Wednesday, May 19, 2004
These days are ours
All humans know Happy Days. But do you really know Happy Days? It has recently come to my attention that the true import of Happy Days and its role in shaping programming for much of the 70s and 80s is a mystery to many. Well, I intend on remedying that, by regaling you all with an in-depth history of Happy Days and its spinoffs. You may not realize just how many TV shows are, in actuality, spun off of Happy Days. Of all the sitcoms that have ever existed, all but five are spinoffs of Happy Days.
Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. But all the same, Happy Days had a heck of a lot of spinoffs, more than any other TV show that has ever existed. That's right, even with the addition of Law and Order: Patent Applications Unit and CSI: Schenectady to their rosters, modern crime dramas can't compare to Happy Days in their spinoffitude. Most people don't realize just how lengthy the Happy Days lineage is. Sure, everyone knows Laverne and Shirley, as it was one of the most successful spinoffs in TV history. Similarly, anyone with a slight interest in televisiana knows about Joanie Loves Chachi because it was one of the least successful spinoffs in TV history. But relatively few people realize that Mork and Mindy was another Happy Days spinoff. Mork was introduced in an episode ("My Favorite Orkan") whose plot owed more to comic book archetypes than situational comedy. Sent by his superiors (the long-suffering Orson, et al.) to collect "Earthling samples", only the Fonz is able to combat Mork's alien powers. They engage in one of those "if you can defeat me, I'll spare your puny earth"-type deals, Mork brags about how he's undefeated on 200 worlds, and of course Fonzie pulls through in the clutch. In the end, it turns out to be all a dream...OR IS IT?
There was a fourth Happy Days spinoff that was even LESS successful than Joanie Loves Chachi (airing for only 13 episodes, vs. Joanie's 17). Its name: Blansky's Beauties. The number of people who still remember that it existed: 7. The number of people who care: 0. This program, concerning Howard Cunningham's freewheeling cousin Nancy Blansky and her gaggle of Vegas showgirls, was notable only for bringing back Happy Days alum Pat Morita as Arnold. Blansky's Beauties stretches the concept of "spinoff", because its derivation from Happy Days was entirely preordained. That is to say, its Happy Days pedigree was all a scheme to entice viewership. Rather than just premiering a new show, the producers would work it into a Happy Days episode in order to wean viewers onto it. Ergo, while Laverne and Shirley grew naturally out of the public's love for the characters on Happy Days, Blansky's Beauties was crammed down viewers' throats with a deceptive Happy Days candy coating. Like the proverbial Milk Dud, sweet on the outside, poison on the inside. The same applies to the equally lamentable fifth Happy Days spinoff, Out of the Blue, featuring scary-looking comedian Jim Brogan as the wayward angel Random.
So there you have it: the myriad spawn of Happy Days. But the story doesn't end there! No, because Happy Days itself was a spinoff from an episode of Love, American Style! Wheels within wheels, gentle readers, wheels within wheels. One would think that after three generations of Happy Days-related programming, things would have run their course. The world could move on, and forget about the wacky antics of Potsie, Ralph Malph, Squiggy, the Big Ragu, and all the gang. Yes, one would think that...and be dead wrong! Now we're getting into the area of Happy Days lore that is perhaps most arcane, but nearest and dearest to my own heart. For in the waning days of Happy Days, one company stepped forth and declared they they could indeed squeeze blood from a stone. That company was Hanna-Barbera, and lo, the animated spinoffs of Happy Days were born. This was not the first time Hanna-Barbera had attempted to milk a few bucks out of the venerable series. Back in 1977, they had the chutzpah to "create" a cartoon called Heyyy, It's The King. That cartoon, a component of The C. B. Bears, centered on a strikingly familiar 50s biker character, albeit of leonine countenance. "The King" was voiced by Lennie Weinrib, an actor best known for playing the nigh-universally loathed Scrappy Doo. Nowadays, the wholesale thievery of an entire character from a popular show may seem somewhat quaint. But, this was an extremely common practice among cartoons in the 60s and 70s. Popularly cited examples like The Flinstones ("inspired" by The Honeymooners) and Top Cat ("inspired" by Phil Silvers' Sgt. Bilko character) are in fact least among the offenders. You haven't seen ripoffs until you've sat through M*U*S*H* (featuring dogs instead of army doctors), The Barkleys (featuring dogs instead of the Bunker family), and, God forgive us, The Oddball Couple (featuring a dog and, mixing things up, a cat instead of the...oh, you get the idea.) Even these DePatie-Freleng abominations take a back seat to Heyyy, It's The King in the sheer audacity of its ripping off, however. I mean, COME ON! THEY EVEN WORKED FONZIE'S CATCHPHRASE INTO THE TITLE! One might think that the creators of Happy Days would not be so forgiving of Hanna-Barbera when they proposed making a name-brand Happy Days cartoon, but money talks, and Fonz and the Happy Days Gang premiered on schedule in 1980. No anthropomorphic lions here--this was the real deal, even to the point of getting the original cast (Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, and Donny Most, the latter two of which had already left the live-action Happy Days!) to provide the voices. Of course, Hanna-Barbera couldn't leave the show completely alone, otherwise what would be the point of animating it? To wit, the Happy Days Gang was introduced to Cupcake, a magical girl from the future who took them on adventures using a time machine. I have fond memories of the episode where the Gang went to ancient China and ran afoul of warlord Ming Fu. My recollection is somewhat hazy, but I seem to remember that the trademark Fonzarelli wit was sharp as ever: when introduced to the villain, Fonzie responded, "Ming Fu? Well, Ming Fu to you, too!" Or maybe it was "Ming Fu on you!" It's been a long time since I saw it. In addition to adding the time travel elements, Hanna-Barbera was obliged by company by-laws to include a "funny animal" sidekick. In this case, it was Fonzie's dog Mr. Cool, who may take the title of most infuriating animal sidekick ever. And remember, I say that having seen every cartoon featuring Gleek or Wonder Dog ever made.
Fonz and the Happy Days Gang represents the sixth and final direct progeny of Happy Days. But Hanna-Barbera was not content to stop there. No, they had to make animated spinoffs of the existing Happy Days spinoffs! Thus, Laverne and Shirley in the Army. For some reason (probably related to the like-vintage Goldie Hawn film Private Benjamin, as many H-B scholars have pointed out), Hanna-Barbera was obsessed with putting out "women in the army" cartoons in 1981, and that year also saw the release of Private Olive Oyl. While In The Army, Laverne and Shirley were under the command of an anthropomorphic swine named Sergeant Squealy, voiced by TV's Horshack, Ron Palillo. I honestly can't make this sort of crap up. Amazingly, I've never seen an entire episode of the real Laverne and Shirley, but damn my eyes, I've witnessed In the Army. It burns, Krusty, it burns! Ratings for the animated Laverne and Shirley were none too good, so they brought the Fonz (and alas, Mr. Cool) in during Season 2, renaming the show Laverne and Shirley with the Fonz. The syncretization of the animated Happy Days spinoffs was not complete, however, until 1982, when the inevitable animated Mork and Mindy was united with its predecessors to form the unholy amalgam called The Mork and Mindy/Laverne and Shirley/Fonz Hour. And so, the fourth generation of Happy Days spinoffs came to a close.
What can we learn from this labyrinthine history of sitcom fortunes? Essentially, that people really, really like the Fonz. And, I can't say that I blame them. If these trends continue...HEYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!
These days are ours...
Share them with me, oh Happy Days
These days are ours...
Happy and free, oh Happy Days
These Happy Days are yours and mine
These Happy Days are yours and mine, Happy Days!
All humans know Happy Days. But do you really know Happy Days? It has recently come to my attention that the true import of Happy Days and its role in shaping programming for much of the 70s and 80s is a mystery to many. Well, I intend on remedying that, by regaling you all with an in-depth history of Happy Days and its spinoffs. You may not realize just how many TV shows are, in actuality, spun off of Happy Days. Of all the sitcoms that have ever existed, all but five are spinoffs of Happy Days.
Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. But all the same, Happy Days had a heck of a lot of spinoffs, more than any other TV show that has ever existed. That's right, even with the addition of Law and Order: Patent Applications Unit and CSI: Schenectady to their rosters, modern crime dramas can't compare to Happy Days in their spinoffitude. Most people don't realize just how lengthy the Happy Days lineage is. Sure, everyone knows Laverne and Shirley, as it was one of the most successful spinoffs in TV history. Similarly, anyone with a slight interest in televisiana knows about Joanie Loves Chachi because it was one of the least successful spinoffs in TV history. But relatively few people realize that Mork and Mindy was another Happy Days spinoff. Mork was introduced in an episode ("My Favorite Orkan") whose plot owed more to comic book archetypes than situational comedy. Sent by his superiors (the long-suffering Orson, et al.) to collect "Earthling samples", only the Fonz is able to combat Mork's alien powers. They engage in one of those "if you can defeat me, I'll spare your puny earth"-type deals, Mork brags about how he's undefeated on 200 worlds, and of course Fonzie pulls through in the clutch. In the end, it turns out to be all a dream...OR IS IT?
There was a fourth Happy Days spinoff that was even LESS successful than Joanie Loves Chachi (airing for only 13 episodes, vs. Joanie's 17). Its name: Blansky's Beauties. The number of people who still remember that it existed: 7. The number of people who care: 0. This program, concerning Howard Cunningham's freewheeling cousin Nancy Blansky and her gaggle of Vegas showgirls, was notable only for bringing back Happy Days alum Pat Morita as Arnold. Blansky's Beauties stretches the concept of "spinoff", because its derivation from Happy Days was entirely preordained. That is to say, its Happy Days pedigree was all a scheme to entice viewership. Rather than just premiering a new show, the producers would work it into a Happy Days episode in order to wean viewers onto it. Ergo, while Laverne and Shirley grew naturally out of the public's love for the characters on Happy Days, Blansky's Beauties was crammed down viewers' throats with a deceptive Happy Days candy coating. Like the proverbial Milk Dud, sweet on the outside, poison on the inside. The same applies to the equally lamentable fifth Happy Days spinoff, Out of the Blue, featuring scary-looking comedian Jim Brogan as the wayward angel Random.
So there you have it: the myriad spawn of Happy Days. But the story doesn't end there! No, because Happy Days itself was a spinoff from an episode of Love, American Style! Wheels within wheels, gentle readers, wheels within wheels. One would think that after three generations of Happy Days-related programming, things would have run their course. The world could move on, and forget about the wacky antics of Potsie, Ralph Malph, Squiggy, the Big Ragu, and all the gang. Yes, one would think that...and be dead wrong! Now we're getting into the area of Happy Days lore that is perhaps most arcane, but nearest and dearest to my own heart. For in the waning days of Happy Days, one company stepped forth and declared they they could indeed squeeze blood from a stone. That company was Hanna-Barbera, and lo, the animated spinoffs of Happy Days were born. This was not the first time Hanna-Barbera had attempted to milk a few bucks out of the venerable series. Back in 1977, they had the chutzpah to "create" a cartoon called Heyyy, It's The King. That cartoon, a component of The C. B. Bears, centered on a strikingly familiar 50s biker character, albeit of leonine countenance. "The King" was voiced by Lennie Weinrib, an actor best known for playing the nigh-universally loathed Scrappy Doo. Nowadays, the wholesale thievery of an entire character from a popular show may seem somewhat quaint. But, this was an extremely common practice among cartoons in the 60s and 70s. Popularly cited examples like The Flinstones ("inspired" by The Honeymooners) and Top Cat ("inspired" by Phil Silvers' Sgt. Bilko character) are in fact least among the offenders. You haven't seen ripoffs until you've sat through M*U*S*H* (featuring dogs instead of army doctors), The Barkleys (featuring dogs instead of the Bunker family), and, God forgive us, The Oddball Couple (featuring a dog and, mixing things up, a cat instead of the...oh, you get the idea.) Even these DePatie-Freleng abominations take a back seat to Heyyy, It's The King in the sheer audacity of its ripping off, however. I mean, COME ON! THEY EVEN WORKED FONZIE'S CATCHPHRASE INTO THE TITLE! One might think that the creators of Happy Days would not be so forgiving of Hanna-Barbera when they proposed making a name-brand Happy Days cartoon, but money talks, and Fonz and the Happy Days Gang premiered on schedule in 1980. No anthropomorphic lions here--this was the real deal, even to the point of getting the original cast (Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, and Donny Most, the latter two of which had already left the live-action Happy Days!) to provide the voices. Of course, Hanna-Barbera couldn't leave the show completely alone, otherwise what would be the point of animating it? To wit, the Happy Days Gang was introduced to Cupcake, a magical girl from the future who took them on adventures using a time machine. I have fond memories of the episode where the Gang went to ancient China and ran afoul of warlord Ming Fu. My recollection is somewhat hazy, but I seem to remember that the trademark Fonzarelli wit was sharp as ever: when introduced to the villain, Fonzie responded, "Ming Fu? Well, Ming Fu to you, too!" Or maybe it was "Ming Fu on you!" It's been a long time since I saw it. In addition to adding the time travel elements, Hanna-Barbera was obliged by company by-laws to include a "funny animal" sidekick. In this case, it was Fonzie's dog Mr. Cool, who may take the title of most infuriating animal sidekick ever. And remember, I say that having seen every cartoon featuring Gleek or Wonder Dog ever made.
Fonz and the Happy Days Gang represents the sixth and final direct progeny of Happy Days. But Hanna-Barbera was not content to stop there. No, they had to make animated spinoffs of the existing Happy Days spinoffs! Thus, Laverne and Shirley in the Army. For some reason (probably related to the like-vintage Goldie Hawn film Private Benjamin, as many H-B scholars have pointed out), Hanna-Barbera was obsessed with putting out "women in the army" cartoons in 1981, and that year also saw the release of Private Olive Oyl. While In The Army, Laverne and Shirley were under the command of an anthropomorphic swine named Sergeant Squealy, voiced by TV's Horshack, Ron Palillo. I honestly can't make this sort of crap up. Amazingly, I've never seen an entire episode of the real Laverne and Shirley, but damn my eyes, I've witnessed In the Army. It burns, Krusty, it burns! Ratings for the animated Laverne and Shirley were none too good, so they brought the Fonz (and alas, Mr. Cool) in during Season 2, renaming the show Laverne and Shirley with the Fonz. The syncretization of the animated Happy Days spinoffs was not complete, however, until 1982, when the inevitable animated Mork and Mindy was united with its predecessors to form the unholy amalgam called The Mork and Mindy/Laverne and Shirley/Fonz Hour. And so, the fourth generation of Happy Days spinoffs came to a close.
What can we learn from this labyrinthine history of sitcom fortunes? Essentially, that people really, really like the Fonz. And, I can't say that I blame them. If these trends continue...HEYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!
These days are ours...
Share them with me, oh Happy Days
These days are ours...
Happy and free, oh Happy Days
These Happy Days are yours and mine
These Happy Days are yours and mine, Happy Days!
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