Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion

Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion (2005)

*** (out of 4)

Garry Marshall hosts this reunion special, which has interviews with various cast members as well as countless clips from the show Happy Days. Towards the end we get to the actual reunion, which features Ron Howard, Erin Moran, Scott Baio, Tom Bosley, Don Most, Marion Ross, Anson Williams and of course Henry Winkler. A couple surprise guests also appear.

There was a previous reunion special done in 1992 but that one there didn't feature Eric Moran so this one here is a bit more complete as far as the original cast members go. If you're a fan of the show then you'll obviously enjoy this special even though it's certainly nothing special. The clips selected are pretty much the same ones shown in the earlier special and the cast members pretty much tell the same stories. There is a small Q&A section, which was good.

I enjoyed the reunion show because growing up Happy Days was my favorite show. Tuesdays at 8:00 was always the time for Happy Days!! I just was wondering why AL wasn't included in it. I know he is still very much alive because I checked his biography page. I would be surprised to find out that he wouldn't have wanted to be with everyone else sharing the old memories. Also, I wonder where Pinky was?? Last time I saw her she was on the news for shooting a car window out because the alarm was too loud!!! Poor Pinky!The sitcoms today cannot compare to what we had. All there is now is sex, and profanity. It is a shame that this is what our children have to be subjected to.

I would like to thank the whole cast for appearing together. I am sure the whole two hour special was very hard but rewarding work. Thanks to Mr. Winkler for bring the special to life.

It is so nice to know that the cast was as friendly off screen as they were on. I always thought it would be a great thing to go to dinner with the group.

It was a delight and brought back many memories of my children growing up and their routine on Tuesday evenings.

I hope Al is well.

Thanks again.

Mary Bear

The Happy Days are here again! Eeyy! The old gang from Milwaukee get back together once again to share some of their fondest memories.Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion (2005) is directed by Linda Mendoza.It's most cool to see the gang going back to Arnold's.This is Arnold's! There we see Ron Howard, who played Richie Cunningham.And Henry Winkler, who was the leather jacket king Fonzie.Anson Williams, or Potsie is there.Great singer, not so great with the girls.Don Most, Ralph Malph is there.We learn that he learned the "I still got it" catchphrase from the show's late director Jerry Paris.It's a fantastic moment when Chuck finally shows up.Richie's basketball playing brother, who just vanished from the show, was played by two men.We see both of them with basketballs.In the end we also see the great late Pat Morita.Too bad Al Molinaro, who played Al, couldn't be there due to his health.He's 90 now.We also see Fonzie jumping the shark, which It brings back memories when the Bill Haley & His Comets song Rock Around the Clock starts to play.And then the Happy Days theme song by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel.Sunday, Monday Happy Days...I think I'll go and get my Arnold's burger.Yep, Yep, Yep, Yep.

Obviously, "Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion" brought back all the cast members, all of whom threw in their two cents about the show's various aspects. Until watching this reunion, I had never known about their baseball team, or that the show was spun off of "Love: American Style". And Henry Winkler's home movies showing the bloopers were pretty interesting. It must have been pretty incredible to be in the same room as Robin Williams hearing him ad lib a bunch of jokes as Mork.

Admittedly, this will probably only appeal to the show's hardcore fans; otherwise, the whole thing just seems like self-congratulation. But I would congratulate Fonzie's coolness. On another note, it's sort of weird to think that all of the "Happy Days" cast members are still alive after all these years (but not everyone who participated; director Jerry Paris has passed on). But no matter, it's great to see Richie, Fonzie, Howard, Marion, Joanie, Potsie, Ralph and Chachi together again, not to mention some of the obscurer cast members. Just one question: where was Al? Oh well. As Fonzie always says: heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!