This video is part of an ongoing project to build a retrospective TV archive made for the LL community on my Retro TV channel at
http://www.liveleak.com/c/Retro_TV_

Embed CodePlays: 180 (Embed: 0)

Aired originally from 1974 to 1984, 11 seasons 255 episodes. Happy Days pilot was anything but a happy story. An unsold pilot named "New Family in Town". It was rehashed as "Love and the Happy Days" on the anthology series "Love American Style". The sitcom Happy Days can be considered a spinoff from that anthology series.

One of those actors that was in Love American Style was Ron Howard, who was later cast by George Lucas as a teenager in the hit film "American Grafitti" in 1973. Working from Howard's popularity in Graffiti creator Garry Marshall recast the roles of the series and turned it into the show you see today with the present cast. The show was re-worked, hoping to ride the coattails of a burgeoning movement in the 70's to depict an idealized version of the 50's. Happy days ran successfully in the coveted Tuesday night 8pm spot for 10 of it's 11 seasons.

There were quite a few spinoffs from Happy Days.
Laverne & Shirley
Mork & Mindy
Joanie Loves Chachi
Blansky's Beauties
and finally
Out of the Blue Which it's sometimes argued is not technically a spinoff. The controversy of whether Out of the Blue is either a spinoff or a crossover is argued by veteran TV analysts. (Yes I know "TV analysts?") Since Jimmy Brogan appeared as the character Random in the Happy days episode "Chachi Sells His Soul" more than a week after the first episode of Out of the Blue aired, that means it should be considered a "crossover" with the purpose to promote Out of the Blue on Happy Days.

Other analysts say that it was just some odd scheduling decisions, that Out of the Blue was originally meant as a spinoff of Happy Days. Substantiated by the fact that the tone of the character Random in the episode of Happy Days is that of a pilot, or dry run.

There were also some Hanna Barbera animated shows from this franchise. "The Fonz and The Happy Days Gang", "Laverne and Shirley Joins the Army" and an animated "Mork and Mindy". All were combined later into "The Mork & Mindy Laverne & Shirley Fonze hour". None of which rated particularly well with kiddies but had a moderate run. Yes I have the intros to them, will up them eventually.

There is also a couple of musicals based on Happy Days. "Happy Days, The Arena Spectacular" that toured in the late 90's in Australia and "Happy Days: A New Musical" which began in 2008 and is still touring in 2012 as far as I know.