These Happy Days Are Yours And Mine
If anything could be said to define retro nostalgia, it would be Rock Around the Clock. And not only because that was the name of an iconic rock-and-roll classic from two decades before, but because it was the name of a hit sitcom set two decades before, and that song was its theme tune. However, and as is so often the case, Rock Around the Clock was the product of earlier successes that had spurred the trend, despite later epitomizing it. The obvious touchstone was American Graffiti, which (though set in the early 1960s instead of the 1950s) was a clear inspiration in the development of Rock Around the Clock. However, Graffiti, in turn, had owed much to the series, which (as with so many other shows) had a particularly long and convoluted history…
Creator Garry Marshall had been developing what eventually became known as Rock Around the Clock since 1970, when he was shopping his pitch around to the various TV studios. He caught the attention of Star Trek associate producer Edward K. Milkis, who (after the run of that show had ended) would develop his own production company, with business partner Thomas L. Miller; what was then called New Family in Town became their first project. [1] It was shot in late 1971 under the auspices of Paramount Television, in an experimental move on their part to branch out from their reputation for more modern and topical shows; filming took place on the soundstages at neighbouring Desilu Productions, and it was during this time that those in charge at the studio, including Herb Solow and even Lucille Ball herself, became aware of it.
However, the President of Paramount Television, Grant Tinker, declined to pursue taking the pilot to network, seemingly ending its history before it had started. However, it was agreed that the pilot would be shown on the anthology series Love, American Style, known throughout the industry as “the place where failed sitcom pilots went to die”. [2] The show was placed into turnaround, and development rights were sold at a bargain rate to Desilu, who saw some promise in a potential series; Tinker believed their studio to be a better fit for the project, famously describing the Desilu roster as being “set in any time but the present, and in any place but down-to-Earth.” [3] Early negotiations went nowhere, however, leaving Marshall no better off than when he had started. He did, however, continue working to develop what was now called Happy Days.
The pilot had starred Ronny Howard, a child actor from The Andy Griffith Show (in which he had played Andy Taylor’s son, Opie), as clean-cut all-American teenager Richie Cunningham. Character actors Harold Gould and Marion Ross were cast as his parents… Harold and Marion Cunningham. [4] Anson Williams also appeared as Richie’s best friend, Warren “Potsie” Weber. Other featured characters included Richie’s older brother, Chuck, and his younger sister, Joanie. But it was the presence of Howard in the cast that would prove significant; George Lucas, in casting for American Graffiti, watched the pilot when it had aired (under the title “Love and the Happy Days”) on Love, American Style in early 1972, and decided to choose Ronny Howard to star as one of the two central characters of the film, Steve (with then-unknown Billy Crystal playing the other lead, Curt). [5] The smash success of the resultant film reawakened interest in Happy Days on the part of Desilu, especially with Howard being involved.
In the interim, Marshall had further developed the setting and characters, having become inspired by an episode of Adam-12 airing in September of 1972. It featured a gang of bikers, including one character, named “Oiler”, played by Micky Dolenz, who had reminded Marshall of his own youth, as a greaser biker. As a result, he created the character of “Mash”, whose nickname was derived from his last name of Maschiarelli (derived from Marshall’s own ancestral surname, which had the proper spelling of Masciarelli, the corruption introduced largely for the benefit of non-Italophone audiences). [6] Naturally, he liked Dolenz for the part, though there was some resistance on the part of the production crew, because Dolenz was much taller than most of the other actors. In the end, it was decided to use that to their advantage, highlighting the more sinister and menacing aspects of his personality. “He’s a good guy, deep down – way deep down”, was the rationale. [7]
The choice of theme song, Rock Around the Clock, which (as was common custom in the 1970s) also became the choice of title, was a crucial one. The version of “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets had featured in the classic coming-of-age film Blackboard Jungle, and in doing so had done more than any other song to introduce rock-and-roll to the American mainstream (beyond which it rapidly spread to, most prominently among many other places, the British Isles – obviously making the round-trip a decade later). The exact same recording was used as the theme from Rock Around the Clock. Indeed, it even returned to the Billboard Top 40 in early 1974, on the strength of airplay inspired by a theatrical re-release of Blackboard Jungle, coupled with its use as the theme for the show. [8]
The Executive in Charge of Production during the show’s early seasons was, naturally, then-VP of Production Robert H. Justman, who had shared history with Executive Producer Edward K. Milkis from their time together on Star Trek; indeed, on that series, Milkis had been promoted to replace Justman, who had himself been promoted. Ronny Howard, who now identified as Ron Howard, was also a Desilu veteran, as The Andy Griffith Show had been a Desilu production. As it happened, the very same fabled backlot in Culver City that had once portrayed rural Mayberry, North Carolina, was now outfitted to stand in for suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [9] The primary set built for the series was the exterior to Arnold’s Drive-In, made to resemble, as strongly as possible, the real-life Mel’s Drive-In featured in American Graffiti (for that building had been demolished and later re-assembled at Universal Studios, another legendary backlot in its own right). Interiors were filmed on soundstages, before a live studio audience. [10]
When it finally reached the airwaves in early 1974, as a mid-season offering, it was an instant hit: Rock Around the Clock finished at #12 overall for the season, the best showing for any Desilu program since the heyday of Star Trek. It rode the wave of retro nostalgia most successfully, as the series (set in 1955 for its first two seasons) frequently mentioned events and popular culture of the day; it proved unable to resist frequent mentions of I Love Lucy, of which Marion was a fan, though in that case it helped that the show had spent the better part of 1955 in Hollywood, allowing second-hand references to many famous actors of the 1950s (some of whom, such as Harpo Marx, had sadly passed since). In the interest of “fair play”, Harold was more a fan of The Honeymooners, with the show even featuring a clip of the famous “Man from Space” episode. [11]
But it was Arthur “Mash” Maschiarelli who became the surprise breakout character. Originally fairly incidental and highly enigmatic, his edgier, greaser persona made an excellent contrast to the stereotypical white-bread wholesomeness of most of the other characters. Indeed, the network had considerable reservations with the character of Mash, in particular wanting him to avoid wearing his trademark leather jacket – in a compromise, they agreed to permit it when the character was on or near his motorcycle, in which case the jacket would be a legitimate piece of safety equipment. The producers then simply had Mash remain at or near his bike at all times until the network finally relented. [12] Having the character seated on or reclining against his bike also ensured that Dolenz would not tower over all of the other actors.
During the show’s second season, ratings continued to improve, resulting in the series cracking the overall Top 10 for 1974-75. It was the banner success for both Desilu and ABC, and a rare reprieve from irrelevance for the Alphabet Network. Indeed, the new President of ABC, Fred Silverman, formed a lucrative agreement with Desilu in hopes of developing future projects that might prove to be as lucrative as both Rock Around the Clock and The Muppet Show. The results would prove most intriguing…
---
[1] The production company, initially known as Miller-Milkis, endured for three decades IOTL, becoming one of the most successful sitcom producers in American television (perhaps only Carsey-Werner has a more sterling pedigree). Their unmistakable “style”, perfected on Happy Days, is ITTL tempered by the watchful eye of Desilu.
[2] This is exactly what happened IOTL. Marshall is credited with the wry observation about its destination; Love, American Style was cancelled in 1974 (IOTL and ITTL).
[3] And as is so often the case, what was originally intended as a glib insult was quickly embraced by its target.
[4] Gould appeared in the original pilot under the original name of Howard Cunningham, and his interpretation was more adroit, more Father Knows Best than the well-meaning but overburdened interpretation assumed by his OTL replacement, Tom Bosley (apparently at the behest of executives who will not get their grubby mitts on this show ITTL). Upon moving ahead to series, Gould (who was able to take this role instead of the theatre commitment that he had already made IOTL) requested that his character be renamed Harold, quite reasonably under the logic that “if Marion gets to be called Marion then it’s only fair that I should get to be called Harold”. Bosley, of course, appears at this time as the voice of Harry Boyle in the primetime animated series Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, and is not wanting for employment.
[5] Crystal replaces Richard Dreyfuss, who instead appears in Those Were the Days (in the role held by Rob Reiner IOTL).
[6] IOTL, the character was instead given the name of Arthur Fonzarelli, better known as “Fonzie” or “The Fonz”. This was a consequence of there being a very popular sitcom on another network called M*A*S*H, which (as has been explained in some detail in prior updates) does not and will never exist ITTL.
[7] Mash (just “Mash” – “Mashie” would be both too silly-sounding and too familiar) is a darker character than Fonzie was IOTL, but he remains appealing in a classic oil-and-water sense, along with the classic appeal of the macho tough guy and the “bad boy”. To modern OTL sensibilities, Mash definitely reflects a legitimate “classic cool” more so than Fonzie, who even in his heyday was always a little goofy and cuddly, probably on account of Winkler’s warmer personality.
[8] The re-release of Blackboard Jungle did not happen IOTL; shrewder management on the part of MGM ITTL sees them riding the wave of retro nostalgia and getting a decent chunk of change for their trouble. With regards to “Rock Around the Clock”, it did chart in 1974 as a result of its use in Happy Days IOTL (it was replaced in 1976 by a new, original theme, called simply “Happy Days”, fulfilling the “theme’s the same as the show’s name” covenant, in reverse), though it is not clear whether or not it actually hit the Top 40. I’m willing to allow that, ITTL, it did, allowing Bill Haley & His Comets to join that rare club of artists who chart two hits with the same single.
[9] This is an example of Robert Justman’s intentions to make better use of the famed Desilu Forty Acres backlot, which was demolished in 1976 IOTL.
[10] Earlier seasons of Happy Days were not filmed before an audience, but used a laugh track. As one might expect from the studio that brought us I Love Lucy, laugh tracks do not truck with Desilu, who insists upon a live studio audience. The backlot scenes are recorded in advance, and then presented to an audience “for live responses”. The soundstages at which the bulk of Rock Around the Clock are filmed are located at the Desilu-Cahuenga lot, which is (not) coincidentally where much of I Love Lucy was filmed.
[11] Any references to another property set (mostly) in 1955 and featuring the “Man from Space” episode of The Honeymooners is strictly intentional
[12] Much the same situation happened IOTL, with the same resolution.
---
And now you have some idea of the development of Rock Around the Clock, one of the most popular shows of the late 1970s! I also hope that it gave you some insight into the operations of Desilu, the production studio at the heart of our story. This is a critical time for them, as they’re moving beyond “the House that Paladin Built” into a new era. Of course, since they’re a bona fide larger studio, their output will naturally be a great deal less cohesive, less patterned than in their earlier days. But isn’t that half the fun?
If anything could be said to define retro nostalgia, it would be Rock Around the Clock. And not only because that was the name of an iconic rock-and-roll classic from two decades before, but because it was the name of a hit sitcom set two decades before, and that song was its theme tune. However, and as is so often the case, Rock Around the Clock was the product of earlier successes that had spurred the trend, despite later epitomizing it. The obvious touchstone was American Graffiti, which (though set in the early 1960s instead of the 1950s) was a clear inspiration in the development of Rock Around the Clock. However, Graffiti, in turn, had owed much to the series, which (as with so many other shows) had a particularly long and convoluted history…
Creator Garry Marshall had been developing what eventually became known as Rock Around the Clock since 1970, when he was shopping his pitch around to the various TV studios. He caught the attention of Star Trek associate producer Edward K. Milkis, who (after the run of that show had ended) would develop his own production company, with business partner Thomas L. Miller; what was then called New Family in Town became their first project. [1] It was shot in late 1971 under the auspices of Paramount Television, in an experimental move on their part to branch out from their reputation for more modern and topical shows; filming took place on the soundstages at neighbouring Desilu Productions, and it was during this time that those in charge at the studio, including Herb Solow and even Lucille Ball herself, became aware of it.
However, the President of Paramount Television, Grant Tinker, declined to pursue taking the pilot to network, seemingly ending its history before it had started. However, it was agreed that the pilot would be shown on the anthology series Love, American Style, known throughout the industry as “the place where failed sitcom pilots went to die”. [2] The show was placed into turnaround, and development rights were sold at a bargain rate to Desilu, who saw some promise in a potential series; Tinker believed their studio to be a better fit for the project, famously describing the Desilu roster as being “set in any time but the present, and in any place but down-to-Earth.” [3] Early negotiations went nowhere, however, leaving Marshall no better off than when he had started. He did, however, continue working to develop what was now called Happy Days.
The pilot had starred Ronny Howard, a child actor from The Andy Griffith Show (in which he had played Andy Taylor’s son, Opie), as clean-cut all-American teenager Richie Cunningham. Character actors Harold Gould and Marion Ross were cast as his parents… Harold and Marion Cunningham. [4] Anson Williams also appeared as Richie’s best friend, Warren “Potsie” Weber. Other featured characters included Richie’s older brother, Chuck, and his younger sister, Joanie. But it was the presence of Howard in the cast that would prove significant; George Lucas, in casting for American Graffiti, watched the pilot when it had aired (under the title “Love and the Happy Days”) on Love, American Style in early 1972, and decided to choose Ronny Howard to star as one of the two central characters of the film, Steve (with then-unknown Billy Crystal playing the other lead, Curt). [5] The smash success of the resultant film reawakened interest in Happy Days on the part of Desilu, especially with Howard being involved.
In the interim, Marshall had further developed the setting and characters, having become inspired by an episode of Adam-12 airing in September of 1972. It featured a gang of bikers, including one character, named “Oiler”, played by Micky Dolenz, who had reminded Marshall of his own youth, as a greaser biker. As a result, he created the character of “Mash”, whose nickname was derived from his last name of Maschiarelli (derived from Marshall’s own ancestral surname, which had the proper spelling of Masciarelli, the corruption introduced largely for the benefit of non-Italophone audiences). [6] Naturally, he liked Dolenz for the part, though there was some resistance on the part of the production crew, because Dolenz was much taller than most of the other actors. In the end, it was decided to use that to their advantage, highlighting the more sinister and menacing aspects of his personality. “He’s a good guy, deep down – way deep down”, was the rationale. [7]
The choice of theme song, Rock Around the Clock, which (as was common custom in the 1970s) also became the choice of title, was a crucial one. The version of “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets had featured in the classic coming-of-age film Blackboard Jungle, and in doing so had done more than any other song to introduce rock-and-roll to the American mainstream (beyond which it rapidly spread to, most prominently among many other places, the British Isles – obviously making the round-trip a decade later). The exact same recording was used as the theme from Rock Around the Clock. Indeed, it even returned to the Billboard Top 40 in early 1974, on the strength of airplay inspired by a theatrical re-release of Blackboard Jungle, coupled with its use as the theme for the show. [8]
The Executive in Charge of Production during the show’s early seasons was, naturally, then-VP of Production Robert H. Justman, who had shared history with Executive Producer Edward K. Milkis from their time together on Star Trek; indeed, on that series, Milkis had been promoted to replace Justman, who had himself been promoted. Ronny Howard, who now identified as Ron Howard, was also a Desilu veteran, as The Andy Griffith Show had been a Desilu production. As it happened, the very same fabled backlot in Culver City that had once portrayed rural Mayberry, North Carolina, was now outfitted to stand in for suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [9] The primary set built for the series was the exterior to Arnold’s Drive-In, made to resemble, as strongly as possible, the real-life Mel’s Drive-In featured in American Graffiti (for that building had been demolished and later re-assembled at Universal Studios, another legendary backlot in its own right). Interiors were filmed on soundstages, before a live studio audience. [10]
When it finally reached the airwaves in early 1974, as a mid-season offering, it was an instant hit: Rock Around the Clock finished at #12 overall for the season, the best showing for any Desilu program since the heyday of Star Trek. It rode the wave of retro nostalgia most successfully, as the series (set in 1955 for its first two seasons) frequently mentioned events and popular culture of the day; it proved unable to resist frequent mentions of I Love Lucy, of which Marion was a fan, though in that case it helped that the show had spent the better part of 1955 in Hollywood, allowing second-hand references to many famous actors of the 1950s (some of whom, such as Harpo Marx, had sadly passed since). In the interest of “fair play”, Harold was more a fan of The Honeymooners, with the show even featuring a clip of the famous “Man from Space” episode. [11]
But it was Arthur “Mash” Maschiarelli who became the surprise breakout character. Originally fairly incidental and highly enigmatic, his edgier, greaser persona made an excellent contrast to the stereotypical white-bread wholesomeness of most of the other characters. Indeed, the network had considerable reservations with the character of Mash, in particular wanting him to avoid wearing his trademark leather jacket – in a compromise, they agreed to permit it when the character was on or near his motorcycle, in which case the jacket would be a legitimate piece of safety equipment. The producers then simply had Mash remain at or near his bike at all times until the network finally relented. [12] Having the character seated on or reclining against his bike also ensured that Dolenz would not tower over all of the other actors.
During the show’s second season, ratings continued to improve, resulting in the series cracking the overall Top 10 for 1974-75. It was the banner success for both Desilu and ABC, and a rare reprieve from irrelevance for the Alphabet Network. Indeed, the new President of ABC, Fred Silverman, formed a lucrative agreement with Desilu in hopes of developing future projects that might prove to be as lucrative as both Rock Around the Clock and The Muppet Show. The results would prove most intriguing…
---
[1] The production company, initially known as Miller-Milkis, endured for three decades IOTL, becoming one of the most successful sitcom producers in American television (perhaps only Carsey-Werner has a more sterling pedigree). Their unmistakable “style”, perfected on Happy Days, is ITTL tempered by the watchful eye of Desilu.
[2] This is exactly what happened IOTL. Marshall is credited with the wry observation about its destination; Love, American Style was cancelled in 1974 (IOTL and ITTL).
[3] And as is so often the case, what was originally intended as a glib insult was quickly embraced by its target.
[4] Gould appeared in the original pilot under the original name of Howard Cunningham, and his interpretation was more adroit, more Father Knows Best than the well-meaning but overburdened interpretation assumed by his OTL replacement, Tom Bosley (apparently at the behest of executives who will not get their grubby mitts on this show ITTL). Upon moving ahead to series, Gould (who was able to take this role instead of the theatre commitment that he had already made IOTL) requested that his character be renamed Harold, quite reasonably under the logic that “if Marion gets to be called Marion then it’s only fair that I should get to be called Harold”. Bosley, of course, appears at this time as the voice of Harry Boyle in the primetime animated series Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, and is not wanting for employment.
[5] Crystal replaces Richard Dreyfuss, who instead appears in Those Were the Days (in the role held by Rob Reiner IOTL).
[6] IOTL, the character was instead given the name of Arthur Fonzarelli, better known as “Fonzie” or “The Fonz”. This was a consequence of there being a very popular sitcom on another network called M*A*S*H, which (as has been explained in some detail in prior updates) does not and will never exist ITTL.
[7] Mash (just “Mash” – “Mashie” would be both too silly-sounding and too familiar) is a darker character than Fonzie was IOTL, but he remains appealing in a classic oil-and-water sense, along with the classic appeal of the macho tough guy and the “bad boy”. To modern OTL sensibilities, Mash definitely reflects a legitimate “classic cool” more so than Fonzie, who even in his heyday was always a little goofy and cuddly, probably on account of Winkler’s warmer personality.
[8] The re-release of Blackboard Jungle did not happen IOTL; shrewder management on the part of MGM ITTL sees them riding the wave of retro nostalgia and getting a decent chunk of change for their trouble. With regards to “Rock Around the Clock”, it did chart in 1974 as a result of its use in Happy Days IOTL (it was replaced in 1976 by a new, original theme, called simply “Happy Days”, fulfilling the “theme’s the same as the show’s name” covenant, in reverse), though it is not clear whether or not it actually hit the Top 40. I’m willing to allow that, ITTL, it did, allowing Bill Haley & His Comets to join that rare club of artists who chart two hits with the same single.
[9] This is an example of Robert Justman’s intentions to make better use of the famed Desilu Forty Acres backlot, which was demolished in 1976 IOTL.
[10] Earlier seasons of Happy Days were not filmed before an audience, but used a laugh track. As one might expect from the studio that brought us I Love Lucy, laugh tracks do not truck with Desilu, who insists upon a live studio audience. The backlot scenes are recorded in advance, and then presented to an audience “for live responses”. The soundstages at which the bulk of Rock Around the Clock are filmed are located at the Desilu-Cahuenga lot, which is (not) coincidentally where much of I Love Lucy was filmed.
[11] Any references to another property set (mostly) in 1955 and featuring the “Man from Space” episode of The Honeymooners is strictly intentional
[12] Much the same situation happened IOTL, with the same resolution.
---
And now you have some idea of the development of Rock Around the Clock, one of the most popular shows of the late 1970s! I also hope that it gave you some insight into the operations of Desilu, the production studio at the heart of our story. This is a critical time for them, as they’re moving beyond “the House that Paladin Built” into a new era. Of course, since they’re a bona fide larger studio, their output will naturally be a great deal less cohesive, less patterned than in their earlier days. But isn’t that half the fun?
