In the summer of 1970, right before season 3 of Hee Haw, producers Frank Peppiatt & John Aylesworth sold CBS a 2nd series, which they thought would do for nostalgia what Hee Haw did for country music.
Instead, Happy Days laid an egg. 10 weeks, and no further. It tried to be many things for many people, but it just didn't click, despite the talent assembled. Actor-comedian-producer Jack Burns (ex-The Andy Griffith Show) and Chuck McCann were among the series regulars, with McCann doing some of the same characters he'd created for his children's shows in New York, including dressing up as comic strip icon Little Orphan Annie. Impressionist Julie McWhirter landed one of her first TV gigs as a regular on the show.
Video footage is scarce, and the lone video on YouTube is being kept away from blogs like this one. Hence, we can offer this TV Guide close-up excerpt:
The problem that I could see was that Happy Days, with Louis Nye (ex-The Steve Allen Show, Beverly Hillbillies) as host, was ahead of its time. Nye would never get another crack at being a lead of any kind.
No rating. Just a public service.
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