Happy Days had become a major player in ABC’s programming. After a shaky start, the series became a smash and spun off Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy. Both of those shows merely introduced their the lead characters as guests on Happy Days. After nine seasons on the air, it was finally time to give one of regulars at Al’s their own show. Joanie Loves Chachi proved an instant hit when it debuted during the spring of 1982. People had been eager to see Joanie (Erin Moran) and Chachi (Scott Baio) hook up without Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham lurking in the shadows. But could their love survive without a lot of help from the Fonz? Joanie Love Chachi: The Complete Series, Season 1& 2 depicts the struggles of young TV love in a foreign time slot.
“Chicago” takes the young lovers away from the safety of Milwaukee. What viewers didn’t count on was that Al (Al Molinaro) would be part of the package. He’s in the midst of a life change. He’s marred Louisa (Ellen Travolta) and scooted down to Chicago to open a fancy restaurant. But in order to attract diners, he needs a live music act. He has Chachi and Joanie lined up as his headliners. Of course there’s a problem from the start. Joanie can’t always drive down from Milwaukee (which is about 2 hours away). So she needs to move. But will her parents agree to her going to school in the Windy City? Al and his wife promise to look after the kids. “The Performance” forces Joanie to choose between a kid’s birthday party and an audition for a big time record producer. “I Do, I Don’t, I Do” is a backfire matchmaking situation. Joanie and Chachi hook up another couple. Problem is the other guy wants to hook up with Joanie. “College Days” has the couple arguing about playing a frat house. Is this where stars are born? Decades later this is how Hootie and the Blowfish made it to the top. These four episodes were the first season. The show was a major hit and greenlit for a second season. Viewers wanted to see how much these two kids loved each other.
The second season had ABC move the show away from Happy Days to the 8 p.m. slot on Thursdays. The producers kept up the crossover love with key guests at the start. “Fonzie’s Visit” brings the Happy Days star to the new show. The Fonz (Henry Winkler) pays a visit to new restaurant set and gets pulled into the band. Turns out a TV show only wants Joanie and Chachi’s act if they’re a family band. So everyone pitches in to sell the lie. Is it worth it? “Joanie’s Roommate” gets her in trouble with the parents who think Chachi and her have shacked up. Mr and Mrs. Cunningham (Tom Bosley & Marion Ross) make the big trip to put a stop to any sinful activity. Are they over reacting? After these two episodes, the guest visits ended. The couple have normal sitcom situations. “No Nudes Is Good News” has Chachi accidentally sign up to be a nude model at Joanie’s art class. “Beatlemania” makes Joanie swear Paul McCartney is at a hospital. Not to spoil the episode, but there’s no Sir Paul cameo. “Best Foot Forward” has the kids sneak into a naughty foreign film. “Goodbye Delvecchio’s Hello World” gets them fired from Al’s restaurant for being tardy too many times. Can they survive in the real world of booking gigs? “My Dinner with Chachi” teaches Joanie how to cook. But can he stomach her food? “Christmas Show” puts the band on the radio. Are they about to become massive stars? Sadly this was the last original episode to run in the time slot. The final two episodes would be burned off months later.
How could a show that was such a smash fail so fast? The time slot move is a good reason. But it comes down to the odd nature of the songs Joanie and Chachi sang. Their music was really ahead of their time. They sang the great soft rock classics of the late ’70s. They weren’t chewing ’60s bubblegum on the stage. They weren’t made for their time. Joanie, Chachi and Al were able to return to Happy Days. At least the time they tried to make it happen has been preserved.
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers are fine. You’ll get to fully appreciate Scott Baio’s torso. The audio is Dolby Digital mono. The mix is fine for those who really want to blast the duets between Erin Moran and Scott Baio. The episodes are subtitled.
No bonus features.
Joanie Loves Chachi: The Complete Series, Season 1& 2 contains the short lived magic of the Happy Days spin-off. The series has its goofy charms. How many times can they get Scott Baio to lose his shirt? How did anyone think the original songs sounded like they came from the Beatlemania era?
CBS DVD presents Joanie Loves Chachi: The Complete Series, Season 1& 2. Starring: Scott Baio, Erin Moran, Al Molinaro and Ellen Travolta. Boxset Contents: 17 episodes on 3 DVDs. Released: February 4, 2014.
