to be, but it currently airs weeknights on Me-TV. Currently the full series is not streaming, either, though this episode is one of the few (25 out of 255) on Hulu. CBS All Access has not added the show, and it's never been on Netflix.
*The TV Guide game starts at 00:48:10.
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Episode 3: Happy Days "American Musical"
This time, we hold our noses and dive deep into Happy Days "American Musical" (Season 8, Episode 22). The latter day Happy Days gang celebrates America's immigrant history through elaborate musical daydream sequences. Also, the TV Guide Game.
Check out this episode!
Check out this episode!
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
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