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Hate 'Joanie Loves Chachi'? Blame musicals!
Apparently, the show was developed because of singing!
Garry Marshall was on fire in 1982. The man was the Hollywood equivalent of an unstoppable force. Happy Days shifted the culture. Tens of millions of viewers made "Ayy" a catchphrase for the ages, and The Fonz was one of the most recognizable faces in America. The show continued to be a ratings success, so naturally, a spinoff was in order.
Laverne & Shirley was the most successful show to spawn from Happy Days. In a lot of ways, it may have even eclipsed its progenitor. While no one character could compete with the Fonz's popularity, Laverne & Shirley was tightly written, brilliantly performed, and warmly received.
The hit streak continued with Mork & Mindy, a show that felt singularly responsible for launching one of the brightest Hollywood careers in history. Robin Williams may have become a household name some other way, but Mork & Mindy helped catapult him into every living room in the country. That show was also a merchandising juggernaut, with Williams' alien character adorning everything from t-shirts to lunch boxes.
So, why stop there? The money trucks could keep rolling in for another version, so what's next?
Joanie Loves Chachi may be a punchline now, but at the time, the show was poised for greatness. According to producer Garry Marshall in a 1982 interview with The Akron Beacon Journal, musicals are to blame for the series' conception.
"Happy Days was the first comedy show that used a lot of music," Marshall said. "Now everybody's doing an annual musical, but Happy Days was the first.
"Well, we did a Joanie and Chachi musical, in a way, with Erin and Scott on one Happy Days show. Instead of doing a high school play, they sang a musical number, like Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald."
The result seemed to mystify Marshall's children at home.
"Well, the kids have cassettes now and kept watching this one show over and over, staring at the singing. I thought it must be great.
"So I said, 'Is it because it's so terrific a program?' They said no. I said, 'It must be the great lighting. Is it because the lighting's terrific, that you're watching this over and over?' They said no. So why did the teenagers keep watching it? They don't speak up right away — no teenagers do. They said nothing. Finally, they said, 'When Erin and Scott do that, it makes me daydream.'"
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