History Happy Days

1 history

1.1 production , scheduling notes

1.1.1 production styles
1.1.2 sets


1.2 theme music

history

happy days originated during time of 1950s nostalgic interest evident in 1970s film, television, , music. in late winter of 1971, michael eisner snowed in @ newark airport bumped tom miller, head of development @ paramount. eisner has stated told miller, tom, ridiculous. re wasting our time here. let s write show. script treatment came out of did not sell. in spite of market research department telling them 50 s theme not work, decided redo it, , accepted pilot. unsold pilot filmed in late 1971 , titled new family in town, harold gould in role of howard cunningham, marion ross marion, ron howard richie, anson williams potsie, ric carrott charles chuck cunningham, , susan neher joanie, paramount passed on making weekly series, , pilot recycled title love , television set (later retitled love , happy days syndication), presentation on television anthology series love, american style. in 1971, musical grease had successful opening in chicago, , following year became hit on broadway. in 1972, george lucas asked view pilot determine if ron howard suitable play teenager in american graffiti, in pre-production. lucas cast howard in film, became 1 of top-grossing films of 1973. movie s success generating renewed interest in 50 s era, tv show creator garry marshall , abc recast unsold pilot turn happy days series. according marshall in interview, executive producer tom miller said while developing sitcom, if tv series takes place in era, , when goes reruns, won t old. made sense marshall while on set of show.

gould had been tapped reprise role of howard cunningham on show. however, during delay before start of production found work doing play abroad , when notified show ready begin production, declined return because wanted honor commitment. bosley offered role.

production , scheduling notes

jerry paris, played next-door neighbor jerry helper on dick van dyke show , directed several episodes of series, directed every episode of happy days season 3 on, except 3 episodes in season 3 ( jailhouse rock , dance contest , arnold s wedding ).
producer , writer bob brunner created arthur fonzarelli s fonzie nickname , iconic comeback phrase, sit on it.
until show went out of production, reruns of show syndicated under title happy days again.
happy days produced miller-milkis productions, teaming of thomas l. miller former film editor edward k. milkis, became miller-milkis-boyett productions when robert l. boyett joined company in 1980, , first ever show produced company s recent incarnation, miller-boyett productions, followed milkis s resignation partnership. produced henderson productions , 1 of popular shows produced in association paramount television.
in 11 seasons on air, happy days second-longest running sitcom in abc s history (behind adventures of ozzie , harriet, ran 14 seasons, 1952 1966), , 1 of longest-running primetime programs in network s history. unique in remained in tuesday @ 8:00 p.m. eastern time (et) time slot series first ten seasons. tuesdays @ 8 p.m. became signature timeslot abc, s boss? instantly becoming top 10 hit when moved thursdays , staying in time slot 6 seasons, followed equally family-friendly sitcom full house (another miller-boyett co-production). sitcom hit top 10 after inheriting tuesday @ 8 p.m. slot , stayed there 4 seasons.
happy days proved quite popular in daytime reruns; joined abc daytime schedule in 1975, airing reruns @ 11:30 a.m. et, being moved 11 a.m. in 1977, paired family feud following @ 11:30 a.m. replaced on daytime schedule reruns of spin-off, laverne & shirley, in april 1979.
cbs programming head fred silverman scheduled maude spin-off times directly against happy days during respective second seasons in attempt kill abc show s growing popularity. in way move backfired on silverman, named president of abc in 1975— forcing him come way save show tried kill year before. after having knocked happy days out of top 20 programs on television last year @ cbs, silverman had series @ top of nielsen ratings 1977 (see below). times later cancelled in 1979.
ron howard later revealed many of exterior scenes filmed in happy days shot in munster, indiana.

production styles

the first 2 seasons of happy days (1974–75) filmed using single-camera setup , laugh track. 1 episode of season 2 ( fonzie gets married ) filmed in front of studio audience 3 cameras test run. third season on (1975–84), show three-camera production in front of live audience (with cast member, tom bosley, announcing in voice-over, happy days filmed before live audience @ start of episodes), giving these later seasons markedly different style. laugh track still used during post-production smooth on live reactions.

gary marshall s earlier television series odd couple had undergone identical change in production style after first season in 1970–71.

sets

richie , fonzie view destroyed motorcycle in living room, 1976. fonzie s apartment on cunninghams garage

the show had 2 main sets: cunningham home , arnold s/al s drive-in.

in seasons 1 , two, cunningham house arranged front door on left , kitchen on right of screen, in triangular arrangement. season 3 on, house rearranged accommodate multiple cameras , studio audience.

the cunninghams official address 565 north clinton drive, milwaukee, wisconsin. house served exterior of cunningham residence located @ 565 north cahuenga boulevard (south of melrose avenue) in los angeles, several blocks paramount lot on melrose avenue.

the milky way drive-in, located on port washington road in north shore suburb of glendale, wisconsin (now kopp s frozen custard stand), inspiration original arnold s drive-in; has since been demolished. exterior of arnold s standing set on paramount studios lot has since been demolished. exterior close stage 19, rest of show s sets located.

the set of diner in first season room same vague details of later set, such paneling, , college pennants. when show changed studio production in 1975, set widened , entrance hidden, allowed upstage, central entrance cast members. barely-seen kitchen upstaged , seen through pass-through window. diner had orange booths, downstage center closeup conversation, camera left. there 2 restroom doors camera right, labeled guys , dolls . 1953 seeburg model g jukebox (with replaced metal pilasters wico corp.) positioned camera right, , anachronistic nip-it pinball machine (actually produced in 1972) positioned far camera right.

potsie, richie, fonzie, , ralph malph @ arnold s

college pennants adorned walls, including purdue , university of wisconsin–milwaukee, along blue , white sign reading jefferson high school . milwaukee s washington high school provided inspiration exteriors of fictional jefferson.

in two-part episode seventh season, original arnold s drive-in written out of series being destroyed fire (see list of happy days episodes, episodes 159 , 160). in last seasons covered 60s timeline, new arnold s drive-in set (to portray new arnold s replaced original arnold s destroyed fire) emerged in 60s decor wood paneling , stained glass.

in 2004, 2 decades after first set destroyed, happy days 30th anniversary reunion requested reunion take place in arnold s. set rebuilt production designer james yarnell based on original floor plan. reunion special taped @ cbs television city s bob barker studio in september 2004.

theme music

season 1 used newly recorded version of rock around clock bill haley & comets (recorded in fall of 1973) opening theme song. recording not commercially released @ time, although original 1954 recording returned american billboard charts in 1974 result of song s use on show. happy days recording had first commercial release in 2005 german label hydra records. (when happy days entered syndication in 1979, series retitled happy days again , used edited version of 1954 recording instead of 1973 version). in prints intended reruns , overseas broadcasts, original rock around clock opening theme replaced more standard happy days theme.

the show s closing theme song in seasons 1 , 2 fragment happy days (although in different recording different lyrics become standard version), music composed charles fox , lyrics written norman gimbel. according sag, version performed jimmy haas on lead vocals, ron hicklin of ron hicklin singers, stan farber, jerry whitman, , gary garrett on backing vocals, , studio musicians.

from seasons 3 ten inclusive, longer version of happy days replaced rock around clock @ beginning of show. released single in 1976 pratt & mcclain, happy days cracked top 5. show finished 1976–77 television season @ #1, ending five-year nielsen reign of in family. on season 2 dvd set release & later re releases of season 1 dvd set, song rock around clock replaced reconstructed version of happy days because of music rights issues.

for show s 11th , final season (1983–84), theme rerecorded in more modern style. featured bobby arvon on lead vocals, several back-up vocalists. accompany new version, new opening credits filmed, , flashing happy days logo reanimated create overall new feel incorporated 1980s sensibilities 1950s nostalgia (although time show set in 1965).