Steve Dave

Was there any offical word that the show was based off the film? Or did the TV studio just say that they had the same idea as Lucas?

GuruAskew

"Happy Days" wasn't based on "American Graffiti", but the success of "AG" undoubtedly influenced the creation of "HD". Universal owns the rights to the characters and situations from "AG" but that doesn't stop a television network (I believe ABC aired "HD" but I'm not sure) from creating a similar show in the late 50's or early 60's. That's just the way Hollywood works. If something is successful and popular, it will be copied until it is unsuccessful and unpopular.

KyleJBre_et

"Happy Days" first appeared on the TV program "Love, American Style" on Feb. 25, 1972, a year before American Graffiti was released. Then "Happy Days" was spun off in 1974. I guess you could say that American Graffiti influenced them to spin the show off, but technically "Happy Days" came first.

ryuryu2949

Didn't Happy Days come out before American Graffitti?

Groucho

American Graffiti was based in the 1960's, Happy Days was set in the 1950's. Other than Ron Howard and the use of nostalgic music they aren't all that similar.

GuruAskew

Yeah, the "Love and the Happy Days" segment did appear prior to "American Graffiti" but it's a well-known fact that the success of "AG" was the catalyst that resulted in "Happy Days" becoming a series. That's why nothing was done with the "Love, American Style" segment until *after* the success of "AG".

djones6746

Great movie!!!! Great TV series!!!!

Would love to see a Happy Days season by season release.....did not care too much for the last year or so of the series but would love to have the first few seasons.

Decker

Don't they both use the same Al's Diner local (albiet in a completely different area of the country)?

BTW: How about releasing "More American Graffitti" on DVD? That is one of the truly unappreciated, underrated sequels of all time. I really liked that film and the dramatic device of telling four different stories, all one year apart, at the same time. Too bad Richard Dreyfus didn't participate in it.

calhoun07

Ok, but what I wondered is the success of Dazed and Confused somehow the inspiration for That 70's Show?

SergeantPinback

You mean the same building, but different names? Because it was MEL'S DRIVE-IN in AG and ARNOLD'S in HD, (and then changed to AL'S later, or am I remembering that wrong)....

Decker

You're right. Mel's Diner. That exterior shot does look the same, though.

Brain Stew

I doubt it, Dazed and Confused came out in 1993, That 70's Show in 1998. It's possible that influced it, but it probably did not have a direct effect.

wearetheborg

Yeah, I'd love to hav the series on dvd. Scenes where Fonzie gets yelled at by Mrs C are hilarious.

SergeantPinback

Aaaaaaaaay!!!!

Mutley Hyde

Mel's Diner was in AG? Hmm, so was Alice based on AG?