Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12294 in DVD
• Brand: PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2008-12-09
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Restored, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 600 minutes

Amazon.com
Happy Days was set in the 1950s in Milwaukee, the heart of middle-class America, and told the story of the Cunningham family. Mr. Cunningham (Tom Bosley) ran the local hardware store and Mrs. Cunningham (Marion Ross), like all good TV Moms, spent her time in the kitchen. Their son, Richie (Ron Howard), hung out at Arnold's Drive-In with his pals Ralph Malph (Donny Most) and Potsie (Anson Williams), trying to be as cool as the coolest greaser in town, the Fonz (Henry Winkler). Richie's sister, Joanie (Erin Moran), tagged along whenever she wasn't at her friend Jenny Piccolo's house.

Amazon.com
Life in Milwaukee's Cunningham household and Arnold's Drive-In goes on as normal in Happy Days: The Fourth Season. With one important exception: Richie (Ron Howard) and his pals Potsie (Anson Williams) and Ralph (Don Most) are heading toward high-school graduation and their collective future as young men. Thus, when each receives a notice from the draft board to appear for a physical, they go. When all of them fail a senior-year class, jeopardizing graduation requirements, they spend a long night studying so they can secure their freedom. When Richie gets tired of living in his family's home and wants some privacy with a girl, he arranges to borrow a friend's apartment for an evening. That friend, no surprise, is Fonzie (Henry Winkler). More than ever, Winkler is the star of Happy Days (along with Howard), with every storyline deeply involving Fonzie and his playful arrogance. Most of the episodes in The Fourth Season are built around Richie slowly moving into the adult world while Fonzie hovers nearby, providing his version of guidance and support. In "A Place of His Own," Richie begs Fonzie (who rents a room above the Cunninghams' garage) to let him use that space to impress a girl--an arrangement that goes haywire when Mr. Cunningham (Tom Bosley), Mrs. Cunningham (Marion Ross), and Joanie (Erin Moran) come home too soon and catch the Fonz sleeping in Richie's room (and in Richie's pajamas). "Richie Branches Out" finds the titular redhead falling for an attractive model on a poster, then going to great lengths to meet her under false pretences. Seeing the folly of Richie's ploy but understanding his temporary insanity, Fonzie gives Richie room to fail but then bucks him up like a pal. "Time Capsule" is a frenzied episode in which Richie, Potsie, Ralph and several girls get locked inside the vault at Mr. Cunningham's hardware store. Only Fonzie's manifest cool (whether real or projected) helps Richie save his sanity while the others fall apart. Certainly there are times when Richie helps Fonzie, too: when the latter can't stop picking fights in "A Mind of Their Own," Richie encourages him to see a shrink, with unexpected results. In "Fonzie's Old Lady," Richie has to break the news to his friend that the older woman he's seeing is, in fact, married. Other good episodes include "A Shot In the Dark," in which Richie wins a basketball game at school with a lucky shot that he can't replicate later. "Marion Rebels" finds Mrs. Cunningham frustrated with Howard's expectations of her, resulting in Mrs. C taking a job at Arnold's. This box set ends with a third anniversary episode, basically an obligatory clip show derived from past episodes. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Great season and the music is there!
Whomever wrote that this set was missing orginal music obviously hasn't watched it. I've heard songs that were replaced in even the sydicated versions. In fact the usual Parmount disclamier "music has been changed for this home entertainment version". is nowhere to be seen.
If there's anything missing here it's very, very minute.
I've been jumping around as far the episodes go and from what I've seen this the one of the most complete sets yet. In the episode "shot in the dark" the scene where Mr. C offers Richie a lifesaver after the basketball game is here. That's largely been cut out of sydicated airings.
As far the episodes if you're reading this you're probably already familiar with them! From what I recall this this season Happy Days was the #1 show on TV so there's plenty of classics here.

The Longest Thirteen Months, but Worth It!
Written Before the Season Four Release Announcement:

Being a naive 8-year old in a late-30s body, I tend to forget the business aspect of releasing Happy Days seasons. I know it's about money. That said (if I'm not mistaken), Season Three ranked much, much higher in terms of sales on Amazon's ranking system than Seasons 1 and 2. I thought for sure Season Four would come along in quick fashion. It hasn't... and no explanation, anywhere.

I had the thrill of meeting Henry Winkler at a Hank Zipzer book signing in May (2008). He was as electric, and gracious, as everyone has said he is (although I think he was somewhat cautious around a delirious fan who was neither female or a kid). Whatever the case, one of his handlers (for lack of the right word) said he would not be signing Happy Days merchandise (so much for bringing my Season 1 along), and it got me wondering just what is going on behind the scenes (granted it might simply be for the reason Mr. Winkler was there for the purpose of his book). I also wonder if all of us who are die-hard fans who criticized the DVD releases for lack of obtaining music rights from original episodes, lack of any "extras", and occasional poor print quality have done a disservice to the whole thing. We can't have everything the way we'd like it, but if CBS/Paramount pulls the plug on this, we might never see Happy Days in a home-playable form again in our lifetimes (so, yes, I would take what I can get in this case!).

After watching Season Three, I had forgotten how funny the show was at that point (and wildly electric and live). There is a palpable energy that is unmistakable. Yes, the "film" effect of one-camera/no-audience Seasons 1 and 2 are admirable, but Season 3 is like watching Elvis on Ed Sullivan. Pandemonium. And, Season 4 is probably the last "laugh-out-loud-funny" season of all eleven. Don't get me wrong: HD had many layers, but some of the later seasons are heavy on sentiment (like a video Valium pill for the mind) and high 70s TV drama (who can forget a blind Fonzie shaking his fists at God while crying in a Brando-esque way, "How could you do this to ME? I thought I was your favorite person."). But, even as a little kid I remember thinking, "HD that opens with Ron Howard's Richie in his blue high school letter jacket meant "funny"; HD that opens with Ron Howard's red college jacket meant, well, cleaner and often more schlocky fun." Season 4 is that classic "high school senior" season. No Fonzie black t-shirts here. Just edgy, often risque humor.

This was the height of Fonzie Mania before they felt the weight of little kids. Before episodes were built around Fonzie saying smoking wasn't cool, and eyeglasses were. Before the great Garry Marshall went all P.T. Barnum ("see the Amazing Fonzie Battle with the Woman of Catmandu!). ... Hey, it was the 70s. Everyone gets a free pass there.

I'm just pleading with Paramount (hell, anyone): tell us why the hold up? I'll buy five Season Tens (arguably the only really questionable season, whereas the final Season Eleven was brilliant, I think) if we can just get to the classic Season Four! Let's put it this way: Happy Days Season Four was the 1 show of ALL of American television in that 1976-1977 season (yes, above everything; MASH, All in the Family, you name it). And for great reason!

An answer, please. Somebody. Anybody! I'll be the guy trying to burn his 1984 Happy Days finale ("Passages") to DVD in the hope the tape doesn't unravel after 24 years if you're looking for me.

Please keep it going CBS/Paramount and TV gods that be...

Written After the Season Four Announcement:

THANK YOU!!! CBS/PARAMOUNT is assuring Happy Days will keep rolling along!

It's Happy Days
great show hope all the rest of the seasons will be release soon a great set.