"Love and the Happy Days"

It's Friday, February 25, 1972, at 10 p.m.  I am four years old and my mother has been dead less than a year.  My father not only remembers the 1950s but he served in World War II.  I do not yet watch much TV beyond Sesame Street and a few cartoons.  I would not be able to stay up so late, especially to see a naughty comedy anthology series, although I will catch up with it later in the decade when it hits syndication.

Love American Style offers our first glimpse of the Cunninghams. It is prehistorical and, as far as I know, not quite obtainable.  Here is a link for the first ten minutes of what was originally titled "Love and the Television Set":

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1199603383429005

00:19 Ric Carrott, due to the quirks of alphabetization, pops up as Chuck Cunningham No. 1.

00:21 Harold Gould, who also was Anne Marie's father in the 1965 That Girl pilot, is Howard Cunningham No. 1.

00:24 Seventeen-year-old Ronny Howard, still mostly known as Opie on The Andy Griffith Show, is the only Richie Cunningham for now and always.

00:28 Susan Neher, looking younger than the thirteen she turns that week, won't have much to do as Joanie Cunningham No. 1.

00:32 Marion Ross as the Danzaly named Marion Cunningham, who will still be with us almost a half century later.

00:35 Anson-- Dude, what did they do to your hair???

00:57 Written by Garry Marshall, who has no idea that he has planted the seeds of a dynasty.

01:19 Truman.  So this is set 1945 to 1952?  The song in the background, "Mona Lisa," was famously recorded by Nat King Cole in 1950.  So early '50s, pre-rocking-and-rolling-around-the-clock.

01:21 An Ike/Nixon button, so 1952 then?

01:32 Richie is sixteen, until further notice.

01:42 He specifically tells us it's the 1950s, and he's reading From Here to Eternity (1951) and Amboy Dukes (1947).

02:20 Oh, Potsie, you rebel!  Climbing through windows!

03:38 He's also an incredibly horny virgin, while Richie is looking for a girl with brains.

04:29 Chuck goes to college by bus?

05:08 Agnostic Chuck!  He's going to go to H-E-double-hockeysticks!

05:52 A stereotypical malt shop that's probably left over from some other Paramount series.

08:05 Potsie is not going to let Corinne's mustache go, is he?

08:43 Mutual ear-blowing!  I bet Richie's never gone that far before.

09:03 "Hey, you got it made in the shade!" The first HD catchphrase.

09:33 "Boy, you really gave me a Pearl Harbor."  

From what I've seen online, it turns out that Arlene does indeed only want Richie for his television, but then considering they cast Tannis G. Montgomery, who months later would be Greg Brady's sexy, sneaky girlfriend Jennifer (Marcia's cheerleading rival), I can't say I'm shocked.  Presumably Richie and Potsie make up.

Is this episode canon?  Apparently footage pops up as a flashback on Montgomery's Season Two episode, so we will revisit it.  For now, this is like an alternative-universe version of a series that would morph in many ways over the next dozen years.