The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang
| The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Network | ABC |
| Production company | Hanna-Barbera |
| Distributor | Paramount Television |
| Original release | November 8, 1980—November 28, 1981 |
| Run time | 25 minutes |
| Narrated by | Wolfman Jack |
| Starring | Henry Winkler Ron Howard Donny Most Frank Welker Didi Conn |
| Executive producer(s) | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Producer(s) | Art Scott Duane Poole Tom Swale Don Jurwich |
| Music composed by | Hoyt Curtin |
| Writer(s) | Duane Poole Tom Swale |
| Director(s) | George Gordon Carl Urbano Rudy Zamora Ray Patterson Gordon Hunt (voices) |
The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang is an American animated sci-fi comedy television series produced Hanna-Barbera for ABC's Saturday morning children's programming. It ran from 1980 to 1981, airing 24 episodes that spanned two seasons. The TV series is a spin-off from ABC's parent live-action sitcom Happy Days, with actors from the latter reprising their roles in cartoon form.
A group of teenagers from Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1957, get picked up by a scatterbrained time traveler from the 25th century, whose inability to control her time machine gets them stranded in time and space. The team is led by Arthur "Fozzie" Fonzarelli, who is accompanied by his friends Richie Cunningham and Ralph Malph, alongside new faces like Cupcake and the Fonz's pet dog, Mr. Cool.
The entire series has been released on DVD.
Production
Development
Contrary to popular belief, the show was not inspired by Doctor Who according to its developer Duane Poole, nor it was originally made as an animated version of the British sci-fi TV program.[1][2] The time travel aspect was added to the Happy Days cartoon because the original setting of the 1950s was too limiting.[1]
Music
The music was composed by Hoyt Curtin, credited as musical director, with musical supervision from Paul DeKorte.
Episodes
| Title | Original air date |
|---|---|
| 1x01 | November 8, 1980 |
| 1x02 | November 15, 1980 |
| 1x03 | November 22, 1980 |
| 1x04 | November 9, 1980 |
| 1x05 | October 16, 1980 |
| 1x06 | December 6, 1980 |
| 1x07 | December 20, 1980 |
| 1x08 | December 27, 1980 |
| 1x09 | January 3, 1981 |
| 1x10 | January 10, 1981 |
| 1x11 | January 17, 1981 |
| 1x12 | January 24, 1981 |
| 1x13 | January 31, 1981 |
| 2x01 | September 12, 1981 |
2x02
|
September 19, 1981 |
| 2x03 | September 26, 1981 |
| 2x04 | October 10, 1981 |
| 2x05 | October 17, 1981 |
| 2x06 | October 24, 1981 |
| 2x07 | October 31, 1981 |
| 2x08 | November 7, 1981 |
| 2x09 | November 14, 1981 |
| 2x10 | November 21, 1981 |
| 2x11 | November 28, 1981 |
Cast
- Henry Winkler as The Fonz
- Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham
- Donny Most as Ralph Malph
- Frank Welker as Mr. Cool
- Didi Conn as Cupcake
Legacy
According to Heritage Auctions, the Fonz and Scooby-Doo appeared together in a 1980s Public Service Announcement.[3]
After The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang was cancelled, the Fonz and his dog, Mr. Cool, were inexplicably added to the cast of Laverne & Shirley in its second season, which was now called Laverne & Shirley with Special Guest Star the Fonz.
In popular culture
- In the Comic Book Men episode "Dragging Rights," a HB collector brings in a cel of the Fonz and Mr. Cool. Bryan buys it for Walt for $200.
References
- ^ a b Poole, Duane (April 22, 2022) in response to @HBGrifkuba "Dr. Who never came up. We were just looking for a premise that allowed some wild, animated fun. The 1950’s was too limiting. But the possibility of dinosaurs, melodrama villains, etc., was too good to pass up.". Twitter (deleted post). Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "TV Legends Revealed: Was 'Doctor Who' Replaced in a Cartoon By Fonzie?". Comic Book Resource. Retrieved on December 12, 2024.
- ^ "Scooby-Doo and The Fonz Production Cel and Animation Cel". Heritage Auction. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
