Happy Days - Les jours heureux

I guess I'm like most people. The first couple of years of Happy Days were terrific but then things went downhill. The show shouldn't have made Fonzie into such an unbelievable character. In the first couple of seasons he was just kind of a greaseball who was on the outskirts then they made him into some kind of superhuman character who could do no wrong. It took away any semblance of reality. Also whatever happened to Chuck (the older brother). If they wanted to get rid of him they should have come up with some kind of excuse instead of just forgetting about him.

I am 14 years old and I love Happy Days- there should be more programs like it now! I am a fan of older TV shows, as well as new ones [I love Starsky and Hutch], but If I ever need cheering up- I always put Happy Days on. I think I watch at least one episode a day and it puts me in a good mood!

All the characters are fantastic- Richie, Potsie, Ralph, Joanie etc..and who could ever forget The Fonz? What I love about Fonzie is that he is so cool but is also a softie and loves his 'family' The Cunninghams so much.

Watch Happy Days- you won't regret it!

To Happy Days!

"American Graffiti"-styled television show that ran a decade (1974-1984) and completed a mind-blowing 255 episodes in all. The show followed the Cunningham family (father Tom Bosley, mother Marion Ross, son Ron Howard and daughter Erin Moran) in Milwaukee throughout the 1950s. Howard, his friends (Don Most and Anson Williams) and their misadventures with school and girls dominated the show's story-lines early on. Would-be motorcycle tough guy punk Henry Winkler (aka Fonzie) stole the show from minute one and he was the main reason why the show survived so long. Cast departures (Howard, Most and diner owner Pat Morita) and additions (Ted McGinley, Scott Baio, Al Molinaro and Morita again) did nothing to change ratings as the show consistently stayed high on the Nielsen scale. Also the father of two lesser spin-offs ("Laverne & Shirley" and "Joanie Loves Chachi"), "Happy Days" proved that one amazing character (Fonz) could basically carry a program's list of shortcomings. 4 stars out of 5.

This was one of the greatest shows of the 1970's. Many people think of it as a simple comedy, but in the early years the series tackled some serious issues such as racism and nuclear war. The strength of the show was the friendship between Richie and Fonzie. The chemistry between Ron Howard and Henry Winkler made this show a classic. Unfortunately, after Howard left, they tried to keep the show going by focusing on Joanie and Chachi and that was when the show began to go downhill. However, just ignore the final years of the show and pay attention to the early years.

It's the 1950's Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The show centers on teenager Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard), his suburban family, his school friends, and local mechanic, the Fonz (Henry Winkler). It does start with a brother Chuck and a grey jacket for Fonzie. The first two seasons are shot single camera style. There is a rougher edge to some serious subject matters. It's not the hardest hitting but the difference with the later years is stark. It's American Graffiti. Heck, it's sometimes close to American Pie. After those initial two, the show becomes the standard for 80's brighter, lighter, family friendly, multi-camera sitcom style done in front of a live studio audience.

Over the years, there are different characters and it becomes a legendary sitcom lasting 11 seasons. Henry Winkler, Marion Ross, and Tom Bosley are the veterans who held up the show all the way to the end. On the other hand, the supposed lead Ron Howard would leave the show after seven seasons. He was never that funny to me and I question his ability as the straight man. He's better as a director anyways. I'm not a fan of Joanie and Chachi who are fighting half of time. I never really liked Chachi and I only tolerated Joanie. I'm not a big fan of Potsie either and I definitely don't like his crooning. At least, Ralph Malph gets a few laughs at his own expense. As for the later additional characters, I like boy-crazy Jenny Piccalo the most. She's a fun character and the definition of the clueless cute single girl. KC is a little bland as a random cousin coming out of nowhere for the 10th season. I like Roger Phillips especially when he's paired up with the Fonz at the school. There is a weird situation with Linda Purl who plays two characters over the years. During the second season, she's Richie's girlfriend Gloria, and during the tenth season, she's Fonzie's girlfriend Ashley Pfister. Think about that. What I forgot is that Ashley's daughter was played by Poltegeist's Heather O'Rourke. Over the years, there are many memorable guest stars. Phil Silvers played Cathy Silvers' father. Robin Williams had a great crazy turn as Mork leading to his own show and becoming a Hollywood legend. There's also Laverne & Shirley who spun off on their own. This show lasted 11 seasons and is one of the legendary network TV shows of all times.