Podcast Tuesday: "The Immigrant Song(s)"

Scott Baio and Erin Moran on Happy Days.

The eighth season of Happy Days was not a disaster. That, in and of itself, is a minor miracle. Most lighthearted family sitcoms of this caliber would be running on fumes after 160+ episodes. Besides, two of the show's stars, Ron Howard and Don Most, had left the cast when their contracts expired, and even the writers seemed to be tiring of the nostalgia gimmick that had originally driven the series. But ABC and creator Garry Marshall were determined to keep the saga of the wholesome Cunningham family of Milwaukee, Wisconsin going. And keep it going they did. For the (strike-shortened) 1980-81 season, Happy Days did decent if not spectacular Nielsen numbers, and the overall quality of the show did not plummet precipitously.

When I look back on the 22 episodes that constitute Season 8 of Happy Days, I see a few real gems, a couple of well-intended misfires, and the usual assortment of middling efforts. That's very typical for this show. Yes, Ron Howard and Don Most are sorely missed, and Anson Williams and Lynda Goodfriend seem stranded with little to do, but Ted McGinley and especially Cathy Silvers make welcome additions to the cast. I'm not sure about the new gang of quasi-Sweathogs (including Denis Mandel and Harris Kal) who now attend Jefferson High, but they're growing on me, week by week.

Happy Days ended its eighth season on ABC with a truly oddball episode called "American Musical." As the title suggests, this is a full-fledged musical with lots of singing, dancing, and costume changes. The subject is immigration, a topic that would be handled very differently today. At the time, Neil Diamond was rocketing up the charts with his patriotic, pro-immigration anthem "America." ("Everywhere around the world/They're coming to America/Everywhere that flag's unfurled/They're coming to America!") I guess Happy Days got caught up in the spirit. Reagan had just been inaugurated. It was a very optimistic time.

What did we think of "American Musical"? Find out by listening to the latest installment of These Days Are Ours: A Happy Days Podcast.