Podcast Tuesday: "Richie Doesn't Die Because, I Mean, Come On"

Henry Winkler sits by Ron Howard's bedside on Happy Days.

Garry Marshall, unashamed populist.

Garry Marshall is generally thought of -- and correctly so -- as a populist. His TV shows and movies were aimed squarely at the mainstream with little thought of critical accolades or industry awards. As I've learned by perusing old newspaper articles from the '70s and '80s, Happy Days and especially Laverne & Shirley did not get a lot of glowing reviews from the press. At best, they were considered mindless but harmless fluff. At worst, they were cited as examples of America's declining IQ. The critical reaction to Laverne could be outright hostile at times. Marshall's high Nielsen ratings hopefully offered some consolation.

It's important to remember, though, that Garry Marshall had once labored on the other side of the critical tracks, so to speak. One of his first big breaks, for instance, came from writing on The Dick Van Dyke Show, a smart situation comedy that received critical accolades and Emmy awards. Marshall's subsequent series, The Odd Couple, was likewise lauded, and Marshall has said that he very much liked working on such prestigious, respectable shows. But Happy Days was never going to be all that respectable. It's not the type of show you watch so you can brag about it the next day at work and sound clever at the water cooler. It's light, breezy entertainment and little more.

Most of the time, that is.

We all know of the phenomenon of "very special episodes." These are sitcom episodes -- often maudlin and heavy-handed in nature -- that tackle more serious storylines or heavy social issues. "Very special episodes" are widely mocked and derided today for their cornball stories and over-the-top preaching. Why do these shows exist and why were they so beloved by the producers of frivolous comedies in the '70s, '80s, and '90s? I think it's because the producers of these shows know deep down that they're not making Great Art, but they secretly long to do something a bit more substantial and classy, even important. So we get occasional downer episodes of Full House or Growing Pains.

Garry Marshall was not immune to the allure of "very special episodes." This week on These Days Are Ours: A Happy Days Podcast, we're covering a famous example of the phenomenon: Season 5's "Richie Almost Dies." What did we think of it? Listen and find out.