Classic TV Trivia - Happy Days *video*
 

found this great website the other day while searching for something else
http://www.sitcomsonline.com

alot of people who weren't around in the 70's don't know that Happy Days was never intended to be a TV show - there was a TV show called Love American Style that Garry Marshall wrote for - it was a vignette program - different stories each week, different characters and actors. One week an episode about the 50's called Happy Days aired - the feedback was so good that Happy Days was given a shot as its own show - there was no Fonzi and i think the dad was played by another actor. I saved the video file - glad i did cuz they've since pulled it. for TV lovers take a look http://www.bratcash.com/gnd/las.mpg

also found this gem, Art Garfunkel's theme to a TV show called 'Brooklyn Bridge' - it was an awesome show about growing up in Brooklyn NY - there will never be another place on earth like Brooklyn during the first half century
of the 20th century - an amazing era in an amazing place.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/sounds/brooklynbridge.wav

A lot of shows got started that way. Both Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy got start because of the characters that had parts on Happy Days episodes.

true - but this one was i believe the first spin-off in tv history.

Nope found one sooner

"From Make Room For Daddy (1953?1965)
The Danny Thomas Show
The Joey Bishop Show
The Andy Griffith Show (1960?1968)
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Mayberry R.F.D.
Make Room for Granddaddy (1970?1971) "

i stand corrected! forgot Gomer was on Andy Griffith first.

With the exception of all the TV shows which were spun-off from existing radio programs of the times, Comedian Jackie Gleason claims the credit for TVs earliest spin-off. His loudmouth bus driver character, Ralph Kramden first appeared in the fall of 1951 on a series of "Honeymooner" sketches on the variety show CAVALCADE OF STARS/DUM/1949-52 which became THE JACKIE GLEASON SHOW/CBS/1952-1970. Then in 1955, the sketch became a half-hour sitcom known as THE HONEYMOONERS/CBS1955-56. The second show to become a spin-off of an existing series was PETE AND GLADYS/CBS/1960-62. Its main character Pete Porter (Harry Morgan) was a regular on DECEMBER BRIDE/CBS/1954-60 who constantly complained about his unseen wife (played by Cara Williams on the spin-off). THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW followed suit as the third runner up in the spin-off hall of fame. It was a spin-off from THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW based on an episode wherein Danny Thomas was driving too fast in a small rural town and got pulled over and eventually put in jail by a friendly, law abiding local sheriff (played by Andy Griffith).

damn - i never knew that - i'd love to see that episode.

the honeymooners = the flintsotnes