Ah, the simple days of drive-ins, sock hops and hot cars. The world according to Happy Days has 1950s America as a utopia of friendliness and perfection. And while the Fonz might not have been President, he ruled in a leather jacket. Snarkiness aside, Happy Days was and is a fun nostalgic trip, even if it is on the idealistic side and the Fonz plays too great a part in its history.
The major turning point of the show’s third season was the increased dosages of Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler). Like many sitcom sidekicks, he had become the show’s biggest star feeding of a simple shtick of plain white T-shirts, a rebel attitude, thumb gestures and the word ‘hey’. He’s not dissimilar from Arnold from Differ’ent Strokes or Steve Urkel from Family Matters. In order to get more Fonzie the show had to have a reason for it. So in the season premiere the Cunninghams, whom the show centers on, open up a suite above their garage that Fonzie ultimately rents for the unheard sum of $50 per month.
Like its first spin-off Laverne and Shirley, Happy Days revels in its simplicity and charm. It’s inoffensive almost to a fault because when things are almost always idealistic, there’s no conflict. And when you don’t have conflict, you don’t have a plot. The charm of Happy Days lies in its nostalgia. From music to fashion to set designs, the show goes back to a time of apple pie and cardigans. In case people didn’t recognize the show’s iconic status and look, all you need to do is YouTube Weezer’s classic music video for “Buddy Holly”.
Within a few years Happy Days would begin to dwindle and alienate its fans. Fonz would eventually “jump the shark” – literally – and spawn a term used for shows that have run their course yet still stayed on the air. But in the third season of Happy Days Fonzie simply attempts to jump 14 garbage cans in order to maintain his mojo. Although I don’t mind Fonzie, I prefer him in small doses. His act doesn’t vary much any. Sure, it was beloved then and it still is today, but how many jukebox slams does one need. In the show’s defense, it originally aired on a weekly basis so the formula might not have been quite as obvious as it is when you go on a binge.
I actually prefer the toned down acts of Richie Cunningham’s (Ron Howard) other friends Potsie (Anson Williams) and Ralph (Don Most) as they offer a little more variety. Mr. Cunningham (Tom Bosley) was another favourite I had growing up watching the show in syndicated repeats.
Happy Days is a fun show, but I’d recommend it in small doses. Nostalgia disappears pretty fast so you get stuck in the show’s formula. Despite its reliance on a single character with a single act, Happy Days is still a fun show from a simple era in television history.
Happy Days: The Third Season DVD Review
The season three DVD release of Happy Days collects all 23 episodes that aired during the 1975-76 season plus “The Second Anniversary Show”, a retrospective special that first aired in January, 1976 to catch newcomers up on what Happy Days is all about. Each episode is shown in its original full screen format with an adequate English mono soundtrack.
