Reliving Happy Days

The timing feels off on this C+ May 7th episode, although it is interesting that it's another that addresses a serious topic in a way that later seasons probably wouldn't have.  My father (who was not much younger than Howard Cunningham in the second half of the '50s) built two bomb shelters, one in the early '60s, and one in the early '80s, when I was a teenager, so I probably have a different take on this than most Gen-Xers, but I agree with Richie's point that it's more important to have a good life now than live in fear about the future. Other thoughts: Chuck is absent from the "family discussions," but Howard thinks Chuck would just dribble a basketball the whole time. This is at least the second episode where Joanie is playing with a Slinky.  This despite the fact that she's almost a teenager. Marsha the waitress is arguably the most tragic character of the early years, here saying she's used to a life of pain and loneliness. Ronnie S...

This April 30th episode is the least interesting so far (the first C), from its plot to its guest characters, although the tag with the "color TV converter" is cute.  Still, I can note a few things: Ralph continues to come into more of his "cowardly jokester" persona. At this point in the series, Ralph is the one who has a car, while Richie and Potsie have bikes. Marion's line about not raising her boy to be a soldier would be ironic later. Frankie Malina shares a last name with Laverne DeFazio's future fiancé, Sal Malina, and could be his brother or cousin. Art Baer and Ben Joelson would co-write two more episodes. The episode title is of course a pun on the opening-credits song.

This April 23rd episode is one of the stronger ones of the first season (a B), and it's more focused on Howard than Richie, who's more of an observer.  I like that the message about bigotry is not simplistic, and even Marion and Howard recognize their own prejudices. Other thoughts: Howard and his Army buddy met twelve years ago, during WW II, presumably placing this in the '55-57 range. Howard and Marion have been married twenty-one years, and a recent episode implied that he was a virgin (or at least nervous) on their wedding night, so Chuck is twenty at most. Howard had what sounds like a flirtation but not an affair with a cute nurse during the War. I assume it's meant to be ironic that Richie corrects Fonzie for saying "blacks" rather than "Negroes," since the latter was the more respectable term before the '60s.  (And it was and is "colored" in the extant NAACP.) Potsie and Fonzie are absent. Howard says his family "isn't...

When I was a kid catching up on the early seasons in syndication, this April 16th episode was probably my favorite, and I'm very pleased that it holds up.  In fact, it's the first B+ of the series: smart, warm, funny, and willing to give Ron Howard something meatier than he's been given so far.  He even gets in a yelling match with Tom Bosley!  Also, it has the words "reefers" and "pregnant," and that wonderful "purpose"/"usurp us" rhyme that has stayed with me for over forty years.  Oh, and the nifty little scene of Potsie & Ralph (who are shifting into their later standard friendship) sneaking into the coffeehouse, only to find Marsha moonlighting from Arnold's. Other thoughts: The line I most recall from this episode is of course "You're going to be a daddi-o." Richie wanted to go to law school on a recent episode, but his poetry shows the writer he would become. This is set at the beginning of summer vacation...

It bugged me that on this April 9th episode, both Richie's parents encourage him to pursue a girl who's made it clear she doesn't want to go steady with him.  On the other hand, Marion's stories about Howard's courtship are kind of cute, so C+. Other thoughts: Howard is relieved that Richie is wearing his aftershave and nervously waiting for a girl rather than for Potsie. On the other hand, while Howard is sometimes chill about what Richie gets up to (or considers on the urging of Potsie), he strongly disapproves of tattoos. Chuck's appetite is referred to but he's absent. The girl, who's a couple years older than Richie, associates falling in love with the Platters' "My Prayer," which came out in '54. This is the only episode directed by Don Weis, who offered a livelier time in the movie Pajama Party (1964).

This April 2nd episode is the weakest since the premiere, in both plot and subplot.  A pre- Soap Diana Canova at 20 is absolutely lovely and charming, so who cares if she's playing a character who's "too tall" for Richie?  And then Howard getting fed up with Marion being bad at bridge is neither funny nor consistent with their so far established characters.  Still, there are some nice moments, and I like how Joanie is so knowing about makeout parties but hit a boy who tried to kiss her. Some other thoughts: Another thing about the redone credits is that they've also added Fonzie deciding he doesn't need to comb his hair in the men's room mirror.  It's still just Ron, Anson, Marion, and Tom mentioned by name (with pictures in the middle of the record) in the opening credits though. In this version, Ralph's parents are named Harry and Hazel, and pretty bland. The costumes at the costume party are kind of meh, more like something '50s teens would ...

Things start to feel a little more familiar here on March 26th, with Anson Williams singing and the "Chinese fire drill" popping up in the credits.  By the way, every time "Rock Around the Clock" comes on, I get into it, which can't be said of the bland Happy Days theme that would replace it.  Anyway, this is another B, with some laugh-out loud moments (including the dog-playing-poker shot) and Howard getting the best of the frat-boy card-sharks. Other thoughts: Fonzie has one scene, in his leather jacket, giving an accurate assessment of the boys' band, who all seem to be playing in different styles. Ralph is working as a busboy at Arnold's and calls the owner "Arnie," but the man who yells at him clearly isn't Pat Morita. Bag and to a lesser extent Ralph seemed like frenemies before, but they are now in Richie and Potsie's band. Chuck shows up only in the tag and is the only one who can stomach Joanie's "chipmunk stew." ...

This March 12th episode is easily the best so far (a B), with the characters starting to click and the script offering some genuine laughs.  OK, it's a bit odd that Richie and Arlene Holder (I could've sworn they said Hoffstedter before) have been going out for only two weeks, when they were going steady four episodes ago, but obviously there are bigger timeline issues this season. Notes: The boys vs. girls scene about Richie and Arlene's fight is a good way to start things off and, yeah, it gives Trudy stuff to do again. Howard is such a reluctant chaperone, he's actually steering couples towards makeout spots! Did he and Marion go to Jefferson High, too?  Or was it somewhere else with an oak tree? Laurette Spang would play Arlene once more, along with some other characters.  Three's Company fans may recognize her as Inga from that skiing episode. Fonzie cleans up nicely, and he actually dips Mrs. Cunningham!  (There was always a not-quite-ship about the two of the...

I thought the timing was a bit off on this March 5th episode, but I liked the heart-to-heart with Richie and his father near the end, including about the honesty in the parents' relationship.  As with the bachelor-party episode, the stripper doesn't actually take it all off. Notes: Chuck Cunningham has fans?  Who knew. A rare brotherly chat, although Chuck is unable to help Richie, since he's already loaned his draft card to someone else.  (And was Chuck eventually drafted and somehow killed in peacetime?) Another mention of Aunt Bessie. If Potsie is pretending to be 18 and born in 1938, that makes this '56 or '57. Also, he told Fonzie he weighed about 155, but here he's claiming only 145 pounds. Arthur Batanides, here Eddie, would return four times, including as "Eddie," not necessarily the same one. This is a solo script for Bickley, directed by Ferber.

On this February 26th episode, Fonzie drops into high school at Richie's encouragement, but he soon has Richie doing his homework.  Richie draws the line at cheating, but they remain friends.  If I recall correctly, Fonzie would later get his diploma and become a teacher himself.  The episode is also significant for Fonzie coming over for dinner, although Joanie thinks he's a hood and her parents are almost as wary. Notes: Joanie is "growing up," going from not knowing where babies come from to, at the dinner table, referring to sex! The Cunninghams apparently have only one car, not counting the lemon Richie bought and sold. Trudy takes over Fonzie's homework after Richie stops, presumably in exchange for dates with Fonzie. Jean Fraser is a nameless Girl here and would have a couple other roles later. This is another Bickley & Brunner story, directed by Mel Ferber this time.

Just assume that these are B-s until further notice.  This February 19th episode contains what I have a strong suspicion will not be the last use of drag on the show (and certainly not on the spin-offs), and it feels right that Richie is paired off with Fonzie, Potsie with Ralph. Some other notable things: This is the first episode to actually show the high school, well, the hallway, but we haven't yet seen Richie in class. Fonzie wears his leather jacket to a sock hop, pretty surprising in a first-season episode, but maybe Garry thought the ABC censors would be too distracted by the drag and same-sex dancing. Chuck knows about the Demons and compares them to frats. Joanie has some cute moments here, from her bad painting-by-numbers to not wanting to wear Richie's hand-me-down skirt and blouse. Ed Begley, Jr., Hank here, would go on to many other roles, but it is amusing that one of his characters, Bobby Feeney, was then presumably in the Navy and didn't know about his dopp...

Yeah, another B-.  Here, on the February 12th episode, we see more of Richie's integrity, and Potsie isn't just the Eddie-Haskell-like corrupter of the innocent. Notes: Howard seems awfully old to be getting his tonsils out, but OK. On the other hand, Joanie seems really young for a (I'm guessing) twelve-year-old, the way she dresses and her reference to Show & Tell. Richie is somehow going steady with Arlene Hofstedter (not to be confused with the using-him-for-his-television Arlene Nestrock), a girl we've never met or heard of before. We get a glimpse of Howard's hardware store, which is smaller than I pictured. So far, we know that Ralph's father has mannequins in his place of business, while Potsie's father won some sort of award for clean restrooms.  I'm pretty sure these will both be retconned.  (Wasn't Ralph's father a dentist later?) Ralph is cracking jokes with fellow redheaded cutup Trudy (Tita Bell again). Marion has an alcoholic G...

Things are settling in a little on this B- February 5, 1974 episode.  We even get a glimpse of Ralph's cowardice, which would Flanderize over time.  It's the first episode where Richie doesn't kiss or get kissed by a girl, although he has a crush on one of the "Assorted Nuts." Notes: Howard is angrier with Richie about being a drag-race flagger than when Richie got drunk, but Marion intervenes, despite Joanie's hopes of Richie being severely punished. Chuck teases Richie about his basketball skills, while Joanie can go from baton-twirling to shooting hoops.  Also, Chuck apparently lives in the dorm, but they still have his bed in Richie's room, which is convenient when Potsie comes to visit. Potsie and Howard are wary of each other, while Joanie (ironically in light of her later crush) calls Potsie a nerd. Two actual nerds steal the spotlight at the end, when all the grounded kids clear out of Arnold's at suppertime.  In this first season, including in...

I was leaning towards a C+ for this January 29, 1974 episode, because it felt like the comic timing was off, but Bosley is again the best thing about it, wise and drily funny.  Notes: To confuse things further, it's a bachelor party for Potsie's cousin Arnold, while the sign at the drive-in restaurant says "Arnold's," but it's run by "Arthur," and we already know that Fonzie's first name is Arthur. The boys look for Fonzie's approval, a literal thumb's up. Potsie is again the relatively sophisticated one, well, compared to Richie. Ralph as joker is here in embryonic form. It's an interesting decision to make the cake-girl a wisecracking dancer rather than a stripper, especially in light of Laverne & Shirley's "bachelor party" episode two years later. Chuck communicates partly through dribbling a basketball. Joanie marvels at how Richie is growing up, by getting drunk. This is the second episode in a row to mention Au...

On January 22, 1974 the second episode of Happy Days aired and it's a little more assured, helped by Bosley's Howard finding a way to be a sarcastic voice of reason, so it's a B-.  The object of the episode title is of course a used car in poor condition.  Some notable things here: Richie is seventeen, but I guess it's the second half of his junior year.  Howard says that not only Davy and Ricky (Nelson) don't have cars, but neither does "Beaver."  Considering Beaver Cleaver was only about seven in 1957, that's not very helpful.  And, yes, I'm already confused by the timeline, and we're only two episodes in. Joanie is already in her mode of bratty little sister teasing her brother about his love life. Chuck is credited but I didn't see him, so I'm not tagging him. Potsie again is the relatively worldly one, while Richie still can't kiss.  Fonzie of course walks in on Potsie teaching Richie how to put his arm around a girl in a car, ...

It is Tuesday, January 15, 1974.  In the almost two years since the Love American Style episode, Ron Howard was in a little film called American Graffiti that was a surprise hit.  Fifties nostalgia is in and the time is ripe to make this series.  I am in kindergarten and the only show I'd watch as late as 8 pm. is The Brady Bunch on Fridays.  Without my help, the midseason replacement for Temperatures Rising will make it to No. 16 in the ratings, a very nice start.  I will see this episode when it hits syndication in a few years and the only line I will remember years later is Fonzie's (one of his few in his debut), "You played with her chest?!" Like Richie, this episode is awkward and has growing pains, with no one really settled into their roles yet but showing potential.  I considered a B-, but the virgin-whore message is messed up even for the '50s, let alone the '70s, and while on the one hand I like that Mary Lou Milligan (the lovely Kathy O'Dare, wh...