(ABC Primetime, 1974 - 1984) [Happy Days was a retrospective sitcom -- looking back at the supposedly simpler life growing up in small-town America in the 1950s at the innocent age when even Rock and Roll was a bit innocent...; It was inspired by the success of George Lucas' 1950's coming-of-age film "American Graffiti" which had re-established an adult career for Ron Howard; Ron had previously played the boy named Opie on the rural sitcom "The Andy Griffith Show" as a child actor, so Ron was no stranger to TV; Ron played the "all-American boy" character in the film and the same kind of character in the TV series -- Richie Cunningham; But what had begun with Ron Howard as the lead character changed into a pop phenomenon when the character "Fonzie", played by Henry Winkler -- started generating heat; The Fonzie character was more or less the "anti-Richie" -- where Richie was clean-cut and freckle faced, Fonzie was the Greaser (as in the musical Grease) with slick-backed hair and motorcycle-riding Brooklyn-esque teen-idol charm; But the cast was a great ensemble and professional enough to withstand the change of focus on Fonzie; the other venerable actors were Tom Bosley who played Mr. Cunningham, Richie's dad, and Marion Ross who played the mother, Mrs. Cunningham; Other younger castmembers were Erin Moran who played Richie's sister Joanie, Anson Williams who played a friend named Potsie Weber, and Donny Most who played another friend with the unlikely name of Ralph Malph; During its 10-year run, the popular series went through a few changes; Ron Howard got opportunities to direct films and left after six years; a Latin young man was added to the cast with the name of "Chachi" Arcola played by Scott Baiao, and the show endured another four years; This series became an "anchor" of the ABC lineup on Tuesday nights for a decade, and helped establish ABC as the most "youth-oriented" network for a time... Two spin-off series based upon characters in "Happy Days" kept alive the franchise -- "Laverne and Shirley" and "Joannie Loves Chachi"]
[This THEME was of course one of the first Rock and Roll hit songs, and the recording played on the air was the original 1955 hit version by Bill Haley and the Comets; it was used only behind the opening Main Titles the first two seasons. Originally publisher James Myers used the pseudonym of Jimmy De Knight on the music to share in co-writer royalties.] Composers: Max Charles Freedman (ASCAP) and James E. Myers (ASCAP) 1978 Publisher: Myers Music, Inc. (ASCAP) 2001 Publishers: Capano Music (ASCAP) of Gibbstown, NJ; Myers Music, Inc. (ASCAP) c/o Sony/ATV Tunes, LLC of Nashville, TN; and Robert W. Cinque (ASCAP) of New York, NY Copyright Date: Mar. 31, 1953; EP 70 269. Renewal Date: Jan. 26, 1981; RE-77-714. Recordings:
[this THEME was written expressly for the series, using the style of the early 1950s Rock and Roll with a little doo-wap Rhythm and Blues thrown in for good measure...It was used over the End Credits the first two seasons, and after that was used both for the Main Title opening and the End Title closing...it became a chart hit single in 1976] Composers: music by Charles Fox (BMI) and lyric by Norman Gimbel (BMI) 1978 Publisher: 2001 Publisher: Bruin Music Company (BMI) c/o Famous Music Publishing of Los Angeles, CA Copyright Date: Mar. 25, 1974; Eu 470 259; Renewal Date: Recordings: