"A Date with Fonzie"

While this is deservedly famous for introducing the characters of Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney (and thus reshaping not just Tuesday nights on ABC but arguably pop culture), I want to talk about it  here as yet another entry in the saga of Richie Cunningham being unlucky in "love."  Richie is in a dating slump, having broken up with Sharon Meyers a month ago, after a four-month relationship that we have of course never heard of.  Fonzie does his best to rebuild his confidence, first having him try to pick up chicks in an incredibly small supermarket and then fixing him up with Miss Feeney.  But Richie is very nervous, partly because Shirley is a little older (Richie is seventeen) and partly because these girls are rougher and tougher than he's used to.  They even fight in the ladies' room!  Still, Shirley thinks he's "a cute kid" and she does give him what seems to be a very warm goodnight kiss, so it's a happy ending, if Richie could stop locking himself out of the house.

I wanted to love this episode of course, but I'm going with a B- because it does take awhile to get going and I'm not 100% happy with the Laverne & Shirley half.

• Bob W. Hoffman previously was Skizzy and is the somewhat creepy Old Man here, who we and Richie learn has tried to hit on Marion.
• Another Bradford girl from Eight Is Enough, Laurie Walters, who would be Joannie, is Susan.
• The thing of Joanie C. being sent upstairs to her room is now established enough that they can play off of it when Richie sends his whole family upstairs.  And, yes, Joanie is still a voyeur.
• So are Potsie and Ralph, who Laverne threatens for staring.
• Potsie does a good cover of "Great Balls of Fire," but how did Richie end up on drums?  Have they not yet replaced Bag?
• Fonzie describes both Laverne and Shirley as "his girls."  And, yes, we see his two volumes of "little black books."
• Cindy Williams is no relation to Anson, or Robin for that matter.
• I'm unclear how Aunt Bessie is related, but I feel like she's been mentioned a few times before.
• Richie inadvertently flirts with Fonzie at the market.
• By writing this episode, Rothman and Ganz lucked into a new gig the next year and Rothman wouldn't be back to HD until the early '80s, while Ganz was gone from HD for good.
• Although this aired on November 11th, the opening has Valentine's decorations!  I'll revisit this specific timeline issue later.
• My thoughts on Laverne & Shirley are here https://revisitinglaverneandshirley.blogspot.com/2021/03/a-date-with-shirley.html