Is Happy Days based on American Graffiti?
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Is Happy Days based on American Graffiti?
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?
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"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.
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"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.
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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.
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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".
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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.
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.
#8
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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.
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.
Last edited by Decker; 05-04-03 at 06:47 PM.
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Originally posted by 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.
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.
#11
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You're right. Mel's Diner. That exterior shot does look the same, though.
#12
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Originally posted by calhoun07
Ok, but what I wondered is the success of Dazed and Confused somehow the inspiration for That 70's Show?
Ok, but what I wondered is the success of Dazed and Confused somehow the inspiration for That 70's Show?
#13
Originally posted by 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.
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.