On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show by season. Today I am looking at the first season of Happy Days!
HAPPY DAYS: SEASON ONE
1974
16 episodes
Happy Days famously started off as a segment on Love, American Style called "Love and the Happy Days." There wasn't much interest in a full fledged sitcom set in the 1950s until American Graffiti hit it big in the theaters. The first two seasons really leaned into the nostalgia with a very gentle, very sweet look at 1950s Americana. While the actors were still finding their character, it's really interesting to watch how demure the early years are considering how loud the show became. This first season is a real love letter to the 1950s. It's not always funny, but it's well done.
Starring
Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham (16 episodes)
Tom Bosley as Howard Cunningham (16 episodes)
Marion Ross as Marion Cunningham (16 episodes)
Henry Winkler as Arthur Fonzarelli (16 episodes)
Erin Moran as Joanie Cunningham (16 episodes)
Anson Williams as Potsie Webber (15 episodes)
Don Most as Ralph Malph (15 episodes)
Beatrice Colen as Marsha Simms (9 episodes)
Gavan O'Herlihy as Chuck Cunningham (6 episodes)
Neil J. Schwartz as Bag Zombrowski (2 episodes)
Potsie fixes Richie up with a girl who has a reputation and Richie is nervous about possibly going "all the way" with her.
The first episode of Happy Days clearly is a show that is a work in progress. What they have down is the 50s atmosphere. The early seasons of Happy Days were so clearly set in the 1950s and that ambiance is obvious from the first couple minutes of the pilot (when they are at Arthur's - before it was known as Arnold's). However, it's also not firing on all cylinders by any means. Henry Winkler does not have any grasp on the Fonzie character yet and the episode moves a little too slow at times. There's also a pretty icky line about a teacher getting fresh with a girl which doesn't seem like it was OK in the 70s (when it aired) or the 50s (when it was set).
RATING: 5/10
2. The Lemon (1/22/74)
Richie convinces his dad to let him by a car with Potsie but it ends up being a lemon.
The second episode continues to have that great 50s feel (this one has a sock hop!) It also is an improvement on the pilot as it moves a little better and has a little bit more humor. The plot is better too and there's less awkward moments. But it's still not firing on all cylinders yet. Not only does Henry Winkler not have his part down but the writers definitely don't know how to create a character for Fonzie. One actor who already has a great grasp on his character is Tom Bosley. His dry humor and deadpan delivery works great.
RATING: 6/10
3. Richie's Cup Runneth Over (1/29/74)
Potsie brings Richie to a bachelor party for his cousin and Richie ends up getting very drunk.
This is the strongest episode of Happy Days in its very early days because it handles a situation that many sitcoms about teenagers do - drinking - but it doesn't make it preachy or a "very special episode." There's a lot of humor throughout the episode (Ron Howard plays an effective drunk for the most part) but Tom Bosley shines again. Howard is not judgmental of Richie nor does he try to teach him a lesson in the moment like other sitcom dads. Instead he's just supportive, matter of fact and a little bit sarcastic. It's really a refreshing way for a sitcom to handle a story like this.
RATING: 8/10
4. Guess Who's Coming to Visit? (2/5/74)
Potsie is staying over at the Cunninghams and he and Richie sneak out to watch Fonzie in a drag race.
Another very quintessential 50s episode in the early days of Happy Days with the theme of a drag race. I think the plot that lands Howard in jail with the kids is a little flimsy. Just because he was holding the flag seems like a little bit of a leap that doesn't make a ton of sense. I think there were some good stories in here with Potsie staying over and the drag race but it just felt like a little bit of a boring episode that missed out on the comedy. It's interesting in the early episodes how square Fonzie seems even though they're trying to make him a cool guy. There's a sweet ending to the episode with two non-regular characters.
RATING: 3.5/10
Richie and Potsie have double dates for a Chuck Berry concert but get locked in Howard's hardware store.
Ah a classic TV trope, getting locked inside somewhere. Unlike the last episode, this episode moves along nicely with different issues coming up that Richie and Potsie fix before another issue pops up. It's also a nice early look at Richie Cunningham being a genuinely good guy whose conscience gets the best of him. All that being said, it does seem a little convenient how often sitcom places have rooms or stores that get locked from the outside. Oh well.
RATING: 7/10
6. The Deadly Dares (2/19/74)
Richie and Potsie try to get into an exclusive club called The Demons and have to go through a series of hazing dares to get initiated.
A classic early episode of Happy Days, this is the first episode that puts all the bits and pieces that were strong early on into a great episode. All the hazing tasks that Richie and Potsie have to do lead to some pretty funny moments culminating in a great climax of the episode with Richie and Potsie dressed as women at the sock hop. Fonzie dancing with Richie is a really funny moment and a great early scene between two characters who really became a great pair as the series went on. It's definitely the best moment for Henry Winkler up to this point in the series.
RATING: 9/10
7. Fonzie Drops In (2/26/74)
Richie convinces high school drop out Fonzie to go back to school but then Fonzie asks Richie to cheat for him.
This is the first Fonzie-centric episode of the series and it's clear that Henry Winkler is starting to get more into the groove of the character. I'm not sure the Fonzie of later years would be so inclined to cheat though as I think the writers were still inclined to make sure Richie was always right in these early days. That being said, there's a pretty sweet moment at the end that makes you go "aww Fonzie" for the first time. That's of course a strategy the show uses in many, many episodes to come but it's not a tired idea yet this early.
RATING: 6.5/10
Richie and Potsie use fake IDs to get into a strip club after hearing Ralph talk about it and they see Howard there.
Between this and the drunk episode, there were some pretty risque stories on early episodes of Happy Days. This episode has another "coming of age" feel like the drinking episode but it's handled equally well because it is done with humor and also doesn't go exactly where you would expect it to go. It never is treated like a very special episode and it leads to another very great scene between Howard and Richie that feels more realistic than scripted.
RATING: 7.5/10
9. Breaking Up is Hard to Do (3/12/74)
Richie breaks up with his girlfriend shortly before his junior prom, which is chaperoned by Howard and Marion.
This is a fun episode that's centered around a school dance, something only certain shows can do effectively (The Wonder Years is the winner in that department). There's a nice 50s feel to this episode and of course Howard and Marion are chaperones. How else do they get into the story? There's also a short but good guest appearance by Reta Shaw as Joanie's babysitter in one of her final appearances. I also thought the opening scene was clever especially when it's revealed that Richie and Arlene have only been dating a couple weeks. So fitting for high school.
RATING: 7.5/10
10. Give the Band a Hand (3/26/74)
Richie and Potsie's band get a gig at a college party but then lose the money after getting hustled at a pool game.
It seems like quite a few early episodes of Happy Days start with one plot and then changes into pretty much an entirely different plot as the episode continues. But it feels authentic and it's sort of like how they have multiple plots in most comedies nowadays - they're just not mingled. In this episode, it starts as a story about the band and then becomes a poker/hustling plot. Both stories are fine but also not super effective on their own so the blending works nicely. This is also the first "band" scene, something that will be frequently used in the show.
RATING: 6/10
11. Because She's There (4/2/74)
Potsie sets Richie up on a blind date with a girl who is much taller than him.
This is the first episode where the show does not make Richie as much of a sympathetic character. In fact, he comes across a little bit like a jerk. But what sitcom character hasn't in this common sitcom problem? My favorite example of this sitcom plot is a Mary Tyler Moore episode but that one is played for straight laughs. This one, like many early Happy Days episodes, also goes for heart. While they often get that mix right, it doesn't work so well in this episode and that's probably because Richie is not sympathetic here so a sweet ending feels less earned or necessary.
RATING: 3.5/10
Richie starts dating a girl and wants to go steady with her but she just wants to be study partners so he tries a variety of gestures to woo her.
This is part of a three episode stretch that are each about Richie and different girls and none of them are particular standouts. This episode has a couple decent moments (I like the Howard and Marion asides throughout the episode about their courtship). But Richie, one episode after being kind of a jerk, comes off as somewhat desperate this time. The whole episode seems to be somewhat of a one-joke premise with Richie going to greater lengths each time. It's fine, it's whatever.
RATING: 3/10
13. Great Expectations (4/16/74)
Richie befriends a beatnik girl at the movies who turns out to be pregnant.
This is probably the best of the three episode stretch I referred to in the last episode thanks in part to the culture clash element of it. There's some funny moments with Deidre (guest star Udana Power) playing Monopoly with the Cunninghams while Richie (and Ralph & Potsie) go to a beatnik hangout to find the father of her baby. There's also a great reveal of Marsha working at the beatnik club. The episode as a whole is a fun look at beatnik culture and a different 50s era episode that is more off the beaten path, but it's not a topic I'm all that interested in.
RATING: 6/10
14. The Best Man (4/23/74)
A black old army buddy of Howard's stays with the Cunninghams before his wedding but his skin color makes for some awkward situations.
As I watched this episode (which I had little memory of), I kept waiting for it to go off the rails. It deals with race head-on and a lot of shows from that era either got too preachy or handled it quite clumsily. While there were a couple clunky moments, I actually think this episode did a terrific job with the topic. It has a mix of humor and actual soul searching from the Cunninghams about their own feelings on race. I think it benefits from being set in the 50s because it gives the show a little more perspective than perhaps some of the contemporary-set shows had. Tom Bosley is a standout again in this one.
RATING: 8/10
15. Knock Around the Block (4/30/74)
After getting on the good side of a local gang, Richie and his friends try to get Potsie's stolen bike back from them.
Happy Days already sort of did an episode where Richie and his square friends mix with a rag-tag group or gang (the superior "The Deadly Dares"). So this episode doesn't really land. I think the pacing is pretty glacial and it all feels a little pointless because it's about a stolen bike. That seems like it would work better on Leave it to Beaver than Happy Days. I do like the setting of the pool hall but I just wanted the plot to be better.
RATING: 2/10
Howard decides to buy a bomb shelter despite his family's objections.
The first season of Happy Days ends with another very 50s-themed story as buying bomb shelters is certainly something unique to a specific era in time. It is a good episode for the family and offers a rare look at the Cunninghams back yard. But I think some of the pacing issues from the previous episode happen again here. It's almost as if there just isn't enough plot to make a full episode with this one. I love how many first season episodes have scenes outside of Arnold's. It's something that was lost when the show switched to filming in front of a live audience.
RATING: 4.5/10
AVERAGE RATING FOR SEASON ONE:
5.8/10
The Best Episodes
1. "The Deadly Dares" (#6) - 9/10
2. "Richie's Cup Runneth Over" (#3) - 8/10
3. "The Best Man" (#14) - 8/10
4. "The Skin Game" (#8) - 7.5/10
5. "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" (#9) - 7.5/10
The Worst Episodes
1. "Knock Around the Block" (#15) - 2/10
2. "In the Name of Love" (#12) - 3/10
3. "Because She's There" (#11) - 3.5/10
4. "Guess Who's Coming to Visit?" (#4) - 3.5/10
5. "Be the First on Your Block" (#16) - 4.5/10
Tomorrow: The Friday Five - Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week!
Next Thursday: A look at Season 2 (Part 1) of Happy Days!
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